Shopping success

I managed to get white bleached and shrunk calico/sheeting for a petticoat, and cotton poplin for the shift and drawers - the batiste I found was too fine. And had a brainstrom while in the shop. Black nylon crin, gathered or pleated, and sewn to the inside of the dress, will make admirable pocket hoops or pads for an 18th century dress which has to be put on with a minimum of fuss on stage. As it is a one person show, there will not be time to put on proper underwear, and the girl is on a very tight budget, so I think that is a reasonable solution. The black noil, acting as bombazine, arrived in the mail today, and will be ideal - and cheap. Right, should get something dome with all this fabric, before it crowds me out!

Tuesday

Finished the skirt - all I need now is an occasion to wear it, as it's a bit "best" yet, till I've worn it a few times.

Replaced the underwire in my purple bra, obviously for a second or third time, looking at previous darnings.

Worked out yardages for the underwear fabric I'm off to buy in a minute. And made notes of the patterns to be used - mostly Hunnisett as usual. Although the corset will be a "make it up as you go along" sort of thing, as I haven't found a pattern or diagram for exactly what is needed.

And got a great new skirt pattern in the post from L in America, as it isn't published in the U.K. Nice Vogue skirt, cut on the bias. It professes to be easy - not for me it won't be - it is way too small for a start, so I will have to enlarge every piece by quite a lot. Still I'll have a go, eventually, when I have the other odds and ends done. Right, shopping to do - MacCulloch's here I come!

Monday and a new week.

Had a phone call from the friend/customer I was planning on working with for the next 2 and a half days, crying off as she had a cold/infection/ With Keith less than 6 weeks after his knee operation, and me with dodgy lungs, we agreed to try again later in the year. So that means I get to shuffle projects around, to fit everything in differently. I'll have to go and get cotton poplin and sheeting for two customers, and order some batiste for underwear, although the poplin might be better. The batiste is very soft and might not wear too well. More samples, I think.

I shall inish off a few odds and ends today, instead of sitting here, then shop tomorrow or Wednesday. Saturday is the big Sing at the Royal Festival Hall - so looking forward to that. Then back to earth on Sunday. Looks like another busy week, if I actually do everything!!

Nothing substantial to report!

A little sewing - the waistband to the green skirt sewn on by machine - needs hand finishing.

But I went and bought the wool for my gentleman's 1820 suit, (and some grey cotton lawn for me, reduced from £14.00 per metre to £3.50 per metre because of a small mark that will possibly wash out, or I can cut round.) I ordered some fabric from http://www.reproductionfabrics.com/ for the lady of the couple, and some silk noil for a quick job I am doing for a theatre performance. The character is hung on a scaffold, wearing black bombazine. I can't find that, so the noil will do. Also topped up the haberdashery pile.

Yesterday I helped a lady to fit a doublet to her husband.  It was something she thinks she can't do, so I fitted a doublet toile while she watched. Early next week I fit a Tudor costume for another lady, so probably won't get much sewing done, as I have an all day rehearsal on Saturday. Sunday will be a recovery day!!

And another project or two

Needless to say I was deeply engrossed in the Royal wedding and got nothing done yesterday. However, today I had yet another go at putting clothes away in our bedroom - I swear the clothes explode sometimes - and put away a lot of stuff. I usually check buttons, fastenings etc,. as I do and weed out alterations or mendings before they get lost for ever. So I found a pair of comfortable/smart trousers that I had walked on the back hems of. I must have shortened them before I started to shrink. So they need shortening a bit. And I bought a vivid purple top to wear, as required, when singing "Messiah" in a couple of weeks, only to discover that the colour that looked perfect on E Bay actaully doesn't match either my long skirt or my palazzo trousers - bum! So, into the linen stash I go, and yes!there is a length of linen that is much nearer the right colour, and enough to make another half circle skirt - not hard, provided the zip goes in O.K. So over the next couple of days, before I get down to serious work, I need to finish the green skirt, make the purple one, and shorten the brown trousers - oh and replace the bone in my purple bra - boring, but it matches the top *so* well!

Already on another project!

Rather than work on what I am supposed to be doing I decided to finish a skirt I started last year. It's in green matka, a rough silk in 8 panels with a slight kick at the bottom. It was a Burda pattern, but in spite of measuring carefully, it was way too small, so I enlarged it, and of course, it was way too big. I got thoroughly pissed off with it, scrobbled it up in a corner, and left it for several months. Yesterday I made the alterations, very simple tightening of the seams at the waist, overlocked the seams and hem, and today I PUT IN A ZIP. Anyone who knows me understands that zips and I really don't get on. This one only took me three goes and a lot of cursing!

Tomorrow, amongst visits to watch the Royal Wedding, I shall turn the hem and stitch, stiffen the waistband and sew it on, with the skirt hanging loops, and find a button or a hook and bar to finish it.

Glove documentation in pictures

 The gloves went off yesterday and I am just hoping they will fit O.K. They seemed a bit large on mt, but the measurement I took of the customer seems to indicate that they will be O.K.

This is the basic pattern, thumb on the left, then the fourchette which is cut twice for each finger, and trank.

The thumb, inside out showing the stitching - this is what caused me all the trouble.

And the thumb right side out.

Finished glove, which I thought was a bit loose.

Palm of the glove, showing the inside of the thumb placement.

Glove with points added - it looks better that way, and fits tighter too.

The only problem - the chamois sheds like crazy - like a fine sticky dust!