15 DTG-The Skirt, Lining

Let's review what pieces I'm working with for the skirt lining:


Lining Layer (Under Layer of the Stay) - Lining

• 11 - Side stay (cut twice to equal 4 total pieces)
• 12 - Front stay
• 13 - Back stay

First, I stitch together pieces 11 - 12 - 11 to make the front half of the skirt.

Front half:  11 - 12 - 11

To make the back half, I stitch the 2 piece 13s up to the large circle.  The gap in the remainder of this seam is where the zipper will go later.


Next is joining the other set of piece 11s to the outsides of the joined pieces 13. 

I end up with 11 - 13 - 13 - 11

Now, I join the back to the front, essentially joining both piece 11s to the other set of piece 11s.  In the end I'll end up with a circle of:

11 - 12 - 11

/                \

11                11

\               /

13  -  13

I try this on for fit at the waist and over my petticoat to see if the angles of the skirt are full enough.

Assembled lining with my petticoat on

And I fall in love with my dress all over again!!  I'm so excited that it works and is coming together!

To Do List

• Cut out rest of taffeta pieces
• Assemble taffeta pieces
• Join lining and taffeta
• zipper
• waistband
• hem (horse hair)
• Cut pieces from organdy
• Assemble organdy layer
• Finish skirt details

22 DTG-Petticoat & The Real Thing

My petticoat came in yesterday, but I didn't have a chance to try it on!

It came all petite-ly packaged, encouraging for transport

I carefully took note of how it was folded up, but it came with a step-by-step instruction sheet detailing how to get it back in its collapsed condition.

I LOVE how full it is, especially that the tulle layers hide the
"hoop look" giving extra fullness

Starting Construction


Although the Vogue pattern that I am using for the corset top doesn't call for underlining, the construction of the McCall's top that originally came with the dress, did call for one.  So taking the best practices from each top (since I merged some of both patterns, mostly relying on the Vogue pieces), I had cut two sets of lining for a lining and underlining.


I purchased 2 different colors of thread, based on best coloring matching of the various materials (taffeta, organdy, and lining).  And how I sew through the various steps can be determined by which threads I'm using in which positions (the top spool and the bobbin from underneath the machine).

• Coats and Clark Dual Duty XP 250 yds All Purpose 3620-Lavender Bliss (color matches taffeta)
• Coats and Clark Dual Duty XP 250 yds All Purpose 3340-Light Violet (color matches lining)

I baste together a piece of underlining on the "wrong" side of each piece of taffeta.  Basting stitches are longer because they are made to temporarily hold together 2 pieces until permanent seams are put in and are usually ripped out later.  I use 6 for basting (the longest setting on my machine) versus 10-12 for regular seams.

I kinda messed up because I forgot about the color switch trick for basting.  Instead of "wasting" some of the good, color matched threads for basting (because they're just going to get ripped out and thrown away later), I like to use black or white bulk thread.  The bulk thread is cheaper and is usually generic quality.  And by using a contrasting color to those that match the fabrics, it's easy to see what I need to make sure and later remove.

Instead, to baste, I used Lavender Bliss on the top and Light Violet on the bobbin, matching each thread to it's appropriate material side.

Underlining (seen on the turned up piece) basted to taffeta pieces 

The pattern calls for certain places of the pieces to be reinforced by "staystitching" on the edges.  Staystitching is a line of straight stitches, smaller than basting, usually about the same stitch length as what you use for seams.  Smaller stitch lengths are harder to unravel if something should pop and harder to pop if the seams strain.  In other words, smaller stitches equal a stronger garment.  Staystitching, occurs about an 1/8" from the seam (which is at 5/8" so I staystitch at 1/2"), and is used on seams that curve (such as at the bust) because this is where more strain will be placed on the garment.  On my garment, staystiching is called from between the 2 match up arrows on the sides of the front center piece (right where the bust will curve outward to accommodate Da Girls) and along the curve of the sweetheart neckline.

Staystitching between the 2 match up arrows on
sides of front center piece

To Do List

• Stitch all pieces together
• Stitch all lining layer pieces together
• Stitch down seam allowances on lining
• Stitch layers together
• Send off to mom

27 DTG-Petticoat

Well, if I've done nothing over the past few days, at least I got a petticoat on order.  I'll need it to properly hem the skirt, since adding fullness also adds inches to the diameter.  I ended up choosing a HUGE 6-hoop crinoline with 2 overlayers of tulle from a manufacturer out of Georgia (BridalCrinoline on eBay).  I paid a little bit more for it compared to other sites, but it's domestic and, more importantly, they do have an exchange/return policy.  Most places I looked don't due to the nature of the bridal/prom business where people wear and then return.  >:-|

So yes, this is THE BIGGEST petticoat I can possibly get.  But it's adjustable.  By removing the largest hoop (or largest 2 hoops even), I can make it not as poofy, so there's future versatility (can we say Civil War re-enactments anyone?).  Or if it's absolutely wrong, I can exchange it within 7 days of receipt for a non-hooped, super-full one.  And where I had previously worried about the hassle of transporting a petticoat (and planned to avoid it), the crinoline lines are removable and collapsible into my suit case.

It should arrive by Feb 23.  I'll be able to tell at first glance if it's too much and needs to go back or if it's workable.  An exchange would be pushing it schedule wise, but welcome to over-thinking things.

My $3 Splurge

Completely random:  I noticed when doing Ashley's Alterations that many of my pins are dulling.  I've had them for over 15 years, so no wonder.  It didn't show when I was working with the cotton for the mock up, but they were making things difficult with the finer material of her dress.  So I bought myself some new, metallic ones in pretty colors.  Including lavender.  :-)

54 Days To Go-Research

Based on my to-do list from last time, I've been doing a lot of online researching for this project.  Apparently I'm still in left-brain mode?  I've also been on the computer alot fueled by my excitement and ideas over starting the blog, so I'm trying to balance not letting the documentation overwhelm my time for the actual project.  Good thing it's the weekend.


Embroidery


I did talk to my mom and she looked at the French Scrolls embroidery set I found.  The only problem was, we had no idea what file format her machine reads and if it was on the list of availability for that pattern.  Turns out her Husqvarna Designer I takes .shv file formats because it is a floppy disk only machine.  But she does have a conversion program on her computer that can take CD and memory stick formats and convert them for floppy disk.  So while, the pattern is not available in .shv, it IS available in the next model's (Designer I USB) memory stick format.  She needs to find her book to confirm that this line of thinking might work.  Everybody cross your fingers because I'm REALLY in love with the scrolls that this pattern offers.


But my research took me off on a tangent on Viking's website ogling all these IDEAS of things that an embroidery machine could do!  I could sell projects on etsy and through local orders enough to pay off the machine and feed my habit!  I sound like a junkie.


FOCUS.  Dress.  Ball.  54 days.  I just can't stick to one project at a time!  GAH!


Eyelets/Grommets


I tend to call them grommets because that's less confusing than pretty, edged holes in fabric (a la, eyelet fabric).  I found this awesome pictorial on How To Install A Grommet.  They're used a lot on curtains for the rod to pass through, purses for handles, and of course, boots for shoelaces...anywhere you want the fabric to glide but it allows clean, reinforced edges to the hole that's essentially left in the fabric.  So you might see where this would be sturdier in the lace up back of a corset than fabric loops sewn into a seam that the ribbon would pass through.  We're talking the one on the left versus the one on the right.

My eyelets are much smaller than than the one in the tutorial, so they don't have a back.  The eyelet is essentially rolled over or crimped on the backside of the fabric.  I'm still worried about the fabric fray-ability with this technique, but I'm thinking fusible interfacing between the taffeta and lining will provide some stability and maybe even some adhesive.  And while some instructions say to cut a hole in the fabric with scissors prior to inserting the grommet, I think a small X cut might be a more stable way to go.


After reading the instructions to make the corset top on Vogue pattern 2810, I've discovered that durability is added by inserting boning on either side of where the row of grommets will be placed (essentially on the edge of the back and about 3/4" away on the seam just inside of the grommets).  So I might need more boning that I've bought because my pattern doesn't call for boning on the back edges, only on the seams.


As a complete side note:  My online research kept turning up use of eyelets as a scrapbooking technique and so LOTS of beautiful colors have emerged for eyelets besides the traditional gold, nickel, white and black that are available in sewing stores for fabric purposes.  If the scrapbook ones are painted metal (and not plastic), I don't see why they wouldn't be usable on fabric.  Gorgeous colors like these I found at impressrubberstamps.com have me rethinking the ones I bought in favor of something that matches the dress or that pops a pretty metallic!  They're smaller though and my silver ones will accent the embroidery I plan to do.  And silver embellishments on the lilac material helped ease my mind in the war over which color to use on the gown to begin with (since now it's a bit of both).

Petticoat Possibilities


So, the desire to princess out the dress is taking over.  In order words, there is not enough tulle in the world to make this skirt "too full" for my taste.  And while the idea of traveling or bothering with a petticoat was too much to my way of thinking, a few layers of tulle added to the lining between L3 and L2 seemed worthwhile to investigate.


But since the last time I had to look at a petticoat was 10+ years ago, ebay has come along where I can buy a petticoat or a hoop crinoline for as low as $20 which is about $5 more than the online bolts of tulle I've found.  And for all the effort to figure out how to alter/add to the pattern, cut and gather tulle, the $5 seems worth it.  And I'd have a freestanding petti for any other future need, anyone to borrow, etc.


So the question becomes IF I decide to do this, which is better?  A hoop or tulle layers.  The idea of a hoop is appealing because I can get it as full as 6 hoops (we're talking Scarlett O'Hara HUGE which = Halloween costume!!).  But for the sake of my dignity for this occasion, it's adjustable and therefore shrinkable.  But I worry about the comfort and movement of hoops.  I will look like I'm wearing a hoop skirt.  That's just the way they move.  But if I do a petticoat, I wonder if a tulle one would be full enough.  Plus it is bulky to transport versus a hoop skirt because the boning can be removed and coiled in my luggage.


Tired of thinking about it, so I'm going to leave the decision to another day and a bit further along in the process.


To Do List

• Lay out pattern pieces and iron
• Calculate the lining I need
• Get to the other Hancock's in town in time to use my Additional 10% off coupon (ie 8am-12noon) on lining (that's in addition to the 30% off from the MLK sale, last day for that)
• Cut muslin corset top mock up pieces
• Browse shop Michael's for beads