We're getting a new kitty in a day or so, and I had a thought: what if he doesn't want to sleep on the human bed?
Better make a comfy alternative, stat!

So I got a cardboard box, a pillow, some fabric, a piece of soft faux fur, and my trusty spray glue. Then cat bed was born.



I hope he likes it! I'll see if I can post pictures later of his reactions

I've been working at one of those museums where it's a village and the staff dress up in period costume and it's been so much fun!!

This is the first dress I made, from a pattern from 1923. I actually made it more 'busy' than the pattern suggested - there were options for a dress with ONE of the following: short sleeves, long sleeves, collar, or belt. I decided to go crazy and do short sleeves with a collar and a belt (gasp!). I also used a striped fabric, angled on the bias on the lower sides.

Pictures!

front
(this is the staff member (interpreter) who wore it yesterday)


back


thanks for looking

'tis the season for making lots of stuff!
Also, I think I'm addicted to my serger's flatlock function <3

This dress was an example of one of my many failures in math. I meant for the skirt to be a circle, but somehow when I unfolded it, the waist hole was about twice as large as my actual waist. Also, I had to patch a couple extra pieces on to make the thing symmetrical, and did so visibly with the flatlock.

So instead of letting the math win, I decided to fold it. And surprise, I really like how it turned out:



as close as I could get to a pic of the back:


closeup of the skirt:


Pretty good for fabric that I got for $1/metre.
Now to find somewhere to wear it!

What do you make out of soft book fabric for Beatrix Potter's 'The Tale of Tom Kitten'?

You make a top, of course!



I couldn't bring myself to cut through any of the panels, but I really wanted to wear this amazing fabric as clothing. So I didn't cut the panels, as you can see:


and made a tied shirt-top-thing

I wasn't sure if I'd gone too far into crazy town, but I think it mostly works, in a unique sort of way I guess



Thanks for looking
Comments, opinions?

[Bone? As in whale bone?]

Oh Noes! Boning! Aaaaaahh!
Does this sound like you or someone you know? It used to sound like me, but not any more.
So don't hide under that table - boning isn't hard at all! You can do it!

 Bone? As in whale bone?
Originally the 'bones' in corsets were whale teeth. Today, you don't need to borrow any teeth at all. There are several kinds of imitation teeth available, in lots of different widths:

Steel boning:
These come in different stiffnesses. They usually have quite a bit of bendability, but still offer good support and shape to a garment. They come in pre-cut sizes with coated tips.


Spiral steel boning:
Made of, you guessed it, spirals of steel, these bones bend both ways.




Plastic boning:
These are usually pre-encased in some kind of cotton or polyester cover. You can leave them in and sew directly onto the fabric case, or you can take them out and use a stronger casing. 


Rigilene boning:
This is the lightest boning available, mostly used for shaping rather than support.
It's also the only kind of boning that you can sew on directly.


Wire boning:
If you're feeling particularly thrifty, you can go down to the local hardware store and pick up some metal wire. If you use this, remember to put it in a pillow case or something like that when you cut it, so shards don't fly into your face. Also, you'll need to finish the tip either by melting it or coating it in plastic or rubber.
And remember: since it's not flat, it won't blend in to the garment as well. It's best used for something like a corset where you don't mind highlighting the boning.


 How does it go on?
Unless you're using the pre-made case on plastic boning or sewing through rigilene, you'll need some fabric to use as a case to hold the boning on to your garment.
My personal favorite is double fold bias tape:
It comes pre-folded in a strip that forms a neat, strong non-raw edged strip. You can also make your own.



You can apply the casing in different ways:

directly on to lining fabric, boning on the inside of the lining


directly on to lining fabric, boning on the outside of lining


onto the seam allowance of a seam



 How do I apply the casing?

1) Decide where you want the boning to go, measure the length of where it will lie. This should be about half an inch longer than the bone you are using.

2) Cut a length of bias tape (or whatever you're using for casing) to your measurement from step 1, plus one inch.
 
3) Fold down half an inch at each end of the casing and press. This will enclose the raw edges at each end.


4) Pin the casing to your fabric.

5) Leaving enough space for the boning in the casing:
a) Sewing directly on fabric: Sew down one side of the casing, along the bottom, and back up the other side.
b) Sewing on seam allowance: Fold the fabric away from the seam, leaving one side of the seam allowance. Sew along this side. Repeat on the other side. Hand sew the bottom to the seam allowance, leaving the outer side of the garment alone.


6) Insert bone

7) Sew along the top of the case.

That's it!

I hope the fabulous paint illustrations were helpful. Let me know if anything's unclear

I made the thing itself a while ago; this one is from reproduction patterns, and it was the first historical costume I made. I just recently added the rosettes and ruffles, and I also recently got pictures - so here they are!

This is the costume I made last semester, for my costume construction course:



It's a (half scale) 1540's gown made from silk brocade, with a kirtle underneath.

side:


underneath, the kirtle:


I loved making it especially the fancy details. Although there are some period inaccuracies, namely the curved bust (clearly I couldn't hammer the half scale form's chest) and the gown's skirts don't meet all the way in the front. Also, only the sleeves are lined in velvet, the rest is some kind of cheap polyester stuff 
I also took a shortcut on hems, and bound them in bias tape. But other than a few other things, yay dress!!