Sewing Through the Years

 Finished April 26, 2021 I followed https://gorgeoustangents.home.blog/2020/02/26/minoan-mycenaean-bolero-jacket/ pattern and tutorial, though I did use two layers of this fabric (by folding it in half, essentially flatlining it with itself).  I started with a 40"x32" piece of fabric which I folded to be 40"x16". I then flatlined and cut the triangle out in the same seam which, although a little fiddly, worked quite well! I hid all the edges of the triangle inside the flatlining, which I should have done for the rest of the rectangle as well. I braided some green acrylic yarn (chosen for color and quantity available) then applied it to the bolero, starting at the tip of the triangle and going all the way around 2 times total. This helped the bolero to fit a lot better, especially after I stretched the 'arm holes' a little bit. The tassel is made of the same green acrylic with 3 sculpy beads that I made, 1 purple and 2 green, in graduating sizes. The tassel, ...

 Finished April 23, 2021 I started with Peppermint Magazine x Paper Theory's 'Pocket Skirt'  in the largest size (with extra around all of the pieces) so that I could pleat the back. I made the pockets a bit deeper (as my fabric allowed!), and made the front and closure method be more 19-teens inspired.  The closure features 7 bars and 5 hooks (the two extra bars are on the side for differing sizes). They are all bronze colored and #3 size. I ran twill tape all around the inside waistband partially for a closure and partially for stability for my pleats.  This skirt used nearly 2 yards of 60" wide linen fabric ('eggplant' in 5.3oz via Fabrics-store)! and yet I still want deeper pockets! I am exceedingly happy with how this skirt turned out! It feels very 19-teens to me, between the closure and how it moves/hangs/drapes. The color is very fun too. 

 finished March 31, 2021 Qi'ra is a character from "Solo: A Star Wars Story" her wardrobe is sort of based on/has elements of 1940s fashion. I based this off of stills from the movie and pictures of the exhibit of clothing from the movie.  I used a black peachskin fabric (via fabric mart online). I drafted this myself, based on my measurements, except for the sleeves which I originally got from Butterick B6563 size 22 and then widened further (for maximum poof!). It has a (decorative) button at the back neck.  I like how slinky and silky the fabric is. This is definitely a fun top, but paired with the right things could definitely be dressed up as well. 

 Finished December 21, 2020 This was originally based on an extant from Patterns of Fashion  number 4? I believe. However, I also wanted to try splitting the top of the side gores around the bottom of the gusset. This worked fine, but I don't think it really added anything.  I made twisted cords from some cotton thread for the neck and the bottom of the sleeves.  This shift is extremely voluminous! Which is how I wanted it to be, but the picture doesn't show how truly voluminous this thing is! 

 Finished December 11, 2020 I based this on several different schematics and pictures I found online. This was made of some handmedown linen.  It is very simple - 1 back piece and 2 front pieces connected at the shoulders, a ruffle and inner neck lining. I used some heavy thread ties at the sides and up the front as a closure.  It turned out very cute! Next time I will made the side ties more permanent, rather than just being tied. 

 Finished December 2, 2020 I came across the pdf schematic of this pattern and really liked the details.  After drafting the pattern out to my measurements, I stitched the yokes (front and back) to the top of the shirt, then stitched the straps on, then finished the side seams, and finally finished the hem. This was made out of the same poly blue bedsheet as the 18th century skirt I made previously . I really like how this looks and fits! It is a good summer top despite being 100% polyester. 

 Mushroom skirt: less than 2 yards of fabric (via joanns), cut and constructed similarly to all my other skirts of this style but I did flatline this fabric with muslin due to its sheerness. The pleating pattern is 2 knife pleats on each hip for each panel & 1 8" box pleat at the center of each panel. Finished December 1, 2020. Black, Gold, & White Geometric skirt: less than 2 yards (via local fabric store), same cut and construction, same pleating pattern as mushroom skirt. Finished December 15, 2020.  Red wool skirt with 18th century style pockets: 1 yard of fabric (maroon wool/cashmere/nylon coating - Michael Kors - 60" via fabric mart online), same cut and construction, used 18th century style pocket bags, 4" box pleat in center of each panel and 2 1.5" knife pleats on each hip on each panel, bias binding turned hem. Finished April 15, 2021. 

 finished November 17, 2020 I pretty much just followed the pattern and the instructions. I didn't do the collar lining feature. I added gros grain ribbon ties at the ends of the wrap portions. I topstitched around, to keep the edge crisp (neither fabric ironed well).  Both the blue and black fabrics are of man-made fibers. I got both via fabric mart online. The blue is very slippery and shimmery. 

 finished September 2, 2021 I followed Opus Elenae's video tutorial   but this method of smocking is called North American, Canadian, or lattice smocking. You create a grid and create the texture by stitching in a particular pattern.  White cotton muslin, 30"x34" hem the lower 3 edges, then mark the fabric. I did ~1/2" apart both horizontally and vertically. I made 8 rows.  Using a black cotton thread I followed Opus Elenae's stitching pattern for honeycomb smocking.  I then attached the ties (4"x maybe 45"? I used a leftover piece and it is only just long enough to tie into a bow), enclosing the top edge above the smocking.  This turned out SO good! I'm super proud of it! I love how textural and dynamic the smocking is! It comes to my low calf, length-wise. The smocking was very easy to do, though a little time-consuming.  I wonder if other smocking patterns could be used in place of the honeycomb? That could be fun to try! Also, each row could p...

 finished September 1, 2021 Museum number D10608 Cap 56cm size same linen as Viking Apron Dress and the 'Woven Into the Earth' dress: 'ginger' colorway 5.3oz washed in same load as 'earth' colorway both from Fabrics-store.com very fast project and very cute! I stitched the band together, then stitched the top to the band (overlapping the edge of the top higher than the edge of the band) and felled the top over the band edge. I folded the band in ~half and lightly whipped it to the previously felled edge. I will probably make another with the original band height. I did a prick stitch around the bottom (folded) edge.   My band was 56cm x ~10cm The top had a 9.85cm radius. 

 finished Aug 31, 2021 Museum number D10585.1 in 'Medieval Garments Reconstructed' by Lilli Fransen, Else Ostergard, Anna Norgard. same linen as for Viking apron dress: 'ginger' colorway in 5.3oz washed in same load as 'earth' colorway both from Fabrics-store.com I followed the pattern. I went with the Medium size with the Large's length. All of my gores were too long (some by 5"!) though the side panel fronts were ok (only ~1-2" too long) while the center gussets were way too long.  This is voluminous (and comfy), but the bottom flares out nicely, and is a good length (mid-shin). The sleeves fit me very nicely. I am very happy with how the shoulders and shoulder width fit me. The front slit (which I followed the pattern for) is a bit long for personal taste but shows off any underlays nicely.  I added pocket bags to the pocket slits, using the same linen as the rest of the garment.  Everything was flat felled. I did not deliberately follow any of...

 finished August 29, 2021 idea and schematic via http://urd.priv.no/viking/kostrup.html but I used my own measurements and numbers.  The linen is the 'ginger' colorway in their mid-weight 5.3oz washed in the same load as the 'earth' colorway both from Fabrics-store.com First I stitched the front pleats at the base of each pleat down the front (to about my waist height) then I stitched the pleats together from about my underbust region to the top, leaving about half of the stitched pleating free beneath.  Then I assembled all of the panels together. I ended up not needing to shape the back panel at the top.  The straps are folded like bias binding.  The length is good, but all 4 triangles/side panels's bottom triangle edge too long. The fit is skimming at the top then flares out very  nicely, good  volume in skirt. The straps are perhaps a touch long, but I won't know for sure until I get/make proper brooches. This took at most 2 yards of 60" wide ...

July-Aug 2021 Sprang pattern via " Enigmatic Beauty: The Decorative Headwear of Lengberg Castle " by Rachel Case, Beatrix Nutz, and Carol James. I followed the 'Tree of  Life' sprang lace pattern but the rest of the headwear pattern did not work for me, so I used the coif side panel from Margo Anderson's coif pattern  (out of some leftover white handkerchief linen) but I kept the original pattern pieces (made of white well-washed linen (from a linen shirt someone gave me that was starting to wear out in places) and hemmed) and used them as long ties. I finished off the front edge with a strip cut from my fabric.  For the sprang panel: I used some mystery cotton thread that my mom had and was willing to let me use. I calculated and warped for a 15" sprang panel. The original (and reproduction) seem to be half a sprang "weaving", whereas I wove to the middle as far as I could down the chart (I did not have enough space to sprang the entire chart) and ...

-white handkerchief linen finished April 26, 2021. ~13.5"x~29" (working with leftovers of linen, which limited the dimensions. I will be making another at some point.), small rolled hem and the bottom edge is a selvedge.   -white cotton muslin medieval-style round veil finished June 1, 2021. diameter of 100cm or ~40", small rolled hem edge, a bit heavy fabric-wise -18th century style kerchief in white cotton voile, finished July 8, 2021. square of 34"x34", small rolled hem edge. very light, transparent, fluffy. wrinkles somewhat easily -white cotton voile medieval-style round veil finished July 8, 2021. ~42" diameter, rolled hem edge, very light, transparent, fluffy. wrinkles somewhat easily. pile of veils!

 finished July 7, 2021 white cotton muslin puffy elbow-length sleeves schematic via http://www.marariley.net/shift/shift.htm but based on my own measurements low, wide neckline but due to higher back and well-fitting shoulders it doesn't slip off easily works well with current stays body: ~46"x24" with a starting neckhole of ~8" deep in front and ~2" deep in back. armhole approx 8.5" tall sleeve: 20"x14" cuff: 12.5" x 2" gore square: 38" x 7" (then cut diagonally) gusset: 6"x6"

 finished July 3, 2021 Medium-weight white cotton muslin I mostly just used the pattern from my previous 18th-century style (men's pirate) shirt. The changes I made were: -shorter body: ~ waist height in back, ~top of hips in front - 4"x4" arm gussets, ~7 1/2: armhole height. This results in an armhole that feels just a touch high - not uncomfortably but definitely noticeable -arms cut to ~20" long -shorter collar ~4" tall total -rouleaux loops for wrist buttons -front completely open -back gathered to waist ties which wrap and tie around front no ruffles at wrists or down front

 finished June 17, 2021 self-drafted based on Mariah Pattie's video about arc-drafting system  no tabs- covers hips based on 2 extant stays white muslin as fashion fabric and as the lining, white canvas layer, tan "twill" layer stitched boning channels in muslin fashion & canvas layers, added bones, then assembled (stitched seams together). tan "twill" fabric padstitched to canvas layer (after boning and assembly) primarily over the boning channels. Made eyelets down back and down front. Edged everything with 3/4" off-white/ecru twill tape. Then lined with white muslin similarly to Gracie Sews' suggestion  to use as few total pieces as possible. I then added straps using the same twill tape.  The boning is 5mm plastic whalebone. I drew the boning channels at ~1cm wide.  This fits reasonably well! It's a little big at the very top of the bust, bust the front closes entirely with a ~2" gap in the back (as designed). But the lacing in the bac...

 Finished May 24, 2021 Based on Bernadette Banner's pattern and my first shift changed: widened sleeves, made gussets slightly larger (3"x3"), rounded neckline, reversible (front to back), no drawstring body: ~91" x 24" side gore square: 39" x 7" (then cut diagonally) sleeves: 10" x ~16" gussets: 3" x 3" drawstring/ neck binding: 1" x 41" white cotton muslin fabric very comfy and loose-ish in arms and underarms neckline cut more rounded and slightly less wide so it did not require a drawstring so I used the fabric as a neckline binding but left the ends open so I could have a drawstring if I wanted. I cut the back and front necklines to be the same, therefore it is reversible front to back. 

 made May 2-5, 2021 based on Sharon Ann Burnston's pattern from an extant held by Atwater Kent Museum Friends Historical Association Collection (https://web.archive.org/web/20161105102340/http://www.sharonburnston.com/quiltedwaistcoat.html#winning) my changes: did not do peplum, added about an inch of seam allowance, eyelets and a cord instead of ties, diamond quilting pattern, reversible 2 fabrics: 2 layers of leaf-print cotton flannel sheet (last used on knife pleated petticoat back in early 2020 https://sewingthroughtheyears.blogspot.com/2020/01/2-pleated-skirts.html), and 1 layer of gray geometric print cotton flannel leftovers from the two corsets I made in the corset class in 2018 (https://sewingthroughtheyears.blogspot.com/2019/09/corsets-via-class.html) 7 eyelets on one side and 8 on the other (so i can spiral lace)

 finished April 21, 2021 48" wide fabric, green cotton gauze https://freshfrippery.com/2015/04/07/easy-chemise-dress/ -3 panels 48" wide, seamed together, with a channel in the top -made a cord (3-strand braid, 'Shire' Cascade 220 Superwash) -straps backed with leftover green bag fabric -waist channel (twill tape), made a 2nd cord  -sleeves ~27.5" x ~10" -front seam a couple inches below waist tie -level hem I still need to tack down a couple bits of fabric that escaped the twill tape seam.