Final Pictures

hope.martin@gmail.com — Mon, 8 Aug 05 23:00:00 UT

Well, the event was a smashing success and a whole lot of fun! I still need to get a shot of Sam in his tunic but it will have to wait until I get a new digital camera. The old one died a horrible death. : (

Bloomin' Done!!!

hope.martin@gmail.com — Fri, 5 Aug 05 16:16:00 UT

Today I started AND finished the bloomers. I am very pleased with the way they came out. I had enough leftover black linen from the kids tunics and a bit-o-red too.

Tomorrow I'll get pictures of the whole shabang! Until then...

I'M FREAKIN' DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pirate Wench

hope.martin@gmail.com — Wed, 3 Aug 05 08:56:00 UT

Finished my over skirt last night!

I think the overskirt is a bit long and I'm really regretting not making the red skirt a full circle because it doesn't "hike" as nicely as I'd like. Oh well. I'm not gonna redo it now!!

So I'm just left with my bloomers! Oh, and 3 gift bags for the boffer's prizes.

Almost done!!!

It's done!!!

hope.martin@gmail.com — Sun, 31 Jul 05 23:43:00 UT

The coat is done!!! OMG, its done!

Clicking on the thumbnails above will open a larger version in a new window.

*Sighs* The pattern calls for more embellishment than I've added to the back, but the deadline is looming and I've still got other things to do. The simple three buttons for the back will have to do. I'm just glad to be done with it!

Other things to do by Friday: hem kids tunics, make my earrings, make my hanky hem skirt and my head scarf. And finish the frozen treasure.

Completed Lapels and Accessories

hope.martin@gmail.com — Fri, 29 Jul 05 23:55:00 UT

Today was my day off and my goal was to get the lapels, cuffs and pocket flaps completed. Well... I got close.

The lapels are complete and attached and the cuffs have some detailing. You can click on any of the pictures below to see a bigger image in a new window.

I needed a break (so did my fingers) from applying trim so I made my necklace with those cool skull beads. The whites are pearls, the bicones are swarovskies and the spacers are cheapies. ; ) Now I just need earrings

The day was full of mishaps...lapel on upside down first... applied cuff trim to wrong side and I strung that necklace 3 times before I was happy (enough) with it. Sigh.

Once I get the pocket flaps done, I could be ... done. I can't decide if I want to go around the top of the cuffs with trim and if I want to do any trim on the back side.

The back side is supposed to have some buttons and trim edging the skirt vents. I would like to do a little but doubt I will do all the pattern calls for.

But tonight I'm done. My fingers are so sore! I broke down and bought some of those little leather thimbles today. They definitely help, but the damage is done!

One down

hope.martin@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Jul 05 23:28:00 UT

One completed lapel!

These are quickly couched down so the thread shows on the back-side. (yeah, I know, its the back,no one will see it). I made holes with my wooden awl (shown beside the lapel) to insert the button shanks in.

I think I can get the other one done tomorrow night and then maybe get them attached on Friday. Huzzah!

I really want to make another skirt for my garb, but I feel like I'm running out of time. And since my garb is going to be a work in progress for many halloweens to come... It could ba added later.

I'm off to bed, I can hardly focus my eyes!

Resources

hope.martin@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Jul 05 09:18:00 UT

I've created a resources page that lists all the resources I've used for this project. It is also linked to in the journal navigation just under the header.

Enjoy!

Lapels

hope.martin@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Jul 05 08:19:00 UT

Yay! I'm done sewing with velvet on this project!!!

After much pinning (and re-pinning) and a ripped out seam. The lapels are sewn together and outlined with the gold soutash. They are not yet attached to the coat body though. I know I said I wasn't going to do it, but I am going to rip out the front seams of the coat and lining to attach them properly. I'll just topstitch things closed and the lapels will hide that stitching. But only after I couch down the soutash around the fake button holes. ; )

Finishing Touches continued.

hope.martin@gmail.com — Tue, 26 Jul 05 08:43:00 UT

Didn't get much done last night due to chores. : ( But I did get the sleeve lining stitched down at the cuffs and started couching down some trim on the collar. Now that its attached to the fabric, the trim looks perfect. Whew! That is a relief.

I'm couching it down with metallic embroidery thread... not the easiest stuff to work with but it is nearly invisible on that trim.

Oh, I also cut out the fabric and interfacing for the lapels. I'm debating on whether or not I will undo the coat seams to attach them properly. I am sure it would look better BUT I'm not sure I want to do it. LOL!

I've decided against a hat for me. I gotta stop this insanity somewhere. ; ) But I think I will make a second skirt (in gold).

-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-

Sheesh! I finally found a site for "officer's lace" which isn't lace at all... least not in the way I think of it. This is the stuff I SHOULD HAVE used on the coat: http://www.woodedhamlet.com/tapes_braids/metallic_wirebraid.html

Its it a BIT more expensive than the trim I bought however. Don't think I'd have spend several hundred just on this. Sigh. But it would look soooo nice!

Finishing Touches

hope.martin@gmail.com — Sun, 24 Jul 05 23:25:00 UT

Did a bit of hand sewing tonight. (blech!) Finished the side and back openings of Bob's coat. Still have to stitch the sleeve lining to the outer sleeve but that won't take long.

Read the instructions for the next step (again) and realized that yet again I didn't do it quite right. The lapels were supposed to be attached to the body before attaching the lining. Well, I ain't gonna take out the lining! I'll just finish the lapels and attach them by hand. This is getting farther and farther from the pattern instructions as I go. *sighs*

I'm worried that the trim just won't look good on the coat. I pinned some on to the cuff and I'm just not happy with it. Its almost too shiny and it is very stiff. *SIGHS* Dunno what to do about that. I really don't want to go buy 40 yards of another trim. (don't think I'd need that much though) But I don't want to sew on what I have If its going to make it look bad. : ( Will have to sleep on this one.

G'Nite!

Every coat has a gold lining...

hope.martin@gmail.com — Fri, 22 Jul 05 00:15:00 UT

The coat is lined. Woohoo!

CorsetMaking.com

hope.martin@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Jul 05 13:35:00 UT

Good customer service is such a wonderful thing.

My 2nd order to corsetmaking.com had an error in it. I had ordered the 1/4 punch dies. What I got was the 1/4 eyelet setting dies. So, I emailed them and Tina has the right part in the mail today... "no, don't send the other back." How nice is that!

She's also researched (and found) snap setting dies that fit the press I received from them earlier!

They've definitely got my business!

You gotta sleep sometime!

hope.martin@gmail.com — Wed, 20 Jul 05 21:15:00 UT

I am just too tired to sew and have had a headache all day. I'm going straight to bed after settling in the kids.

'Course the TL Barnes stuff came in... The buttons for Bob's coat are perfect, the skull buttons are too cute and the soutash is actually made up of 3 individual braids. Looks nice but I'm worried it may be too much once on the coat. Its going on the coat anyway, however. No turning back now!

I was able to pin the trim to the kids tunics, so I could finish those up tomorrow.

Getting the hang of it

hope.martin@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Jul 05 23:34:00 UT

Maybe I'm getting the hang of this afterall, I finally read the next step (and the next) before forging ahead.

So instead of lapels, I pinned the lining to the shell and had to remove a seam in the back (was wondering why the instructions earlier didn't mention sewing it) so that it can be turned right-side-round. But I will do the sewing of that tomorrow. Just too tired ,and to be honest depressed, tonight. A good friend is going through some major crises and I feel like shmuck for not knowing the depth of it all until way later.

To end on a good note, if your looking to have a nice custom corset done, look up Shannon at SugarKitty Corsets. She's also got another site selling all kinds of really cool and unusual stuff. I bought some really cool pewter skull beads and things for boffer prizes (like pirate bandaids and "cat-a-pults") that are perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the event. But if they don't get used for boffer prizes, I'm sure they'll get put to good use. *VEG*

OK, I gotta get to bed now.

On the way

hope.martin@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Jul 05 10:31:00 UT

Called TL Barnes again today. After she reordered the braid she thought she had in stock (but didn't) the manufacturer told her it was discontinued. : ( But she was able to find some more of it and it is going out her door, with the rest of the order, this afternoon so I should have it by Friday. Huzzah! And, bless her heart, she's not going to charge me for shipping.

Lapels are scheduled for tonight. That means more working with velvet. : ( Wish me luck!