The Harried Hen
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Contact Us!
  • Calendar
  • Creative Projects
    • Blog
  • Online Store

Taylor, in Teal (part 3)

5/18/2020

0 Comments

 
Ta da! This is the trim design Taylor chose! It was secretly my favorite too, but I didn't want to impose all of my design ideas. It was a WHOLE LOT OF HAND STITCHING but since the faire was cancelled for the spring I had time. 
Picture
It honestly took me a little while to work up the creative energy to get it finished. Pandemics are no joke, even if your local area isn't affected too badly. However, I even had enough trim to do the exposed chemise sleeves and the back where it laces together. 
Picture
The lace edging made it onto the oversleeves!
Picture
You might be wondering if the bodice laces in the back and the skirt ties in the front, how is it held together? I tried brass rings to lace them together, but it sagged weirdly. I settled on dress hooks (think hooks and eyes, but on steroids) all around. I may need to add more when it's worn. 
Picture
Until the general health of the public at large clears up this is Schrodinger's dress - both finished and not. I can tell some re-fitting will need to happen with the sleeves, but I won't be able to tell what needs to happen until the final fitting. Good thing I always build in the ability for my dresses to fit through several sizes - I know I've put on a few stress eating pounds.
0 Comments

Taylor, in Teal (part 2)

3/29/2020

0 Comments

 
A continuation of this previous blog post.

When I started this project, I could tell it would be finished in a time crunch, since we started a bit late for the spring fair. This was to be the first costume I completed from scratch since I had a very busy near-toddler taking up my time. I have been working late nights. 

We decided earlier on that the accompanying color would be grey in the underskirt and sleeve lining. I pulled a budget trick I have used many times before and ordered a cotton sheet set to use for lining fabric, which I used for a very simple chemise. 
Picture
Ah - the first and last time my dress dummy would be used for this dress. The lovely Taylor is smaller than this.
Technically this is an Italian cut, and much of the rest of her dress would lean more to the English style. But, this is also by far the easiest chemise to make with less than exact measurements available.

I rigged up a way to display the dress going forward by hanging my hoop skirt on suspenders, which were in turn hanging on a pretty sturdy hanger.

The grey silk available for contrast also happens to be nearly as thin as tissue. The underskirt is lined with the same grey cotton as the chemise. This is a pattern I've used before: the waistband has no opening, but is several inches bigger than it needs to be. A portion is folded over to take up the extra and ties hold it closed. The ties aren't in place below since I wasn't sure where it should be folded.

I was able to use the full width of the silk, so no hemming on the bottom!
Picture
The teal overskirt was equally as simple - just gathered on a waistband. She wanted a split front, so it just ties there. The bodice will cover it up.

Unfortunately because of the shape of the fabric left over after cutting out the bodice and sleeves I had to turn the fabric and cut panels instead of just gathering the edge. The hem was just serged and turned. The panels did leave a design at the opening and in the back that turned out rather nicely.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Here is the part I was disgusted with myself later. I didn't take pictures of the construction of the bodice. Time was getting tight. However, it was identical to what we did for the bodice of the Blue Bees dresses. With one crucial exception. Instead of spacing out extra large zip ties like we've done before, Taylor wanted something more flexible. Time to research!

Historically, grass reeds were sometimes used, as were sticks from hedges and rolled linen fabric. These would be replaced from time to time. One option I stumbled upon was hemp twine, or rope. This lovely blogger has already done the research, and I heartily recommend you read her posts if you are headed that direction yourself.

In her post one of the problems she had with sewing corsets was getting the cording into the channels after they were sewn. For my part I used two cords per channel and installed them as I went, using a zipper foot to sew close to the cording.

It was also highly recommended to go with uncoated hemp, and I only found one brand available in the US - fortunately available on Amazon. One spool will do for dozens of dresses! It's usually used in jewelry making with the very largest of openings in beads. As a side note - as this is uncoated hemp, it still smells "fresh." Well, as fresh as a barn full of alfalfa. Good thing Taylor works grooming dogs and I grew up on a farm! 

​When I was done it didn't look weird on the outside - a good sign!

Picture
I upped my display game, filling out the bodice with packing airbags.
The next thing to do was sleeves and trim, and here I stalled. See, this little event called COVID-19 started to affect the middle of the US. It's all happened quite quickly. Schools have shut down, my library is closed for now, and it is looking like our little faire will be cancelled for the spring.

I got some mock-ups pinned on to see what things would look like, but since I'm able to take a breath and not rush through the end of this project I am counting my blessings. Here's a preview of the sleeves, however! 
Picture
The neck trim is from the Falling Leaves dresses.
Picture
Not sure I have enough of this to make the final cut.. But I like it for now!
I will leave this post with the three options I gave Taylor for trim placement. The trim is deconstructed from the Blue Bees dresses. I was more than happy to use up my own stash, since I don't typically use gold tones myself. We'll see what she chose when I make the next post!
0 Comments

Taylor, in Teal (part 1)

2/24/2020

0 Comments

 
It's another dress commission! And it came after another person wore my purple dress. I have no problem loaning out my renaissance dresses, but they are custom fit for me and I know I feel better in clothes that fit. So, after last fall's Great Plains Renaissance Festival I had a feeling I'd be doing another dress. I had already done one not-quite copy. However, the lady in question waited until after the new year to get started, which is kind of last minute for me as we were 2 1/2 hours away by car for fittings. 

We started a Pinterest board to collect design ideas.
Picture
The most recent "outing" for the dress in September of last year.
Picture
I had asked Kate to help with the pattern drafting, and after Taylor sent her measurements online a pattern was drafted. Kate could see right away that maybe not every measurement was accurate.
The bustline was way too high. Kate made her best guess based on standard pattern shapes.

The other change from previous patterns was the side seam. Taylor didn't want the bodice front lacing, but back lacing. In addition she indicated she wanted less of a column shape, but with English influences. The side seams were moved around to the back, and the lacing left at the center back.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
And so we go from pattern to muslin! Even though this fabric mock up was made of leftover linen from a prior project. Kate also very wisely left heckin' huge seam allowances, with stitching lines where the original measurements indicated, and looser ones where she thought they might end up.
Picture
I had been in communication with Taylor about fabric choices in my stash of silk saris I bought online. Unsurprisingly to me, she liked the teal color best. However, it had a golden thread woven motif all over that didn't show up too well in pictures. I packed all of them, but Taylor remained steadfast in her choice. In addition I talked to her more about the design and we chose a secondary silk in grey with golden embroidery as an accent.
Picture
Last week we had a Royal Court photoshoot for photos to go on the website, and Kate and I were able to fit the muslin to Taylor. In addition to letting out the seams to the secondary larger option, the front was lengthened, the shoulders widened, the neckline lowered, and the armholes made bigger.
Picture
I am updating Taylor on Facebook with the important stuff. For this project instead of going from pattern making to finishing hems on each garment, I'm completing all the cutting first so my table can be free for construction from here on out. I took the above picture, but realized the piles of cut fabric only looked in order to me. So I labeled it. Here's to progress out of this chaos!
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Authors

    Twins each with half a brain in reality; the other half displayed here!

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    November 2022
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All
    1/144th Scale
    1/24 Scale
    Alison Jr.
    Art Silk
    Assisi Needlework
    Baby Clothes
    Baby Renaissance
    Baron
    Baronness
    Blackwork
    Blouse
    Bodice
    Books
    Bootstrap Fashions
    Bum Roll
    Carpet
    Chemise
    Children's Clothing
    City Pop
    Coat Of Arms
    Coif
    Commission
    Cookies
    Cross Stitch
    D&D
    Dollhouse
    Doublet
    English Inspired
    Face Masks
    Fitting
    Food And Cooking
    Frock Coat
    Georgette
    German Inspired
    German-inspired
    Great Plains Renaissance Festival
    Harried Hen
    Hat
    Hats
    Hemd
    Hemp Twine
    Hoop Skirt
    Italian Inspired
    Janome
    Kate
    KC Ren Fest
    Linen
    Necklace
    Other Projects
    Paint
    Painting
    Pants
    Partlet
    Patterns
    Pennant
    Photos
    Pirate
    Queen's Tea
    Quilting
    Rachel
    Recipes
    Remodel
    Renaissance Dress
    Resources
    Ribbon Sleeves
    Robes
    Ruff
    Sequins
    Sewing Machine
    Sewing Room
    Shirt
    Silk
    Singer
    Skirt
    Sleeves
    Smocking
    Steuchlein
    Storefront
    Street Clothes
    Subfloor
    Tea Party
    Teddy Bear
    Tellerbrettbarett
    Tudor
    Underskirt
    Vendors
    Vest
    Viking
    Welcome
    Wulsthaube

    RSS Feed

We Would Love to Have You Visit Soon!
Appointments are Encouraged.
Contact us using the information below or on social media using the links to the side.

Location

123 N. Mill,
​PO Box 35

​Beloit, KS 67420

Hours

Tuesdays
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Appointments for other times encouraged.

Phone & Email

785-534-1656
harriedhens@gmail.com
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Contact Us!
  • Calendar
  • Creative Projects
    • Blog
  • Online Store