Girl with a punctured heart

For Halloween this year I wanted something suitably in theme, suitably rare, and suitably feminine. After a little bit of browsing the internet for inspiration I decided on this sassy little voodoo doll dress.

It's a smart fitted number, with a lovely flattering bias cut waist-band. Working with Buckram was not exactly a bag of laughs and my flat is now covered in wisps of the stuff which no hoover can conquer. Naturally it needed to be entirely lined with a thick black cotton to save me from itching my way through the party, it also meant that neckline and armholes were faced. Happy days. (If I were to make it again though I'd give it sleeves as my underarms were a little raw at the end of the night - ow!)

The heart is made from felt appliquéd on with a blanket stitch and the pins were a couple of ex-coat hangers with a painted paper-spun ball hot-glued to the end. It's quite odd coping with such a protrusion and trying to navigate a crowded room or take a sip of a drink but the pins were stitched in place and pretty sturdy.

Much back-combing and crimping later and just the right accessories and I'm so pleased I didn't do the tired sheet-over-the-head look!

Halloween in Mordor

A friend of mine had his heart set on a Ring Wraith costume from the Lord of The Rings films for this year's Halloween. I don't know the films that well but luckily he had a little toy figure for me to work the pattern from. The friend in question is very particular about accuracy of design and between us we finalised a design that was a little different in construction but exactly the same in appearance.

The final costume had 4 parts to it, including a top with 2 sets of sleeves to give a layered effect as despite buying a whopping 12 meters of fabric there wasn't enough to make a second top. Choosing the fabric was a bit of a challenge. We needed something with a really obvious sack-cloth type weave, but also close weave as we didn't want it see-through! A lot of the fabric we looked at was far to new looking, but finally we found some heavyweight upholstery fabric that fitted the bill.



It was made on a tight deadline but luckily the costume was supposed to look a little shapeless so precise measurements weren't needed so much. Part of the specification of the design was that it needed to be very flowing and incorporate a lot of fabric so the skirt part is in fact a circle skirt with a draw-string waist.

The cloak that goes over the top isn't actually attached to the hood, which is placed over the shoulders and has long flared parts that are almost knee length and adds even more to the layered look. The cloak itself has a small folded back capelet attached at the neckline and split at the shoulders, as well as having split sides from the shoulders downwards which I am reliably informed is to enable the Wraiths to draw and wield their swords! Both the skirt part and the cloak needed to be long enough to drag on the floor to give a 'floating' look when worn. I think it all came together pretty well!

My first proper knitted 'garment'!

I've knitted baby hats and the odd scarf before, but this was my first go at a proper piece of clothing using the ancient cloth-out-of-string method known as knitting, and I chose to make a tank-top for a chap. Considering that knitting is the slowest craft EVER it didn't really take that long. I started it as a holiday project when I went away to Wales in early September and finished it about mid-October- not bad!

I used a different weight wool for the trim because I liked the rich teal colour, but it didn't seem to generate any problems. It was my first time using the picking up stitches technique needed for the neckline and armholes, but once I had consulted Motherapeadia it really wasn't so hard. I also had my tension complimented by a seasoned knitter friend of mine so that was quite pleasing too.



















I admit it is a bit geography-teacher-esque, but it suits the chap it was made for, as seen here.

It's the first time I've knitted since the Christmas present disasters last year and I think it may have got me past the hangover of that horror. I may even try and knit something else as it's winter well and truly now!

Apple of my father's eye

Buying or making my father a birthday present is always a bit tricky, as he's one of those chaps that will just get himself something if he needs it!

Luckily this year I had a tip-off from my mother, telling me that what he really needed was a tea-cosy for his new pillarbox red Stump tea pot. Armed with some precise measurements I started knitting in earnest from a moss stitch pattern cozy.

It didn't take long to do once I was in the flow, and the leaf was a lot easier than I thought. The stem is done with french knitting.

Thankfully the birthday boy liked it too - and now his tea stays warm through the winter nights!

1950's for the younger generation!

Recently a friend of mine asked if he could employ my services for his daughters 13th birthday present of a handmade dress. He wanted her to choose the design and the fabric, and plenty of space for it to be let out as she inevitably shoots up over the next couple of years!

The new teen in question is really into her rockabilly style so I dug out some of my 50's patterns and she chose the one I'd made for myself back in January (as seen here.)

In terms of design it was perfect for modifying for the young lady's needs: I turned the neck straps into a tie halter for easy adjustment, and the gathers on the bustline and the sweetheart line over the lining panel give it just the right amount of femininity without being too revealing for a 13 year old!

I made the dress with 1 inch seam allowances and a 4 inch hem that should keep her in it for a good while yet! I've never made anything for someone quite so little so I had to measure her every single dimension but it fits really well, and with the petticoat underneath she looks ready to rock and roll!

2 and half hours well spent!

I'm rather pleased with this. I picked up 3m of this fabric for a song last week with the vague intention of turning it into a circle skirt one day. Yesterday, I got home from work and decided to get started on it while my dinner was in the oven. I started by getting to grips with pi all over again.

2.5 hours later (not including a break to feed my face) I had this skirt made of 2 semi-circle panels. I've not used a zip as I wanted it to have a cleaner look and feel. The button has enough overlap that you can't see anything you shouldn't through the placket!

The only problem is that it's a smidge see-through! It should be ok with the petticoat underneath it, though I'm a bit nervous of UV lights... I'm currently trying to convince the world (or myself) that the petticoat size is perfectly appropriate day-wear, so far I've only knocked a couple of small light objects off shelves, had several Marilyn moments in the breeze and taken up a seat and a half on the bus!

16 pieces of fabric for a skirt?!

Yeah I didn't really consider the complexity of this skirt before I decided to make it. I bought the pattern from some dodgy market stall years ago after which I completely forgot about it. It came to the top of the pile recently and when I saw this bold print 100% cotton I felt inspired to make it.

To be honest, I think something more synthetic would have been better as it creases a LOT which is tricky in terms of keeping the pleats in place. It's got a static-free lining which makes it quite warm too, not exactly the cool, summery skirt I was after for this hot weather!

The pattern was for the wrong size so I had to scale it up, but it's still a little tight which makes it just a smidge too short. Hopefully by winter I'll have slimmed for it!

Pretty though!

They've got to be easy to remove...

So 2 new burlesque routines were put together recently, 1 of which was a double-act so lots of costuming has been a-foot.

The corset is entirely spiral steels to allow flexibility for dancing in. It doesn't have a busk as it stays on for the whole performance and as I had to make 2 of everything it kept cost down too! When I first made it I put 2 wide inflexible steels at the centre front which gave a lovely flat front but had a couple of drawbacks.
1. As it was based on the same pattern that I had made for an entirely spirals corset, the flats stopped it tightening quite so much at the waist and although the silhouette from the front was gorgeous, the back lacing had that upside-down 'V' of a poorly fitting corset.
2. It didn't work very well with a bra as it made the underwires dig in.
3. It was a lot more difficult to bend over in, which was essential for my solo act, which used the reverse side of the corset. (Yes, reversible too!)

The skirt is a riot of liquid satin and garish colour. The complimentary skirt was made with the blue satin that you can see in the trim and pink and yellow ruffles. Everything had to be overlocked or roll-hemmed, including the ruffles as liquid satin unravels quicker than a ball of wool in the clutches of a kitten. I was hoping my Ultimate Ruffler would make light work of this, but sadly it just wasn't up to the job and I had to gather by hand. It wraps around and the ribbon waistband turns into a side-tie for easy removal.

This is the reverse of the corset, which I designed to go with my other new costume. This saved me having to make yet another corset for the event, and saved money obviously. It was a little tricky trying to work out how to do the lacing panels without interfering with either side but I was very pleased with the final piece. Both outers are 100% cotton with a cotton coutil sandwiched in between.

I really didn't know what I was going to do about the modesty panel - in the end I just made a loose one that the person lacing me up could push into place for me. This corset was an absolute nightmare to lace as it had to be so loose in order to get it over my head, it needed so much tightening once on and I'd accidentally bought a new type of lace with no slide whatsoever. Trying to get it off in a hurry was no fun either as the easiest option was to just unlace -tricky on your own at the end of the night!

Kitsch... I think I can manage that...

Well it's been a busy month or so behind the sewing machine so hopefully the drought of blogs will be replaced by a tidal wave. Starting with this one.

This was my outfit for the kitsch-themed Dystopia night. I had to find quite a lot of fabric for decorating the venue so was in a good position for getting myself some perfect prints. In the past I've been rather reticent about buying fabric online - "you need to feel the schmatter" as a good friend of mine would say. However, despite a slightly annoying colour mix up it was a very successful venture, including this rather funky cotton tattoo print.

The dress pattern is a Butterick Retro Collection pattern - retro patterns re-drafted for the modern seamstress, a godsend! The pattern and instructions were simple and easy to understand, and the sizes were much more modern too. I had originally intended to make the wiggle dress version which is what I made for my mock up, but at the last minute I decided a full skirt had more kitsch value. It took about a day and a half - not bad at all.

The contrasting corset has been made with the pink tattoo print on the reverse so hopefully it will function as a reversible corset. This will make the busk a little weird I think, but I'll see how it goes - I only finished putting the grommets in an hour before the event so it wasn't able to do up very tight sadly, it's based on the simplicity 9769 which gives such a wonderful curve to the waist. It has a bit of a strange height (about mid nipple) which works quite well over the top of a dress but not on it's own.

As for accessories, I made a facinator with a kitsch-tastic button and a healthy amount of white veiling. Sewing into memory foam is always a bit risky for tearing, but I made good use of UHU too :) There was also a matching croissant handbag that sadly I have no pictures of, based on a 1940s pattern. I made it from the pink fabric with a rose decoration made from the blue fabric of the corset.

I was a bit concerned it was overly demure for the event, but the entire outfit went down very well and I received a lot of compliments which was really lovely.

I also performed at the event, and created a couple of little gems that I will post about as soon as I get some pictures.

Such austerity...

I think this is a 40s or 50s pattern. It is one of the one's salvaged from my grandmother's house. She must have been fairly waif-like back in the day. This pattern is for a size 14, which falls somewhere between a modern day UK8 and 10.

With some pattern modification and inserts though, I managed to make this.

It's made with a really light and floaty dress fabric bought on a 13m roll, so expect to be seeing more of it! They didn't exactly go too low with the necklines - this is the more daring v-neck style! The pattern asks for shoulderpads but I just couldn't bring myself to do it...

I need more and more dresses as summer approaches and I have a few old patterns to keep me busy!

Quilting from the heart

Ok, so this isn't one of mine, I haven't reached that point of my life yet. All my attempts at quilting lie in various carrier bags where they have been abandoned as my attention wandered to other projects that offered so much more in the way of speedy gratification.

No, this beautiful quilt and cushion have been painstakingly pieced together by my loving mother. Fabrics chosen to reflect my devotion to 50's kitsch, including some genuine 50's pieces from a recent clearout of my (passed) grandmother's house.

I love my new quilt, it makes quite an impact in my living room and is spurring me on to paint the furniture I've been wanting to do for a while, namely to make baby blue and pink a bit of an accent. Apparently the cushion was run up for a workshop so was a bit of an added bonus for me, hurrah!

Plans plans plans!

I do have a couple more things that I've made recently, including a very decadent Victorian inspired burlesque outfit that I will talk about as soon as I organise pictures to go with it.

However, there are a few things in the pipeline as the sun starts to shine and summer approaches. I have a NEED for more skirts with a good twirl-factor, and dresses I can just sling on and have an instantly glamorous outfit. Luckily (with a little help from a very wonderful friend) I am just about to acquire this little beauty to keep me company in the shop. It's a vintage version of the modern workhorse I have at home so I'm trusting that it's going to be a good little runner - and it looks gorgeous too!

I'm very excited :)

Che Guevara silliness

This was what I made my father for Christmas. I did a hell of a lot of knitting in the run up to Christmas, nearly all of which went horribly, horribly wrong. The only other ones I managed successfully were Jackie Chan and Ghandi but sadly I don't have pictures of them.

That dress finally!

I completed this dress a while ago but I've been slack about getting the picture up on here. I decided not to put the featherweight bones in in the end as I didn't want them getting creased and looking rubbish. It does roll down a little at the back, especially when wearing a corset, but I think that could be fixed for future incarnations. It needs a decent petticoat which means I need to spend some time with my Ultimate Ruffler! In this picture I'm wearing it with my longline white underbust corset which looks great on the waist. It is wearable without a corset though, which is lucky for dancing :)

Thanks to Chris W Parker for the photo x

1954 Halter Dress

January's effort has been to make myself this dress.

I found some lovely dark navy cotton with a small and busy cream paisley pattern that I picked up for a song. (I'm trying to branch out beyond black, red and white!) It's really light and floaty - perfect for dancing in! I've faced it with some plain navy sheet-weight cotton.

The wide halter straps are really flattering and I like the modesty of the insert behind the sweetheart neckline. The bust and strap sections were quite fiddly but will be much easier when it comes to doing them again I think.

I've pretty much finished except for hemming and some finishing touches. I'm still trying to decide whether to add the featherbone stays the pattern calls for at the front, though it definitely needs the ones at the back to stop it rolling down...

One thing I did not expect was how true to the picture it would be! The insanely waspie waists of the illustration were merely artistic licence thought I - not so! Good job I'm not averse to a corset as the hip/waist/bust ratio is a bit extreme! I love a dramatic waistline as much as the next woman, but I will be modifying this for future incarnations of this dress.

I hope to finish it tomorrow and I'll post pics asap :)

Resolute

When I was about 13 I made a New Years resolution to never again make new years resolutions. This year I'm breaking it (it did pretty well!) and I'm making 3 resolutions.

1) Wear more silk. This also means sew more silk as my budget doesn't exactly allow for trips to Agent Provocateur every other week! On the few occaisions I have sewn with silk in the past I've run into a fair few problems with its tendancy to fray and it's light and floaty ways. It does also give me the opportunity to learn more about the different types too and I do so want to improve my textile knowledge.

2) Watch at least 1 classic b&w film a week. Ok, not massively sewing related, but I imagine I will be wanting to copy the odd design. I watched It's A Wonderful Life for the first time a few days ago and I just wanted to recreate every single outfit I saw! Please put any recommendations in the comments, I need to build a big 'to watch' list.

3) Make myself at least 1 garment a month. I need to find time to sew for myself too - and not just the hastily thrown together fancy dress things I'm always doing. Things like a dress, a corset (finally!), or even a petticoat.

It's going to be a pretty busy year for me! I'm managing a shop full-time now while still keeping the corset-making/seamstressing side going. I think it'll take me a while to get used to having to be at the shop all the time, but at least my lovely friend Dr Sid got me a handheld sewing machine for Christmas so I can still make progress between customers! I'm working on a bullet bra at the moment, it's a strange garment - I'll let you know how I get on!

Happy New Year everyone xxx