This Week in Fabric

After spending a day recovering from the awesomeness that is Oonaballoona (more like telling anyone who would listen about how much fun I had with her), I finally got to work on 1) documenting the fabric I bought, and 2) working on that kirtle that I thought I had so much time for.

Beautifully embroidered chiffons, and an almost matching piece of rose-colored satin. I still have black chiffon left over from my GoF dress, so I'm thinking a black and pink evening gown. The cream colored piece will be perfect for an afternoon tea gown.

 1) I came home with a good 20 yards of beautiful fabric, enough to make that Downton Abbey-esque evening gown and that Edwardian tea gown that I have so many places to wear to. Did that sentence make sense? Right, I need to stop making costumes that I can't wear on a regular basis. I promise, just as soon as I finish up the aforementioned two gowns and my chintz 18th century gown.

I also got a bag of trims that will be perfect for embellishing this imaginary evening gown. Of course Walnut had to investigate these new trims. Doesn't that brown beaded stuff make him look so distinguished? Actually, he looks more round than anything else.

Better picture of the trims. The whole bag was $5!

I also got some jersey for making maxi dresses for the summer, as well as a red and blue stripey woven shirting fabric that will be perfect for yet another nautical look. I think I could do a Me-Made-Nautical week.  *Crosses fingers that SF will have some warm days this summer* 

Fuschia and white knit with a huge lily motif (I know, this is a terrible picture), teal jersey, nautical striped woven.

Purple/blue/turquoise/indigo/black/white/gray rayon, a navy striped knit, and a hunk of real fur. Still attached to a very living cat.

As Oona mentioned, all of this at the astounding rate of $1/yard!

My new kirtle, hastily arranged on Cecily, who is a good half foot shorter than me, hence the green IKEA stool legs sticking out.

Laced with anachronistic braided embroidery floss.

2) My kirtle is done! It took a while just to figure out how I wanted to put it together, and the resultant garment isn't anywhere near as historically accurate as I wanted it to be, but hey, when you're on a time and fabric crunch, you've got to pick your battles, right? I decided not to pick the fabric choice, bodice pattern, or construction battles, and went for the hand-sewed eyelets battle. I've fought that battle before and know how to fight it well. I also went for the spiral lacing battle, and I think it worked out better than the first time I fought that battle, seeing as how this time I didn't make a random extra eyelet.

As you can see in the first set of pictures, I also thrifted a nice straw hat and made a little caul for my hair. And to top it all off, I even made myself a little leather pouch for my 21st century items (iPhone, ID, credit cards, lipgloss, etc.), using yet another scrap from the leather grandma pants. Seriously, those are the pants that never stop giving, as I still have a whole calf and several pocket scraps left. I guess in that way it's very grandmotherly, since grandmas are supposed to always be giving out cookies and milk and hand-knitted sweaters? Anyway, it's very non-historically accurate, this pouch, being bound with embroidery floss and fastening with the most vaguely medieval-ish metal button I had and an elastic hairband. Even better, the inside is lined with poly-cotton. I also put two straps on the back so that I can thread it onto my belt.

I'm going to try to make my husband take pictures of my wearing everything later. We'll see if it happens. Still left to do: hem my petticoat and figure out the shoe situation. I am so excited about tomorrow though!