Démodé

historical costume projects & resources

Maja progress: Spangles!

So, it turns out that spangle embroidery is relatively quick to do — yay!  I brought some with me on my trip to Paris, and managed to do the waistcoat front on the plane in a few hours.  I’ve now finished that, along with the revers turnback on the waistcoat (which is in my sewing room somewhere — I hope!).

Side note to those who suggested the waistcoat could be “zone”/cutaway — I’ve never seen a cutaway on a waistcoat, only on the overrobe (under which the waistcoat/underbodice shows), so I really do think it’s just that the CF of the waistcoat is cut on an angle.

Also, I mocked up the jacket (based on the waistcoat pattern) which fit like a dream.  I’ve now patterned and marked the jacket pieces, and am starting that embroidery:

7 thoughts on “Maja progress: Spangles!

  1. Question for you – I’ve always wanted to work on embroidery/sewing on the plane, but I haven’t figured out how to cut the thread since I can’t carry-on scissors. I could break the thread, but that always makes it so hard to thread. Do you have any nifty tricks?

  2. Hey Melissa — you can bring scissors in the US, so long as they’re blunt point, short, kiddie-type scissors. Check the TSA website and you can get details on length etc. That being said, they took them from me when I left from Paris, so you never know about other countries! Luckily I still had my seam ripper and used that.

    I have heard of people using dental floss to cut thread on planes, which is kind of genius.

  3. Melissa — small nail clippers tend to be ok on planes too. The U.S. TSA says they’re ok & most other countries don’t mind them. But beware of Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, I’ve had them take away things that are supposed to be ok too (like lip balm, ack!).

  4. Melissa, Southwest has allowed me to bring my tiny stork scissors on flights but I don’t know about other airlines, or if that’s changed recently. They do sell those medallion-type cutters in the sewing notions section but they don’t seem to be that sharp and tend to fray the thread.

  5. omg just bite it! the thread I mean. If necessary, bury the tails beneath some other sewing in the back, then bite.

    it’s gonna be a beautiful dress!

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