Stripy Underthings Goodness

Progress has been made on my Edwardian Underthings project.  I have fallen head over heels in love with the Cotton Shadow Stripe Fabric...fabalous!!!  Being home for nearly a week i've been ultra productive and i have a whole nother week and a half before my next trip to NY, pleanty of time to finish up this project.

Even through they are just underthings you *never* know how a pattern is going to fit until you sew it up.  So Saturday i busted out the muslin and cut out the bodice and drawers.  I figured that making a muslin of an open back petticoat was kinda silly.  The bodice was fantastic!  No changes necessary at all.  Very impressive Folk Wear.  Next came the drawers... I got them on, stepped in front of the mirror, and decided that the horror was too much to bear and there was no way i was going to be sewing these are wearing them in public.  I really do not like how period drawers/bloomers usually fit.  I knew that i was going to need to make some adjustments, but this was too much.  Apart from being way too full for me personally they were not balanced, so the legs collapsed and bunched up at the leg opening instead of hanging nearly straight off the hips.  Plan B?  Laughing Moon Saloon Girl Drawers to the rescue!  I made these in a short version for my Victorian Saloon Girl Costume for Steam-Con last year and knew they were fantastic.  I lengthened the pattern, skipped the muslin, and found the ruffles from the Edwardian Underthings fit perfectly on the Laughing Moon pattern, nice.

Current Progress:
* Drawers complete, minus ruffle @ Leg Opening
* Petticoat structure complete, minus ruffle layers @ Hem
* Bodice ... 0% complete

All of the seaming has been done using French Seams.  I haven't sewn French Seams since school...damn do they make things look pretty.  The bodice has been on the back burner while i decide if i have time to crochet some lace inserts this week to accent the top.  THe leaning is towards crocheting the lace because i know how purty it is and the sewing pattern even came with corchet patterns for the different inserts on the garments (super awesome too Folk Wear).

A new skill obtained today was using a "Bias Turner".  Awesome little machine that *super* helped as it kept me being able to feel with my fingers versus the normal burning off off my fingertips in sacrifice to the self bias god.  I needed for the waist casing on the petticoat, and had some left over scraps begging to help out.  I spoke with a friend about these a few months back as she made fantastic bias tape.  "New Mommy - get one ... they're everything we thought they might be and more!!!"

Rockin Productivity

This weekend include a boyfriend back in Missouri for the sisters wedding...which equals TONS of time for me to play with the house and costumes.  YEA!!!  First some very sad prints were thought of and had frames purchased and got framed.  Now the b-friend can hang them upon his return (it's what he does).  Next the basic muslins for the Edwardian Underthings were cut and fit.  I don't like the drawers, just not my style.  Luckily i remember fantastic drawers i used for an evening outfit for SteamCon last year from Laughing Moon...perfect!  Everything has now been cut out in actual fabric, the beautful shadow stripe i found a few months ago in ny.  This week will be focused on finishing the underthings to wear to Pirate Faire!  I also have a dress pattern that would be perfect...but it's Pirate Faire.  I think just the under garments are more appropiate : )

Some Attention for the Backyard / Prepping for Garden Time

My poor sad backyard and i are finally taking a few evenings to get reacquainted.  The grass is nearly dead, the lemon tree's leaves are yellowing, and the weeds were in full control.  After two days of loving the leaves have been cleared from under the trees (will someone please tell Berkeley it's not Autumn?).  I weeded the back yard and gave the lemon tree some food.  Now there is space for goodies!!!  Some space means i've probably got enough space for 4 or 5 small things around the lemon tree.

Over the years here i have grown bell peppers, hot thai peppers, cilantro, greeen onions, and a failed attempts at strawberries and a couple of other things.  The Peppers were tasty and the cilantro is a never ending sight of joy.  Yes, it's only 35 cents at Berkeley Bowl...but i like pulling it out of MY GARDEN.  Oh so rewarding.  So i'm thinking of trying the following this year with fingers crossed as the weather has decided to be Spring instead of Summer again for awhile.

Plants I'm ready to purchase and Plant...
* Cilantro (Main Stay and Must Have)
* Green Onions (Main Stay)
* Rosemary (There is a big open space behind the leon tree that could support a bush...)

Plants under investigation...
* Basil
* Bell Peppers
* Jalapenos

The investigations will continue over the next few days while i check out growing requirements (sun/shade, size, etc.)  I found an awesome website about herbs, Culinary Herb Guide, where they discuss growing considerations, harvesting, drying, when to replace, and even some herb garden designs based on how much space you have.  Fantastic site that totally helped with the Rosemary selection.  THe plan is to hit up some of the Nurseries on Friday, take some pictures, and start some lists.  I want to get it going, but i also want to do my homework so i do it right, and once!  Here are a couple of local Nurseries i found online.  Recommentations/advice greatly appreciated! : )

East Bay Nursery
Dwight Yabusaki's Way Nursery
Dry Garden (no website, near Shattuck and Ashby)

And a pretty picture to make me want to work in the garden all year from Berlin.

Super Find: Betty "Birdie" Draper Dress

Last month i went to an estate sale that was posted on the GBACG yahoo group.  Very little there, but looking under the tables provided a gorgeous dress...the Betty "Birdie" Draper Dress.  Appropriately named after the beautiful wife of the character Don Draper on AMC's Mad Men.  If you haven't seen this, go watch the first two seasons, you will not be disappointed.  Oh the 60's started with some beautiful fashions, all very much represented in this show.

  

The dress and i had love at first sight.  Unfortunately some others have not loved the dress as i am.  There are some stains on the front that look like water stains maybe?  Any tips/tricks on removing stains out of the old polyester style fabrics?  Also some of the "rhinestones" have fallen out of the buttons.  I'm really excisted about restoring this dress this summer.  Also it fits fantastically so it's only cosmetic changes.  Very lucky find!

    

Socks be done!

This evening was a fantastic night starting off with some weeding of the backyard, which yes...means that i'm home!!!  Post fantastic left over tamales Mom's socks were picked up with *only* the toes to finish.  A new episode of Cast On took me up to the kitchner's stitch and voila, a finshed pair of socks that are only 8 months late.  To my credit this is the second attempt at knitting socks for Ma as the beautiful cables on the first pair had NO stretch and thus did not fit a 6-year old girl child.  These on the otherhand have a fantastic amount of stretch, but not stretch out and i think mother will enjoy them greatly.  Now back to our original programming of stuff for me.

  

Finally a Project finished ... House Slippers for Chelsie!!!

Hi!  I've been sick, traveling, home, and traveling...still : (  I'm feeling better, but all of the crazy here and there has kept me from some real internet time.  I did find some time two weekends ago to finish off a project that began long long ago as a Christmas present...some slippers for a friend.  I'm really liking how fast this crochet thing goes.  They came out super adorable and fast once i put my mind to it.  So adorable that the b-friend told me he needs a pair?!?!?  Well he put in an order for solid black..but still awesome!  The next pair i'm thinking hemp for the bottom soles to help with "wear and tear" and so they could handle porch going...thoughts?