It can be a very bad thing to be a cheapskate. I admit I am one, even when I don't need to be. Making things last as long as possible gives me some weird victorious delight. This can be a good thing (money, food, etc) or an unnecessary bad thing (toilet paper, for example).
I try to make fabrics go as far as possible too. So, for my white gown I ordered yardage and put it up for a while. I made many sketches of dress designs. In my fashion plate only the front skirt is shown so I had some freedom in choosing bodice and sleeve style.
Finally I settled on a design and cut out my bodice. I then cut out the skirt panels and was left with just a few inches of fabric, to my dismay. What happened?! I finally realized I had ordered a yard less of fabric than I thought. I then remembered that I had decided to just make a petticoat instead of a whole dress, to be economical.
Since I had already cut out and mostly constructed the bodice I determined to make sleeves somehow. I had to piece the finished sleeves but they are sleeves nonetheless! They are based on short, fitted sleeves from a 1815 dress in Costume in Detail.
The skirt is almost ready to attach. Its been a bit slow going since I am sewing this all by hand. The seams that will take some strain are felled and the skirt seams finished by turning the seam allowance in towards each other and whipping them loosely.
Sarah
Beautiful work! Hand-sewn garments look quite different; so much more authentic.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully done with such tiny stitches at the seams!
ReplyDeleteYour bodice looks almost like mine with the front gathered on a drawstring.
I guess Mr.Vernet would be very pleased :)
Sabine