Diary of an Intrepid Seamstress

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Things have been crazy

So, Ice Weasels was a lot of fun. Finally met, face to face, a friend I've made on Face Book. Also, got a few new ideas for products.

After that and up to now, things had been quiet. Well this week my Beloved took a bad fall and ended up in the hospital all week with a concussion. He is better and things are slowly getting back to normal.

I have been working on my Website...www.fairelywellmaid.com and on some garb for myself. I'm working on a 14th century court garb in dark purple and spice orange. I have the crinoline, the underskirt and the Elizabethan corset done. I have the overskirt almost finished. It needs a waistband and some kind of "bling" on the open sides. The last part is the bodice of a dark purple brocade and a spice orange silk stomacher. Then the sleeves. Check out Elizabethan Corset, Crinoline and Gored skirt for more info and pictures.

Next you can find me at the Novice Schola in the Barony of Bergental (Springfield, MA) http://www.eastkingdom.org/EventDetails.html?eid=2260. This will be the first time I'm vending solo. None of my friends will be there to help so this will be an interesting test of my abilities. Come by and say HI.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Elizabethan Corset - it's DONE

Yes, I finished it. The bias tape went on and I only broke one needle. There was some hand sewing that needed to be done, especially where the busk went in. I was going to make eyelets for lacing holes, but changed my mind when I remembered I had a bunch of small (size 00) grommets. I used the eyelet tool I bought a while ago. It is for scrapbooking, but it works well on the small grommets.

So, here is the finished product. I bet you never thought you would be looking at these pictures.

I need to center the busk properly when I wear it.

This fit gives me a little room to more weight.

Ta Da

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Elizabethan Corset - Almost finished

As promised, I resized the corset by folding over the excess fabric so it will reenforce the lacing holes. I took the bias tape and ran it around the edges.

So, now I have to put in the lacing holes and touch it up with a bit of hand sewing.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

...and we're back to the Elizabethan Corset

I bet you thought I forgot all about this project. You were saying to yourself "She is never going to finish that corset". Well, I can understand that. It's been months since I've even looked at it. "So", you ask, "what have you been doing". Let me tell you.

In the fall a very dear friend of mine dropped 50 lbs of apples from her old apple trees on me. That took an eminence amount of time but I got them all canned, except for the ones I used for apple pie. Then, of course, Christmas was coming and the frenzy of getting all of those presents finished. "OK", you say, "but what happened to January and February?". January was consumed with getting stock ready for my first time vending, as Fairely Well Maid, at Birka. February came and with it the Ice Weasels event and a commission from a good friend to make her a skirt for the "Pirates' Other Salty Ball". That was this past weekend. I vowed to myself that I would finish the bloody thing come do or die.

Well, it's a good thing I waited. I am now about 85 pounds lighter that I was this time last year (happy dance). So there was some resizing to do. I have spent today basting on those ugly fitting strips on and lacing myself into the corset, not an easy task, to get an accurate fit. I've finally found the right placement for the grommets. Tomorrow will be the resewing and trimming of the corset.