great progress with my hobbit costume

Today I went to my other sewing guild group, and I got so much done. Thanks to Alison, who brought a spare sewing machine for me to use.  I found out from shifting boxes of fabric that I still can't lift that much weight around yet. (Silly gallbladder, you no longer exist so why did you hurt so much).  I knew it would be worth going simply cos I couldn't simply quit once I got fed up with a tedious task.  And I knew there were tedious tasks to come!   Seeing as Supanova is in Sydney in 5 weeks, well I just need to keep working on this and Catelyn once I have the fabric.

I'd stitched each skirt into a giant tube, but I needed to hem, gather & attach their waistbands.  I decided to not have both on 1 waistband, which maybe now I wonder if it'd be a good idea to reduce bulk. Though this way I can wear one on it's own if it's too hot.  The lighter weight underskirt has 2.7m of fabric around, and the plaid is about 3.1m.  I haven't done the snaps for the waist, and I think they're to bulky to buttonhole.  Here they are hanging on my shower rail.



I also got the apron 90% done, I've just got the press the tie belts, and hand stitch the waistband fully closed.  No pics yet, cos to be honest it would be tediously dull as it is.


Oh and the green linen I'm using for this apron, I won't be getting more of the same to overdye for Catelyn. It's fraytastic and has a woven rib in it, which won't be great on all those panel seams.

I also got some green trim to apply to the bodice, which is just what I was after.  For only $1 a metre, and it's cotton.  I'll preshrink it tonight so that when I need it it's ready.

Next up I'll mock up the bodice so that I can get help fitting it next Saturday at my usual sewing group.

planning for later in the year, Clara O

I've been a fan of Dr Who for years, well before the reboot with Christopher Eccleston.  I've liked various costumes, and am still planning to make Idris.  Most recently the 2012 Xmas episode had me say "ooh, ooh I *have* to have that!".  I like all of the costumes the character Clara wears, especially the blue & black gown.  So much that I hunted down a dobby cotton, as the close ups of her show the fabric isn't a plain weave.  It arrived a couple of weeks ago and it's delicious.  This photo is much lighter than it really is, it's navy not blue!

I also got from ebay the Past Patterns 904, an 1880s polonaise + walking skirt, which arrived today.  I know I'll need to make alterations to it, but it was close enough to suit me. No matter what I chose as a starting point changes will be needed so this will be fine.  There's a skirt in Hunnisett's Period Costumes for Stage & Screen that's ideal for Clara's black skirt ... and I wonder if the one she wore came from one of her productions.

pics of the problematic fabrics

So the 2 blue linens look like this, and if I can't use them for this costume I'm thinking of giving them away. Unless I have another costume I can use them in soonish.

It's not the colour that bothers me so much as how the feel & look & their density.  Ooh, maybe dye the pale one and use it for a bodiced skirt for my working class regency.   Yeah! that works for me.

The hobbit apron fabric is textured and appears differently on each side.

So I could over dye it with pale blue for the duckeggy colours Catelyn wears. Though it's only 112cm wide so I'd need more than if it were a wider fabric.  From memory it was only $10m which is pretty good here. So possibly 6m would sort this for me.

Started sewing the hobbit skirts today, and these are the fabrics I'm using. the checky one will be the sides & back of the bodice, with the floral as the centre front. I want to find a green trim as the decoration.

problems with my Catelyn fabrics

I dived into the cupboard last night for the 2 blue linens for my Catelyn Stark dress, only to discover that the weave is different enough that I wouldn't be happy to use them together. One's paler & finer than the other, which just isn't going to work as a cohesive garment.

Ugh.

I'm not supposed to buy any more fabric but use my huge stash, but as I've already got the wig/s and I'll be wearing it in 5 weeks, well I might just get some inexpensive linen if I can get it.  My fave shop in Marrickville had reasonably priced when i was there a couple of weeks ago. I only got a piece for my hobbit apron that day (yay for restraint) but I may return for Catelyn.

I was a bit frustrated last night when I opened my hobbit pack, as the fabric & pictures where in there but no thread. And I'd already filled the bobbins.  Hence my detour to the grotto to do something else.  Late in the evening I did find the thread/bobbins in an obvious sewing spot, but they weren't where I was convinced I'd put them (in with the fabric).  Tonight I'll start stitching, and change the thread on my new overlocker from the white it came pre-threaded with.

Start with pre-shrinking

I'm actually making incremental progress towards stitching.

Winter is coming. For realz ... it's the last couple of weeks of autumn this side of the world and I need more work clothes that fit & look good.  I've selected some deliciously dark chocolate brown wool in a sort of crepe weave to make a skirt.  I've selected a skirt pattern I used back in January 2007, from a 2004 Burda magazine.
I'll start stitching the hobbit skirt tonight ... I would have last night but I had a crampy tummy {rolls eyes} ... crampy for none of the obvious reasons.  At least all the threads etc are together.

Here's the choc brown wool - this photo is really bleached out ... that's a navy top I'm holding it up to. Yep, navy not blue. n The Burda pattern is style 148 from the December 2004 magazine.

a second set of Ikea drawers for storage

Hurrah,  I just got a message from the ebay seller I got the Ikea drawers from.  They've decided to sell the other set they have, same size and colour.

I can't get it til later next week as I've overspent my pay already.  However they're happy to wait as the auction would take time, and I'm paying above the average for them.  Mainly because he can deliver, and delivery would cost me more. So it's a win for both of us.

It gives me time to get the table sorted out and the first set of drawers put in place underneath.

Wheee.

Also I tossed my falling apart sewing tote wheelie.  It's almost winter and the zipper had broken as well as the base being unstable. So gone. 

And I brought my hobbit costume upstairs from storage. It's time to start assembling the skirts.

a delicious gluten free cake

I first tried this recipe back in September, and it was definitely successful then. 

Last week we were having a morning tea at work and I operate on the theory that if I make it I can eat it .... it's easier for me to ensure something is gluten & soy free.  I can now have dairy so that's one less thing to dodge!

The recipe comes from: http://soursaltybittersweet.com/content/pear-upside-down-almond-cake-gluten-free

This time around I was able to use butter instead of nuttlex .... mainly cos it's what I now have in the fridge. I had great success with nuttlex and may well use it again.  I failed to whip the egg whites into a properly stiff peak, so my cake wasn't quite as light as it could have been.  The first one was about 1cm taller (3/8ths of an inch).  Also I might have slightly burnt the syrup, but it wasn't noticed by anyone once the cake was done .... or so they told me.  It was enjoyed by all.