Progress on August 8th DragonCon To Do List

Thursday seems like a good day for an update on what I've been up to this week, don't you think? Especially since it is officially three weeks til DragonCon. Although if you're a regular reader, you already know a little of what I've been doing.

First up, Miss Von Stoup's post apocalyptic costume. Her hoops are coming along and I had her try on the jacket yesterday. The only change she requested was that it be hemmed (which wasn't the original plan), so after she left I pinned up the hem and I plan to sew it tonight. UPDATE The jacket was hemmed on Friday.

I've been working on the embroidered vest pretty much daily, even if only for a few minutes. It's coming along, but it takes time.

The Ottoman bustle is ready. I pinned it and stitched it down in a couple places Monday night, then let it hang on the dressmaker's form to make sure it would hold. Yesterday I tried it on and liked the drape so it has been added to my 'to pack' pile.

The Persian pants are in process. I found a pale pink satin in my stash that matches the vest almost perfectly. Yesterday, I cut the cuffs and waistband and started pleating the cuffs and waist down to fit. However the pants are much too long so I'm going to have to cut a lot off the legs and maybe alter the leg seam. I'm also thinking of using a little elastic in the cuffs so they'll be easier to put on. I had to rip out part of the back seam so that I could get the pants on. The waistband has been sewn on but needs turned and stitched down to cover the raw edges. Then come the closures.

I also worked on the Time Traveler hat band yesterday. The band is too small, so that may need remedied, perhaps with some ribbon. The feather looks good, but I wouldn't mind more if I can find ones I like at a decent price. The watches are giving me issues though, may need to go to plan B which involves spending money. Or just toss out that idea and just go with feathers and the white band otherwise unadorned. Or just bedeck it in ribbon and trim, I have enough of it.

I haven't started work on the Time Traveler ballgown bodice, but I did pull out some muslin to use. I briefly contemplating attempting a new corseted bodice that I've been wanting to make, but I'd have to make too many alterations for it to be worn with a bustle so I think I'm going to stick to the original plan.

My beau's red and black kilt now has a back pocket. It's welted, which is my standard. Let me just say, putting a welted pocket into a pleated kilt and having to stitch and slash through I don't know how many layers of cotton and denim, was NOT pleasant. But it's DONE.

I also started his new kilt. We decided to go with a sporran instead the pocket route. I plan to make one out of heavy black fabric with clips that that fasten onto D rings on the kilt. I cut out the kilt yesterday. It needs sewn together and part of it needs hemmed. I also cut out what I think will become the sporran. I'm planning two pockets, one for his wallet and one for his phone.
UPDATE Friday: The sporran's done except for the clips, which I need to buy. And the kilt is as far as I can go without the denim, which is at a friend's house.

So there's where I stand on DragonCon preparations! I'll be in Atlanta in THREE WEEKS. I'm sure it goes without saying that I'm a little bit panicked.

Ohayocon 23

First of all, my mask is pretty much finished. I need to cut and paint the dowel rod and then attach it to the mask, but the sewing part is done.

As for Miss Dashwood's fabric and sketches, those are still undone. I ended up being sent home early from work, just as I began to work on them. So that's why they are still undone.

I have worked on the Joker however. I finished the other two welted pockets on the jacket. They both went much better than the first pocket. I attempted to take enough photos for a tutorial but failed -- it is rather hard to remember to photograph each step. I just get so caught up in the sewing! Once the pockets were finished, I started on the lining. After pinning and not liking it, I decided just to hand stitch in the lining. I like the way it looks for one thing and I also feel that I have better control over it if I just do it by hand. So last night, I pinned the tail lining onto the coat. I worked on the stitching today and its almost finished. Last night I also basted on the lapels. I figured that basting it on was the best option. That way, we can decided if we like the faux fur or not. If the answer is yes, I can stitch it on properly and if the answer is no, I can remove it easily. The next step after the tail lining is sewn in will be the lining of the body of the jacket.

After I put in the pockets, which I completely forgot about until now. I think they're just going to be patch pockets, but I'll ask the beau to make sure before I do that. Which of course means that I'll have to wait to start putting in that lining until after I put the pockets in.

If I finish the tail lining tomorrow while at work, I shall probably work on sketches for ever lovely Miss Dashwood.

A bientot!

Miss Leah J Wilde
Steam-stress of the Airship Archon

PS -- Eeep! One month til Ohayocon! I'm definitely hitting full panic mode now!

Ohayocon Prep 22 and Quilting

Things I did not work on that I said I would - my mask and Miss Dashwood's fabric and sketches. I need to take care of those today.

I did however work on my beau's quilt. I have three or four of the seven rows sewn together.

AND I got quite a bit of work done on the Joker this weekend. As previously mentioned, I cut out the corduroy and the lining for the jacket last week. On Friday, I put together the jacket and the lining. I also cut out the lapel facing and sewed it together along the center back seam.

Then he decides that he wants pockets. Which makes sense - obviously he needs to be able to carry a pocket watch and a flower in his lapel. I just wish he'd mentioned it earlier, would have been much easier to put the pockets in before the jacket was sewn together.

Since the pockets must go in before the lining, I obviously did not get around to hand stitching the lining in this weekend. Sadly.

While visiting his family out of town, and without a sewing machine *gasp*, I cut out the pockets for the jacket and also his trousers. Those were interesting. The underlining of white cotton was just fine, normal cutting out. But the outer fabric is so lightweight that I decided to use the underlining as the pattern pieces and cut out each piece separately, on only one layer of the trouser fabric. As you can imagine, this took some time.

Last night after we returned, I tackled the jacket pockets. First of all, let me state that I hate welted pockets. While they look fabulous, they are a pain to sew. I reread the directions before I started and marked where I wanted the pockets to go. Then I stitched the welts on, then the pocket lining, then slashed the pocket and the jacket and pulled the pocket through and -- I had messed up somewhere. Turns out that I had put the welts on backwards, so instead of a nice smooth folded edge showing, it was the raw edges of the welts. Sigh. So I had to take everything out and start all over again. Thankfully, the second time went off without an issue, and the other side of the pocket was sewn on. I showed the beau and he approved of my work which of course pleased me to no end.

So I have one pocket down, two to go on the outside of the jacket. Then there's two more on the inside, but I may just make them patch pockets. I'll have to talk to the beau first.

Now for everyone's favorite part - the to do list!

Harley Quinn
1. Finish mask

Catwoman
1. Prewash fabric
2. Sketches for both the bustle and the utility belt
3. Construct both the bustle and the utility belt
4. Insert zipper into turtleneck

Joker
1. Finish pockets on the jacket, both inside and outside
2. Sew in the jacket lining
3. Sew on the jacket lapels
4. Buttons and buttonholes on the front of the jacket
5. Put the trousers together - zipper or button fly?
6. Cut out and construct the vest
7. Probably need to make a tie

I plan to take turns working on Catwoman and Joker. I'll probably mainly do Catwoman while on the Companions Shuttle and work on the Joker while visiting my beau in his quarters. Today at work, I'm going to work on my mask and try to get those sketches done.

I'm going to try to take enough photos during the next pocket construction that I can do a welted pocket tutorial.

A bientot!

Miss Leah J Wilde