Cotton Anglaise is in the final stages!

Much thanks again to Cassidy for her excellent help fitting the caraco pattern and lacing me into my new stays so we could do the final tweaks for the cotton Anglaise and letting me love on her dog.

I didn't accomplish quite as much as I'd hoped today, but the socializing more than made up for it. And the puppy. Did I mention there was a puppy??

It's SO POOFY. Plus this is the new petticoat I made last night. I think I might round that corner a bit though just for aesthetics. And then I can rightly call it polonaise, right?

After this picture, I knocked down the neckline at the center back by about half an inch.

I did mention the puppy, right??? And that tan stuff sticking out of the neckline is the unfinished binding on my stays, so don't judge.

We had some great conversations too, but the biggest one that sticks in my mind is the one about what garment "caraco" actually denotes and whether Janet Arnold was *gasp* wrong. So expect some discussion on that on either her blog or mine but someone needs to write about it because it was super interesting and Cassidy is insanely smart about this fashion history thing, and here I am going "I sew stuff." But between the two of us, we determined we should be ruling the world. 

Everyone would be better dressed.

Photo post!

First, the obligatory post for the Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge

The Challenge: #3 Under It All

Fabric: Pre-quilted silk dupioni, muslin

Pattern: None, but thanks to Koshka the Cat's helpful tutorial on leveling a petticoat and Demode Couture's referral to Patterns of Fashion for the yoke!

Year: 18th century

Notions: Cotton twill tape for ties

How historically accurate is it? Machine quilted, with polyester batting and the backing is probably also poly, plus the yoke should be the same silk but I was SO not about to unpick enough of it to use for that. 

Hours to complete: 5-6 (I started it this afternoon but was working on other things in between)

First worn: Will be worn to Empire State Costumers costumed tea 2/24, possibly with a caraco if I get really motivated

Total cost: $25

Next, what I spent the rest of my weekend doing:

The fabric is a cotton print my parents brought me from Colonial Williamsburg. Please forgive the weird positioning of the arms, the dress form's shoulders are much too wide for the dress. But another couple hours  of hand work and it'll be totally done.

Not bad for a weekend's work.

Printed Cotton Robe a l'Anglaise

I mostly finished the Anglaise today, but discovered that with pocket hoops under it, it's too wide to successfully photograph in a mirror. Since no one was around to help me photograph, and the shoulders of my 18th century stuff don't fit my dress form, photographs will have to wait.

Things I learned today:

When you take the ease out of a sleeve head, add length back into the bottom. My nice cupped-elbow sleeves definitely hit right above the elbow. Fortunately sleeve ruffles will hide a lot of that.

Flat lining is SO MUCH FASTER AND EASIER than bag lining. Flat lining is where you treat your lining and your outer fabric like one piece when you sew the seams, instead of sewing the seams in the outer fabric, then sewing the seams in the lining, then sewing them together. Even with the extra basting, it was much faster than the last time I made this pattern.

Waist ties on petticoats are irresistible to Siamese cats that think the inside of your new foofy skirt is a good place to hide. While you're wearing it. That was awkward.

Shorten the waist on the back of the pattern next time. The front waist is perfect for 1780, just above natural, but the back is just a touch too long and bunches up weird at my lower back. A bone should fix that though.

When you make the same pattern twice, and both times you think "gosh this neckline is too low," for the love of all that is holy, the next time you make the pattern, RAISE THE NECKLINE. I cut it again then remembered that, and then it was too late. I think I'm going to print this post and stick it in the bag with the pattern.

Pay attention to the print of your fabric when cutting your front pieces. It looks a little weird because I was trying to save fabric to have enough to make a petticoat, and the motifs totally don't line up. I sort of think that's the kind of thing no one cares about but me, though.

When stitching en forreau back pleats, a spaced stab stitch is faster and distorts the fabric less than a longer running stitch or back stitch.. I did the whole back in one episode of Arrow (yes, I time my hand sewing by TV shows).

So tomorrow, I need to put ties in the skirt to draw it up, face the neckline, and put closures on the center front, tack up a hem and I'm DONE. I'm going to hold off on trim until I get a petticoat made and the stays finished for the Historical Sew Fortnightly, because honestly, if I never get to the trim, it's still a pretty dress. It's looking more and more like Other Half is going to attend the Francaise dinner as well, and if this is indeed the case, I'm going to have to produce passable 18th century menswear in the space of 2 weeks. Thus, my goal is to have ALL of my stuff done this weekend. just in case.