a little bit of everything

Aloha!   I'm back from sunny sunny Baltimore (annoyingly so, actually, as I forgot my sunglasses.)   Anyhow, the fruit of my travels is a new idea for the coat and the pattern for the 1912 slip.  

mwahahahahaha! (!!!!!)

On the off chance that you don't keep a fully updated spreadsheet of my doings, about two months ago I signed up to participate in the vintage pattern lending library's 1912 project  -- but the patterns come as a download, which makes sense, but as I never got around to replacing my printer it left me a bit in the lurch.  However, I managed to come into contact with one this weekend and have finally got it printed out.  Now, its not quite right as getting the test square sized properly ended up causing all the edges to get cut off --- so I shall have to finagle, but at least I have the basis...

The other exciting event was more of a change in plans --- I was talking about my coat with a friend who sews, but who seems to focus more on technical fabrics, and he was asking me how I intended to weatherize it.  Anyhow, long story short, I think I'm going to be switching to gortex as the outer layer.  It will be waterproof, windproof, breathable and hold up to the scootching around on concrete that I will inevitably assault it with.

and finally -- bum bum bum!  I've figure out how to deal with the thinsulate!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I decided if I was gortexing, I needed to get it together as the two are really made for each other.  My plan is to quilt a lining fabric onto the fluffy side of the gortex, like a flat lining but slightly sturdier -- then the fuzz won't catch on everything.   Then, I will use the thinsulate to quasi flat line the gortex --  i.e. make the shell, then cut out the thinsulate on the seamlines and put each one in place, then I will use the gortex shell seam allowances to tack everything in place along the edges.    I'm also planning on having a standard lining (probably anti-static bemburg) so none of this nonsense will show.

nope.  nothing to do with anything.  but pictures are fun.

Name the pocket!

Does anyone know the proper name of this sort of pocket?  

It starts with two princess line panels, but then, around the hip, the one swoops over and expands to be the full size of both.  The side panel continues underneath and you end up with a nifty pocket.   I've drafted one... but I'm not sure what to call it.  Tailoring books and the internet have failed me and I throw myself at the mercy of your collective wisdom.   (I've been calling them either princess pockets or apron pockets, neither of which seems correct.)

::waves from under her rock::

 The coat muslin is progressing (I have the center front zipper fit and am zeroing in on the length) but progress is slow as I've been eaten by the crazy this week and looks to get even slower when I go to a conference next week.

However, despite all that, I have less hair.   A lot less hair.

But a damn fine 'stash.

I'd been planning on waiting until October to cut it, so I'd be able to take off 10" and still have a reasonable amount myself, but just ended up going for it the other day.  As I did it myself, I figured it could pop up here.





Depending on how lazy I get (or don't, but seriously, never underestimate the power of the lazy) I think I'm going to go for curls.  I've decided I look less like a 12 year old, which might be helpful what with the whole conference thing.

So much for enough space for a bun in my hood....

...but I could probably affix things to my head and hide them there.   Perhaps tasty snacks.

Winter Coat - Initial Muslin

Here we have the results of the first muslin.   It pulls oddly in a few places and gathers and bunches -- but there is a lot of extra fabric and zillions of pins, so its to be expected.     Anyhow, I'm particularly proud of the hood which is entirely self drafted.  The general shape of the pattern pieces was inspired by this hoodie pattern  but the product is my own. :)  It fit just the way I wanted right off the bat -- except for the gaping on the side of the hood -- I'd neglected to add shaping to the side by my face and it ended up looking more like a rennaisance style hood than something that would keep my hair in and the cold out.  As you can see in the center picture, I added a pleat (although its about an inch wider since that picture was taken to better shape the hood.)   I also ended up ditching the built in scarf.   It was just too much fabric flopping around and I will quite happily continue to wear a regular one as the weather demands.   

I still need to alter the side panels for pockets, lengthen the whole thing and add the slightest bit more ease to the armscye and probably raise the shoulder point (it appears to be drooping, esp. on my right)     Once I get this set, I should be able to see if I need more or less (ha) ease anywhere else in the coat.   

I also need to decide double breasted or center closure and then zipper or button.   The sleeves will have zippers, so I'm kind of leaning towards making it all match...  but I'm not sold on anything yet.  Also not sure if I want a kick pleat or some such in the back......  

A winter coat it is...

 A bit unseasonable, perhaps, but it will allow me to work at my leisure....     Anyhow, if you've been around these parts for a while now, you may recall my first (aborted) foray into the wild and wonderful world of winter coats.  I think the thinsulate did me in -- despite being assured that once it was encased in the coat I would be able to dry clean it safely, I was so worried I'd end up destroying all my work that it sapped my will to continue.  It was also so very puffy and a pain and a half to fit....   It will end up in a quilted vest this year, but my interlining of choice has switched over to several layers of flannel.      I've also changed the hood and arm zipper concept a bit -- I saw one with a built in scarf I though was interesting so I've included that, and the arm zippers have migrated to the backs.

I spent some time yesterday evening figuring out all the measurements - I want to be able to wear a bun without this thing pulling off my head and there needs to be enough space for my hair to not try and strangle me if its hanging loose.   (hair can be troublesome in the winter)





Rather than all the refitting I did last year, this time I took the pattern pieces from my fleece jacket and just added a new seam allowance and allowed the one I'd built in to the pattern be the ease for the coat.    (I originally chose one inch, which proved to be laughably enormous.   5/8" was quite sufficient.)

I've got the first muslin half finished -- its coming together nicely, except the inevitable problems of practicality vs. vanity.   I need a coat I can layer with - I need to be able to move my arms and twist and bend.   However, I also want to look sleek and not like a giant snow beast... So I am compromising here and there, but stomping on my vanity as best I can, as I know practicality needs to win out on this one.

that last 10%

This dress went from a gleam in my eye to 'wearable' over the course of last saturday (unhemmed, the zipper pinned in place, the straps pinned in place -- but fit and in dress shape) but getting it to the point where I would remove those quotation marks took Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.   Granted, on Saturday I went into hermit mode and ignored  the world, while the other days involved other people and crazy stuff like work and getting ready to host a 4th of July bbq.  Still....   10% of the project, 90% of the time.   (This is a thing in engineering -- does it hold true in other fields?  Whenever someone comes to a project meeting and claims their work is 90% done, we laugh like evil banshees for what all know what awaits them.)

Anyhow, the bodice is self-drafted and the concept comes from a halloween costume I made a couple of years ago.   (Well, the idea of the strapping at least -- point of interest, the costume is also entirely self-drafted.  In that case, I put on an old t-shirt, duct taped it to my body, cut it off and chopped up the cast of my torso into a corset pattern.  Much fun :)  )

Back to the main project.... You can't really see it because of the crazy print, but there is a gathered under bust with shaping folds on the overbust.    The purpose of the straps in the back is to take the pressure of the nape of my neck.  I have nerve damage there and halters are remarkably uncomfortable.  (Most frustrating, as I think they are gorgeous.)  The skirt, which has front pockets (matched fabric!) is from New Look 6557. 

I ended up wearing it for fourth of july festivities, but failed to get any pictures of it in action.

I'm not really sure whats next for me -- oddly enough, I'm debating between bathing suit or winter coat, although given my track record, odds are I'll end up working on something completely different.