I Sewed!

And I even finished something! Okay, it was just a petticoat, but I’ll take what I can get.

I finally managed to sit myself down and finish this sucker. First I had to take off the lace I had added before, after finding a great matched set of black and white edging and insertion on ebay. Then I had to add the new lace, attach the flounce, and that was it — but it took much longer than it sounds. This whole heirloom sewing thing is fiddly, I tell you.

The one thing I’m not sure about this whole myth that one can use steam to pre-shrink lace edging/insertion. That’s what I did, as I couldn’t see throwing this stuff in the washing machine, but I’m really not going to be shocked if it does shrink and pucker my lovely hem ruffle once I was this thing.

petticoat petticoat

1909 Edwardian Suit

So, um, I’m done with the embroidering, with nary an update. What can I say, terminal laziness has set in!

I did pretty much all of the embroidery on the train to and from work, which was really enjoyable (now I’m wishing I had another similar project that was so easy to carry around, unlike my 1780 jacket which has fallen by the temporary wayside).

The only issue is that I used a pink pencil to draw the design — it’s supposed to work as an iron-on transfer (you first draw onto tracing paper) but I can report that while it does work, the lines are pretty blurry so I don’t recommend it — and now one of my pieces has a decided pink cast to it. And I don’t think it’s going to wash out. Oh well, c’est la vie!

embroidery embroidery embroidery

Now I need to clean my bedroom/sewing room so I can get at my machine again, and then start assembling the corset cover.

1909 Edwardian Suit

One $94 trip to Lacis and one marathon 5pm-1am sewing session later, and we have achieved corset! Yes, I’m insane… but I wanted to wear my Wings of the Dove dress to the GBACG Open House today just cause I had a yen to… but the thought of wearing my too small teens corset and being uncomfortable did NOT sound fun. Plus I got a bee in my bonnet. I’m weird that way.

It was relatively straightforward to put together — I do have a big awl stab in one my fingers (and bled on the corset — yay!). Forgot to buy one piece of boning so one side of one of the side seams is awaiting boning… but since I’d already put a similar corset together I pretty much knew the drill. Plus since I’ve invested in a grommet setting kit, that part has gotten much better (much fun to bang grommets on the fireplace at 1am! Yay!).

Not the most flattering pictures — I look pretty sausage-like — but it’s true to the teens tubular silhouette. And, most importantly, it’s A) stripey and B) SO COMFORTABLE. Wow. Right. Fitted corset = comfort. Forgot about that one!

And now I can sell my old one and try to recoup some money.

corset corset corset