Started - January 2012
First worn - CostumeCon 30, Tempe, AZ (2012)
Reference pics
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Final costume pics
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Pulling it all together
March 24, 2012
I found the lace for the chemise and drawers on my crazy LA shopping trip along with most of the fabric for the rest of the costume. The lace isn't anything too special but a lot cheaper than Jo-Ann's. Also found red silk gingham for my corset and 'shirt' trim. It wasn't quite as small of a check as I would have liked but the color was right and he took some off of the price so it definitely works!
March 25, 2012
More shopping! This time, it was for yarn. I'm making Neptune High knee socks and wanted appropriate colors. After a bit of a debate, I decided to go with blue and coral. I was hoping for a bit more of an orange color but it was gold or coral at the store or wait to order online. Being rather impatient to get started (knitting knee high socks can take awhile), I went with the coral.
I got my digitizing software last fall but haven't had a chance to use too much. I've used it to take stitches out of designs but I just haven't done much embroidering since I got the software. The costumes at the top of the to-do list didn't involve embroidery. But I came up with an idea for embroidery the chemise that I'm making and decided it must be done.
Well, having never digitized anything before from an image, it really didn't take long. I found the image, figured out which module to use, drafted the yoke of the chemise, decided on the proper size, digitized it, set up my machine and stitched one out all in one and a half hours. It is a really simple design and rather small but I'm still impressed. =) Now to stitch out the other and then I can cut out the chemise and get to sewing it!
If only every weekend could be this productive.
March 30, 2012
Just started the socks and they seem to be going quite well. The blue is so wonderfully soft!! I am really happy that they are to be the cuff of the sock so it will be really soft. The colorwork also seems to be going well if a bit slow. This is my first real stranded project so I’m a bit nervous and can’t wait until I get far enough along to try it on just to make sure that it will fit properly.
April 1, 2012
The apportioning scales I used for my chemise didn't work quite right. I followed the directions and then went down three inches and I just took out eight more inches. =P I think I would have been better off just winging it like I normally do. Patterns always fail me but I still keep trying. Oh well. It is fitted and ready for more sewing. The lace and red around the sleeves look great and the question marks will be quite fun too so I'm excited to continue. Time for bed though.
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April 2, 2012
I might have been a overly optimistic in my ability to get hand knit knee high socks done in time. Changing colors takes me quite awhile. I think it’s ready to try on but I don’t want to because I'm afraid it is too big and I really don’t want to start over. Because hiding your head in the sand always makes things better.
April 5, 2012
My spoon busk arrived yesterday! That means that I don't have a good reason to put off the corset any longer. I think I need to leave off all the careful and pretty hand-sewing that I've been doing. That's the part that I like doing the best but I like done too. I need to finish this costume, want to finish two others, and spent all night planning out a new costume that I really want to get to now.
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April 6, 2012
I had to go back and fix a mistake several rows back so I just went in line rather than tinking that many rows. That was a pain. But it’s fixed now and I was able to get a few more rows done. Progress, slow but still progress.
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April 7, 2012
Fit the corset last night after putting in the busk and I think it's going pretty well. It's not perfect but a lot of that is because I don't have any of the cording in place. At least, I'm hoping that's what's going on. Cuz if it isn't, I will prolly have to start over. I finally managed to cut out all the pieces except for the bust gussets and even got started on the cording. I have two pieces stitched (the two smallest), one of them is corded and half of that one is trimmed. Yeah, this might take awhile...
April 8, 2012
I was hoping to have a corset mostly done this weekend and I'm still working on cording. Then I can sew all the pieces together and do another fitting (please let it fit!) and then finish it. In other words, I might finish it next weekend.
Also, I have discovered that I don't like cording. Well, I might end up liking it but right now, my wrists are protesting viciously. I had to take a break and do some trim around the chemise neckline but then I went right back to the cording. Wrists hurt. It is looking good and the cording seems to be doing a decent job but I'll have to wait until it's all put together before knowing for sure. Nervous! At the moment, I am liking reed much better. Reed needs a bunch of channels, same as cording, but it's a lot easier to put it into the channels. Of course, I don't think cording shrinks the fabric as much but under pressure, I'm not sure how much either shrinks the fabric.
April 12, 2012
Cording done! I have put all the cording into the corset! Time to actually sew it all together and hope the cording works the way it's supposed to.
April 14, 2012
Almost done with the decreases to the ankle. I’ve had to limit myself to trying it on once a night and no more because I keep wanting to try it on but it takes time that would be better spent knitting. It’s just so much fun and looking so colorful!
April 15, 2012
The corset is sewn together and the boning is almost done! There are short little pieces of boning in the front that I flossed with red embroidery floss but I still need to put the boning in the back. Then it will be good for grommets and a fitting. Really hope this thing fits and is comfy(ish).
April 23, 2012
I’ve turned the heel of the sock and working on the gusset! Really starting to get nervous about finishing this in time. But I think I am knitting faster now and I can knit at the con while in class so not giving up hope yet! I’ve also come up with a plan that will allow it to look done even if it’s not…yay for spats?
April 28, 2012
I am really tired and not keen on having my pic taken and it's not laced up as tight as it should be but it fits! I'll call this one a victory, bind the top edge and call it done!
One sock done! It’s going to be really close for the blue. Plenty of the coral but the blue will be just enough if there is. I have no problems finishing the toe with coral so I’m not overly concerned.
April 29, 2012
With the corset mostly done, time for the bustle. The pattern looks weird but I'm going with it. It looks like it should do what it's supposed to and it's fun to make and looks silly. I got the top saucer channels sewn and I really like the gingham. Of course, if I ever what to make a light colored dress, I might be in trouble but I really like how it is still somewhat Sixth Doctor-ish since he has the gingham on his shirt.
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Since it seems to be working well, I cut out the rest of the gingham that I needed, stitched it together and then pressed it. My two needles did their job quite well but I scorched my ironing board cover pretty badly in the process. Oops.
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April 30, 2012
It's slowing coming together! I didn't have quite enough hooping so I had to scavenge some from a farthingale in progress but I can always find more later if/when I ever get back to it.
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The waistband needs to be done and the center back of the lower part needs to be finished. In the past, I've used tape to join the hooping but I'm never very comfortable with that. When I ordered my busk, I looked around the website (the website I used crashed but this is the same company) to see if there was anything else that I could use and found this heat shrink tubing for joining hoops. I decided to give it a go and I like it. It's a bit tricky because there is fabric right there and I was terrified I would set my bustle on fire but it worked wonderfully.
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May 1, 2012
After sewing a very awkward waistband because of the hooping and then the cat, I'm almost done! I will be changing the tie so it won't droop down in back but I think I will also be adding a hook at the back waistband so I can hook it onto my corset laces. I don't think I will feel the difference at all but it should help support the skirts so much better.
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May 5, 2012
With help from Koko (holding fabric for me or supervising)...
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The petticoat has gone from a mass of crazy ruffles to a recognizable petticoat! I edged all the ruffles with grosgrain ribbon that I had on hand to make sure each ruffle stood out better and didn't just crumple.
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The front opening on the side isn't done and the bows are just pinned to see what it would look like but there isn't too much left!
May 6, 2012
And the petticoat is done! The gingham bows are just tacked on so they can be taken off in the future if red gingham bows aren't appropriate but I have gobs of these things and I'm using them for now!
August 10, 2012
The drawers are really close to being done since I made them last week for Sunday Undies at Costume College. I ended up not really going to Costume College for much time but I had been so excited while working on the 6th Doctor that I finally had undies for Sunday Undies that I convinced myself to head back for Sunday. However, the night before Sunday Undies, I realized I had never actually gotten around to the drawers since I had run out of fabric and time before CostumeCon. Thankfully, they sewed up rather quickly and all I have left to do is finish sewing one side of the lace and sewing on the buttons. Yup, forgot to bring the buttons on the car ride so I was counting on the corset to hold up them up. The corset worked but I am glad I didn't wear them much longer. I ended up not going with open drawers because I will be wearing this to Dragon*Con and modesty is much more important to me than historical accuracy.
No pics because I was in such a crazy rush to get them done, I didn't think once to snap a pic.
August 17, 2012
Finally got back to the knitting this week! And I think it is going much quicker than it was before. Three more decreases until the straight part and it is matching up nicely with the first sock. I'm looking forward to being able to wear them as a pair so I really hope I get this one done in time for Dragon*Con. I wore one at CostumeCon and wore one plain blue stocking from the pair I brought in case I didn't get them done. I had put so much time and effort into that sock that I was going to wear it even if it meant I was mismatched. Because I'm sure it would look odd with how perfectly matched and put together the rest of the costume is...
August 24, 2012
Last minute alteration to the petticoat. I added ribbons to the inside back ruffly bit so I should bustle it up slightly. The petticoat is intentionally long to support the skirt but with how crowded D*Con is, a walking length would be much better than trying to deal with a trailing skirt. Quick and easy fix and now the costume will be so much easier to maneuver in during Con but I can let it out when I go to a smaller event and don't have to worry about it so much.
September 2, 2012
Finished the sock just in time to wear them with the costume! Of course, as I had suspected, I didn’t have quite enough of the blue. I tried anyway but the end of the toe of the second sock is the coral color rather than all blue. I have another skein that is close to the blue but I think I’m just going to leave it with the coral toe. It makes me laugh.
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