swatch crazy! Saturday, Aug 30 2008

i went to JoAnns today and fell in love. I went around the home decor section feeling the fabric and picked up a lot of swatches. With those swatches I have come up with the fabric design, actually two fabric designs for my new nobles gown.

the one fabric that i desperately want and need is 14.99 a yard, and that’s at fifty percent off. ouch!

but it is so pretty, and i think i am going to get it

but getting the swatches and doing sketches have prompted me to do a quick project. i am going to use my extra scrap fabric to make a cork board to stick my swatches and sketches to over my sewing table!

huzzah

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random entry Wednesday, Aug 27 2008

ive been on a dress making craze lately! i am looking forward to working on my big final project. my real big and extravagant nobles garb for closing weekend for the MDRF and the PARF! two weekends in a row, and closing weekends are the best

i am looking forward to paying off my Half Moon cloak! its ivory and navy blue, and it almost matches my bf’s-his is navy blue and grey. His is a three layer cloak, mine is a two layer.

so i still need a new sewing machine, and to make more room and organize for sewing!

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new projects Monday, Aug 25 2008

so i was so excited to work on my first nobles gown.  i am now ready to work on my second one! i dont now what color scheme i will be choosing, but i do like my navy blue and ivory color scheme.  it works well as to matching my boyfriends color scheme.

i also need to work on his doublet.  i dont really sew according to patterns, but for a doublet i think i will need one.  also i have never made a real bodice, so i think i may have to make one, my boyfriend suggested a great idea about how to interchange my pieces of garb, but im not sure how to work on that yet.

but what i do need is a new sewing machine. i saw a singer “simple” at walmart for $100.  this is the same sewing machine that i used to work on my recent outfit, but it was my friends, and i cant keep having her tote her machine to my house or me back up everything to go to her house.

i also need more fabric. i love fabric, and when i go to the fabric store it is a wonderful trip.  i have no problems with making the skirt part of my nobles garb, but to actually work on a bodice will be a bit hard

i also found some great hoopskirts at a great price. as some of you may know, my current dress is a reworking of an old wedding dress. so my next project will be a full dress from scratch, and a bodice. 

it’s funny, i spend so much money on fabric and supplies and such, but will never spend so much on my regular clothing. thats the mindset of a rennie, lol

well i need to go look up some free patterns, and such. so till next time

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Opening Day at the Maryland Ren fair Sunday, Aug 24 2008

so my dress is finished! sorry I could not post pictures before the ren fair, but here it is!

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Thursday, Aug 21 2008

here is my basket that i will be carrying at the ren fair

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why must i be so indecisive Thursday, Aug 21 2008

last night, i randomly decided to work on my carrying basket while my boyfriend was on the computer. it came out very pretty and i love my little basket lol i wrapped a shit of ribbon around the handel so i dont get a splinter, then wrapped ribbon around the top and the bottom of the basket, and lined it, i think its the best thing, lol

but back to my indecisiveness….i just realized that i want my bodice to be pointed, and not and i figured out a way to point it without having to do alot of cutting, but then i loose my beautiful trim, ahh well i guess its something that i have to accept ill figure it out, ill have to do it on some scrap fabric first

but other than that, still adjusting some things, the bodice part is a little but too loose and i dont like it, then when i tried it on last night, one of my shoulder rolls was not snug enough-and its funny because thats where i thought i was going to have the problem

i should have everything done and final by tonight or tomorrow, Maryland ren fair is on Saturday, we have to get there early to get our tickets!

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it’s almost done Wednesday, Aug 20 2008

huzzah! my dess is almost done . i have the bodice, foreskirt, underskirt, brooch and laced pearls done. i am so happy. now this is my first big project, and for my level of sewing skills i think i did pretty good! still gotta pin a couple of things to get it perfect

here are some pictures

1) here is me with the dress almost done, and on

2) this is the brooch that i adore so much

3) and here are the pearls that are draped across the bodice and attached to the brooch

now keep in mind it has shoulder rolls with detachable sleeves, i havent taken a picture of that yet, but i will later

so my friend is coming over today with her sewing machine so we can just finish up a few things, i dont have a dress form, so i need to put the dress on and have her pin up and hem correctly

i am so happy to have this project completed!

its my first nobility dress so i am very happy

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at last…it has begun Saturday, Aug 16 2008

so i worked on the foreskirt of my dress, here is what the fabric and trim (up close) of my foreskirt looks like

now here is the fabric that will be the under part of the forskirt, and the middle panel of my bodice (which i will begin working on today)

and here is the headband that i soooo fell in love with that i will be wearing with my snood

now working on the foreskirt was a bit hard, my sewing machine DID not want to work with me, so i basically used fabric glue and glued down my seams, which in turn i burned my thumb at 2:30 in the morning, my friend (who is also working on a renaissance outfit) and i went to walmart in which she purchased a new sewing machine. that worked fine. i was able to hem my foreskirt, and then add it to the waist band, she was able to hem her skirt, but the sewing machine (or it was just us) decided it didnt want to thread properly anymore. now keep in mind i have been making garb for the past two ren fair seasons, but i throw stuff together, and never actually learned how to properly use a sewing machine, i know the basics, and a hot glue gun has definitely become my best friend

so that is it for now. i need a much needed nap. we worked on our stuff from around 11pm to 6 am, and i still had to wake up early today.

i am going to work on my bodice today, add the trim and such to the fabric

later on i have to work on a pouch, a fan, and decorate my basket

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So happy Friday, Aug 15 2008

OK everyone, i got the fabric! I am sooooo happy, i found it at the last minute just when i was losing hope on finding the perfect fabric that i imagined for my dress! i was in the fabric store with my friend jumping up and down with excitement

my friend is sewing glass pearls onto my snood, i found the perfect headband that i adore and love. i have the perfect fabric for my sleeves. and the trim almost made me cry lol

i cannot wait to start working on this (as soon as i get out of bed)

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huzzah! Wednesday, Aug 13 2008

huzzah! i have a dress making blog   although i have been doing my own renaissance style clothing for the past two years, i have not had anything to track the progress.

the reason why i started this blog is for two reasons

1) to keep track and show my progress and skills

2) to challenge myself to make a nobles garb in less than two weeks (still waiting for my check to come in so i can hit up the fabric store)

This is definitely a big challenge as

1) I generally dont use patterns and freehand everything i do

2) Ive only worked on pirate/wench/peasant garb which is fairly easy

Here are some pictures of past garb that I have created

now these were my first ever pants/garb that i created. they were black pirate pants, and i am very glad of the results

this is the next piece of garb i made, pirate/wench skirt, chemise, bodice

this is my most recent piece, peasant outfit

that dashing man in the blue tights is my bf, he buys all his garb, eventually i will get around to making him something

so my task at hand is to turn a wedding dress into nobles garb.  the wedding dress itself is a a-lined strapless gown with beading on the bodice.  the color is ivory, and i have a hoopskirt to wear under it to make it “poof” out.

so, ready, set, sew!

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