So Monday after work I drove up to my grandparents’ and met them for dinner. My grandma had already gone and gotten my fabric for me! So that was really nice, I got my fabric and dinner with my grandparents and a little sewing break.
So since my last update I’ve installed the hook and eye closures in the front — I always expect to fix like, half of them once I try it on, but I only have one eye that needs readjusted, the rest were fine! Whoohoo.
Last night I got the sleeve flounces attached which was a pain in the butt because the openings are so small and trying to wrestle that giant heavy dress into the sewing machine is really hard at this point. I had to hand-sew the upper trim on — and I got bored after one sleeve so I only got that part done on one.
I’ll do the other one tonight.
I discovered that I need to go back and fix an issue on the upper back – thankfully I don’t think it’s going to be a lot of work, I just need to remove the shoulder pieces, put in a new velvet piece and reattach. Should take 20 minutes. Knock on wood.
I wanted to get started on my trim because it’s mindless work that goes fast, so I started doing that. I almooooooost got it all made for the dress (still have some to make for the underskirt)
I had wanted to do a box pleat (it’s what I did on my test pieces) but this particular fabric is just so flippy it was hard to even pin them down. I probably could have figured it out with a little more patience but patience is running thin around here so I just knife pleated the whole thing and stitched it down the middle. The edges still flip up similar to my test piece so it’s all the same. Tonight I’ve got to cut out the small trim pieces – or rather, Chase is going to do it for me because they have to be cut with the pinking shears and they hurt my hands. But those parts should go fast since they’re just gathered instead of pleated.
I’m hoping to have all the dress trim done tonight… then get it attached tomorrow night. I’m really hoping the bulk of the work on the actual dress can be finished by this weekend. I still need to figure out the bustles and do a little hand-stitching on the back pleats, get the roses attached, and see if I want to do the belt/waist wrap and the kerchief? Waiting to see how that plays out. I do want to make a little necklace, and some hair ornaments.
The most work left is on the underskirt. Waiting on my fabric to get here. I ordered it early Monday morning which was well within their “ship same day” time lines but they didn’t ship it til yesterday so I’m vaguely annoyed by that. Once it gets here I have to dye it, then pleat it and get it attached to the bottom hem. Then I’m doing another ruffle to go around that seamline.
If I can get in some really good, solid work without interruptions (AKA me deciding a nap is the thing to do) I think I can get a LOT done this weekend … and then it’s just wig work and finishing touches on everything else.
(Also, looking back over this post after I published it — OMG that weak yellow light in my office makes this colour of this dress look so nasty. It’s why I’ve called it pepto-bismal in the past. It looks so much better when I turn my more blue-toned light on the corner, or if I take the time to colour correct it. Can’t wait to wear this and get some decent pics.)