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Erm, I should have said that I might make the corset. i don't have the pattern yet, but it's not one of those full torso corsets, and it doesn't have stiff whalebone-it's just laced up.
Like this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...andchemise.jpg
And yes, the sleeves will be puffed out.
I'm doing this because
1. I'm an ardent history geek.
2. It will serve as my birthday dress. (I'm going to the Huntington museum and its tea room, so I wanted to dress up!)
And I will need that luck! Thanks!
Wow...what a task ahead of you Lily! But if it's succesful itll make for quite the keepsake. Very creative! :D
I am terrible with my hands but still have a fondness for arts and crafts. Im a big fan of making string bracelets, and often make them for my friends.They look a bit like:
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...eletfriend.jpg
Ah yes, those make nice accesories, Miss Drama!
I was thinking last night about how my quilting has sort been abandoned recently and I think the 2007 project will be a story quilt. A 24 block deal maybe but 12 blocks will feature the patches that summ up the moode of my reading for one month.
Course in that case itll take a year to fifish and Im not sure I have that patcince.
Maybe Ill do the border binding with somthing with dragons or some other fairytale thing anyway what do you think??
I finished it! I don't start my new job till Monday, so I've had a good two weeks to get projects done. I can't find the cord that attaches the camera to the computer, so I'll ask Leo where it is when he gets home and post a pic then.
I'm also pleased to see the beautiful projects that have been posted since I was gone.
Okay, off to finish my Welcome sign.
I think that's a fantastic idea! I loved your book cover, by the way.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nightshade
Im getting myself album book thing to keepo my postcards in and I want to make it a quilted book cover abit like this one but with alot more smaller patches.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m...-D/bkcover.jpg
What Im after is fabric with an 'international theme'...I dont know one of those ones with travel stamps or famous building or something on it.
Anyone ever seen anything like that and any ideas on what words I should use to look for it?
Gosh I just found this thead. You guys are great crafters. Everything looks so beautiful. I know how to crochet, the stitches and how to read the patterns, but I can not keep my tension right. Everything starts off the right size, but ends up about 1/4 the size it started. I knit and I cross stitch but I can't sew hardly at all. I made my oldest daughter (motherhubbard) a skirt when she was 4 and she refused to wear it!! It did look pretty bad. My Mother would look at something and make her own pattern and sew it. She made all my "good" clothes. But I'm pretty hopeless. I'd love to quilt, but I just give up after a block or two.
Baki's recent bid for a thread dedicated to non-drawing art forms made me think it may be time to resurrect this one. Here are some pics of a few of my recent knitting projects to get things started:
A Sweater I made for a family friend:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...nesSweater.jpg
Details of the design:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...er--Detail.jpg
A scarf I made as a gift for a pianist friend (the notes play one of his favorite songs):
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...PianoScarf.jpg
A pair of knee socks that are replicas of the stockings found in the 16th century tomb of Eleanora de Toledo, who was married to Cosimo de Medici. The originals are reputedly the earliest example of lace knitting in Europe:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...sanceSocks.jpg
One of the socks modeled by yours truly:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...cksmodeled.jpg
Thanks for sharing Petrarch. I'll post some pictures here soon. I've a baby blanket I'm almost finished crocheting that I'll post soon. If you read my blog you know this already, but it is a black and red BABY blanket. I can't stand the thing, but only because it is meant for a baby. If you take that out of the equation, I think it is rather pretty:) I should finishe tonight and I'll post that and a few others.
Thanks, Meg. I'm curious to see this black and red baby blanket now. (Is there some reason your friend wanted those colours, since you obviously didn't?)
Splendid work, Petratch! :)
They live in California, and they're into the whole Rockabilly(sp?) culture. They are all about the red and black color scheme with skulls and roses and such. I'm not surprised it was requested, but still would have preferred something a little more baby like. Anyway, here are some pictures. Considering, I think it is really pretty. I would LOVE it if I didn't know it were for a baby.Quote:
Originally Posted by Petrarch's Love
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...y/DSCF1581.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...y/DSCF1580.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...y/DSCF1579.jpg
Beautiful stitchery, Meg.
Thanks Pensive!Quote:
Splendid work, Petratch!
Meg--The blanket looks beautiful. I see what you mean about the colours not seeming baby-like, but since your friends do like the colours, I bet they'll love it.
I'm sure they are going to love it. They should be glad that I love them as much as I do:lol: Otherwise I may have never finished it in time. I should have it in the mail this week, and that should put it there before the baby is born. I think he is due to arrive at the start of December, so there should be time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Petrarch's Love
:eek2: WHOAH Those are AMAZING! Petrarch, I loved that scarf! So creative! And that blanket is gorgeous, mkhockenberry. I can tell you right now I would suck at crocheting and knitting. Amazing. Such gift.
I've been really wanting to make a 1950s style dress lately. I was thinking a pale green one. I really, really am not a good seamstress at all. I butchered that last dress. And sewing is so expensive. And all the accessories for the dress...ahhhh too much. Plus where would I wear it? I don't go to many special occassion things and I would look ridiculous walking around in a 1950s dress. *sigh* May I could just try anyways...go slow. I was thinking:
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/a...50sdresses.jpg
One like the lady's in the blue dress.
Or
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/a...0sdresses2.jpg
Like the lady's in the red dress.
And maybe, just maybe, it would be really nice if I actually had a swimsuit I wouldn't mind wearing i.e. the one on the bottom left, here:
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/a...sswimsuits.jpg
And darn Simplicity doesn't carry these anymore because those are original patterns, so I'd have to order them off this website. :flare:
Hey all,
Wondering if anybody else sews, knits, designs clothing and fashion, etc.
Anywho, thought that if this actually catches on it would be a good place to share our work, patterns, etc.
Currently, I'm looking for a good free corset pattern, and I'd be SOOOO appreciative if anybody could send me a good pattern.
Merci!
Bec
Have you ever made a corset before? I am asking as you requested a pattern. Those things are brutal to put together!
I've made six, actually. The first one was utter ****e, but they keep getting better every try. Now that I've made enough, I'm feeling alright about actually going whole hog and getting nice fabric (silk brocade, anyone?) and making a NICE corset. I want a GOOD pattern though- I've had problems with all the others, as they haven't fit me very well. And they are a PAIN to put together lol! I had to use about 6 wheels of pins to keep each one together as I sewed it.
Where were your patterns from? Meaning, were they name brand patterns, or did you use other ones?
I actually prefer using patterns that are based on "old" ones. For some reason, I get more confused using ones like Simplicity (which is funny because I have difficulty with patterns with the name Simplicity!:p ).
I am using silk brocade on a dress that I am currently making (it is going to be more of an accent to the dress). I tend to go to places like JoAnn Fabrics when I am in doubt with finding anything anywhere else.
So, if you plan on being a little more "authentic" (I guess I could use that word, right? :) ), are you going to try to use steel boning, too?
I am lazy. I just use whatever I can get from a material store. I need some steel for an 18th century hoop, and I really don't want to pay the money for it.
By the way, I have this ridiculously expensive hobby of making "period" clothing. I don't know why I do it! But I do. So that is why I have a little bit of knowledge in corsets. :)
I've found various patterns online, but I'm also cheap and my partner's mum is in the SCA so I've obtained patterns from her. None have been my favourite (grumpy*
^^I live in a small city with a Fabricland and a Lens Mill, so my access to good fabric is limited. I need to find steel boning somewhere, as well as a busk and grommets.
What sort of things have you made? And it IS an expensive hobby.
I also make synthetic dreads in various colors, out of yarn, synth hair, ribbon, etc. It's a lot cheaper and easier. =] Fun hobby, and profitable =O
All sewing is brutal. D: Not one of my strong "talents". I tried.Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyWentworth
A rediculously expensive hobby that could be a potential money bringer! Have you thought of making costumes for sale?:)Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyWentworth
My mum hates simplicity too, I have tried one of their patterns yet, still a beginner really have tried any real clothing although I bought to rip up and remake a year ago and havent got round to it yet.. what era clothes?Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyWentworth
And as for the hoop I seem to rember that you can although its not great as it does bend fairly easilly use metal wire and basically 'twist lots together to make it sturdier... are you going for a full hoop thing thats built all the way from the hips ( including hinges if you are going for skirts in the fashion of Pompadore? or for the kind that just has a hoop at the bottom of the skirt?
And the thing wth hoops if your not used to walking in themm is they can very easily trip you up if you dont calculate for their swing.
:nod: yes...renissence especially custom made dresses cost an arm and a leg...Quote:
Originally Posted by Niamh
humm I should definetly try some of these things...
I generally just go to WalMart or JoAnn Fabrics because it is cheaper. The higher end fabric stores are just too much. The only time I go there is when I am in desperate need for material that I can't find anywhere else.Quote:
Originally Posted by BeccaT
I always enjoy how they tell people to go to a medical supply store to find the metal boning for the corsets. I am not too sure what I will do with this hoop that I want to make. Whenever I make something like a corset, even though they don't suggest it, I just use the plastic boning. It works FINE!
What is really frustrating is how I might need a VERY BIG amount of material and the stores NEVER have it! So then you have to HOPE the website does because that is the ONLY way that it is obtainable!
I am really into the US Civil War. So I have made different dresses from that period. I am begining a Colonial era dress. I am also thinking about starting a riding outfit (one from the 1870's-1880's). I recently tried to make this dinner dress, circa 1910. It looked terrible, though. The woman suggested that I use this other material (I honestly forget what kind it was - If I could remember it I would tell people to NOT use it!) instead of chiffon because it would be easier to use (this was suggested because I cut the chiffon wrong - it IS hard to use!). Oh, it looked TERRIBLE!! It looked so cheap. So, now, I am putting finishing touches on a Civil War ballgown and I want to begin my colonial dress.Quote:
What sort of things have you made? And it IS an expensive hobby.
So you sell these then? Where?Quote:
I also make synthetic dreads in various colors, out of yarn, synth hair, ribbon, etc. It's a lot cheaper and easier. =] Fun hobby, and profitable =O
I have honestly considered this, but then reality sinks in. I can go through lazy periods with this. I don't touch any of what I am making for weeks. Besides, I really wouldn't know how to go about it. I am used to making outfits for myself. I have no idea about how to make them for other people (considering different measurements and heights).Quote:
Originally Posted by Niamh
Simplicity is just hideous! Although now they have a Civil War dress pattern from the Wisconsin (where I am from) Historical Society. I would like to make that. Has she ever used McCall's or Butterick patterns? What does she think of those?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nightshade
I am going very much for a stereotypical Marie Antoinette style. :D I am hoping to go all-out with it! Something extravagant! I am considering using the widest plastic boning that I can find for the hoop. If it doesn't work, I will have to give in to the other.Quote:
And as for the hoop I seem to rember that you can although its not great as it does bend fairly easilly use metal wire and basically 'twist lots together to make it sturdier... are you going for a full hoop thing thats built all the way from the hips ( including hinges if you are going for skirts in the fashion of Pompadore? or for the kind that just has a hoop at the bottom of the skirt?
I remember the first time I put on one of those hoops, I couldn't get through the doorway! I had to mess my dress up by lifting it up and sideways to make it through! :pQuote:
And the thing wth hoops if your not used to walking in themm is they can very easily trip you up if you dont calculate for their swing.
The frustrating thing about making clothing from a different period in time is that you basically need the appropriate undergarments for the outfits. If you buy a pattern that is supposed to be a little more accurate to a dress from a specific time, it won't fit right if you aren't wearing undergarments from that time, also. An example was when I made an Empire gown. It is patterned after one from the Regency period. I am thinking that it would fit me until I tried it on! So, I had to make the stay (which was NOT easy - but still easier than a corset because it calls for less boning and material). Once I did that, it fit perfectly!
I have honestly never made a hoopskirt. I just go to the Civil War reenactments and buy one if I need one. Unfortunately they never seem to sell corsets there. I would always just buy one at one of those places. I don't mind making the petticoats or chemises. It is just frustrating with the boning for a corset.
Humm the english civil war ... well it wasnt really a corset but they had fun trying to get one that would fit me.. :brows: :eek: ah got to lovethe puritans !
Actualy I think I meant antoinette.. itll have to ait a few days but Ill dig out the book and scan the bit about hinges in the hoops...
SO Q, how do you sit down in a bustle(sp??) ?
I just sit down! :p Seriously, I just sit down. I do the same with a dress like that as I would with a modern dress or skirt. I tend to smooth out the skirt before I sit down. It has never given me any trouble.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nightshade
Even though I have no trouble with bustles, I do with crinolines (hoopskirts). I see all these women who sit down with no trouble at all. None whatsoever! Then when I sit down my hoop seems to flatten in the front and then it lifts up a little bit. You can see my ankles, which shouldn't happen. Am I making sense? Well, it is very strange. I have no idea why I can't get the concept of sitting down while wearing one of those. So either I sit on the very edge of the chair or bench (so I can lean forward a little bit so that the skirt doesn't lift up), or I commit to standing!
Lady W, I love making period clothing too! I get to wear them out occasionally because of playing harp. I tried making a corset once though. The grommets drove me nuts and the plastic boning didn't make it fit right. I think Fredrick's of Hollywood sells corsets, so after the baby comes I'll buy one from there.
Funny I never seem to have trouble with Simplicity patterns. Everytime I try Butterick's or Vogue, I wind up throwing fits. My wedding dress, I believe, was Simplicity. It was from the Renaissance costume section.
I love knitting! I get so much done when I knit during lectures here at the university :lol: (I'm not a one to take much notes, I learn best when I just listen, and for some reason I can concentrate better on listening if I do something with my hands at the same time, so knitting is just the thing for me)
Wrist-warmers are something I've knitted a lot. They're fast, simple and I need them to keep my hands warm and to hide the horrible rash I have on my hands.
Here's the pair I wear most often (most of my clothes are blue, so they go fine with almost everything :D) I knitted them during two lectures about phonetics :)
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z...icture0034.jpg
I also like to crochet (I've often wonderd what it might be in English, never heard that word before. In Finnish it's called "virkkaus" or "virkkaaminen").
I can sew, too, though I don't do that very often. I like knitting and crocheting because it's easy to do it almost anywhere.
Cool wrist warmers! I've never been very good at knitting. I'm all thumbs everytime I try. I like to crochet though (and yes, it's 'crochet' in English). I've been working on a lot of baby clothes (obviously). I have a lot of down time at work, since I work on an IT helpdesk, so I can usually finish an afghan in about 3 weeks (provided there are no stupid tours going through). I'll post pics of the baby clothes I've made later.Quote:
Originally Posted by Annamariah
The most difficult and time-taking thing I've ever sewed was my dress for Vanhojen tanssit
I found the basic pattern from a magazine, but I made a lot of alterations to it, because I had a clear image of how I wanted my dress to look like. I added the decorations to the top and the skirt was pretty much my own design. I also sewed the hoop-skirt myself :)
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...t/PICT0021.jpg
(I'm the one on the left. All of the three of us sewed our dresses instead of buying them. The girl standing in the middle started out with the same pattern as I did, and just look how different the outcome was! :D)
Those dresses look great! I love the rose gathers on your skirt Anna!
Thanks :) I also made two blue roses - one for my hair and one which I pinned on my partner's tuxedo so that he would match my dress :D
You know, I never thought of getting a corset from Frederick's before! I get catalogs from them, too, and I SEE them in there, but I never thought about it! There is an idea! Thanks! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Shea
Your dress is SO PRETTY!! I have thought about doing the same thing if I EVER get married, to make my dress after one of those type of patterns. But then there is this dress that I am actually partial to!Quote:
Funny I never seem to have trouble with Simplicity patterns. Everytime I try Butterick's or Vogue, I wind up throwing fits. My wedding dress, I believe, was Simplicity. It was from the Renaissance costume section.
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...78/wedding.jpg
I really think this is so pretty. It is described as a Victorian gown, but I think it has an "Old West" touch to it.
Your dress is so pretty, too! I like the gathering, too. That is such a pretty color of blue. It is fascinating how the 2 dresses did end up looking that different! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Annamariah
I think that would make a gorgeous wedding gown LadyW! I had my gown picked out before I even met my husband. It's never too early! :D
Well, I would most definitely dye the dress to a darker cream color, I think. I never wanted a white dress. You see, you had your dress picked out before you met your husband. I have gone so far as to have the colors picked out for my wedding! :p That cream would work very well with a winter wedding. I wanted a winter wedding for the colors! I always wanted to use very dark colors like cream, burgundy and something along the lines of almost a hunter green. Well, maybe someday! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Shea
The best part is that at first I couldn't find the exact colour I wanted ANYWHERE, and when I finally found it, it was actually the CHEAPEST part of the dress :D All the other fabrics were much more expensive :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyWentworth
That's nothing, I just planned my whole wedding with my friend (I mean I planned mine and she planned hers and we sent each other pictures of our rings, wedding dresses, bouquets, wedding cakes, bridesmaid's dresses and everything via messenger) :D And of course neither of us even have a boyfriend, not to talk about a fiancé :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyWentworth
I've never been one of those people who planned my own wedding :p. But I was involved in a relationship for two years once and when we hit the two year mark, my best friend planned my entire wedding and sent me the plans. It was actually pretty cool, and themed Rock n Roll Reception (it's funny if you've seen Rock n Roll Highschool featuring the Ranomes.)
Just started a new sewing project- I got some super cheap fabric at Lens Mill that's puzzle piece patterned and started making a vest with these long tails and lapels.
Shea--Your wedding dress is beautiful! That looks like it was complicated to make but well worth the effort.
Annamariah--You look like Cinderella in your gown. Lovely!
I guess you have me beat with the planning then! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Annamariah
Post a picture when you're finished. I am very curious to see how it'll look. :) What is the color?Quote:
Originally Posted by BeccaT
I got such a kick out of this dress when I saw it that I just had to take a picture:
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...8/7406oww7.jpg
It is so patriotic in a silly way. Yet, I really liked it! :p I wish I could figure out how to make something like that. :) By the way, this was taken at this Independence Day event back in 2006. It was the 230th anniversary and this place here went "back in time" and acted like it was the centennial. So it was 1876 all over the place! :)