Challenge #1 Make Do & Mend: Planning Phase

I am so very excited to be participating in the Historical Sew Fortnightly for 2014. Last year was a bust for me sewing wise and so I am wanting to get a good start for 2014. 

The first challenge is Make, Do, Mend and I racked my brains on what I could do for it. I have plenty of garments that are going to need fixes here and there but I just couldn't get excited about doing a blog or taking pictures of a few fixed seams and such. 

Then a picture started going around on Facebook of a Men's shirt being cut and sewn into a little girl's dress. Aha! I thought, perfect! So I started to pester my hubby about donating one of his shirts for me to cut down into a little dress for Megan. As I waited for a shirt I began researching the potential historical techniques for this project. I didn't get very far before I ran into an article about flour sack dresses. 

And finally inspiration struck. So I went shopping so that I can make my daughter a flour sack dress as my first project, in honor of the women who made do during The Great Depression up to and beyond WWII, including the women in my own family.

First I would need a 1930's/40's pattern. This is the one I decided upon. 

 I love how this time period has little girls being all legs. 

I am planning on making the dress from the top left as of right now.

Next I trolled EBay and Etsy to find authentic Vintage Flour Sack Fabric.

This is the one I finally decided upon. I couldn't believe how many patterns were available!

My next entry will be on a little bit of the history of the Sack Cloth Dress.

2013 Another Lost Year

I remember feeling so optimistic about how much I was going to get done in 2013. My little girl was born in October of 2012 and I apparently had amnesia about how babies rarely allow their mommies to accomplish much of anything. Especially working mommies who are already gone most of the day. 

I lovingly set up my sewing area, sorted my fabric stash, and began to plan my new creations...

It is now November and I have completed exactly two items and have started one more. I haven't so much as opened this blog for months. 

I just got the announcement for the Sew Fortnightly for 2014 with The Dreamstress and I have decided that I am going to participate! Maybe I'll only make small items and maybe not grand ball gowns, but sewing was my one creative outlet and I miss it! 

For what it's worth here are the two projects that I actually did complete in 2013:

I made just the Ionar/Jacket in this picture. He actually drafted his own pattern and sent it to me to use. The gold cord was couched and the embroidery done all by hand. This gentleman wanted to get as close to authentic as possible. I think his look nailed it based on the few references that we have on 16th century Irish fashion I started the work in late 2011, then set it aside. Completed it in time for his event in 2013 but was woefully behind even still. But it turned out wonderfully!

My motley little family at the Easter Bonnet Promenade earlier this year. The skirt is what was completed on a fairly elaborate outfit that I had planned for the event.

I used Truly Victorian Pattern TV297 1898 flared Skirt and the linen and trim both came from my stash. 

I'll have to see what challenges will come up in 2014 that will allow me to complete the Swiss waist, blouse, and jacket that were all planned for this ensemble. 

I am excited for the year to come and now Megan will be able to be a little doll for me to dress up. :)

2012 Goodbye! 2013 Here I Come!

Sigh, I did almost no sewing in 2012. Being pregnant meant that making things for myself was daunting at best. I just couldn't get excited about making anything maternity related. To top it off my hands also decided to swell to a size to rival the Hulk's hands so I just focused on other things.

That being said I have managed to start 2013 off on the right foot by competing the Ionar I started on a zillion years ago. Here are some pics of the completed project.

 Back

Front

The Ionar was made from dark Red Wool, Green Silk for the lining, And fringe for trim. I did the embroidery by hand, although used cord for the gold swirls. The body of the Ionar is one piece, I used the pattern that was sent to me by the gentleman who requested the project. The sleeves include a gusset at the shoulder to help the sleeve fall more forward rather than back. Silk cord is used for the closure on the sleeves as well as the front. I've made several Ionar's over the past several years, but this one required a lot more hand work, so it was more challenging. It's nice to start the new year off with a completed project. 

In 2012 I also sadly lost my sewing nemesis Khestral. He was deeply loved even though he was evil incarnate. He would eat my patterns, pull my pins out of the cushion and drop them on the floor, curl up in any fabric that remotely looked like it may be for a project, and generally disrupt my sewing activities at his whim. He died and even though sewing was less challenging it just wasn't the same.

This basket by the way was holding all of my sewing "gadgets"

Now with 2013 I have a new sewing Nemesis. Her name is Megan. Oh she may look cute now and she can't quite get to my patterns to eat them, but she has the psychic ability that most babies have with regards to mommy needing to get things done. In fact as I was writing this blog I was called away no less than 3 different times for diaper changes, feedings, and cute baby snuggle time. On the plus side, making baby sized historic clothes is going to be awesome and as she gets older I shall make us disgustingly cute matchy outfits complete with any number of accessories such as bonnets.

2013 is going to be filled with wonderful and exciting things, I am quite sure. 

Homestretch for the Ionar

Well, 2012 has been full of surprises and I have managed to pretty much not sew anything all year. Between my pregnancy, extra time at work to train someone for my position for maternity leave, and a case of severely swollen hands and feet (no joke, I had hulk feet), oh and another move, I never even managed to make myself maternity clothes or a baby blanket for the newly arrived Megan Elizabeth who made her appearance 10/17/2012.

That being said, I am happy to say that in spite of a new born who seems to make her awake time exactly when I sit down to get anything done, I have completed the hand work on the Ionar I started forever ago. Here are some pics. In keeping with tradition, my newest camera has gone missing so I have to post cruddy camera phone pics. Sigh... I think I know where to find the camera this time though. Looking forward to 2013, and sewing again. There is a fantasy fair in April and I am thinking of either a Queen of Hearts with Megan as a hedgehog, or me as Little Bo Peep and Megan as a lamb...

 

The Back

 

 

Right Side

 

Left Side

 

Now to prep the lining, put together my sewing area and put it all together!

 

Ionar Progress and Something Modern for Me

The basic construction of the ionar that I am working on is coming along nicely. The embroidery, since I am doing completely by hand will be the long haul on this project. I sit in the evenings and needle away, here's some in progress pictures.

Sleeves, not lined as of yet but the fringe has been sewn into the seams and I did a tiny topstitch in order to ensure that the fringe lays flat instead of trying to pop up.

The pattern for the embroidery.

Embroidery progress, I'll be chipping away at this everynight until it's all ready to go. I love watching a picture come together out of thread and work.

Since the Ionar is mostly down to hand work I've started a project for myself as well, probably only take me a day or so. I'm so used to historical and vintage sewing projects that making something more modern is kind of weird, but being pregnant I don't want to work on any of my historical projects because I won't really be able to fit them. And I have to confess I hate buying maternity clothes, they are expensive and the fact that I know I'll only be wearing them for a few months makes it that much harder. So I went to my local fabric store yesterday and bought a pattern and some comfy feeling fabric with the plans to make a few things. Here is the project I started today.

Starting with the long dress then will probably also make one of the shirts. Guess I'll see how it goes.



Irish Ionar Project

I've actually been working on a few projects however I managed to lose my second camera and the camera function on my phone stopped working. It was almost as if the universe conspired against my posting to my blog. I have been working on a really fun project though that I really wanted to post about so I used my new phone to take some less than perfect pictures. Hopefully my new and third camera will show up any day as well.

I have been working on a new 16th century Irish Ionar, based on several drawings and the Ionar that I made for Daniel 2 seasons ago.

Here is the Ionar I made for Daniel



A couple of drawings of Irish approx 16th Century.

I have already cut all of the pieces and have been working on the handwork for the main body, but here are some pics of the steps for some of the meat of the rest of the Ionar that I am working on

Nice clean sewing area

Ironing out the skirting prior to pleating.

Lovely knife pleats. Pleats used to scare the heck out of me, now I just love to pleat.

And with fringe basted on.

I also did the sleeves today but did not take pictures yet. With the skirting ready, once the body is done being embroidered I can easily attach the skirting then lining. More to come as I move forward and once I get my actual camera. :)

2011 The Year of Chaos

2011 has ended and 2012 has officially begun.

2011 Was my year of Chaos. I started by expecting to Move in February so I boxed up my sewing and set it aside with dreams of my new huge sewing room. My move ended up being pushed back to the first of April. So I got very little costuming done. Then my move turned out to be a disaster. The big day arrived, I was packed and ready to go and as we started bringing our things over, I found that the previous occupiers had not finished moving out. So they cleared one room at a time as I moved my things in. My new sewing room ended up being the room where everything ended up.

 It took over a month to clear out and start setting up, then I learned that the half of the room where I wanted to put my sewing machines... well the outlets didn't work. So I rearranged, got cords, etc. During this time I was at least able to complete my 16th century stays, although I lost weight so I gave them to an awesome friend. I managed to have about 3 really good days of sewing with friends in the new work room and they were amazing.

Then the new crisis came. I wont go into too many details but basically I ended up moving again. And it was another messy cruddy move.

But now I am settled in my new place, which I love. And I have set up a little sewing area. I have already started on a 1910's corset with plans of a 1912 gown to follow. I also am sewing a 1940's skirt for myself for work.

I have big plans for 2012, and several unfinished projects that need to be completed.

Now all I have to do is find my camera....