sewing Archives • Page 4 of 4 • Jessica Smith Creates

July 24, 2013August 19, 2018

No one decides my fate

But me.

So I had my skirt.

I then thought about a bodice.

First, though, I decided I would make one of those bodice slopers that I’ve heard so much about.

Burdastyle.com has a nice tutorial on how to make one to your measurements here. I used that one successfully, with the results shown above, in my lovely yellow polyester doubleknit. I didn’t add any seam allowance to my pattern pieces, because I forgot, but also so I could see how close fitting the bodice really was. As far as I can tell it fits quite nicely around my chest, which is the major purpose of the current experiment. I didn’t sew up the underarm seam or the corresponding shoulder seam. If I had I never would have gotten the blasted thing on to check out the fit.

The bodice needed to be changed over to a sweetheart neckline anyway, which disregards the need for the shoulder seam, and the underarm seam seems to fit close enough anyway, and I can always take it in later if its too much, or add in something if it doesn’t.

So I made up my new pattern, and cut out the pieces, adding a little length to it, and put it together.

I hand picked a zipper in, which went pretty well, I think, for my second hand picked zipper.

Then the handsewing the skirt into the bodice. Oh how I miss my sewing machine. If only the serger had a larger neck…

And my completed dress!

Because this was meant to be a wearable muslin, I knew it wouldn’t be perfect, but I had fun learning about it.

I’m planning on adding a strip of tan fabric to the bottom of the skirt, to lengthen it, but because its 120 inches around the bottom, I’m going to need to do some planning. Which also means some procrastinating. In my real version of the dress the skirt won’t be a full circle skirt, and will be longer anyway, so there will definitely be changes there.

There is also a big fold in the back of the bodice when I stand up straight, which I’ll be needing to understand and fix for the future. It’s not just because the back isn’t straight in the pictures, I promise. I’m also planning to move the waistband of the skirt up an inch in future versions. It needed to be lower for modesty for this one, but with a longer skirt, I’d like a higher waist point.

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And I even know how I can wear this dress! From season 2 episode 11 of Once Upon a Time. Technically she’s wearing a long sleeved sheer shirt under the jacket, but I’ve got to have some creative liberties with my subtle cosplaying!

July 20, 2013August 19, 2018

A chipped cup.

There’s no way to have a serger and not test it out with some nice fabric! On a lot of nice fabric!

Since the fabric I happened to have on hand already was woven and not at all stretchy, I wanted to buy some knits, so I could test it on some fabric that needs some of the stretch that a serger gives.

I was going for cheap knits, at first, so I bought remnants of some polyester double knit. The tan, blue, and yellow ones are all pretty scratchy, but I bought them mostly for practice, and to use as muslins for heavier knit projects. The gold dotted one is the one I really wanted. It’s a gorgeous fall gold, and if I wanted to be poetical I would say it reminds me of New England in autumn.

The minute the auction closed on my serger I thought that maybe this machine could give me a chance to try out some ideas for my Belle outfit. I’ve not had much luck with my regular sewing machine with stretchy fabrics, and though I’m working to change that the serger will overall come in handy.

For my real dress, I want a sweetheart necked bodice with a lace overlay, some sleeves, and a skater (circle) skirt.

The lace top to the real bodice is something I am planning to figure out another time, potentially with a coupon and really cheap stretch lace. I’ll be willing to shell out a little more money for better lace once I know how it will fit together.

But for now, I’d like to work on the skirt, see how and where I’d like it to fit, and then the bodice in turn, so that I know how I’d like to make the real dress.

Whenever I actually get around to that.

I started out with this fabric, which I knew I wanted as a skirt anyway, and I definitely wanted to try out a full circle skirt.

So I had folded a piece into a small square, with two folds, and cut out the waist. I then trimmed the hemline, knowing that I probably wouldn’t actually hem it. It is a lovely knit, but I knew that the skirt would already be a bit short on me. When possible, I prefer to give myself a higher waisted skirt. My smallest point around my midsection is pretty high up (as is my natural waist though that’s not quite as high), and I like to emphasize that when I can, which then requires longer skirts.

Then a waistband went on, though I didn’t quite plan it well enough and it came up short in the back. It was really at this point where I decided to think about putting on a bodice. I’m more willing to add extra work to my plate than come up with a simple quick fix for a skirt waistband.

I’ll talk about the bodice in my next post on this project!

July 17, 2013August 25, 2022

The reason I can’t finish projects

Is because I’ve got too many going at once.

Much too many.

Because I love to start projects.

The satisfaction I get at the end, when I finish them, can barely compare. Except in some cases. Rarely.

I can’t think of an example right now…

So, here are some examples of projects I’d like to start.

kog link

One that I’m going to start soon is a dress inspired by Kaylee’s origin story dress, in the episode “Out of Gas” and “The Message” of the show Firefly.

I’ve got the fabric I’ll use for it, but I haven’t done the proper research yet, but I’m going to start soon. Hopefully.

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I’m also a big fan right now of Amy Pond’s red hoodie that she wears in a few of the early episodes of Doctor Who 2005’s fifth series.

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And I love Kaylee’s turquoise brocade mandarin jacket in the first episode of Firefly.

But I also am interesting in working on: Jayne’s blue sun shirt (Firefly), Amy’s black and yellow sleeveless shirt (Doctor Who), HG Well’s vest in the rocket episode (Warehouse 13). Enough of the frosting. I’m also interested in making some culottes, and some nice trousers. I’m also planning a high waisted skirt for a stealth steampunk look. And I am musing over the idea of creating a ballroom dance dress. I really enjoy dancing, and the waltz is my absolute favorite. But I don’t have anything to dance in for competitions!

I’ve got more ideas, but I’m going to continue on in another direction.

This past June I happened to find this awesome pennanular brooch at a medieval craft fair, and I have almost nothing to use it with. It’s quite heavy, made of iron I think, so I need something substantial to wear it with. I only have one item that fits this bill, but I’d like to be able to use it with a shawl for when I don’t quite need a sweater.

IMG_2596_medium2 link

I’d also like to work on some lacy hats. I’ve never liked wearing hats, but with the amount of bad hair days I seem to attract, I’m willing to give them a try. And lacy and slouchy hats can look quite cute. The one above is the first in my queue.

There are some other types of projects I’d like to work on as well.

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I’m bringing my sewing things with me to college this upcoming year, but I’ll need an ironing board to go with my iron. I have been seeing a pin go around on Pinterest the past few weeks about an ironing board tv tray table. That sounds like fun!

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I’m also planning on making myself a dressform. Likely out of duct tape, but I also have hopes for a form like this one. Being as I’m unwilling to pay damages for drilling a hole in the ceiling I’m also planning to make a stand for these to lie on and unless I find an awesome coat rack, I’ll probably make it out of pvc, like in this link! Or perhaps I’ll buy an umbrella stand, like this post suggests, to support a slightly smaller stand!

Whew. This is an awful long post, but I’ve saved my biggest project ideas for last.

I already have a ~~thriving~~ jewelry business called BeadsAndQuotes up on Etsy, though its on vacation until mid-August or so. I’m hoping to begin making my own clasps and earring wires, and expand some of my stock. Don’t even get me started on my project ideas for that.

As part of my jewelry business, I’ve also made illustrated quotes, like the one above, which I love to do but doesn’t quite fit in with a jewelry business. So I’ve been considering opening up a different shop to sell geeky cards and my illustrated quotes.

I’ve also really enjoyed my work with leather. It’s such an interesting and totally different kind of medium, and I would love to continue working with it, but I wouldn’t feel right selling it in either my current shop, or my proposed card shop.

And this isn’t even taking into account my job… or my schooling… or having a life.

Do you have any advice or suggestions?

June 22, 2013

What light from yonder umbilicus breaks?

I’ve made a bit of progress on the Farnsworth, and the painting is all done. That’s always a big plus.

But today I want to show you what progress I’ve made on something else.

This summer I don’t have access to my normal sewing supplies, as my summer employment required a flight. My sewing machine would not terribly like my suitcase. And its a bit too heavy. And I’ve got too much fabric to fit into one suitcase, let alone bring clothing to wear along with it.

This also means that I’m not planning on doing any subtle cosplay, as the major components of my wardrobe aren’t with me. And its much too hot here to wear jeans.

But none of this has stopped me from working on my plans.

It just happened to… slow them.

I bought this sewing kit from Amazon, and its a nice little starter kit. If you are new to sewing, and want something to work with for simple handsewing, this may be a good deal for you, but mostly I needed the scissors and the pins. I’ve had experience with enough unsharpened scissors and cutting fabric for me to need to invest in another fabric pair, even if the kit overall was cheap.

But anyway, back to the point of this post. I have begun work on my white vest for my Claudia costume.

I was going to try to find an online pattern, and while waiting for my Amazon package I did some extensive searching, but I came up with very few patterns that were close enough to help. I decided instead to make a pattern based on my measurements.

This is what I came up with.

I knew it would be a bit wonky, because I’ve rarely created a pattern that was wearable the first time, so I decided to make a muslin. I took an old sheet, traced my pattern, and gave some extra fabric space in the areas I suspected needed to be enlarged.

I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of this step. I was too excited and started sewing immediately. Hand-sewing.

On the plus side, my stitches are becoming more even?

Here’s what the muslin looks like when I’m wearing it. For being a first drafted pattern and handsewn by a machine lover, I think its a pretty good effort! I’m not quite sure if I want to do anything about the shoulders. The muslin makes the shoulder seam lift up a bit, and I think that might look okay with the final fabric. I’m going to increase the width of the fabric in the front, because I want to have a fairly wide inside seam there, so there is a nice appearance when the collar is folded over.

The front will match, I promise, it just was being too picky for pictures.

I found this awesome fabric a few years ago for my quilting stash, but I haven’t quite figured out how to use it yet. Granted, I’ve been without my sewing machine for all but two months of the year since then.

The fabric is a neon yellow-ish Gatorade color, with a floral pattern in black. Kind of a combination of this fabric, if this one was the background yellow. And without the stripes.

Claudia would love this fabric.

I’ve decided to line my vest in said fabric.

I’ve loved the idea of lining demure jackets and coats in crazy fabric, and this is my first opportunity to try.

I’ve got a heavy lead on a bid for a serger machine on ebay, and so I’m holding off until I know the outcome of that before I cut the fabric and move on, but if I am to handsew it, I’ll be using this technique to build a sturdy garment.

So that’s what I’ve got and where I’m going. Now that I’ve decided on my lining, the project won’t be fully finished until August, when I get back to my fabric stash.

Next step? Seam rip the muslin.

March 24, 2013

I smell fudge!

So my final costume that I’ll be making for comic con is… drumroll please…

Miss Claudia Donovan from the lovely show Warehouse 13.

Claudia Donovan is a wise cracking and crafty tech-ofile who works at a secret government institution to track down objects imbued with powers from a certain moment and emotion and time, and she may or may not be my role model.

She’s probably my favorite female character on TV right now. And I’ve been waiting since October for this season to continue. Only one more month.

Here we go:

Vest: I can’t quite figure this one out exactly. It looks like she’s taken a sweatshirt, and layered it under a white vest, in which the vest looks to be made of relatively heavyweight fabric that is fairly stiff, stiff enough for the collar to stick up a bit. I’m thinking of making the vest, and flat-stitching it to a bought sweatshirt to achieve the look, without so much of the actual layering and heat involved with actually wearing the quantity of layers. I’ll possibly be stealing the zipper from the sweatshirt to make this, as I’ll have nothing else to do with it. Fairly easy peasy. And I’ve kinda got the sweatshirt that will work to cut apart for this project, and it even has bright white zipper! The “vest” will also be elbow-length sleeved, maybe a little shorter.

Shirts: In this outfit, she’s layered a peach camisole under a black three quarter sleeve henley. I’m probably going to go with peach camisole under a black tank, knowing that the heat would start to get to me… In the interest of my personal comfort, I’m taking every effort to make this comfy. Because I can. And if I’m going to be fairly uncomfortable in the interest of heat with my other costumes, I might as well acknowledge it this time.

Trousers: Claudia in this shot seems to be wearing black jeans, or some other type of black skinny trousers. Luckily I’ve got these already.

Shoes: I couldn’t get a good screencap of the shoes, but while she was moving, I was positive that they were boots, small black combat boot kind of boots. However, in the interest of saving space in my suitcase, I’m going to go with another type of shoe, possibly my TARDIS shoes… or if those didn’t work I would hijack another one of the shoes involved in my other costumes. ~~Because Claudia would totally wear t-strap heels.~~

Jewelry: The necklace that she wears in this scene appears to be some kind of robot or alien or something, which isn’t exactly up my alley. In another episode she wears a very cute dark metal bat-wing or angel wing necklace, which I’ll be much more on board with having. Because I don’t have pierced ears, and I’m not planning on doing so, I’ll be skipping earrings, but I’m perfectly good with wearing an ear cuff. She’s also wearing what seem to be black jelly bracelets on her wrists, but I might make get a thick leather cuff to replace them on one wrist. Claudia also wears a lot of buttons, so I’ll be getting some very cute ones for this.

Purse: Claudia gets a lot of messenger bags and canvas shoulder bags, but in the interest of space, I’ll be using one of the bags for the other costumes.

*All images used in the post were screenshots of Warehouse 13 Season 4 Episode 6.

** This costuming plan is subject to change based on the final episodes of season 4. Which could change everything.

Any other Warehouse fans out there?

March 10, 2013August 25, 2022

“If it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it!”

Don’t you just love Cogsworth?

I just couldn’t wait much longer to start explaining to you all about the loveliness that is my costume planning, so I’d like to start with my plans for a dress inspired by Once Upon A Time’s Belle.

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Because OUAT is a show on ABC, owned by Disney, the yellow costume is clearly inspired by the Beauty and the Beast yellow dress.

It is a princess seamed off the shoulders dress with a full and actually very large dress. What attracted me to this dress specifically was the very smooth top and the absolutely gorgeous embroidered design on the front. Its magnificent, and lovely, and, well massive. But I love the interpretation of the dress.

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This dress, which is worn by Belle in our world around the town of Storybrooke, is also a favorite costume of mine from the show. I love the simple flow of the fabric, and the combination of the lace and the shell of the dress.

Being a redhead, I can’t easily go very yellow with a dress without looking insane and making my skin look weird. But I also want a dress that I can wear in a non-costume friendly situation.

I’ve decided to therefore combine the two dresses, in a way. In my pitiful attempt to sketch out the dress, I came up with the above. The lace will be around the shoulders and will make up most of the sleeves, with the rest made up of a knit or woven. The lace will only be above the dress, not covering it like the blue dress.

For the con, I’m planning on creating a beadwoven necklace to recreate the neckline embellishment.

The higher drawing is my interpretation of the actual neckline, and the lower is my design for the necklace. The necklace will be worn over top of the lace of the dress, and will likely be a nearly full bib necklace.

The color I’m planning for the main dress will hopefully be a nice goldenrod or golden, and I’m hoping to have matching lace, but if I can’t get lace to match, the lace will be a warm reddish brown color.

link (ETA – this link is now broken)

I’m also going to be making a cape for the con, and will likely be a short cape, not much longer than an elbow length, because I’ll be in warm and sunny California, and it will mostly be made out of curtains. Because that fabric is not easy to imitate.

What do you think?