Update

Brocade frock skirt and bodice have been introduced. Now hanging in bathroom, before C and I have a huge hemming party.
Doublet skirts are on. Taking much longer than I thought. Will need season 1 of Angel, I think.
Making large-sleeved chemise. Tasty swiss voile, french seamed all the way. Very thread-hungry work. Will need trip to KMart for more white thread. Hope whole thing will be done by tonight. Considering a little bit of lace at neck...not that anyone will see it. That way, I can machine the whole thing!
If I can get good time on the partlet today, I will consider a stoopid top hat. But only if there is time. Doublet, partlet and pants must be complete. Hat is extra.

Back on track

Sewing machine fixed!

Finished all the hand work on brocade bodice (although I haven't prick stitched the velveteen down around the neck...and might not. We'll see).

Two buttonholes on Doom pants. I suck at buttonholes. But all is made better when you see him put them on, and they look fab. Weee!

Doublet started - light beigy coloured wool, lined with terracotta cotton for a great colour match, and IKEA cotton for a bit more stability. I've bag lined the 4 body panels, and plan to finish off all edges, then whip stitch the skirt pieces and shoulder caps on. I'm hoping this makes them stick out in a cool way. The doublet will have little triangle shoulder caps but no sleeves, and small...say 2 inch skirt pieces...prolly only two, with a break at the back. Need to research this. Just in case. Although, I'm making a heap of stuff up with this, as all the groovy german boys are wearing jackets over their doublets, and making it hard for me.

Also - when bag lining, the way to get the outer fabric to 'overhang' the lining when all pressed? Seems to be best if you trim the seam allowance very close on the lining fabric before turning - not the outer fabric, which would make some sense, as it's thick and stuff. Am I wrong? I made the shoulder caps, and trimmed the SA differently on them, and one worked a little better...?

asplode

Sewing machine fizzled yesterday. My enthusiasm has been violently squished...so frustrated.

Kept doing bodice hand sewing last night, and made 2 button holes on Doom Pants. But I was most of the way around my skirt, french seaming all the way, when the machine died. Feel so unfulfilled.

Started making a dress yesterday too - IKEA fabric, 60s mod-style. Can't finish it now. Pants.

Update

Did very little yesterday. There was shopping, and I found many cheap gold things to help to build a belt. Which is good. Must get to $2 shop and buy HUGE beads to complete it.
Cut out the skirt pieces - four trapezoids in 3 sizes. Plan is to french seam them, to save time and bloody stupidity. Brocade is very fray-y, and needs to be finished. What to line skirt waist in, to get good pleats? Hmm.
Still to do on the bodice: lacing rings (changed my mind again), prick stitching velvet trim, cotton tape over sleeve seams.
Pants of doom need button loops on legs, buttons and button holes on fly. I seem to have lost a button. Pants.

Update

Tuesday saw a sleep in, then two tries at the little velveteen pickadils. The first ones were just al wrong. Now they are sexy! But all so very time consuming.
There's lots of fiddly bits to be done inside the bodice now. And I'm planning on hooks and eyes, not lacing. Am I mad? Dunno.

Update

I've actually been sewing!
1. There's velveteen trim around the neckline of the blue brocade bodice, and it's nearly all hand sewn down. I hope to pattern the sleeves today, and get them in, to seal all the edges of the bodice. The brocade frays terribly, and I'd like to get it all finished before I walk away from it to make the skirt.
The prick stitching along the edge of the velveteen is working very nicely. it builds a line very similar to the white detail in the image. Considered doing it in white, but figured it would look dumb.
I've done something funky - well, I think it's funky, because it's new to me. Boning channels along under my boobs, like normal. But two, to help the bodice keep its shape. And then another channel up the front opening, hopefully to help the curve over the bust. The front opening is not straight, so the boning has to curve...I won't really know it it will work until the lacing is in, and if it doesn't work, all I've done is put a line of reinforcing stitches in the front.
THOUGHT! French seam the skirt pieces, and save yourself some time and pain.
2. Boy's brown pants have come out of their 'work in progress' basket, and I've put the cuffs on the bottom. Three of seven buttons have been made, but it's tuff on the knuckles so I'll be a little slow there. The plan is to make button holes for the main opening, a la How Green Is My Cactus, but I think I'll need little loops for the knee cuff buttons. I don't think there's enough in the measurement to get that little bit further around his calves. I'm reconsidering my lining concept - I just don't think I can be arsed.
3. I've made an early period shirt, mostly, and thought to cut the neck out in a more 16thC way. That nobody would know. But I've had a look at it, and the sleeves on it are quite big in the arm, as there's no armpit gores, and I wonder if it will look funny/too big with a sleeveless or shortsleeved frock. Which is how I'd like to wear it. Can I be arsed unpicking all the hand sewing I've done to it, to make it more appropriate? Maybe I should finish it and wear it as bed clothes. Or just never wear it with the wrong frock.

I'm finding that because I've spent 6 months thinking about sewing stuff, the actual sewing is rather brainless. When a small job on a garment is finished, I just pick up the next thing and keep going. Which is good, because the last time I did a major sewing thing, I had to think so hard about it all. So perhaps I haven't lost it!

Things I still need to make/organise for the blue brocade to be a wearable 12th Night frock:
Beady belt? Perhaps.
Undersleeves. Detatch. so I can cool down.
New shirt - let's make a fun pleaty one. With nice big sleeves, and tight little cuffs with cute bands, and a pearl button closure, and little delicate ruffs. Should have enough swiss voile for that. Or should it be a partlet and a shirt with cool sleeves? Oh, this is the bit that confuses me!
I have the coif, should I make a flat cap and give Smash hers back? Well, yes. Line with something stupid and sexy - orange and red stripes?

Green linen - planning out loud

I've got this hawt green linen, and want to make a kirtle out of it.
Braining points - I've not been happy about making frocks outta linen, as there's perfectly good fine wool out there that will do it, but I can get my head around a kirtle. It has to be Festy-proof, so cleanable and sleeve-removable. Or at least roll-upable.So far, she's my favourite. I'm thinking front-lacing, sleeves of ball-proportions and made in strips, addable lover sleeves in same linen, and at least 2 bands at the hem. Black linen to trim in? Still holding out on that one. Black velveteen is a bit too heavy in weight and colour, and I'd feel like a newbie.
Of course, the joy of this dress is the sleeves, and then I get to add a cute brocade jacket over it.

This lassy, and the following, are my sort of next choices. Simplicity in the last one, so it would be alright with the linen. But I think I need to break out the navy blue brocade for the top one. Could I manage it before 12th night? Highly possible. Is it a festy frock? Could very well be! Skirt will need big amounts...and those sleeves will be greedy too. Have the hats. Want to make another sheer partlet too. And screw that neckline...what is that? Servicable, please!

I think I might go and tie myself to the sewing machine.

So school went back, and I haven't done a stitch.
But I tried to sleep last night, dreaming of lining these pants to prevent itch. I did sleep, eventually, but I also decided how to line them, and what with.
If I'm a good girl, and do all my marking, I might be allowed to stitch something.