tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4798809607488879642024-03-16T02:54:18.556-07:00Cation DesignsMy attempt to document my haphazard projectsCation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.comBlogger521125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-21020361370820182072021-03-30T11:39:00.001-07:002021-03-30T21:17:49.578-07:00Eowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan<p>If there were awards for "The Movie (Series) That Spawned the Most Cosplayers/Costumers," I'm pretty sure that Peter Jackson's <i>Lord of the Rings</i> trilogy would be a strong contender. Goodness knows, it was instrumental in getting me started on my own costume-making journey! I remember when we first heard that FotR was coming out, I made "elven" capes for my best friend and another friend to wear to the movie. Because I was a poor college student who had no idea what I was doing, I bought a couple yards each of two different colors of the wispiest acetate lining fabric, then sewed two half-circle capes with unfinished, fraying seams, the rippliest, most uneven hem in the world, and I was so proud. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LGixL2hNJEI/YGOZsOCqd1I/AAAAAAAAM-M/Zxs__oiJf1ogQHvcENlCh4w3NnBR4WhowCNcBGAsYHQ/s800/looking%2Belven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LGixL2hNJEI/YGOZsOCqd1I/AAAAAAAAM-M/Zxs__oiJf1ogQHvcENlCh4w3NnBR4WhowCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/looking%2Belven.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But these capes made it to NZ, to the actual filming location <br />of the Nazgul riding past the hobbits hiding under tree roots!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>In the years since then, I've made myself a number of Middle Earth-related costumes: a <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/02/shieldmaiden-ing-it-up.html" target="_blank">green Eowyn dress</a> (from sheets), <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-hobbit-maid-costume.html" target="_blank">a hobbit maiden</a> (from sheets), <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-lotr-symphony-costume-extravaganza.html" target="_blank">a Galadriel dress</a> (not from sheets), <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-lotr-symphony-costume-extravaganza.html" target="_blank">an Eye of Sauron/Barad-dur headdress</a> (from a balloon), <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/12/all-kneel-before-party-king-thranduil.html" target="_blank">a Party King Thranduil costume</a> (that Lee Pace then tweeted!), <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/12/one-last-time.html" target="_blank">a Smaug fancy dress outfit</a>, and a Denethor + Pippin look with my daughter, and that's not even counting all the <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-geekiest-baby-my-little-hobbit.html" target="_blank">costumes for other people</a> or <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/search/label/LOTR" target="_blank">Middle Earth crafts</a> I've done. But the unifying theme for all of these costumes was a lack of screen-accuracy. Don't get me wrong, most of them were certainly recognizable as their characters (except maybe Smaug), but my <i>modus operandi</i> is very suited to community theater costuming: get the idea across as cheaply as possible, and assume that the audience will be standing several feet back. Also, using recycled/thrifted/secondhand materials means that finding screen accurate fabrics is nigh impossible. </p><p>But since this is <a href="https://www.polygon.com/lord-of-the-rings" target="_blank">the Year of the Ring</a>, I wanted to make one of my dream cosplays, Eowyn's camp dress, as close to screen-accurate as possible, while still keeping to my not-new-fabrics pledge as much as I reasonably could. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/39/5f/98/395f980dd7039194b5942002341bb082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="346" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/39/5f/98/395f980dd7039194b5942002341bb082.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://costumersguide.com/shieldmaiden.shtml" target="_blank">the invaluable Costumer's Guide</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I started with the inner layer, her cream-colored "chemise." I reused the bodice of a toile I made for my pirate coat as my base, since the unbleached muslin worked color-wise. For the neckline that would show above the brown bodice, I used a cream-colored jacquard with swirls that I had leftover from a millinery class. I then treated that fashion fabric layer like a facing but flipped it to the outside instead of the inside, effectively finishing the neckline edge, then zigzagged the raw edge down since it won't be visible. Rather than sewing the tiny tuck lines, I opted to keep things simple and just sewed parallel lines in gold thread. I think it works fine visually while saving myself the annoyance of trying to actually make such tiny tucks and keep them even.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QDgyuFWnJVk/YGOi4CSCnTI/AAAAAAAAM-U/jGhaIsQTpRIYAoJTdQlZ_gezj0K4COeOQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1949/IMG_0663.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1949" data-original-width="1159" height="712" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QDgyuFWnJVk/YGOi4CSCnTI/AAAAAAAAM-U/jGhaIsQTpRIYAoJTdQlZ_gezj0K4COeOQCNcBGAsYHQ/w475-h712/IMG_0663.JPEG" width="475" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It fits better on me than Cecily.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-258uiAC4wPM/YGOi4VSsxlI/AAAAAAAAM-Y/etR4bshsFhcuRHHgtv_4SUTYOUhwHKQxwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0664.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-258uiAC4wPM/YGOi4VSsxlI/AAAAAAAAM-Y/etR4bshsFhcuRHHgtv_4SUTYOUhwHKQxwCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_0664.JPEG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How many shortcuts can you spot in this picture? ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p>The sleeves were essentially really long bell sleeves with a slit cut up the center to the elbow (see <a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/57/59/f1/5759f10a3806623256a14d9ac7828315.jpg" target="_blank">this diagram</a>, except my slit went up higher and the overall triangle shape had a wider base) that I narrow hemmed by machine. I made them out of cream-colored crinkle cotton that I inherited from a friend's stash. For the braided ties, I ended up purchasing new trim from Jo-Ann Fabrics, but they only had bright white so I had to coffee-dye them. I accidentally left them in the coffee too long, so they're darker than I would like, but oh well. The cream-colored underskirt is a half-circle skirt made from, surprise surprise, a thrifted cream-colored sheet. The opening for this whole underlayer closes with hooks and thread loops down the front. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DXh05Q1EZG0/YGOi4Y6bmVI/AAAAAAAAM-c/cqPgMt3zhuUoNKGysTn6BTMkCUePY1OXwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0666.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DXh05Q1EZG0/YGOi4Y6bmVI/AAAAAAAAM-c/cqPgMt3zhuUoNKGysTn6BTMkCUePY1OXwCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_0666.JPEG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here you can see how dark the braid turned out, as well as how nicely lettucey the crinkle cotton hem is. </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>For Eowyn's brown bodice and corselet, I used a thrifted dark brown cotton sateen sheet from my stash (basically if I'm at the thrift store getting kids' clothes and I see a solid colored cotton sateen sheet in good condition, I'll buy it for costuming purposes) as the fashion fabric. The bodice from <a href="https://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/4459" target="_blank">Simplicity 4940</a> (now sadly OOP) was a good starting point, although I had to draft my own cap sleeves. For the bodice neckline and corselet trim, I toyed with the idea of custom embroidery, but ended up going the easier route of machine-sewing a line of decorative stitching and then hand-sewing gold braid to dark brown bias tape, which I then used to finish the edges of said garments. The cap sleeves had the same decorative machine stitch + gold braid combo and were self-lined, then the armhole was finished with bias tape. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DEq4qEQjoKw/YGOjv3VkoXI/AAAAAAAAM-o/k-pnwn8N7CQwLLjk7dzVDf09Dic2cmn3QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1659/IMG_0668.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1659" data-original-width="1436" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DEq4qEQjoKw/YGOjv3VkoXI/AAAAAAAAM-o/k-pnwn8N7CQwLLjk7dzVDf09Dic2cmn3QCNcBGAsYHQ/w554-h640/IMG_0668.JPEG" width="554" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark brown bodice, made with Simplicity 4940. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E55TMpSLwjw/YGOjwLMvVtI/AAAAAAAAM-s/OZsHsPD_O50CI87WNIi1vy5hnYn39RHWACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0669.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E55TMpSLwjw/YGOjwLMvVtI/AAAAAAAAM-s/OZsHsPD_O50CI87WNIi1vy5hnYn39RHWACNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_0669.JPEG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the trim. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4RCs0XJ516I/YGOjxV84BGI/AAAAAAAAM-w/9QUoFHe5zWAffdGfveSCaAw9fwIxy2N0QCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0667.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4RCs0XJ516I/YGOjxV84BGI/AAAAAAAAM-w/9QUoFHe5zWAffdGfveSCaAw9fwIxy2N0QCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_0667.JPEG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside: I lined it with more sheeting and used black bias tape to finish the armhole. <br />You can also see my hand stitches at the neckline securing the braid. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>The corselet was drafted according to <a href="http://www.koshka-the-cat.com/shieldmaiden_corset.html" target="_blank">the instructions on Koshkathecat</a>'s absolutely invaluable costuming page; I first used those instructions for my Bellatrix corselet and mentally bookmarked it for the day when I would actually make Eowyn, and now I have! I cut one layer from cotton canvas and boned it with zip ties, then cut two more layers: from the dark brown sateen, and from quilt batting remnants. I quilted these last two layers together to get the distinctive diamond pattern, then basted all of it together and finished it with the trim pieces. I was so glad to have borrowed a tabletop grommeter from AJ of <a href="http://confusedkittysewing.com/" target="_blank">Confused Kitty Sewing</a>, which made the whole last step so much easier than hammering everything in by hand! I did have to purchase brown rattail cord for the lacing as well. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvfcWsISlLM/YGOj_jrHHiI/AAAAAAAAM-4/AObuEBkop6066dmgrGRlxvEJZJtfmBhwQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0675.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvfcWsISlLM/YGOj_jrHHiI/AAAAAAAAM-4/AObuEBkop6066dmgrGRlxvEJZJtfmBhwQCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_0675.JPEG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm so pleased with how the quilting came out! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYOrzKYoTaQ/YGOkBTjc_9I/AAAAAAAAM_E/gXz71BOhjJQoYi1girDO2otcCbsmH8R3QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1692/IMG_0671.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1692" data-original-width="1446" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYOrzKYoTaQ/YGOkBTjc_9I/AAAAAAAAM_E/gXz71BOhjJQoYi1girDO2otcCbsmH8R3QCNcBGAsYHQ/w546-h640/IMG_0671.JPEG" width="546" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secret secrets revealed to you: I had to add a little bias tape patch at the top of the back opening so as to wedge in a tiny piece of (ziptie) boning since my original piece wasn't long enough, and I'd already sewed on all the trim. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3fG5RqRVCbs/YGOkOZHQXFI/AAAAAAAAM_I/amnm4ASe9aoy8obXsgqk9KH9WaBVzn2lwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2028/IMG_0674.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2028" data-original-width="1095" height="769" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3fG5RqRVCbs/YGOkOZHQXFI/AAAAAAAAM_I/amnm4ASe9aoy8obXsgqk9KH9WaBVzn2lwCNcBGAsYHQ/w416-h769/IMG_0674.JPEG" width="416" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the pieces together!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The (slightly lighter) brown outer skirt was again made from a thrifted sheet, in a half-circle using my TNT pattern, Simplicity 5006. Seriously, I use that skirt pattern for EVERYTHING, from Mulan to Ursula to Weaver Girl to theater costumes. Then it was just a matter of scouting an appropriate location; Coyote Hills Regional Park, with its eponymous hills and giant mounds of rocks, was absolutely perfect. My photographer, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/captured.by.shirelle/">@captured.by.shirelle</a>, did an absolutely fantastic job of capturing the whole mood and look of Eowyn, White Lady of Rohan, "fairest lady of a house of queens...standing straight and proud, shapely as a lily...as if wrought by elf-wrights out of steel."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrDsw1vwNGg/YGPPoFPzW6I/AAAAAAAAM_o/HuTz62W_n20VyVY83TT8nsa7OPy6VPC8wCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrDsw1vwNGg/YGPPoFPzW6I/AAAAAAAAM_o/HuTz62W_n20VyVY83TT8nsa7OPy6VPC8wCNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_1893.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCaAw-9l4iE/YGPyziH59WI/AAAAAAAANAQ/qstn2aLUZ5Q5LPPt94JhKu67711TVF2LACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCaAw-9l4iE/YGPyziH59WI/AAAAAAAANAQ/qstn2aLUZ5Q5LPPt94JhKu67711TVF2LACNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_1611.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BYKmSG4luvY/YGPzJE7lGpI/AAAAAAAANAY/YuCV8fpdnl8id-Y8w6zM4vMNedNjAGt6wCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BYKmSG4luvY/YGPzJE7lGpI/AAAAAAAANAY/YuCV8fpdnl8id-Y8w6zM4vMNedNjAGt6wCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/IMG_1695.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><u>Summary</u> </p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</i> Simplicity 4940 for the outer bodice, Simplicity 5006 for the skirts, self-drafted for the sleeves, chemise bodice, and corselet</p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Fabric:</i> Two twin-sized cotton sateen sheets for the skirts, half of another one for the outer bodice and corselet. Also 2 yards of 60" crinkle cotton for the sleeves, and half a yard of muslin for the chemise bodice, remnants of rayon jacquard for the neckline of the chemise, and remnants of cotton quilt batting for the corselet.</p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions: </i> Seven yards of gold braid, four yards of white braid, five yards of brown rattail, three packs of dark brown bias tape, a handful of brass grommets, a separating zipper, and several hooks.</p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Techniques:</i> Uhh...self-quilted fabric using a walking foot? Does that count as a technique?</p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Hours</i>: Well, I started working on this last December, then took a break to finish up Weaver Girl, so all in all I'd say it was two months of my kind of work hours, which is to say an hour here or there after kids are asleep, if I don't have other work to do for school. There was also so much hand-sewing of trim that I did in five minute snatches while kids were playing-but-not-arguing-yet, so it's really hard to say. I want to say at least 35 hours based on rough estimates of how much time similar pieces took pre-kids. </p><p><b style="font-style: italic;">Total cost: </b>$65, but that includes $20 worth of gold pens for the flag, and then all the new trim I had to buy was pretty costly even with coupons. The main fabrics, though, cost less than $10. </p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Final thoughts:</i> I've always loved strong female warrior characters, from Mulan to Alanna of Trebond to Aerin Firehair, so it was pretty much a given that I was going to love Eowyn the first time I came across her. It's just a nice bonus that her costumes in the movie were brilliant. Eowyn is also extra meaningful to me because of where I was in life when I first read LOTR. Growing up, it was always drilled into me that going into STEM was the only acceptable career path, and my passion for art and making things was not something to be celebrated or pursued seriously. When I got to college, for the first time I was away from home and somewhat free to make my own choices; I switched from a biology major to an art major just as <i>The Two Towers</i> came out, and I was struck by her fear of being caged, her desire to make her own path, one that was different from what was expected of her, and ultimately her seizing the opportunity for glory in battle as Dernhelm. I saw her act of secret rebellion as akin my decision to choose my own major, but unlike Eowyn I did not kill a foul dwimmerlaik. Instead, I saw that a huge public research university was probably not the best place to get an art degree if I wanted to actually learn skills (and not just do weird avant-garde pieces), so I switched back to biology. I did, however, decide to be a science teacher instead of a researcher, which ultimately meant that I had the opportunity to get my theater costuming feet wet via high school drama productions. Later, once I became a more seasoned teacher and didn't have to spend every waking hour thinking about lesson prep or grading, I was able to make time for actual sewing, drafting, and costuming classes at a local community college. In a not dissimilar arc, Eowyn was able to make peace with her role and place in society and chose to be a healer. Both of us found a compromise in our lives that eventually brought peace and joy, not a feeling of being caged. All this to say, making and wearing this Eowyn costume was a dream come true, and a fitting conclusion(ish beginning to a new story). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwS6829TRx0/YGPxAjdQcWI/AAAAAAAAM_4/xYWOoOH8ZoYNy3DfM8nDnEa1w3QGZ1O-gCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwS6829TRx0/YGPxAjdQcWI/AAAAAAAAM_4/xYWOoOH8ZoYNy3DfM8nDnEa1w3QGZ1O-gCNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_1757.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZT-1DLDYlqE/YGPx-6emSxI/AAAAAAAANAA/cJrqizbS1ao58ZqaigE_ykdRKDJBwGXVQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZT-1DLDYlqE/YGPx-6emSxI/AAAAAAAANAA/cJrqizbS1ao58ZqaigE_ykdRKDJBwGXVQCNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_1784.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qv5EgaJdVN0/YGPyJzP_NtI/AAAAAAAANAE/J2Z4b5ZTsdsOlmcmCpo0D7XhL-xBZtebACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_2030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qv5EgaJdVN0/YGPyJzP_NtI/AAAAAAAANAE/J2Z4b5ZTsdsOlmcmCpo0D7XhL-xBZtebACNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_2030.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p>Oh! And the flag of Rohan! That was a ridiculous process of experimentation that I documented on my IG highlight, should you care to see all the wibbling I did about making it (and the rest of Eowyn). Tl;dr if you don't want to watch the story: I did an Elmer's glue resist in the outline of the Rohirric horse on a pillowcase, then painted it with watered down acrylic paint and used various gold paint pens to outline the horse. I used vintage bias tape to secure the flag to a spear (made from foam, duct tape, and a wooden dowel) leftover from a drama production. I hadn't even really planned to make it, but when I was planning for the photo shoot I realized that I didn't have a sword and I really need some kind of prop to hold or else I don't know what to do with my hands...I'm so glad it turned out as well as it did!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlerI2o5JXE/YGPuGOLOAAI/AAAAAAAAM_w/J3wNCkzlbHs_LuDkSKuWVxufz4ptKEq2ACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_2079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlerI2o5JXE/YGPuGOLOAAI/AAAAAAAAM_w/J3wNCkzlbHs_LuDkSKuWVxufz4ptKEq2ACNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_2079.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-81904249032005354152021-03-11T11:57:00.000-08:002021-03-11T11:57:25.933-08:00Foundations Revealed Contest 2021: The Photos<p>Competition entries are live! *begin hyperventilating* Now I can finally share the professional photos of the whole costume. I asked my friend Shirelle (@captured.by.shirelle on IG) to take pictures for me. She picked a regional park near us and I love what she was able to do with all the giant piles of rocks and trees! She perfectly captured the mood I was hoping for. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8vtHPO4yytA/YEpnu-2u2yI/AAAAAAAAM7M/YlDeJwrl3LYekSCr0UnzMFzqMrJnw3fPACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8vtHPO4yytA/YEpnu-2u2yI/AAAAAAAAM7M/YlDeJwrl3LYekSCr0UnzMFzqMrJnw3fPACNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_7842.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pw9pPHzyxU/YEpo7bOu-DI/AAAAAAAAM7U/OFTprfQ97UsYAr8mZvKRJbmMJ6yeAyUhwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1949/CindyChan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1949" data-original-width="1284" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pw9pPHzyxU/YEpo7bOu-DI/AAAAAAAAM7U/OFTprfQ97UsYAr8mZvKRJbmMJ6yeAyUhwCNcBGAsYHQ/w422-h640/CindyChan1.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2pzxAjSFM5s/YEpprXMEhFI/AAAAAAAAM7c/_UaRUPDoal0bWWB_J6yOq0bx5rK75i12wCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2pzxAjSFM5s/YEpprXMEhFI/AAAAAAAAM7c/_UaRUPDoal0bWWB_J6yOq0bx5rK75i12wCNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_7899.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p>In choosing the Weaver Girl as my literary inspiration I wanted to highlight a character who was non-Western, and also a mother. Being a mom is one of the hardest things I've ever done (and am still doing, obviously); my first year as a mom was incredibly lonely, but it got so much better once I was sleeping through the night and found my mom crew. It's always easier doing hard things with a community. To that end, I appreciated being able to work with Shirelle, another mom, for the shoot, and being able to support her photography business. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q4AdS2kFNUs/YEpp-K_98iI/AAAAAAAAM7k/VZjfVagFK80mktPSuscGh01V6SwVYPfQQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1737/CindyChan4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1737" data-original-width="1244" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q4AdS2kFNUs/YEpp-K_98iI/AAAAAAAAM7k/VZjfVagFK80mktPSuscGh01V6SwVYPfQQCNcBGAsYHQ/w458-h640/CindyChan4.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IQwpcI4DF4M/YEpqsxnLcsI/AAAAAAAAM7s/DIUdp0DjcVMfXzAjjbMHOw3QTTJeSamowCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IQwpcI4DF4M/YEpqsxnLcsI/AAAAAAAAM7s/DIUdp0DjcVMfXzAjjbMHOw3QTTJeSamowCNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_7960.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oBeNdwXgQ4Q/YEpq1wXFL7I/AAAAAAAAM7w/AbuRKg-d3ts7ISRsyN1f2ijD89Mhr2VowCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_8020b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oBeNdwXgQ4Q/YEpq1wXFL7I/AAAAAAAAM7w/AbuRKg-d3ts7ISRsyN1f2ijD89Mhr2VowCNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_8020b.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YBd1GkfQBN8/YEprDcyBYfI/AAAAAAAAM74/xpIC1UesZdIGdapu6Tn62f2qOoNcE2ktACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_8023b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YBd1GkfQBN8/YEprDcyBYfI/AAAAAAAAM74/xpIC1UesZdIGdapu6Tn62f2qOoNcE2ktACNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_8023b.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vu4A6QfLO2o/YEprQ2ATV4I/AAAAAAAAM8A/tXGvmuvTlSIAeH7FDKtGC-zW7sXaBZ4EgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_8026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vu4A6QfLO2o/YEprQ2ATV4I/AAAAAAAAM8A/tXGvmuvTlSIAeH7FDKtGC-zW7sXaBZ4EgCNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_8026.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1KdwE3kxS0/YEprcOvRfXI/AAAAAAAAM8I/mCLDHcVHLpYtcCzHaBlV2f0D9JA7DwRHwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7986b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1KdwE3kxS0/YEprcOvRfXI/AAAAAAAAM8I/mCLDHcVHLpYtcCzHaBlV2f0D9JA7DwRHwCNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_7986b.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I also wanted to bring in the writing talent of one of my best mom friends. She and I talk regularly about making time to be creative even when our days are overrun with dirty dishes, constant snack requests, and reading the same book over and over until we have all the words memorized and it's so nice to have someone to commiserate with. I commissioned her to write a new poem to go with my entry (which is based on a centuries-old poem by Qin Guan in the Song dynasty). </p><p>But here's a modern poetic take to go with my modern costume interpretation of the Weaver Girl. I hope you love her lovely, evocative words as much I do. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Rivers and Roads (The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl)</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">by Jeanine Terasaki</p><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I could spend my days cursing </i></div></i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The river of sky that </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ripped and roared between us </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>That sent us scattered across the ends of the heavens </i></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xYiHY0ekC64/YEpuY9vzE6I/AAAAAAAAM8Y/9JNJ7hSXZIEoeLk1vQgSAYP5SmD_UdONgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_8112b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xYiHY0ekC64/YEpuY9vzE6I/AAAAAAAAM8Y/9JNJ7hSXZIEoeLk1vQgSAYP5SmD_UdONgCNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_8112b.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I could spend my days </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Casting diamond tears across the great expanse </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hoping even one ripple might reach your hand </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Could anyone fault me </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Who would dare cast a stone) </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QE4PRoFRNXo/YEpu2yedwSI/AAAAAAAAM8g/dRVA19VH0HQY_IGhIS_Tk2Hz1IyG7zYLACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_8088b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QE4PRoFRNXo/YEpu2yedwSI/AAAAAAAAM8g/dRVA19VH0HQY_IGhIS_Tk2Hz1IyG7zYLACNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_8088b.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But, draped in our warm memories </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Spy me instead, my love </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Across the impossible divide </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Breathing deeply this absence of you </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lh-v-sYU0-c/YEpvUn4RcTI/AAAAAAAAM8o/5fUKRF2asQcN8fZ0-Vd7M6IAZxVBnOxDgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_8092b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lh-v-sYU0-c/YEpvUn4RcTI/AAAAAAAAM8o/5fUKRF2asQcN8fZ0-Vd7M6IAZxVBnOxDgCNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_8092b.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Soft hands collecting stardust shimmer </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Piecing together bits of moonshine as I go </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Finding every small way to catch the light </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>To bid the magpies come </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And bring you home to me once more</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yvnN2krUHrE/YEpv5MnGCmI/AAAAAAAAM8w/QJWoIU5-cSsYUMGG1c5JaBakpKLEFTH2wCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_8104b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1405" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yvnN2krUHrE/YEpv5MnGCmI/AAAAAAAAM8w/QJWoIU5-cSsYUMGG1c5JaBakpKLEFTH2wCNcBGAsYHQ/w440-h640/IMG_8104b.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSRdJ6AQGbs/YEpwV7hmSBI/AAAAAAAAM84/MRcUBUNDuaM1sC8__u1KP1AxDz5cbJ3xwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_8108b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSRdJ6AQGbs/YEpwV7hmSBI/AAAAAAAAM84/MRcUBUNDuaM1sC8__u1KP1AxDz5cbJ3xwCNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_8108b.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks for following along on this journey with me! You can see <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2021/02/foundations-revealed-contest-2021.html" target="_blank">Part 1: The Inspiration</a>, and <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2021/02/foundation-revealed-contest-2021-process.html" rel="nofollow">Part 2: The Process</a> here on the blog if you missed it, and you can <a href="https://members.foundationsrevealed.com/entries/" target="_blank">see all the entries for the Foundations Revealed 2021 Competition on their website</a> (I'm on the last page of the intermediate entries). If you're a paying member, maybe you'll be inclined to vote for <a href="https://members.foundationsrevealed.com/competitions/the-weaver-girl/" target="_blank">my entry</a>? :D</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xvb-WEw3Pxg/YEpyxpDItqI/AAAAAAAAM9A/1O3MvoKot0otN2c_a5nqVa20zjVhw2lEACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_8166b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xvb-WEw3Pxg/YEpyxpDItqI/AAAAAAAAM9A/1O3MvoKot0otN2c_a5nqVa20zjVhw2lEACNcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/IMG_8166b.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><i><br /></i></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-71502654380653599052021-02-02T14:55:00.003-08:002021-03-17T14:02:04.274-07:00Foundations Revealed Contest 2021: The Process<p><i>Read part 1 of this series <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2021/02/foundations-revealed-contest-2021.html" target="_blank">here</a> to learn more about my inspiration for this costume.</i></p><p>I was constrained by the 250-word max allowed on the FR competition entry form in how much I could say about my process, but here's what I submitted: "With my limited color palette, I wanted to use different fabric textures to bring some visual depth to the costume. I also wanted to use repurposed fabrics where possible, both for sustainability and because it shouldn't cost a fortune in fancy fabrics to make a beautiful outfit. The corset is made from fabrics leftover from theater costuming jobs, and the underskirt is made from an old net curtain and a bedsheet. The bolero fabric is a thrifted velvet tablecloth, and the cape's feathers cut from the skirt and corset fabric scraps. Many of the beads and chains are from deconstructed jewelry from my coworkers' destashes, and the hairpieces made by heatforming old plastic milk jugs. The biggest challenge was fitting my corset, since I had originally patterned it when I was still breastfeeding; I ended up trying to pad out the bust to accommodate my body changes. This is only the second overbust corset I've made, so I was trying to figure out the best method of construction with the help of internet tutorials. I knew I wanted to hide the messy underside of the beading, so I ended up making a boned "lining" layer under the beaded fashion fabric. My favorite parts are the beaded bird appliques, done on silk organza; I experimented with many different types of bead, ribbon, and fabric layouts to get a recognizable magpie look. Because of all the individually hand-stitched beads and feathers, time and hand-health management were an important consideration." </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y5h0oZDt6r8/YBjCEKqFzyI/AAAAAAAAM3o/eRFT3uPGs0IjzLPnU6w-EE9WmJA7rJq-wCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/9980E665-DED7-487C-97E6-9CE067E6721B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y5h0oZDt6r8/YBjCEKqFzyI/AAAAAAAAM3o/eRFT3uPGs0IjzLPnU6w-EE9WmJA7rJq-wCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/9980E665-DED7-487C-97E6-9CE067E6721B.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a visual to go along with my blurb! This was just a quick snap of the back and front views when I was trying to explain to my photographer friend what we were working with when trying to pick a shoot location. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I'm mostly satisfied with my summary, but for a more detailed account, let's rewind (imagine the cast of Hamilton singing "rewind...rewind!")...</p><p>I knew magpies would be a focal point on my piece, and I had just treated myself to the Game of Thrones costuming book, which featured gorgeous pictures of Michelle Carragher's beading and embroidery, so I decided to make beaded magpie appliques. Of course, I don't actually know anything about proper beading, so I just stretched some black silk organza over an embroidery hoop and started sewing. I used embroidery thread, ribbon, and random beads from my stash and just sort of kept going and hoping it would turn out well. My first bird was definitely a #birb in its delightful mishmash of materials and styles, but I think as a whole it gives the right impression. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lFJbHS8bsYI/YBjM0GXuZDI/AAAAAAAAM4A/1UuQqqh3BiQY8Yw-OjO_iezEpIufIxMuwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_6834.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1535" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lFJbHS8bsYI/YBjM0GXuZDI/AAAAAAAAM4A/1UuQqqh3BiQY8Yw-OjO_iezEpIufIxMuwCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6834.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can tell I was just sort of trying whatever for each of the wing feathers. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>On the second magpie, I had a better idea of what I was doing and actually planned where to put each kind of bead (I also went out and purchased some more coordinated black/white/silver/iridescent beads from a local mom-and-pop bead shop that I'm frankly shocked has still survived), resulting in a less haphazard-looking bird. I used Fabri-Tac glue all over the back to secure the threads, then cut out the silk organza so I could eventually sew each bird in place.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wFwNy7GZ5aM/YBjNLtZFGjI/AAAAAAAAM4I/Ltv8DRAWQoEC-bpdOvVi09bgQneg9jmrQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1300/4E737625-B90F-41A0-AEB3-8D33AE0D3826.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1249" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wFwNy7GZ5aM/YBjNLtZFGjI/AAAAAAAAM4I/Ltv8DRAWQoEC-bpdOvVi09bgQneg9jmrQCNcBGAsYHQ/w614-h640/4E737625-B90F-41A0-AEB3-8D33AE0D3826.jpg" width="614" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much more stylistically cohesive! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Even though I had yet to finalize the embellishment design, I knew I wanted a black corset with alternating satin and velveteen panels, so I started working on that first. The satin is more of the lining from my <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2020/12/historybounding-to-thrill-my-high.html" target="_blank">Loki-bounding bolero</a>, and the velveteen is leftover from <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2016/07/costuming-actors-nightmare.html" target="_blank">the doublet I made for <i>The Actor's Nightmare</i></a>. I underlined all the pieces with flannel from an inherited destash to provide a bit more body and cushioning for the beading to come. I then made the boned "strength" layer from two layers of muslin; I justify not using something heftier like coutil by reasoning that this corset doesn't actually provide any reduction, so it's more of a boned bodice than a true corset. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bZsvcRJuKnc/YBjQ0SipC4I/AAAAAAAAM4U/sX_2sz35lR8n0cZrcJ2CZKNeO9OaUctTwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_6939.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bZsvcRJuKnc/YBjQ0SipC4I/AAAAAAAAM4U/sX_2sz35lR8n0cZrcJ2CZKNeO9OaUctTwCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_6939.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outer layer: poly satin and cotton velveteen panels. I had to hand baste each panel to the flannel underlining, then hand baste the panels together because of the the shiftiness of slippery satin against napped velveteen.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jrfKn23pN4/YBjQ4iTFncI/AAAAAAAAM4Y/m-fwEbFys7oV_T2B2C_Zk0UIBNhEV_gtACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_6937.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jrfKn23pN4/YBjQ4iTFncI/AAAAAAAAM4Y/m-fwEbFys7oV_T2B2C_Zk0UIBNhEV_gtACNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6937.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After sewing all the panels together, I then catchstitched all the seam allowances down. Also by hand. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J-lo41Wmbcc/YBjQ4xuGfZI/AAAAAAAAM4c/pztxEb18UngqqB46mXD18aR5jSgQJTqBACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_6945.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J-lo41Wmbcc/YBjQ4xuGfZI/AAAAAAAAM4c/pztxEb18UngqqB46mXD18aR5jSgQJTqBACNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6945.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started throwing fabrics onto Cecily and pinning on ideas for embellishment. At this point I was still thinking about feathers in different fabrics, but I didn't like how it looked. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Once I decided on the Milky Way as my inspiration for the front of the corset, I was excited to just dive in after reading <a href="http://flofoxworthy.blogspot.com/2014/01/tutorial-embellishing-lace-corset.html" target="_blank">this tutorial</a>. Beading the outer layer was exceedingly relaxing and a nice way to cope with the ongoing pandemic and inability to see friends; I could get into a groove every night where all I had to do was listen to podcasts or watch Netflix/Costube and focus on selecting and placing the next "random" bead in order to get a casual "Oh, I just sprinkled some star dust over this old thing!" sort of look. I also added some layers of batting on the inside to pad out the bust a bit, since I originally finalized this pattern back when I was still breastfeeding and had not yet deflated. Then it was just a matter of basting the outer and inner layers together and then binding the top and bottom. Since I didn't know how much the circumference would change with the addition of all the layers and boning, I finished the back edge by folding in the edges and then topstitching after I held the bodice up to my body to figure out how much space I needed. Even so, I still misjudged because the finished corset laces almost closed, when I had been planning for a two-inch lacing gap. Setting in the grommets was made easy and painless with the help of AJ's tabletop grommet setter, reminding me once again how grateful I am for the help and generosity of my costuming community. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ck8NKebX3Eg/YBjSVzTwmhI/AAAAAAAAM4w/dsq4KunufRwkZgq6q8_JMD-IAiL7LBDBQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1090/99814298-70B8-401B-A278-99DBE7073787.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="744" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ck8NKebX3Eg/YBjSVzTwmhI/AAAAAAAAM4w/dsq4KunufRwkZgq6q8_JMD-IAiL7LBDBQCNcBGAsYHQ/w436-h640/99814298-70B8-401B-A278-99DBE7073787.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see all the stitching on the back from the beading, plus my little batting bust pads. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hAN6Fh1hvv8/YBjSYLomz_I/AAAAAAAAM40/aGrgehwOINkAkoQyHLTDnJEDoudpHodVwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7504.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hAN6Fh1hvv8/YBjSYLomz_I/AAAAAAAAM40/aGrgehwOINkAkoQyHLTDnJEDoudpHodVwCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_7504.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At this point, the magpies were only pinned on. I don't love all the wrinkles that are especially visible on the satin, but this is what comes from only learning about roll-pinning after finishing up this piece. *facepalm*</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>To make the feathered bottom edge, I toyed with the idea of sewing them directly to the corset, but ultimately decided that I wanted to be able to remove them if I wanted a slightly cleaner look when wearing this corset in the future. To that end, I sewed them to a bias strip, then hand-stitched a series of snaps to the strip and the inside of the corset. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FA1Sc66sp2Y/YBjtpnEvqFI/AAAAAAAAM5E/VBcWaA6iSXEnchFAf5Wk74hXtz6MqDQ_QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1863/IMG_0395.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1527" data-original-width="1863" height="524" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FA1Sc66sp2Y/YBjtpnEvqFI/AAAAAAAAM5E/VBcWaA6iSXEnchFAf5Wk74hXtz6MqDQ_QCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h524/IMG_0395.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could even theoretically attach this to something else in the future! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>For the skirt, I knew I wanted lots of layers, but also didn't want to buy lots of extra fabric. I took the elastic waistband off of a skirt I had made for the #postapocalypticantigone production, since I liked the look of the gauzy net curtain over the white sheet skirt, plus reuse is always a plus. It already featured a long train since it was supposed to be part of a wedding outfit, so to continue the lines I decided to layer this textured polyester fabric in a high-lo circle skirt over it. The resulting cascading waves of fabric pleased me greatly, and made for really dramatic photos. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aSRnoedDQtA/YBnVEWW0WVI/AAAAAAAAM58/S67Euu1KSTsxGW5TD60piPB2Yka5m9P4ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1187/Collage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="1187" height="362" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aSRnoedDQtA/YBnVEWW0WVI/AAAAAAAAM58/S67Euu1KSTsxGW5TD60piPB2Yka5m9P4ACNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h362/Collage.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poorly lit shots but you get the idea. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>To make the bolero/feather cloak, I wanted more black fabrics, but they had to be both complementary and different. I still had some pieces of this embossed velvet tablecloth (already used for this <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/06/historical-sew-fortnightly-pretty.html" target="_blank">justaucorps</a>, <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2016/05/hsm-1-procrastination.html" target="_blank">pair of breeches</a>, and <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2020/12/historybounding-to-thrill-my-high.html" target="_blank">collar</a>), and was just able to eke out two tiny fronts and backs and a collar. Just....don't look too closely at all the directions that the nap is going... For the cape and sleeves, I caved and purchased three yards of black netting so that I could keep a visual tie-in with the underskirt and also not totally obscure the back of the corset. I draped one yard across the back until I was happy with how it hung, and then cut two full sleeves roughly following <a href="https://issuu.com/angelicaajrj101998/docs/20160129150148401/86" target="_blank">this diagram</a>. Then it was several nights of cutting out, experimentally pinning, and hand-sewing individual fabric feathers until my hands were blistered and cramping. Worth it, though, for how cool the cape looks, like the feathers are just flowing off.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZH8BgesEgNo/YBjvvyxLd4I/AAAAAAAAM5Q/omMFKMcOMCUtpETRAAR3-EI0EcJCu2ePwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0293.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZH8BgesEgNo/YBjvvyxLd4I/AAAAAAAAM5Q/omMFKMcOMCUtpETRAAR3-EI0EcJCu2ePwCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_0293.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is also one of the only times I can think of where I was close to running out of pins, as I had to do so much fussing around with the feather layout. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Because of the sheer nature of the fabric, figuring out how to finish everything was a little tricky. I sewed the shoulder seams and side seams for both layers and attached the collar, leaving the armholes and bottom edges open. Then I basted the sleeves and netting to the lining of the bolero, folded in the seam allowances for both the lining and the velvet, and hand felled everything shut, going through the netting for each stitch. </p><p>At this point, I put all the pieces on Cecily for the first time in the whole process, and was horrified to see that with the corset underneath, the accidental asymmetry of my bolero (thanks for nothing, stretching of the bias edge) was very evident. That led to some panicked picking and resewing, then the horrified realization that I hadn't left enough seam allowance to fix it, and finally the idea to camouflage the worst of it by attaching more bling. Thankfully, I had just picked up a dark silver necklace from my school's "free pile," where people can leave items they're trying to get rid of in case other people want them. Usually it's just a bunch of tchotchkes and old magazines, but occasionally there's costume jewelry! I strategically deconstructed and reassembled the chain and beads to cover the wonky neck seam and front opening, and, like my Loki evening gown, this ended up being a happy accident since I love the finished look and don't think I would have arrived at this design otherwise. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1YDdvef5H4/YBj2iYUyuLI/AAAAAAAAM5s/SgyTWUIT-3kbV3FmunikF7kq9UZZhNWHQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1773/IMG_0398.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1773" data-original-width="1773" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1YDdvef5H4/YBj2iYUyuLI/AAAAAAAAM5s/SgyTWUIT-3kbV3FmunikF7kq9UZZhNWHQCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG_0398.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love how the dark silver chain and beads look against the embossed velvet. The front closes with a single hook and eye at the base of the collar. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I already talked a little bit about my milk jug hair accessories, but <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CKnbjk1l_Z5/" target="_blank">here's an IG reel showing</a> a bit of what the process of heating and shaping them looked like. The comb was vaguely inspired by the ATLA Fire Nation crown. The flowers are glued to an old chopstick (painted silver and varnished) and some of SHB#2's least favorite hair clips. Unfortunately, the "hair pins" ended up being too heavy to really hold in my hair, so at AJ's suggestion, I used a hair piece to help anchor it. There are actual pre-styled <i>hanfu</i> hair pieces you can buy, but I ended up using the hairpiece I got for <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3IgBjagfOi/" target="_blank">my Princess Jasmine cosplay</a> and using some careful placement of hair ties and bobby pins to fake the giant blob of hair on top that seems to be so popular among ancient Chinese women. The rest of my hair I just tied and twisted up and pinned, but there are wispy bits galore escaping. Oh well. Overall it gets the idea across, and it's not like this was ever going to be a historically accurate cosplay anyway!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvSvTZHxKug/YBjwU1J9s3I/AAAAAAAAM5Y/3MTS_6nsVKMqKQAzfmnlIDjZMQO_TawRQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1534/16AA36A1-607B-4A44-80D6-3AFEA0AFEE2C.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1534" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvSvTZHxKug/YBjwU1J9s3I/AAAAAAAAM5Y/3MTS_6nsVKMqKQAzfmnlIDjZMQO_TawRQCNcBGAsYHQ/w600-h640/16AA36A1-607B-4A44-80D6-3AFEA0AFEE2C.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See that giant blob of hair on my head? That's a fake ponytail that's had the ends looped under and sewn to the clip. Best thing is I can still clip the threads and take out the pins to return it to its ponytail state for other cosplays!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-STsfMywSMbg/YBjwU7IAAPI/AAAAAAAAM5c/IVrS-mrjGfsKT0rKx2GlrA3luEP0uwTtQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/C56E0B6F-740D-42C1-A107-1710F39CC455.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-STsfMywSMbg/YBjwU7IAAPI/AAAAAAAAM5c/IVrS-mrjGfsKT0rKx2GlrA3luEP0uwTtQCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/C56E0B6F-740D-42C1-A107-1710F39CC455.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really do love the dangly bits best. <br />These last two photos are from my shoot with @captured.by.shirelle.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>At the last minute, I considered trying to add some iridescent beads to the skirt because it seemed a little plain, but when that occurred to me, it was about half an hour before I was supposed to start getting ready for the photoshoot. Oops. Oh well, if I ever wear this to...I'm not even sure where I would ever wear this...I'll consider adding some beads. I also thought about making some milk jug feather pauldrons, but we could not drink milk fast enough for me to amass enough raw material for that. I'm still pretty satisfied with what I have to turn in, even if the imposter syndrome struggle is real. Looking through the #foundationsrevealedcontest2021 hashtag is dangerous; on one hand it's super inspirational and exciting to see how others are interpreting the brief, but on the other hand since others may not specify the skill level they're entering at, I don't know if I'm expected to have the same level of design and fit. I know comparison is the thief of joy and all that, but another consequence of the introspection I've been doing about my childhood and upbringing is realizing that I have been ingrained with a scarcity mindset. Because of all the comparing that my parents did of my achievements with those of their friends' kids, and the general immigrant background, I get inordinately anxious when I feel like other people are doing well. I've needed to work on consciously putting aside thoughts of resentment and fear and jealousy, and replacing those with an attitude of celebration of others also creating beautiful things at different levels than me. As the contest organizers wrote, this is less of a competition and more of an exhibition that happens to have prizes. </p><p>Next up: the professional photos of all of it together!</p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-67964592327162466122021-02-01T10:42:00.004-08:002021-02-02T12:42:43.241-08:00Foundations Revealed Contest 2021: The Inspiration<p>I've been lurking on Foundations Revealed/Your Wardrobe Unlock'd for <i>years</i>, since way before I had a sewing machine. I remember being a bone-tired, overworked teacher, looking through all the helpful articles and inspirational costumes that were posted, and thinking wow, someday I want to be able to make and wear beautiful things like that. Even after I taught myself to sew and discovered historical costuming and cosplay, I always felt like the FR/YWU yearly competition was beyond my skill level. And then when I finally felt like I could maybe enter, I had kids, a side gig doing theater costuming, and had started taking classes at Canada College, which meant I had no time to think about making something to enter. This past year, with older, more self-sufficient kids, no theater costuming work because no theater productions, and more experience in designing my own costumes, I finally felt like I could maybe do this. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4AQhJzwf2ig/YBg_GOsXHoI/AAAAAAAAM28/ErCkjGdOvvkdGiQUa6g7Ef87Zgg5uwbaQCNcBGAsYHQ/s791/FR%2Bcontest.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="791" height="255" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4AQhJzwf2ig/YBg_GOsXHoI/AAAAAAAAM28/ErCkjGdOvvkdGiQUa6g7Ef87Zgg5uwbaQCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h255/FR%2Bcontest.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><a href="https://foundationsrevealed.com/competition/" target="_blank">The theme this year, "Once Upon A Time...,"designing an outfit for a character from literature</a>, was the push I needed to enter. Reading and imagining fantastic costumes for literary characters was so important to me as a child, and here was the perfect excuse to indulge myself and actually bring to life one of my imagined designs! So many classics of children's lit have evocative descriptions of outfits; how could I choose one? I have a soft spot in my heart for the Little House series, as LIW's little details probably played a huge part in my love for historical dress (come on, who doesn't remember Aunt Docia's dress with the buttons that look just like juicy blackberries, or the lovely triangular fichu that Laura's friend gives her as a wedding present? Or is that just me?). And of course Tolkien is a quintessential fantasy inspiration (I've always wanted to do Goldberry or Luthien), and if you're into villains like I am, there's always Jadis or the Lady of the Green Kirtle from the Chronicles of Narnia. Then there's my middle school comfort read, <i>The Song of the Lioness</i>, featuring the first canonically "Asian" character I ever encountered in a fantasy book, Thayet jian Wilima, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B34sufZAOfu/" target="_blank">whom I already cosplayed</a> when I met author Tamora Pierce at a con. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lKJzMTg9hcQ/YBg_zqWPOwI/AAAAAAAAM3E/ZxRRU1Zl6PIzDEK0k9TjmkXD_Lhmm1PwACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/B6105EE0-FA73-4058-9099-7637ADAE3DA8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lKJzMTg9hcQ/YBg_zqWPOwI/AAAAAAAAM3E/ZxRRU1Zl6PIzDEK0k9TjmkXD_Lhmm1PwACNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/B6105EE0-FA73-4058-9099-7637ADAE3DA8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>But ultimately what helped me decide was looking at <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/foundationsrevealed/competition-2021-once-upon-a-time/" target="_blank">the Pinterest board</a> posted by the competition organizers: almost all of the inspirational literature they included comes from the Western literary tradition. The West does not have a monopoly on great literature, and considering the relative age of some ancient Chinese poetry, it could be considered even more historical. I understand, of course, that FR is based in England and run by Europeans, but in 2021 I would hope that there would at least be a bit more diversity in their mood board. To that end, I decided to design a costume for a character from Chinese mythology, the Weaver Girl. Because how fitting is it that I choose a heroine characterized by her association with textile creation, for a fabric-based competition? It's also perfect for this year, as we all hold off on seeing our loved ones and learn to wait for a (hopefully) joyous reunion.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.followcn.com/women/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/cowherd-and-weaver-girl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="698" src="https://www.followcn.com/women/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/cowherd-and-weaver-girl.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The legend of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl is all about waiting for a year to see a loved one. As we come up on ten months of purposeful distancing to keep our community safe, this story seems especially apt. <a href="https://www.followcn.com/women/2018/06/15/the-weaver-girl/" target="_blank">Image source</a>, which also tells one version of the story.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>As I wrote in my inspiration description for my entry, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cowherd_and_the_Weaver_Girl" target="_blank">The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl</a> is an ancient Chinese story/poem of a celestial maiden who fell in love with a mortal man. The Queen of Heaven forbade their union and used her silver hairpin to carve a rift between heaven and earth: the Milky Way. Once a year, on Chinese Valentine's Day, magpies form a bridge to allow the lovers to meet again. I've always loved this version of the (literally) star-crossed lovers and wanted to capture the beautiful poignancy of the Weaver Girl, Zhinü, waiting to be reunited with her husband. The image of a flock of kind-hearted magpies bridging the Milky Way is so evocative of the importance of community support. I kept the color palette limited to mostly black and white in homage to the yin-yang concept as a reflection of duality and balance in both the patience and the passion of waiting, especially in this pandemic year as we wait to hug our loved ones again. The silver and iridescent accents echo the sparkle of the stars, and the feathers are magpie mementos that Zhinü might have saved and woven into her outfit for the next year's meeting. The shorter overskirt, trailing gown, and gauzy fabrics are modernized versions of style elements typical in Chinese paintings of celestial maidens; the traditionally styled hair accessories and the qipao-esque collar and bolero shape bring to mind both historical and more recent Chinese fashion, emphasizing the timelessness of the story."</p><p>To give you an idea of what celestial maidens like Zhinü usually look like in traditional Chinese art:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/The_Weaver_Girl%2C_by_Zhang_Ling.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="330" height="640" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/The_Weaver_Girl%2C_by_Zhang_Ling.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of wispy fabric drifting about! <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Weaver_Girl,_by_Zhang_Ling.jpg" target="_blank">Image source.</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>So I definitely wanted to incorporate light, flowy, ethereal fabrics, and I wanted to have lots of starry sparkle, and I wanted magpies. I toyed with the idea of having a magpie leaving a trail of feathers across the dress, but it didn't feel right. One of my best friend's husband, who is a photographer, posted <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByiD5ZUpha2/" target="_blank">his photo of the Milky Way</a> and the design inspiration just clicked: I would do a Milky-Way-esque sprinkling of beads on a bed of velvety black "night sky," and the magpies would be "holding" this bridge between their beaks. While I didn't want to make a historic Chinese <i>hanfu</i>, I did want some nods to Chinese fashion elements in my costume, so I decided on a little bolero with a <i>qipao</i>-style mandarin collar and lines that echoed the <a href="http://www.thepankou.com/qipao-cheongsam-front-variations/" target="_blank">double-sided round-<i>ba</i> front</a> that's seen on some <i>qipao</i>, especially ones worn by famous Chinese politician and fashion icon, Madam Soong Mei-ling, aka Madam Chiang Kai-shek. The <i>qipao</i>, while seen in many Westerner's eyes as a classic Chinese style, is actually a fairly recent fashion, relatively speaking (it originated in the 1920s, which is practically modern in light of China's thousands of years of history...I wrote a whole paper about this for my History of Fashion class), so I wanted to incorporate some more traditional historic elements in the costume. I went with a mid-length overskirt to mimic the look of a <i>qiyao ruqun</i> (齐腰襦裙) and full sleeves, similar to the look seen here:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Tangyin7big.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="418" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Tangyin7big.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impractically full sleeves, and a shorter overskirt that even has a vague hi-lo thing going on! <br /><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tangyin7big.jpg" target="_blank">Image source.</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>While historic Chinese clothing did not include corsets per se, there are periods where very wide belts/sashes kind of give a vague underbust corset look. I was also inspired by the feather-looking bits that can be seen sticking out of the front tabard in statues like this Tang dynasty female figurine: </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/89/60/1c/89601c3794fa7c1b507f1555a027e7ce.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="376" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/89/60/1c/89601c3794fa7c1b507f1555a027e7ce.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I decided to add fabric feathers to the bottom of my corset as a nod to this design.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Another aspect I wanted to incorporate was an actual feather cloak; in some versions of the story, the Weaver Girl leaves her magical feather cloak while bathing on earth and the Cowherd discovers the magical garment which allows her to fly back to heaven. I wanted to keep that aspect while not using any actual feathers, and also not totally obscuring the lacing on the back of the corset, thus netting to echo the gauzy underskirt fabric, repeated in the sleeves, and the fabric feathers were cut from the scraps leftover from making the corset and overskirt. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0HYioMTXlVI/YBhCnUEiv8I/AAAAAAAAM3Q/of1pfzhhCuIo5pY6xcXqTItA24VYT1NOQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1773/IMG_0370.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1773" data-original-width="1773" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0HYioMTXlVI/YBhCnUEiv8I/AAAAAAAAM3Q/of1pfzhhCuIo5pY6xcXqTItA24VYT1NOQCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG_0370.JPEG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here was my initial sketch. Pretty sketchy.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dAk7AzNgBlU/YBhCsEjV8rI/AAAAAAAAM3U/WdIxLK22uMEdiV5gLnkRSjS98u1TI-zeQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/9980E665-DED7-487C-97E6-9CE067E6721B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dAk7AzNgBlU/YBhCsEjV8rI/AAAAAAAAM3U/WdIxLK22uMEdiV5gLnkRSjS98u1TI-zeQCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/9980E665-DED7-487C-97E6-9CE067E6721B.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here's what I actually made! Professional photos coming...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The final touch on this costume was the hair styling. To be honest, I was the most concerned about how this would turn out, because I absolutely suck at doing my own hair. If I had an Achilles heel in cosplaying, hair would be it. I can style other people's hair just fine, but the combination of not being able to see the back of my head, plus my fine, thin, wispy hair that doesn't want to stay, means that I'm limited in what I can do. Thankfully, <a href="http://confusedkittysewing.com/" target="_blank">AJ of Confused Kitty Sewing</a> was able to direct me to some helpful <i>hanfu </i>hair styling tutorials, or else I would probably have just done a mom-bun and called it a day! Even though I wasn't able to replicate any exact style, I learned how to loop my hair up and use a hairpiece to approximate the historical look. I did two practice runs of hairstyles and even then my final style was entirely different from the tests because I'm also incapable of replicating anything twice. Thankfully, my milk jug hair clips and hair stick helped to disguise a lot of that. Yup, that's right, milk jugs! I know people melt down milk jugs to reuse the plastic, and I've used candles to singe and curl poly-organza flowers before, so from there it was a short leap to using my heat gun to lightly melt and reshape flower shapes cut from old plastic gallon jugs. I love being able to repurpose trash, so this was seriously thrilling to me. The best thing about making flowers is they're meant to be organically irregular, so it works well with this method of crafting. I finished them off with bead and wire stamens/pistils and hot glued them to clips and chopsticks to approximate the look of <a href="https://www.newhanfu.com/828.html" target="_blank">traditional <i>hanfu</i>-style hair accessories</a>. I was very, very pleased with how they turned out and they way they help visually communicate an ancient Chinese aesthetic. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_R5tMERgylQ/YBhDVRK4W8I/AAAAAAAAM3c/Ve2qwLJNfdgZsekJ0j-WaqCMmXc9juZxgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1440/938DD9C8-451C-4A51-B402-0B9CB40BE3BE.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_R5tMERgylQ/YBhDVRK4W8I/AAAAAAAAM3c/Ve2qwLJNfdgZsekJ0j-WaqCMmXc9juZxgCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/938DD9C8-451C-4A51-B402-0B9CB40BE3BE.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chains and beads dangling down give +2 to perception of Chinese-ness rolls. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>In some versions of the story, the Milky-Way-creating-antagonist is the Queen of Heaven, while some say that it's Zhinü's father, the Jade Emperor, who is angry that his daughter neglects her duty of weaving brocade robes for him because of her romance with the cowherd. I feel more strongly about the latter version, since one thing I've been working through emotionally this past year is my dad's insistence on my not pursuing the arts throughout my childhood/teen years. Even though he was instrumental in teaching me creative reuse and giving me a general DIY attitude, he was very clear that he expected me to go into some kind of STEM career. While I do love teaching science and am good at it, it's still hard not to play the coulda-shoulda-woulda game and wonder what my life would be like had I not waited until my thirties to really lean into costuming. The pandemic and resulting sheltering in place has meant that I had more time for introspection; I've been having a lot of angst about how best to use my talents, feeling less-than because of my lack of perceived success according to traditional Chinese standards, and wishing that I had had more freedom to really tap into my creative side. Feeling the tension between wanting to respect my parents' wishes but also forge my own path, along with the image of waiting to see a loved one in this pandemic year, really makes Zhinü's story hit home for me. </p><p>Entering this contest with such an intensely personal creation has been a surprisingly emotionally fraught, but ultimately healing and therapeutic process. I used to never do things unless I was assured of success, as I'm pretty risk-averse (#notagryffindoratall #selfpreservingslytherinthroughandthrough), but preparing for this competition has been a good exercise in simultaneously doing a thing anyway (even when there's no assurance of winning, which has led to lots of great conversations with SHB#1) and also believing that I'm good enough to go for it. I like how the entry form makes you check a box agreeing to the competition conditions and also certify that "I confirm that I am a creative badass, and will never again doubt myself or my talent and capability." So here goes!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-33047765343244829472020-12-17T14:50:00.000-08:002020-12-17T14:50:12.035-08:00Historybounding to Thrill My High School Self<p>When I was in high school, I really loved the gothy witch look. I thought it was so cool and dramatic and just the perfect emo romance aesthetic, which, because I was in high school, seemed like the height of fashion. But I was also a teenager with little control over my life, and I knew my ultra-conservative parents would freak out if I showed any signs of wanting to dress this way (after all, they forbid me to read Harry Potter when I was <i>a junior in high school</i>, because WITCHCRAFT, and what if I decide to WORSHIP SATAN after reading it?!?? :P). Even in college, I would longingly look through the racks at Hot Topic, but then regretfully mentally shelve the idea for <i>someday</i>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXYjTYZcj0w/X9veiT23OjI/AAAAAAAAM0w/x6i_enMMtgkIQLX1Ig3Uwi4lAX86ZEkqQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1463/IMG_7785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1463" data-original-width="1162" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXYjTYZcj0w/X9veiT23OjI/AAAAAAAAM0w/x6i_enMMtgkIQLX1Ig3Uwi4lAX86ZEkqQCNcBGAsYHQ/w508-h640/IMG_7785.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><br /><p>Well, that day is this day, because I have finally made the witchy little cropped jacket of my high school dreams! As I said in my last blog post, I'm taking Advanced Tailoring this semester, and we are required to make two jackets/coats. After going floor-length drama on my previous coat, I went the opposite direction with this one and made a little 1903-ish bolero. I wanted to make something to match the skirt I made in Flat Pattern class (which I have yet to blog about). I was inspired by all the trimmed-out jackets with bell sleeves that I saw in fashion illustrations from the early Edwardian era. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yIu2T9gfkLE/X9veqg_TDdI/AAAAAAAAM00/TD4pEUmDPuYiqnxOkbOw1d5G75MAS3wLwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/A53E5E64-8A6B-4B8E-8E0F-0B177B3BFC58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yIu2T9gfkLE/X9veqg_TDdI/AAAAAAAAM00/TD4pEUmDPuYiqnxOkbOw1d5G75MAS3wLwCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/A53E5E64-8A6B-4B8E-8E0F-0B177B3BFC58.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1902-03 fashion plates.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-shGGozOoCcU/X9vfD7yI_zI/AAAAAAAAM1A/sAFtZh86EXgrOMrE8c4Vghqx93WnZ4HCgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1480/IMG_7806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1480" data-original-width="1156" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-shGGozOoCcU/X9vfD7yI_zI/AAAAAAAAM1A/sAFtZh86EXgrOMrE8c4Vghqx93WnZ4HCgCNcBGAsYHQ/w500-h640/IMG_7806.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basically the same, right? :D</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Since my pirate coat was so involved and I was coming up on the end of the semester, I wanted this jacket to be fast and simple: no notched collar, no pad-stitching, few seams, no closure. Since the front didn't close and didn't need to hug the body, I was able to get away with no darts or seams at all in the front pattern piece. The collar was inspired the batwing lapel on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CG8Ej-Tgfoa/" target="_blank">@dressingprincelee's waistcoat</a>, but to keep things easier, rather than having the thick seam allowance (suiting+interfacing, cotton back stay, velvet+lining) turned under and having a facing, I decided to just baste the lining to the shell, wrong sides together, trim down the seam allowance, and bind the edge with more of the satin. This worked wonderfully and the binding adds another neat trim detail. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-So3-sRa5YoU/X9vfTohbk4I/AAAAAAAAM1E/nMWRJG8oinUn6YmElwse5zLxWa7TDPLkwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0125.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-So3-sRa5YoU/X9vfTohbk4I/AAAAAAAAM1E/nMWRJG8oinUn6YmElwse5zLxWa7TDPLkwCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_0125.JPEG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Other than the satin edge binding, I decorated the jacket with some Venise lace trim from the stash, and cut up some of the motifs to add to the collar. The crowning detail was this little handmade beaded tassel that I added to the back collar point. It was a tedious 2+ hour project, making that tassel, but it's just the perfect extra touch!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jGJ6vuJ4Q3A/X9vfc-Akk6I/AAAAAAAAM1M/j1LpBA3kYasRy7dEFss41WbHk6PD3Lf4ACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jGJ6vuJ4Q3A/X9vfc-Akk6I/AAAAAAAAM1M/j1LpBA3kYasRy7dEFss41WbHk6PD3Lf4ACNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_7792.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q_5Xy6ZsEkE/X9vgAEEuVkI/AAAAAAAAM1Y/sPXSYxmn4PUgvolLbF2CFFhUK75ZdxjAwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1576/IMG_0128.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1576" data-original-width="1501" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q_5Xy6ZsEkE/X9vgAEEuVkI/AAAAAAAAM1Y/sPXSYxmn4PUgvolLbF2CFFhUK75ZdxjAwCNcBGAsYHQ/w610-h640/IMG_0128.JPEG" width="610" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look carefully, you see where the fabric is bubbling because of the poor fusing.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><u><br /></u><p></p><p><u>Summary</u></p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</i> Self-drafted</p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Fabric:</i> 1.5 yards of 58" polyester suiting with a weird texture on the wrong side, from somebody's destash? I don't know, I've had it for years and have forgotten where it's from. The collar and cuff detail is more of <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/06/historical-sew-fortnightly-pretty.html" target="_blank">this polyester velvet tablecloth</a> that just keeps on giving somehow. I still have a few more scraps of it, so at this point it's pretty much the best $10 I've ever spent on a secondhand textile. The lining is a fairly hefty black poly satin for the body, and black rayon Bemberg for the sleeves. Both of those were from the stash as well, although they were originally purchased new. </p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions:</i> More Armo-Weft fusible interfacing, which I sorely regret using, as it did not fuse well with the weird texture on the suiting. And because the suiting's surface is so smooth, the bubbling is really obvious, and the whole combination is weirdly stiff. Well, I've learned my lesson and will be using fusibles with caution in the future. I also used stash batting scraps to make shoulder pads, fleece for sleeve cap easing/sleeve heads, and more sheet fabric for a back stay. </p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Techniques:</i> <a href="https://beadaholique.com/products/how-to-make-a-beaded-tassel" target="_blank">Beaded tassel</a>, <a href="http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/2010/10/setting-in-tailored-sleeves.html" target="_blank">setting in tailored sleeves</a></p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Hours:</i> 38 over the course of a month, mostly at night after the kids were asleep. A lot of this was spent on fussy hand sewing, which I used to scorn, but have now recognized as not only necessary, but enjoyable. The velvet collar and cuffs required so much hand basting, and I tacked down all the braided trim and lace points by hand, and the binding all had to be slipstitched, and of course there was the beaded tassel. </p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Total Cost:</i> $30 of materials, and then if I pay myself $15/hour, then $600 total.</p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Final Thoughts:</i> I'm really angry at myself for falling into the laziness trap of fusible interfacing, because other than that huge glaring error, this jacket would be perfect. I think I'll still wear it, though, since I'm telling myself that that's something only other sewists would notice, and there's enough going on with the collar and trim to distract from the surface texture. I still need to get my act together to take pictures with all the components of my now-completed 1903 Slytherin outfit, but in the meantime, it works nicely with modern clothes too. You know, for when we actually go out in real clothes again, as opposed to staying home in sweats. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLtNC_gS8QU/X9vclzMTNuI/AAAAAAAAM0k/bm8FGuU2egYXlXWwoMet37HkbABHt1-VQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1894/IMG_7786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1894" data-original-width="1219" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLtNC_gS8QU/X9vclzMTNuI/AAAAAAAAM0k/bm8FGuU2egYXlXWwoMet37HkbABHt1-VQCNcBGAsYHQ/w413-h640/IMG_7786.jpg" width="413" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recognize those pants? They're also <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-quest-for-perfect-pants-achievement.html" target="_blank">the product of a Canada College class</a>! </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
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<br />
You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-66812574564222996012020-11-25T23:48:00.002-08:002020-11-25T23:48:56.493-08:00Why yes, I do buckle all my own swashes!Er, swash all my own buckles? Either way, I'm just happy to have finally made the fantastic pirate coat I've always wanted! <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WsHaJbGiTzs/X79Nam6o7zI/AAAAAAAAMw4/QHdjNCdYmU8xDHmXZOe-UvStauZwxjkdACNcBGAsYHQ/s1799/3FA7AB2F-8579-488C-A41A-292ADD4A324F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WsHaJbGiTzs/X79Nam6o7zI/AAAAAAAAMw4/QHdjNCdYmU8xDHmXZOe-UvStauZwxjkdACNcBGAsYHQ/w512-h640/3FA7AB2F-8579-488C-A41A-292ADD4A324F.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>I bought these red and gold damask curtains at a thrift store years ago and knew that I wanted to make them into some kind of fabulous floor length coat. I also knew that my skills then weren't quite up to the task, so I put them in my stash and waited. After making a shapeless coat that basically only had three pattern pieces in the <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-dangerous-coat.html">Beginning Tailoring class</a> at Cañada College last winter, I was ready to move onto something more complicated. I figured that this would be the perfect chance to have the guidance of an expert while making my dream coat. Unfortunately, coronavirus had other plans for the world, and it turned out that instead of working alongside classmates with an instructor at the giant cutting tables at the college, I was going to be googling a lot of things and essentially learning to tailor on my own. Thank goodness for YouTube (cue the Schuyler sisters singing "How lucky we are to be alive right now!"). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M-3DgT93iFg/X79N1B_3c5I/AAAAAAAAMxA/sIxV0Rkr7osSsX0zOtfNx6yzqbmUrcbAACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7679.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M-3DgT93iFg/X79N1B_3c5I/AAAAAAAAMxA/sIxV0Rkr7osSsX0zOtfNx6yzqbmUrcbAACNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_7679.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I really appreciated that this class made us document every step of our work; usually I just sort of make things up as I go along and then attempt to recall how long it took and what I did. It's ironic that even though I'm a science teacher and meticulous details are supposed to be my thing, I tend to be more loosey-goosey in my sewing. Anyway, our professor required us to write up a list of steps, then document all the time we spent on each step. We also had to do a sketch (beforehand, so that we could check how well our final garment matched up...as opposed to my usual method, which is to make the garment first and then sketch what it looks like), write up a list of all materials and costs, and even record the sewing machine settings and thread type/color. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H8Kge4H2kF4/X79Xu_5HKEI/AAAAAAAAMxU/D7GVJcYTFpYPpIlbCKu_Oo1_T8VNexouACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0050.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="2048" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H8Kge4H2kF4/X79Xu_5HKEI/AAAAAAAAMxU/D7GVJcYTFpYPpIlbCKu_Oo1_T8VNexouACNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h434/IMG_0050.JPEG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The first step our professor required was a paper fitting, just to make sure there weren't any glaring issues with our patterns. Since mine was a frankenpattern of three different Big 4 patterns, I begrudgingly did this step (even though I thought it was silly in the previous tailoring class), then moved on quickly to the muslin. I know I'm very fortunate to be almost exactly the measurements of a Big 4 size 10 in the torso, so there wasn't much I needed to change. I made my typical pattern corrections: wider shoulders, longer sleeves, SBA, swayback adjustment, narrow back...but I wish I'd narrowed the waist and back a little more, since it's not as fitted as I would like, even though it is meant to be outerwear. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qjyeRBk1QTI/X79Y1iTIilI/AAAAAAAAMxk/IBWJwbAP5dcaZDRLfpwFJbTHrYrhznp_ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1566/IMG_7647.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1566" data-original-width="1243" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qjyeRBk1QTI/X79Y1iTIilI/AAAAAAAAMxk/IBWJwbAP5dcaZDRLfpwFJbTHrYrhznp_ACNcBGAsYHQ/w508-h640/IMG_7647.JPEG" width="508" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We are required to make one hand-padstitched collar for this class. Normally we would get to see our professor demo this in class, but instead I watched <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IatcT84AuME" target="_blank">Bernadette Banner's video tutorial featuring Royal Black Couture</a> to learn how to do this. It took a little bit of doing to get used to the rhythm of all the diagonal stitches, and my stitches still aren't the neatest, but after steaming it I'm really pleased with how well it holds its shape. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_j0Y5Tvu5fk/X79YMujcm5I/AAAAAAAAMxc/IprWi8TkBWg9eADmOWD4jssvg3Isg6AhQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2048" height="522" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_j0Y5Tvu5fk/X79YMujcm5I/AAAAAAAAMxc/IprWi8TkBWg9eADmOWD4jssvg3Isg6AhQCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h522/IMG_9571.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It's really incredible how much goes into making a structured coat or jacket. I used fusible Armo-Weft interfacing on all my fashion fabric pieces to add some body to the floppy curtain fabric, and this also helped prevent some of the fraying that this weave is prone to. In order to help the garment hang better and strengthen the back during movement, I added a back stay. And since this is a pirate coat, what better fabric to use than this (100% cotton, tightly woven and washed multiple times) map-print bed sheet? Secret treasure maps hidden in one's clothing for the win! In the front, I cut out a piece of horsehair canvas and basted on a couple layers of batting to make a chest piece. This fills in the hollow that can occur between the shoulder, arm, lapel, and bust area and helps the whole garment lie more smoothly. To help stabilize the edge of the lapel, I also hand-stitched 1/4" wide cotton twill tape butting up against the stitching line. In hindsight, I'm not sure that this was necessary since my lapel isn't cut on the bias (the way a typical blazer lapel would be), and the whole thing was topstitched anyway. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ieCgNeWsYO8/X79ZTs4RgyI/AAAAAAAAMxw/xkCOygxRpokYpD1N6Hy1sB4q81jiDz5agCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1619" data-original-width="2048" height="506" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ieCgNeWsYO8/X79ZTs4RgyI/AAAAAAAAMxw/xkCOygxRpokYpD1N6Hy1sB4q81jiDz5agCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h506/IMG_9584.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IbIrtVkaWv4/X79ZmOLtMtI/AAAAAAAAMx4/mSL6MU3SREglpO89dcjJC2kh6vVKetKJgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IbIrtVkaWv4/X79ZmOLtMtI/AAAAAAAAMx4/mSL6MU3SREglpO89dcjJC2kh6vVKetKJgCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9618.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gH2hEK7NKk4/X79Z5dBO9mI/AAAAAAAAMyA/BObmIV9SGRYK2-rRGp3NOUtIGiZVxy_WgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gH2hEK7NKk4/X79Z5dBO9mI/AAAAAAAAMyA/BObmIV9SGRYK2-rRGp3NOUtIGiZVxy_WgCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9786.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I used to only set in sleeves with the two-rows-of-gathering-stitches method, but that never worked really well for me and I always got weird puckers. This time, I tried the method of gathering the sleeve cap with a piece of stretched-out fleece, and it worked beautifully! The thickness of the fleece keeps the fashion fabric from making actual puckers, and then once it's set in, you can just push the fleece into the sleeve cap to act as a sleeve head instead of having to sew one in by hand. SO NEAT. I love all-in-one steps. <a href="https://youtu.be/Qps2Uy4qSWw" target="_blank">Gertie's video demonstrates the whole process here</a>, but instead of using mohair or lambswool, I just used a strip of scrap polar fleece, which is obviously cheaper and easier to find. After setting in the sleeve, I also put in a handmade shoulder pad (just three layers of thin cotton batting basted together). I remember the first time our professor talked about shoulder pads, I was so skeptical; I just kept thinking of the massive 1980s shoulder pads. The nice thing about handmade ones, though, is you can use as many layers of batting as you want to make it thinner or thicker, and it really does help the whole garment hang more nicely. Consider me a shoulder pad convert!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dQCVqy_6kpA/X79aUnH10VI/AAAAAAAAMyM/qXLCTGdBA4cVUzcdEiizPUBSsg4yFIvLgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1988" data-original-width="2048" height="622" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dQCVqy_6kpA/X79aUnH10VI/AAAAAAAAMyM/qXLCTGdBA4cVUzcdEiizPUBSsg4yFIvLgCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h622/IMG_9788.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>For the skirt of the coat, I waffled a bit about whether I really wanted to make it floor-length. A floor-length half-circle skirted coat would definitely allow for the most dramatic flouncing and swanning about, but it would also be impractical and take forever to hem by hand. But then I realized that I had enough fabric to make it floor length, so in the interest of not leaving a bunch of unnecessary extra fabric in the stash, I decided to just go for the floor length version. To visually break up the expanse of red and gold fabric, I put some welt pockets with flaps in. The last time I made a pirate coat, my pocket flaps were fake, and I regret not having functional pockets. Not making the same mistake this time! Since I had a waist seam, I decided to go for another trick I learned from Bernadette Banner: I added a twill tape stay from the top of the pocket bag to the waist seam. This will help support the pocket and keep it from sagging when I put things in. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svFMFLee16o/X79a1I401PI/AAAAAAAAMyY/3qj2DfVD7WYqu5ZpUfHcjk2-GklfxAZywCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1859" data-original-width="2048" height="580" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svFMFLee16o/X79a1I401PI/AAAAAAAAMyY/3qj2DfVD7WYqu5ZpUfHcjk2-GklfxAZywCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h580/IMG_9696.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qS0qTdoPvQo/X79a5Y8rpZI/AAAAAAAAMyc/nCCv9vHkE4wdFrr6ATKaIo23Y_rDNpk7ACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qS0qTdoPvQo/X79a5Y8rpZI/AAAAAAAAMyc/nCCv9vHkE4wdFrr6ATKaIo23Y_rDNpk7ACNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_9707.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-81zxpOobrLs/X79a_hVl2LI/AAAAAAAAMyg/DaRBUmlJ-zkMgLFKbel1TGTAYXwHiDo-QCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-81zxpOobrLs/X79a_hVl2LI/AAAAAAAAMyg/DaRBUmlJ-zkMgLFKbel1TGTAYXwHiDo-QCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9695.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the construction was pretty straightforward, if tedious. Lots of topstitching to help hold the velveteen facing, upper collar, cuffs, and pocket flaps in place, since I didn't want to press it too much, then all the hand sewing: I catch-stitched the hem of the skirt and sleeves, then slipstitched the lining to create a jump hem. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I3CVUpGGtU0/X79bYuu8zOI/AAAAAAAAMyw/p2j2kg_qdn03qvzknbG7Yi9_8s5LDCL0QCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7695.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I3CVUpGGtU0/X79bYuu8zOI/AAAAAAAAMyw/p2j2kg_qdn03qvzknbG7Yi9_8s5LDCL0QCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_7695.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oa2v4POJARI/X79cQ001hfI/AAAAAAAAMzM/F1Awt7d6ndcHKP-U8npPTRMV_KEjIycSgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1798/4A9C07D9-09A6-43AA-A4E7-121C0B9EB443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1798" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oa2v4POJARI/X79cQ001hfI/AAAAAAAAMzM/F1Awt7d6ndcHKP-U8npPTRMV_KEjIycSgCNcBGAsYHQ/w512-h640/4A9C07D9-09A6-43AA-A4E7-121C0B9EB443.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div>I had originally entertained ideas of having the front lapel be "reversible," so that it could flip closed to be a double breasted coat, or stay buttoned back to show the velveteen facing. I even took a hand-sewn buttonhole class with that in mind, but in the end my samples were still too messy and the idea of doing twelve of them was just...no. Besides, I like the contrast of the red velveteen; without that showing, the front of the coat is just too much damask and the collar and cuffs look a little out of place. So rather than make ugly buttonholes, I just permanently sewed on the buttons. To close the coat, I just used a giant hook and eye. Joann's only carried white ones, so I used a combination of red Sharpie and brown fabric marker to color it dark red to (somewhat) match the fabric. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WBqYwzSk8Oc/X79bbuQ3vuI/AAAAAAAAMy0/R9Bk86gwZj0NpVJZ5-IXss-3Pa8swQupgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7693.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="556" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WBqYwzSk8Oc/X79bbuQ3vuI/AAAAAAAAMy0/R9Bk86gwZj0NpVJZ5-IXss-3Pa8swQupgCNcBGAsYHQ/w417-h556/IMG_7693.JPEG" width="417" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kVu5zovXhLU/X79dwrVbYzI/AAAAAAAAMzo/o1zZEqYkwukab9KYzFE849EDxW1FBRbfgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1671/IMG_7690.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1671" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kVu5zovXhLU/X79dwrVbYzI/AAAAAAAAMzo/o1zZEqYkwukab9KYzFE849EDxW1FBRbfgCNcBGAsYHQ/w588-h640/IMG_7690.JPEG" width="588" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Summary:</u></div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</i> I used the collar from Simplicity 2333, the cuffed sleeve from Butterick 6602, and the skirt from McCalls 6819, then frankenpatterned the last two together to make a shoulder-princess-seam bodice, that I then extended past the center front so that it could flip back to make the lapel. The slant welt pocket with a flap was modeled after the one in this very helpful Waffle Patterns tutorial, but just rotated to be more horizontal than vertical. </div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;">Fabric:</i> The main fashion fabric was curtains that I thrifted at least four years ago, a surprisingly nice 60/40 poly-cotton red and gold damask. Once I picked apart the seams, I ended up with three 40"x88" panels. The red cotton velveteen (I used about 1/3 yard) was from the college's free shelf, a place where students can pick up other people's destashed fabrics. The lining was two different secondhand sheets; the torso was a microfiber with a faint swirl pattern, and the skirt was a cotton sateen. </div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions:</i> <a href="https://thesewingplace.com/armo-weft-interfacing-48-fusible/">Armo-Weft fusible interfacing</a> from The Sewing Place, then the cotton twill tape, horsehair canvas, and metal buttons were all already in my stash. </div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;">Total cost:</i> $20 for the curtains + $4 for the sheet + $18 for the interfacing (but with lots leftover) + $6 for the patterns + $5 for the bulk bag of buttons ages ago + $3 for thread = $53 total. Of course, once you factor in the 57 hours, even if I paid myself a measly only-slightly-more-than-CA-minimum-wage $15/hr, this coat is worth almost $1000. And this is why bespoke clothing made at a living wage is so expensive. Good thing sewing is my superpower?</div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;">Would you make this again? </i>No, because I don't need two pirate coats. TBH, I'm not sure I needed *one* pirate coat, but hey, it's 2020, treat yo'self. </div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;">First worn:</i> Just to take pictures, because we aren't going anywhere, since, you know, global pandemic. </div><div><i style="font-weight: bold;">Final thoughts:</i> When I think back to when I first started sewing, I was pretty much allergic to anything involving hand-sewing and would avoid it at all costs. Thankfully, I got over that, and now I actually enjoy the process of slowly and methodically catching mere threads at a time as I invisibly stitch hems. That, and the whole fussy tailoring process, was actually really fun and you can't argue with the results. I can see how people get addicted to tailoring and/or jacket-making. Unfortunately, I don't see myself indulging in this process too often, as I have too many demands on my time and projects on my bucket list to allow for such slow sewing. Still, I'm really glad to have finally checked off one of those projects on the list, as well as moved some fabrics out of the stash!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fKJYxs54L_8/X79cwIERD1I/AAAAAAAAMzU/MwEA9tA-KQkdpOrXmlXOAkfaz5_NE9UbACNcBGAsYHQ/s1653/IMG_7641.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1653" data-original-width="1228" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fKJYxs54L_8/X79cwIERD1I/AAAAAAAAMzU/MwEA9tA-KQkdpOrXmlXOAkfaz5_NE9UbACNcBGAsYHQ/w476-h640/IMG_7641.JPEG" width="476" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>When I had Mr. Cation take pictures for me, I of course had to wear my over-the-top tricorn with the coat, since it's all trimmed in red and gold. Then, to my chagrin, he said that the hat+coat combo made me look just like Captain Morgan. I had no idea that he was even a thing, but once I got over the fact that I accidentally cosplayed a cheap rum mascot, I of course had to do a pose with my foot up on one of our barrel planters. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xey38P1SfRM/X79c-TE-VbI/AAAAAAAAMzY/jdZXxwxnxJMcJoiAmMhCWZdaoJJvyAY9wCNcBGAsYHQ/s1794/BBAFB051-92C9-48F5-B522-1EDC99677A1E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1794" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xey38P1SfRM/X79c-TE-VbI/AAAAAAAAMzY/jdZXxwxnxJMcJoiAmMhCWZdaoJJvyAY9wCNcBGAsYHQ/w514-h640/BBAFB051-92C9-48F5-B522-1EDC99677A1E.jpg" width="514" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-45886603999933199602020-05-02T22:15:00.004-07:002020-05-02T23:09:14.887-07:00Slytherin Gibson Girl UndergarmentsThere are certain tenets of historical costuming that everyone knows, like always put on your shoes before your corset, or don't choose polyester to make your ren faire outfit unless you want to pass out from heat exhaustion. Probably the most important one, though, is to always get your undergarments squared away, including the corset or stays, before making the pretty stuff that goes on top. Which is why, when I decided to make a Slytherin Gibson girl outfit, I started with the shirtwaist and then backtracked to the undergarments without ever having made or acquired an appropriate S-bend corset. And when I say undergarments, I really mean middle garments, because I made a corset cover, petticoat, and bum pad, not a chemise and drawers. Can it really even be called a corset cover if it's not covering a corset? Well, you know what they say: you gotta know what the rules are so you can break them, or some such nonsense.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Case in point: you're supposed to sketch your goal look before making the outfit so that you know what you're aiming for. I drew this after I made everything because I forgot that it was required for my assignment. </td></tr>
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In Canada College fashion department classes, besides the regular homework and the final outfit (of which the shirtwaist is the top half), we usually have to also turn in a lab garment. This is just another full outfit (covering an entire dress form, so a top and a skirt, or a dress) that demonstrates the skills we are learning, so we have to include the quarter- and full-scale patterns with the garments to show how we manipulated the basic sloper. At first, I had grand plans to make a tailored jacket to go on top, but that would 1) not be a complete outfit covering the dress form, and 2) take more time than I have to do it well. I think I'm going to save that for when I take Advanced Tailoring at some point in the future. In the interest of making a related but faster/easier lab garment, I decided to make a corset cover (basically, a sleeveless top that goes over the corset to disguise the hard lines of its edges) and a petticoat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="https://realhistoricalpatterns.tumblr.com/post/56092136675/corset-cover-ladies-home-journal-1906/amp">here</a>. </td></tr>
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I'm so glad that there are a lot of images floating around Pinterest that show pattern pieces or drafts for how to make a corset cover; that made it easy to manipulate the sloper to "match" the historical pieces. I also looked at a lot of extant corset covers (thank you to the Met for allowing me to just search "corset cover" and not the usual generic "undergarments" because that really made it a lot easier than having to sort through thousands of other kinds of undergarments) to get an idea for what kinds of variations were permissible. You know, so that I could then ignore them and do my usual "ehh, that's close enough" thing. I shifted the bust dart to the waist and then converted that dart to gathers, and converted the back darts to gathering at the neckline. The peplum was made by putting together the top sections of the skirt sloper to take out the darts, almost like making a skirt yoke, so as to keep it low profile when tucked into the petticoat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quarter-scale pattern work.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RTyKPoAonlI/Xq44VVL19iI/AAAAAAAAMng/_Nr7YGyhZYEezi70nO_cAUfdaVFFWDt9ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7627.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RTyKPoAonlI/Xq44VVL19iI/AAAAAAAAMng/_Nr7YGyhZYEezi70nO_cAUfdaVFFWDt9ACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7627.JPEG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished corset cover. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back! Compare to <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/87270?=&imgno=1&tabname=related-objects">this one from The Met</a>, which is looser. </td></tr>
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The front closes with buttons, plus a hook and bar at the waist and a ribbon at the top. I decided to go <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6QNtQ9kReM">Bernadette Banner</a> and make hand-worked buttonholes...and let's just say that it's a good thing these will be under the shirtwaist. I still enjoyed the process more than making machine buttonholes, though, so it was still a net positive.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IAArio6gkLs/Xq46QPlkCYI/AAAAAAAAMn8/UN-3wffrzmEpXQ-kVQwdyRJ9gzXPZaQFQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7626.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="1600" height="476" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IAArio6gkLs/Xq46QPlkCYI/AAAAAAAAMn8/UN-3wffrzmEpXQ-kVQwdyRJ9gzXPZaQFQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7626.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the petticoat, I referenced the excellent material collected on <a href="http://www.sewhistorically.com/?s=edwardian+petticoat">Sew Historically</a> and ended up doing what were basically curved trapezoids that gathered at the waist with a drawstring, with the ruffle being just a long rectangle gathered to the hem of the trapezoids. Ideally I would have had lace at the ruffle seam, and probably some tucks to help hold out the ruffle more, but in the interest of time, I left it plain.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm glad the historically accurate finish for the waist is so simple: slap on some bias tape to make a casing, and no need to even add a placket or closure to the opening.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used the rolled-hem foot on my machine to finish all the yards of hem. </td></tr>
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Since I don't have an S-bend corset, nor do I plan on getting one just for this ridiculous little project, it was imperative that I have a bustle pad to help get closer to the right silhouette. I just sketched out a little curved semi-circle shape like the one in <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US741184?oq=bustle">this historical patent</a>, cut it out of muslin and then stuffed it with Costco bear innards (one of my students gave one to SHB#1 without my prior knowledge/consent, so I've been slowly deflating it every time I need stuffing) and sewed on a piece of twill tape for a waist tie. Once again, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5Zva8NJdC4">Bernadette Banner's video</a> was very helpful, even if I mostly didn't do what she did.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oNhW8bsaKf8/Xq5A_S53KfI/AAAAAAAAMpk/idlPOTEAwDICtLC3kZ9heF2gLwuO2fAvgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oNhW8bsaKf8/Xq5A_S53KfI/AAAAAAAAMpk/idlPOTEAwDICtLC3kZ9heF2gLwuO2fAvgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7771.jpg" width="638" /></a></div>
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My hair has gotten ridiculously long (I haven't cut it since getting pregnant with SHB#2, which was three years ago, so it's down to the small of my back) so I figured I would give the Gibson girl hairstyle a try. I used the black pudding plushie I made nine years ago as a hair rat, then used oh, a hundred or so bobby pins to secure my hair over it. I think it worked fairly well for a spur of the moment hairstyle!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oWQXWgviBtY/Xq47t6E-sBI/AAAAAAAAMoY/fU2zGwiwjI80BDMN3nQtg9KXMRdU74BTACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/0B625BED-A209-4DC0-AF37-EFD2C871DA4D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oWQXWgviBtY/Xq47t6E-sBI/AAAAAAAAMoY/fU2zGwiwjI80BDMN3nQtg9KXMRdU74BTACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/0B625BED-A209-4DC0-AF37-EFD2C871DA4D.jpg" width="583" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course, I realized *after* I did my hair that I was wearing a t-shirt and not a button-up shirt. Rather than take it off over my head to change, I had to awkwardly shimmy it off over my hips. Good thing it's just an old work shirt from Mr. Cation, so it doesn't matter that the neck hole got all stretched out! </td></tr>
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So here's what it all looked like together:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xiWZh8yh-PY/Xq489ykuIqI/AAAAAAAAMow/rQlgQwJ0kSEWjogbNyrhxe4MZAieoZXJwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6741.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="837" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xiWZh8yh-PY/Xq489ykuIqI/AAAAAAAAMow/rQlgQwJ0kSEWjogbNyrhxe4MZAieoZXJwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6741.JPEG" width="334" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh hai, I'm the Chinese Camille Clifford knock-off. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hair was falling down in the back. Looks like a hundred bobby pins wasn't enough. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice rounding out of the bum area provided by the little bustle pad!</td></tr>
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And why are all these pictures so awkwardly cropped? Because the small human beings were entranced by Mommy's funny hair and clothes and were hovering around.<br />
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<u>Summary</u><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</i> Self-drafted, based on historical pattern pieces/drafting directions<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Fabric:</i> For the corset cover, I used a leftover piece of thrifted white cotton sateen sheet (the rest of the sheet went to a Princess Leia costume for a friend). I dyed it with coffee to get it match the lace. The petticoat is a (unfortunately) polyester microfiber sheet in a pale mint green that somebody gave me "because you like sewing with sheets, right?" I used it because it fits the Slytherin color scheme, and all my other sheets were too patterned or earmarked for other projects already.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions:</i> Three very anachronistic clear buttons for the corset cover, and a hook for the waist closure. I ran out of bars so I made a thread bar for the first time! The lace for the top is from a vintage fair I went to eight years ago, so I'm glad I finally got a chance to use it. The bias tape for the petticoat drawstring casing is from my school librarian's neighbor's destash, and the drawstring itself is cut off of an old bathrobe.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Hours:</i> A couple hours for drafting, a couple for cutting out, 1.5 hours for sewing the petticoat, and probably four for the corset cover. Total: let's just say 14.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">How accurate is it?</i> The corset cover should be made with thinner fabric and probably should have a drawstring at the waist, too. The petticoat should probably be made with stiffer fabric and have more lace, tucks, and ruffles.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Total cost:</i> The fabrics were all stash, given to me, or leftover from other projects, so I'm going to say $5 when counting the little bit of lace, cotton sheet, and buttons. And once again, I didn't buy anything new!<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Final thoughts:</i> The corset cover is a little tight in the armscye and bust area, so I'm thinking of going in and adding a little triangular wedge at the side seam. Again, we're theoretically not designing garments for ourselves, but for a mannequin, so I'm not surprised, but I would like it to be a little more comfortable to wear. I think once I do that and get a blousier fit, I'll be pretty pleased with the overall "ooh, I'm in my historical undahwears!" look though!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aK6t0S6GzDo/TjHzlpztMYI/AAAAAAAAATo/-cLt74e6OZY/s1600/1902%2BStevens%2Bcatalog%2Bunderskirts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="404" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aK6t0S6GzDo/TjHzlpztMYI/AAAAAAAAATo/-cLt74e6OZY/s1600/1902%2BStevens%2Bcatalog%2Bunderskirts.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old-timey filter!</td></tr>
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-10055521372015345002020-05-01T23:38:00.000-07:002020-05-02T22:16:12.464-07:00Flat Pattern Class <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OGjTztbhpy4/Xq0TKTBiKfI/AAAAAAAAMmw/7Gokws28Q6A7lWUjuSdFR2Bsa9vZ-ouZgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OGjTztbhpy4/Xq0TKTBiKfI/AAAAAAAAMmw/7Gokws28Q6A7lWUjuSdFR2Bsa9vZ-ouZgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7423.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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In this unprecedented time of #canceleverything, I am grateful for the things that have not been canceled. I've missed out on a historical dance, a historical tea, and a cookie exchange with historical costuming friends, as well as several birthday parties. My school's play, <i>A Little Princess</i>, for which I was doing historical costumes (sense a theme here?), was also canceled. What *is* still happening, though, is the Flat Pattern Class I'm taking at <a href="https://fashion.canadacollege.edu/">Canada College</a>. Of course, it's been moved online, but I'm glad that I happened to be taking a class more suited to distance learning than say, tailoring or fashion illustration. Our professor is still showing how to do pattern manipulations on Zoom, and we are emailing pictures of our patterns and garments. Obviously, we don't all have mannequins on which to display or test our garments, but it's working fairly well, all things considered.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tDOpHdd2HgY/Xq0PvY1uebI/AAAAAAAAMls/ih1oxPrMXKw7UwxXMah2St-jxx3Nif5TgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1225" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tDOpHdd2HgY/Xq0PvY1uebI/AAAAAAAAMls/ih1oxPrMXKw7UwxXMah2St-jxx3Nif5TgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7752.JPG" width="488" /></a></div>
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But back up a little: if you don't know what flat pattern manipulation is, it's where you take a basic sloper pattern (plain fitted bodice + sleeve + straight skirt with darts in "standard" places) and by shifting darts around, adding fullness, and contouring, can totally change the pattern pieces to make anything you want. I realized after the class started that I'd basically already been doing this to a lot of my TNT patterns in order to get the style lines I wanted for various costumes, but it was nice to learn it "officially" so that I could pick up on the little tidbits of information I missed as a self-taught sewist. Things like the industry standard for how far to back dart tips off from the apex (instead of my usual "ehh, that looks about right!"), or the proper way to add fullness (slashing and spreading at multiple points, then truing the stitch line, instead of my haphazard scooting the pattern piece over until it looked right...are you sensing a theme here, too?). I confess I do get a little impatient sometimes about the pace of the class, because I feel like all these manipulations are obvious, but then I have to remind myself to take a deep breath because not everyone taking the class has been doing this for years. Teachers really do make the worst students sometimes.<br />
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Anyway, so one of our assignments was to make a top with a sleeve of some kind and a collar that had a closure, and show the pattern manipulation work that went into it. I didn't want to make some variation of a cutesy Peter Pan collar on a button up shirt with puff sleeves, which which is what a lot of people went with. So I started brainstorming...and coming off of my mourning for the Victorian costumes that I made for <i>A Little Princess </i>that would never be worn, I decided that I was going to make a turn of the century, early 1900s-style blouse, with a high stand collar, bishop sleeves, and a full gathered front, pouter-pigeon look. And as I looked at the fabrics available to me in my stash (lots of gray, green, and black), I decided that I was going to go all in and make myself a historical Slytherin costume. The final garments for this class have to include a top and a skirt (or an entire dress...basically it has to cover a dress form so that it's dressed "decently"), and if I made a top for this assignment, then I could just make a skirt to complete the final outfit. Was I making a lot of extra work for myself, drafting such a complicated outfit? The answer is yes. Did I care? No. I'm using all my Canada College classes as an excuse to indulge in my love for historical fashion (see <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2017/07/a-year-of-fashion-illustration-classes.html">Exhibit A, Fashion Illustration classes</a>, and <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-dangerous-coat.html">Exhibit B, Tailoring Class</a>).<br />
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Here's what my quarter scale work looked like. We're supposed to work out our designs in quarter scale first so that the professor can check our work, then we make the full-scale pattern and mock it up. I didn't bother with a mock-up and just went straight for fashion fabric, because 1) we're designing for a standard size 8 mannequin, which is basically my size so I have a fairly good idea how things should look/fit, and 2) my fashion fabric is thrifted sheets, so no big loss if it doesn't work out. I did dress it up more with some stash lace, which was so shifty that I had to hand baste it all in place before I could start sewing, so that was also obviously an excellent time-saving decision in this time of extra work due to home-schooling.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm pretty pleased with how centered I got the lace motifs!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OjfOS0rV4-0/Xq0QiJHY2wI/AAAAAAAAMmI/8Kvgj6LFRmYPNjN5mZnSKjE_muhBboyKgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7427.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="864" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OjfOS0rV4-0/Xq0QiJHY2wI/AAAAAAAAMmI/8Kvgj6LFRmYPNjN5mZnSKjE_muhBboyKgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7427.JPEG" width="344" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think the side profile has the right kind of poofy pigeon-breast look. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oops, Cecily's skirt, my stand-in until I make the real one, is slightly off-center. It's a thrift store find that used to be a too big, 90s-tastic, empire-waisted, tea-length, burnout-velvet dress, so I cut off the top portion and redid the top edge with a petersham ribbon facing to make it into a floor-length skirt.</td></tr>
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The back closes with hooks and bars, as do the sleeve cuffs, mostly because I had lots of them leftover from our anniversary trip to the UK, where I found a vintage pack of a hundred at a charity shop. I've gotten a lot better/faster at sewing them on now, but I still don't like doing it and mine aren't particularly neat. But they're all hidden, and black on black is hard to see, so I think ultimately the pragmatic Slytherin thing to do is to get them done functionally and save all the agonizing over perfection for <strike>when Voldemort is actually watching</strike> the parts that are actually showing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BCcEGtWcuf8/Xq0SK8QAbOI/AAAAAAAAMmg/GZKoVf7-ozc9tQGW-IkPqcRTf1sBnV42QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BCcEGtWcuf8/Xq0SK8QAbOI/AAAAAAAAMmg/GZKoVf7-ozc9tQGW-IkPqcRTf1sBnV42QCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7761.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Slytherin secrets: the inside seams aren't finished. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDS3RbJ-Yv0/Xq0SMQyvdpI/AAAAAAAAMmk/xgDa02ilrPwWg9S3xKtjoVmjYuoWtXlTwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDS3RbJ-Yv0/Xq0SMQyvdpI/AAAAAAAAMmk/xgDa02ilrPwWg9S3xKtjoVmjYuoWtXlTwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7757.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to look up how to finish the sleeve placket because I haven't done one in oh, at least five years. </td></tr>
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<u>Summary</u><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</i> Self-drafted, but based on period illustrations/patterns like the one below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://66.media.tumblr.com/f9a6ce42866aed0366a1c6578bb37b91/tumblr_mk5mrxwlUK1s9rus8o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="491" src="https://66.media.tumblr.com/f9a6ce42866aed0366a1c6578bb37b91/tumblr_mk5mrxwlUK1s9rus8o1_500.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://realhistoricalpatterns.tumblr.com/post/46149709913/blouse-pattern-from-somewhere-between-1901-to">the Original Pre-1929 Historical Patterns tumblr</a> is a treasure trove.</td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Fabric:</i> Half of a full-size flat sheet in gray cotton sateen, thrifted and leftover from drama costume making, for the main blouse fabric. The yoke was overlaid in black lace from a 1/2-yard remnant that I bought from Joann's years ago. I don't know the fiber content anymore, but it's definitely synthetic. For the cuff and collar lace overlays, I used scraps from a remnant pack that I bought at the Dark Garden trunk sale years ago. The strip of black fabric for back closure was from another thrifted cotton sateen sheet scrap, and the bias tape binding at the hem is silk dupioni leftover from my Ursula bustier. I'm really pleased with how I've been able to use all leftover pieces of fabric from my stash for this!<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions:</i> Interfacing for the collar, cuffs, and back closure, pieced together from the leftover of my <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-dangerous-coat.html">tailoring class coat</a>, and souvenir hooks and bars<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Hours:</i> A couple hours each for drafting and cutting, another hour of hand-basting lace, maybe five hours for actual sewing, and then another hour of hook and bar sewing, so let's say 11 hours total.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">How accurate is it?</i> Like everything else I do, not really: a cotton shirtwaist would need to be in thinner material, and obviously synthetic laces are right out, but I tried to get the overall impression of the look right? I think the thickness of the sheet fabric prevents the gathers from falling as nicely as they should, but my pattern pieces are pretty good I think.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Total cost:</i> It's made from so many little scrappy leftover bits, it's hard to say, but I would say definitely less than $10.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Final thoughts: </i>It's hard not to focus in on the one mistake I know I made: I cut the center front piece wrong, so there's something wonky going on in the middle. Plus, the stiffness of the sheet fabric makes for an awkwardly puffy-looking blouse (as opposed to period-accurate puffiness), so I feel like I should go back and redo it. That would involve A LOT of seam ripping though, so I may wait until the full ensemble is done to see if it still bothers me enough to warrant fixing it. I am hoping that once I finish everything else (skirt, belt, and Eton jacket/bolero-y thing), the overall look will be good enough that I won't feel like I need to.<br />
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Fingers crossed!<br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-31118919633731943952020-04-28T21:25:00.002-07:002020-04-28T21:25:33.635-07:00I'm Part of the #ADCapeCult Now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--LDY1OAJWCo/Xqj-N8jI2_I/AAAAAAAAMkQ/eIjWUxNxvS4sLWv711_ajh5gIsthf_GjQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1CF18DED-6810-4FAB-81EA-177A5DECEDDA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--LDY1OAJWCo/Xqj-N8jI2_I/AAAAAAAAMkQ/eIjWUxNxvS4sLWv711_ajh5gIsthf_GjQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/1CF18DED-6810-4FAB-81EA-177A5DECEDDA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've loved American Duchess for a long time, from their gorgeous historical shoes to the very helpful blog chronicling the making of various items of historical clothing, the accessibility of their Simplicity patterns and their informative Fashion History podcast. Somehow it escaped my notice that they had <a href="https://www.patreon.com/americanduchess/posts">a Patreon page</a>, but then all these costumers I admire and follow on IG were posting about making <a href="https://witness2fashion.wordpress.com/2018/10/28/unusual-capes-1912-to-1920/">this 1912 wrap cape</a> from <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/welcome-heres-35479363">a free pattern by AD</a>. So now, a week of naptime/post-bedtime sewing later, I have a cape and am a patron of American Duchess!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cQLxO27go2E/Xqj-VKWRXhI/AAAAAAAAMkU/KDPaToxZmHMGWE6l2QyjCXQAX8kjf9AzwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/34E9F922-54E0-4066-9784-8D77DE17D0AA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cQLxO27go2E/Xqj-VKWRXhI/AAAAAAAAMkU/KDPaToxZmHMGWE6l2QyjCXQAX8kjf9AzwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/34E9F922-54E0-4066-9784-8D77DE17D0AA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I actually had this cape pinned ever since participating in the VPLL 1912 Project years ago, so of course I had to make it. It seemed like most IG-ers were either making neutral gray/black/brown versions, and a few people made capes in their Hogwarts house colors. I knew I wanted to go vivid, and I had a red brocade tablecloth that I got at a thrift store several years ago that I actually meant to make into a cape...but I'm so not a Gryffindor. In fact, when I took a Sorting Hat quiz that tells you what percentage of each house you are, I think I got something along the lines of 67% Slytherin and 33% Ravenclaw, and zero percent Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. In other words, if you want someone to learn a lot of information and then use it for their own ambitious ends, while not caring about other people or the right thing to do, then apparently I'm your person. *insert laugh-crying emoji here* I think I had a genuine existential dilemma for five minutes about making a red cape when I'm so not a Gryff, but in the end I decided I wanted a red cape too much, and since I was lining it in black satin, I could just call it a Fire Nation cape. Not that entire fictional countries must match up to Hogwarts houses, but I really do think the Fire Nation (as evidenced by its royals) is the most Slytherin nation in ATLA. Nerdy crossover fanning aside, though, I'm so glad I went with the saturated dark red, both because that's one of my favorite colors to wear, and because if you're going to make an impractical historical cape, you might as well go the whole way and make it an impractical color too?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jCPOAemC5Zw/Xqj-iXe3jRI/AAAAAAAAMkc/hstjw2E-I3kgicBKau_mFl1LrMfYkfHXwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/FC9D5DD2-6D22-4079-ABF2-901F016BA0FE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jCPOAemC5Zw/Xqj-iXe3jRI/AAAAAAAAMkc/hstjw2E-I3kgicBKau_mFl1LrMfYkfHXwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/FC9D5DD2-6D22-4079-ABF2-901F016BA0FE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The AD pattern is done on a tiny grid, like Janet Arnold's <i>Patterns of Fashion </i>books. When I was making JA patterns, I enlarged them by drawing on the back of wrapping paper that was printed with a 1-inch grid. I don't have any gridded paper anymore, so I scaled up the pattern by plotting it on medical paper (which is very thin and see-through) laid over my gridded self-healing cutting mat. It took a couple hours (with lots of interruption from kids, so YMMV), then another couple of hours to plan the layout on my tablecloth and cut the pieces. Somebody on IG pointed out that the shoulder seam notch on the cape piece didn't make sense grain-wise, and many people pointed out that the cape was two inches too short on the back piece when you walked the back-cape seam. Putting together these two pieces of information, I decided to rotate the cape piece back two inches: this makes the hem line up and also puts the grainline perpendicular to the floor when worn. Other than that, I didn't have any issues with making up the garment. The darts did take forever to mark and pin, and my polyester fabrics were tricky to press well without getting a weird shine (thank you, silk-organza press cloth and wooden half-dowel), especially on the collar. I also decided to make the cape theoretically reversible, so that meant changing up the collar fabrics and putting the contrast piece on both sides. Hemming the back piece at the end also took a couple of tries before I got the tablecloth and the satin lining to hang right together. To add some additional visual interest to the cape, I decided to add little chain tassels to the collar corners to mimic the buttons at the shoulders on the original cape. The cape is secured at the ends of the wrap pieces with hooks and eyes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iye85JZ2APo/Xqj-rrTV0KI/AAAAAAAAMkk/6UAc-8aF9QEjjq_R7TT0CK3ExjBkg3rsgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1970C830-B582-4B17-A036-D4001B6FEB23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iye85JZ2APo/Xqj-rrTV0KI/AAAAAAAAMkk/6UAc-8aF9QEjjq_R7TT0CK3ExjBkg3rsgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/1970C830-B582-4B17-A036-D4001B6FEB23.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I seriously love this tablecloth. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-je5Yebmjczw/XqkAXV4KYWI/AAAAAAAAMlE/fB_2rXxIbFAIkYPT8q3QqMV3NdQ2_6kpwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/D77A9AA8-87EE-43EE-AC13-A016B1BDC048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="1218" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-je5Yebmjczw/XqkAXV4KYWI/AAAAAAAAMlE/fB_2rXxIbFAIkYPT8q3QqMV3NdQ2_6kpwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/D77A9AA8-87EE-43EE-AC13-A016B1BDC048.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annnnddd...flipped!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-onUk_Bg2kn4/XqkAZg8sN-I/AAAAAAAAMlI/gk9Dl76lM1AP_TQgzrhAxjNmoqBbIhL9gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DB36C927-6C56-4B79-96F8-557D9EF4F50F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-onUk_Bg2kn4/XqkAZg8sN-I/AAAAAAAAMlI/gk9Dl76lM1AP_TQgzrhAxjNmoqBbIhL9gCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/DB36C927-6C56-4B79-96F8-557D9EF4F50F.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And worn flipped. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AazBLhaO-y4/XqkAc0TD5yI/AAAAAAAAMlM/wxXG5dykXJ4kNkteLDE7_vVChhxqVZMHgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/B64AFC00-2831-4D75-8CB1-B5578F388FD8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AazBLhaO-y4/XqkAc0TD5yI/AAAAAAAAMlM/wxXG5dykXJ4kNkteLDE7_vVChhxqVZMHgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/B64AFC00-2831-4D75-8CB1-B5578F388FD8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The finished cape is just delightfully full and twirly and swooshy and good for dramatically storming about. If I were Snape (because a chemistry teacher is just a step away from potions professor, right?), I could flounce about most pleasingly! My only regret is not checking the shoulder fit before cutting and sewing: with my wide shoulders, the only way to get the shoulder seam to not sit obviously too far in toward my neck (and therefore make the cape hang funny) is to wear the wrap portion too loose. It's not the end of the world (that would be coronavirus), but I just wish I'd thought to check. It's been so long since I've sewn a new pattern that I forgot what issues I usually need to adjust for.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VE3Y_8Oo4E8/Xqj_419dmmI/AAAAAAAAMk0/PHYa80JsNOknuKqnExiBWTDGd-ve6RmhgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/064E0805-B6CD-452A-A8AA-F00632BEC76C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VE3Y_8Oo4E8/Xqj_419dmmI/AAAAAAAAMk0/PHYa80JsNOknuKqnExiBWTDGd-ve6RmhgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/064E0805-B6CD-452A-A8AA-F00632BEC76C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DK0YmGa4K0k/Xqj_7YDV-PI/AAAAAAAAMk4/ZTJTKOfA1mcLnMjBA3KtSORRAdPVcioGQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/54B4B143-26D4-4D28-AA3F-7E1F431E28EA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DK0YmGa4K0k/Xqj_7YDV-PI/AAAAAAAAMk4/ZTJTKOfA1mcLnMjBA3KtSORRAdPVcioGQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/54B4B143-26D4-4D28-AA3F-7E1F431E28EA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why is red so hard to photograph in the only somewhat-still-lit corner of our backyard when we sneak out to quickly snap some photos while the kids have their half hour of screen time? Oh wait, I think I just answered my own question...</td></tr>
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<u>Summary:</u><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</i> the American Duchess 1910s Wrap Cape pattern, free on their Patreon page<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Fabric:</i> a thrifted dark red poly-cotton brocade tablecloth, and black polyester satin from a friend's destash for the lining. I'm really pleased that I was able to make this suddenly-jumped-to-the-head-of-the-sewing-queue project entirely from stash materials.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions:</i> three sets of hooks and eyes from a charity shop that I got on one of our anniversary trips to the UK, and two chain tassels that used to be earrings that I got at a clothing exchange.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Hours:</i> Five for prepwork (scaling up the pattern, layout planning and cutting, pinning darts), then maybe another three for sewing and an additional hour for evening out the hem, sewing hooks and eyes, and adding tassels, for a total of nine hours.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">How accurate is it? </i>My fiber content is obviously anachronistic, but in terms of general look and "passing," I'd say pretty good!<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Total cost:</i> A whopping $5 for the tablecloth!<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Final thoughts:</i> How can you not love a cape? It's impractical, especially with young kids who see such a giant expanse of fabric as basically a giant napkin, and of course there's the fact that I made outerwear from non-breathable fabrics right as the weather is heating up, but I regret nothing. I'm so thankful that AD put out this pattern at this time, and I'm glad I can support their business even a little bit by being a patron.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Lw3iH6XkiQ/XqkAoWsbPmI/AAAAAAAAMlU/E5u8B1wqducfxKyMLjJruE-_ATSD5kFDQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/A53ED95A-F010-4F80-87A7-C9ADFE6052D5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Lw3iH6XkiQ/XqkAoWsbPmI/AAAAAAAAMlU/E5u8B1wqducfxKyMLjJruE-_ATSD5kFDQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/A53ED95A-F010-4F80-87A7-C9ADFE6052D5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-68860779387298005492020-02-29T10:56:00.002-08:002020-02-29T10:56:35.342-08:00A Bed for Buddy BearSHB#2's favorite things right now are the colors pink and purple, flowers, butterflies, ladybugs, and taking care of her best friend, i.e. a stuffed bear almost as big as she is, named Buddy Bear. I'm not really sure how this happened, because I have most definitely not been pushing her toward (if anything, I've been pushing away from) stereotypically feminine colors or iconography or expectations for future childcare responsibilities. She does also enjoy large trucks and construction vehicles and Star Wars, but I'm trying to be a good feminist by not only not pushing her toward traditional feminism, but also not looking down on those interests if that's what she honestly enjoys. To that end, February's <a href="https://www.ctpub.com/categories/sewing/kraft-tex.html">Kraft-tex</a> project was for her.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hk5GIcMPCNM/Xlqw5_yUvAI/AAAAAAAAMgw/N6HBpNw89Mkq1PSU1WnlgOBUfCR7sjOfwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hk5GIcMPCNM/Xlqw5_yUvAI/AAAAAAAAMgw/N6HBpNw89Mkq1PSU1WnlgOBUfCR7sjOfwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7007.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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When I got the February's Kraft-tex color of the month package, Orchid, SHB#2 immediately claimed it as her own: "Oh, eet's poh-poh! Eet's my favorite!" (i.e. it's purple: I love the way her toddler self pronounces things.) She's also been wanting a bed for Buddy Bear; ever since starting preschool she's been wanting to reenact her day with her bear: feeding it breakfast, doing circle time, teaching it songs, taking it to the potty, and putting it down for a nap. That last one is tricky since it's been established that the stuffed animal bed is a dog bed that's in SHB#1's room, but most of the time we need to leave the door to his room closed lest she destroy his Lego builds, so she could really use her own stuffed animal bed. I figured the size of a Kraft-tex sheet (18.5" x 28.5") was about the right size for a very shallow tray that would look more or less like the dog bed, since in SHB#2's mind, that is what stuffed animal beds look like.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GoOXdu7f__s/XlqxP8__VJI/AAAAAAAAMg8/g014vCuDhp8vRdlMUxDgqeM5hxGgkBrSwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1296" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GoOXdu7f__s/XlqxP8__VJI/AAAAAAAAMg8/g014vCuDhp8vRdlMUxDgqeM5hxGgkBrSwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6992.JPG" width="518" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With a little pillow because I had some scrap muslin and batting. </td></tr>
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Since I still haven't taken my machine in for servicing (hello, #onepersoncostumeshop season), I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything that involves joining two layers of Kraft-tex together without getting unsightly gaping or weird stitch tension issues, and ideally I wanted to be able to flatten the bed and potentially harvest the Kraftex after she gets over this stage of play, so I thought for a long time about how to make a tray that fit those parameters. I ended up lining the Kraft-tex with a piece of flannel (pink, with ponies and butterflies and flowers, per her choice from my stash) and then doing some experimental folding to get it vaguely tray-like. Once I figured out how I wanted to fold the corners, I creased all my fold lines with a hera marker, then used those lines as guides for stitching. I also made two channels along the long edges so that I could insert large cable ties (leftover from corset-making) to help keep it from being quite so floppy. Then it was a simple matter of using my awl to punch holes in the ends and then threading some ribbon through to tie it all together. I was originally going to insert grommets for sturdier and more photogenic ribbon holes, but TBH my customer did not care and has already claimed the bed for use, so maybe I'll go back and insert them later. But probably not.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zx29XjV-Nrk/XlqxWgk1VmI/AAAAAAAAMhE/KurNSaV-hf4C6rrFPcZucAp9Z07kL2tJwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1600" height="378" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zx29XjV-Nrk/XlqxWgk1VmI/AAAAAAAAMhE/KurNSaV-hf4C6rrFPcZucAp9Z07kL2tJwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6990.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much pink and purple. I just folded over the edges of the flannel and zigzagged all the way around the edges. It's not the prettiest but it's functional and I think actual bias binding would have been too thick for all the folding. </td></tr>
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Here's a diagram showing how I did my folds and stitches and holes. The corner squares are 4" x 4", and all the lines inside the rectangle represent stitch lines where I sewed the flannel and Kraftex layers together. In addition to stitching, the dashed lines represent valley folds and the dotted lines represent mountain folds; the dash-dot lines that were NOT folded are my additional lines of stitching for the cable tie channels. Lastly, the circles mark where I put my ribbon holes. I punched these with my awl through all three layers at once when the entire thing was folded up (with WonderClips to hold the edges in place) so that I could be sure they would line up with each other properly. The final tray is just the right size for Buddy Bear, but still leaves a large flat portion of Kraft-tex in the middle that can be reclaimed and reused when SHB#2 no longer needs it as a bed. The ribbons also make it so the bed can be "taken apart" and flattened should it need to be stored away.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGJNn8718B4/XloGEpII3eI/AAAAAAAAMgk/2gOBMo2VhBA6f-47uCaBv9xTcv-JKaOlACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Buddy%2BBear%2BBed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="624" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGJNn8718B4/XloGEpII3eI/AAAAAAAAMgk/2gOBMo2VhBA6f-47uCaBv9xTcv-JKaOlACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Buddy%2BBear%2BBed.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel like the SAT Math test, having to post a disclaimer that this diagram is not to scale. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LsR9_Ue_Lp0/Xlqxdb-FrrI/AAAAAAAAMhI/XHlB1-VkJlMEZ5sjFQyjfFGvQKuAjgj0QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LsR9_Ue_Lp0/Xlqxdb-FrrI/AAAAAAAAMhI/XHlB1-VkJlMEZ5sjFQyjfFGvQKuAjgj0QCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6993.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect size for Buddy Bear (who, in case you want to know, is from Target's Cat and Jack kids' bedroom line).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HaEuDkdaCbg/Xlqxf4Ss_vI/AAAAAAAAMhQ/5bLzYK1mPM4y0UR04MUCp7H1QqqoEHNhgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HaEuDkdaCbg/Xlqxf4Ss_vI/AAAAAAAAMhQ/5bLzYK1mPM4y0UR04MUCp7H1QqqoEHNhgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6994.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All tucked in!</td></tr>
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Of course, most people don't need very shallow tray beds to fit this very specific bear, but you could use this same principle to make a different sized tray depending on your needs, and maybe you'll actually take the time to put in nice grommets!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zKxNO4scVYc/XlqyhdoE5AI/AAAAAAAAMhg/FSt_v2afF8Y1ySu-hcUg7vn4QqhHORSJQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zKxNO4scVYc/XlqyhdoE5AI/AAAAAAAAMhg/FSt_v2afF8Y1ySu-hcUg7vn4QqhHORSJQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7008.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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[Note: C&T Publishing provided the Kraft-tex for this project.]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-62764463553529470492020-02-12T14:57:00.003-08:002020-02-12T15:09:49.030-08:00A Brandy Cinderella Dress for a Small Human BeingCinderella was my first favorite princess. My dad likes to remind me that when I was in preschool, he read the Disney Cinderella book to me every night at my request until he had memorized it. Cinderella was the reason why my parents started calling me Cindy (because my name is not actually Cation), and I watched the movie so many times that I have to think it must have had some effect on my eventually learning to sew, because I'm pretty sure it has the longest sewing sequence in a kids' movie. My parents were too frugal to ever buy dedicated costumes or dress-up clothes, but no doubt I would've worn a fancy Cinderella dress to rags (in a bizarre reversal of the movie's progression) had I owned one. I don't love Cinderella now (I much prefer my princesses to have more agency and badassery, like <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/08/mommy-me-mulan-cosplay.html">Mulan</a>), but I will always have a soft spot in my heart for her. So when SHB#2's best friend, K, who loves Cinderella and dressing up, turned three last month, I knew I wanted to help make her princess dreams come true.<br />
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Here's the catch: K loves the 1997 Brandy version of Cinderella, and not the classic animated Disney one. There are tons of tutorials and patterns out there on teh interwebs for the classic Disney dress, but not much for Brandy's ball gown. Thankfully, at last year's D23 Heroes and Villains costume exhibit, <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/disney-displayed-some-of-its-most-iconic-movie-costumes-of">the Brandy gown was on display</a> so there were plenty of <a href="https://d23.com/app/uploads/2019/06/DE_Art-of-Disney-Costuming_PGS-024-025_web.jpg">good reference pictures</a> available even though the film came out awhile ago. I picked up a couple of different light blue sparkly fabrics from Joann's remnants selection (I make exceptions to my no new fabric buying rule for gifts, but even then I try to shop the remnants for small pieces that other people may not want) and started plotting about how to make this dress happen for a very small human being.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love that on the left you can see an Asian guy dressed as Paolo Montalban's prince taking a picture of the dress on display...I mean, how often does one get a canonically Asian, non-animatedprince? </td></tr>
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Having taken the evening gown construction class, I now know that a waist stay and boned bodice are essential for having a strapless dress stay up, but obvious I wasn't going to be putting such structure into a child's dress. Also, the fabric I found for the bodice was stretchy, because I wanted this to be a comfy, easy(ish) to put on fun costume. I decided that clear swimsuit elastic was the way to go, in the form of straps to hold up the top while the little droopy sleeve swags just hung decoratively. I knew that K and SHB#2 were more or less the same size, so I used one of her tops to draw up a vaguely raglan-sleeve-type pattern, where the sleeve had enough room to fall off the shoulder to look like Brandy's dress. I sewed some pintucks on the front and back to visually mimic the Vs made by the rhinestones on Brandy's dress, and added some pearls and silver beads from my stash to give the suggestion of a jeweled dress without covering the entire thing. Since the velvet is sparkly, I think the overall effect is sufficiently fancy. After semi-blinging out the top, I cut and attached a circular ruffle that was longer in the back to match the peplum on Brandy's dress.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9eFjsLOLx8/XkR_g7UP8nI/AAAAAAAAMfA/N8WWV6orBH0I0rVEZ2plvsunI9FPAT1UwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9eFjsLOLx8/XkR_g7UP8nI/AAAAAAAAMfA/N8WWV6orBH0I0rVEZ2plvsunI9FPAT1UwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6649.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry, these are really not the best pictures because 1) glittery/sparkly throws off my phone camera, 2) our house does not get great light, and 3) SHB#2 was grabbing me while I was trying to quickly snap some pictures before wrapping it up to leave for the birthday party.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny silver and pearl beads at the bodice neckline! Also, the tiara was one I bought for a costume party in high school, wore once, and forgot about until my mom was cleaning and found it and gave it back to me. I figured it should go to a little girl who could actually appreciate it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back!</td></tr>
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Brandy's skirt has layers and layers of fluffy tulle, but I couldn't find a good color match at Joann's. I did find half a yard of this nylon net with embroidered glittery flowers, though, which I deemed to be good enough. I layered it over some white dotted net (leftover from <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/10/duchess-of-cambridge-inspired-baseball.html">this top</a>) and periwinkle blue knit fabric (leftover from making Mulan costumes) to get the blue-ish layered look, which worked pretty well, I think! The three layers were gathered into a white 2"-wide soft elastic waistband, then I hemmed the knit, innermost layer with some horsehair braid to help it stand out and away from tiny feet. The dotted net layer I left unhemmed, and the outermost embroidered flower layer has a whopping five inch hem. Since I didn't want a line of stitching going around the skirt, I just hand-tacked the flowers together where they overlapped. The nylon net is sheer enough (and there enough going on in the underlayers) that the overall effect is a mostly invisible hem, with the added bonus of the wide hem helping the overskirt to poof out more. With such a generous hem and the elastic waistband, there's plenty of room for growth (at least in the skirt, if not the top) for years to come.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pYvcVMeQN6s/XkSAwtcgJII/AAAAAAAAMfg/vbze95PC4J48JeK5Hx99BWTzu21eQ0BuwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pYvcVMeQN6s/XkSAwtcgJII/AAAAAAAAMfg/vbze95PC4J48JeK5Hx99BWTzu21eQ0BuwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6656.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sparkles and glitter abound!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the three layers of fabric here. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W-VBRt4GxmM/XkSAxJ0wsGI/AAAAAAAAMfk/sIKbFtYPraU-wjPjPsZqiEn3dJXFJSXTwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W-VBRt4GxmM/XkSAxJ0wsGI/AAAAAAAAMfk/sIKbFtYPraU-wjPjPsZqiEn3dJXFJSXTwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6655.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a close-up of how I folded over the outer layer. The flowers lined up very nicely, and the stiffness of the embroidered flowers at the bottom also help to keep it from collapsing in on itself. </td></tr>
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I think the finished outfit was received pretty well, considering K put it on right away and has been wearing it regularly ever since. I know the <a href="https://selfishseamstress.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/selfish-seamstressing-for-beginners-a-handy-guide/">Selfish Seamstress</a> (oh how I miss her presence in the sewing blogiverse!) says that sewing for kids is not to be done, but alas, motherhood has changed me and I am less selfish about sewing for others now. That said, I'm still only going to sew fun things, like costumes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aBgwjGZy3xY/XkSB1UAW-iI/AAAAAAAAMf0/aX9g8aQSG58LBtTsxBl8_M33dbhc4c21ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1247" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aBgwjGZy3xY/XkSB1UAW-iI/AAAAAAAAMf0/aX9g8aQSG58LBtTsxBl8_M33dbhc4c21ACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6664.JPG" width="498" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blurry again, because have you ever tried to get a photo of a three year old in the evening, indoors?</td></tr>
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The only problem is that throughout this process, I kept trying it all on SHB#2, such that by the end she thought it was for her. She was a little disappointed that it went to her bestie, so I think this means I need to make a floofy princess dress for her now...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-27244503454651186792020-01-30T14:20:00.002-08:002020-01-30T14:20:25.352-08:00Back to My RootsThis past Christmas, I celebrated (okay, posted on IG stories) my sewing machine's tenth birthday. Mr. Cation got me the machine for Christmas in 2019, and the first thing I did was sew a whole slew of zippered pouches. I started out with unlined pouches, then added appliqued cats, then graduated to lined pouches and then even pouches with little "windows" that gave a hint as to the contents. It was good practice for sewing in straight lines, being precise, and thinking about how one would need to arrange right and wrong sides of outer and inner fabrics in order to get the correct sides showing and raw edges hidden, and the mass output was fine because you can always use more containers for things and they made for nice little hostess- or stocking-stuffer-type gifts. Then I discovered garment sewing and, with the exception of some forays into plushie- and quilt-making, I pretty much stopped sewing non-wearable things.<br />
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Now that I have small human beings, though, I need more zippered pouches to contain all the miscellaneous things that they "require." Requirement being a loosely applied term, though, because the other day SHB#2 "required" that I bring for her 1) a reusable ice cube, 2) two unopened packets of hot sauce, 3) a small pair of tongs, 4) a slap bracelet, and 5) an old hotel key card. Kids and their treasures of the day: you never know what piece of junk will be indispensable! At any rate, it's much easier to contain all these little things in a zippered pouch instead of in three tiny pockets or two tinier hands or one enormous diaper bag that also contains changes of clothes and washcloths and restaurant toys and water bottles and sunscreen and hats. So, more zippered pouches it was!</div>
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Coincidentally, at around the same time that I realized I was going to need more zippered pouches, C&T Publishing contacted me about trying out <a href="https://www.ctpub.com/categories/sewing/kraft-tex.html">Kraft-Tex</a>, a leather-like fabric that is made from mostly paper and a small amount of synthetic latex. I was intrigued, because I don't love using leather (when I do, I try to source it from thrifted items) OR pleather/vinyl (which is terrible for the environment), but there are some costume items that kind of require leather or leather-looking materials. I agreed to try out Kraft-Tex, thinking that if it worked out, I would be able to use it for the "leather" sections of the Pozu-knockoff Rey boots I'm theoretically trying to make. C&T Publishing has a color-of-the-month program for bloggers, where they send you a different color 18.5" x 28.5" sheet each month in exchange for a blog post about a project made with it. January's color is Crimson, which worked out because you know, Chinese New Year! Much red! So lucky! Very fortune! Wow!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny toddler hand sneaking in to grab a pouch because this girl loves bags. She is forever running off with my make-up bag, my pattern weights bag, my pencil case, etc. </td></tr>
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I was able to get three zippered pouches out of my piece of red Kraft-Tex, and I learned a lot in the process. I've had some experience sewing with trickier materials, but this still felt like a pretty steep learning curve, mostly because, like leather, once the needle goes through the Kraft-Tex, the hole is permanent. The Kraft-Tex is very stiff, so while it is bendable, it's not easy, so manipulating around curves on a non-flat object was tricky. It's also quite thick, so my (admittedly cheap) machine didn't have enough power to get through multiple layers and I had to resort to using the hand wheel. Also, I still haven't been able to get the thread tension right (although that might also be because of my machine, not the material, since my machine is oh, two years overdue for a tune-up), so there's a pretty visible gap between the pieces when there's tension on the seam. All that said, I do really, really like the look and sturdiness of Kraft-Tex, and the fact that I don't need to interface it, so I want to try again after my machine's been serviced and see if I can't figure out a better way to sew with it. Anyway, here are the details!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to photograph this bright red material with an iPhone, <br />but hopefully you can see that it does have a nice leathery-looking texture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonky hand-stitches on the bias binding, because by<br />
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The first pouch was <a href="https://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/2017/03/zip-up-tray-pouch.html">Aneela Hoey's Zip-Up Tray Pouch</a>, which I first heard about from SewBrooke. It's a tray that zips up into a nice little carrying case. I originally planned to give this to my son for putting Legos into so that he could bring them to different places to build, but since it doesn't close up all the way, tiny pieces can still fall out. I'm using it for my sewing stuff instead, since I really do like how it zips up somewhat compactly, but still allows for opening up to see all the contents without having to rummage to the bottom. In retrospect, this was a poor choice of first project for a new material, since there's a lot of tricky maneuvering to get around the corners, and the bulkiness and stiffness of the Kraft-Tex made for hideous stitching on my bias binding. It's kind of embarrassing to look at, but it's functional? I think I forgot that, just like with garment sewing, it's important to match the material to the pattern and not assume that you can force any material to work for a particular project. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fat and happy taco cats! And burger cats. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MIe-YncrJZQ/XjNSpzUjPXI/AAAAAAAAMeI/4669GlGj0E0WjpSJk0aDW0slVhsksxBhgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MIe-YncrJZQ/XjNSpzUjPXI/AAAAAAAAMeI/4669GlGj0E0WjpSJk0aDW0slVhsksxBhgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_6798.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I then made the <a href="https://noodle-head.com/2012/06/open-wide-zippered-pouch-diy-tutorial.html">Noodlehead Open Wide Zippered Pouch</a> two times, thinking that less weird maneuvering would be better suited to the Kraft-Tex. Since my machine didn't like sewing through multiple layers of the material, I used a different coordinating fabric for the part that would actually be sewn to the zipper. My sister was planning to donate this sweatshirt with cute junk food cats all over it; the print is cute but the fabric is 100% polyester and feels pretty awful. I figured it would work for a non-garment application, so I fused a some light interfacing to the back to increase stability since it's a knit. I thought everything would be pretty easy since I wasn't manipulating strange shapes under the presser foot, but I realized when I flipped the pouch right-side out that my thread tension was all off, so the bottom looks pretty bad. It's still functional, but I wouldn't want to say, gift it to anyone. I made one more pouch with the same combination of fabrics but without the boxed corners on the bottom, thinking that that would reduce the obviousness of the thread tension issues, but it was only partially successful. The gaping is less noticeable, but still present, so I wouldn't quite call this a win. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pm6DsRfV-js/XjNSxmGDCuI/AAAAAAAAMeQ/ljmfnxxRY888sGDTYbKILn64ovtb_fN8QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pm6DsRfV-js/XjNSxmGDCuI/AAAAAAAAMeQ/ljmfnxxRY888sGDTYbKILn64ovtb_fN8QCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6796.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top pouch, lined with a fruit-print quilting cotton from the stash, has been claimed by SHB#2 for holding her random treasures: a garbage truck, two magnetic pigs, pink and purple Duplo blocks, some Trader Joe's stickers, and her "phone," which is actually a random remote. The flat pouch, which I keep in my backpack, has extra utensils for if we go places that only give out disposable ones. The fold-out tray has all my essential sewing stuff for bringing to class: paper scissors, fabric scissors, pencil & eraser, fabric marker, tracing wheel, chalk, seam ripper, awl, tape (for flat pattern manipulation), hera marker, French curve, and extra bobbins. I should have a box of pins in there too, but I took it out to use. </td></tr>
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In the end, I do have three serviceable pouches that have already been corralled into holding things, and I love the look of the red with the cats (which vaguely remind me of the similar-colored Chinese <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneki-neko">lucky cats</a>). It's very appropriate for a Chinese New Year set of projects, although cats are probably inappropriate for it being the Year of the <i>Rat</i> and all... Also, I'm feeling more motivated to actually take my machine in for its tune-up, which always seemed a little silly to me, seeing as how that costs as much as the machine itself originally did, but then I remember that I'm all for making things last as long as possible. </div>
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-30938205471084730352020-01-09T21:36:00.001-08:002020-01-09T21:56:49.689-08:00A Very Star Wars HalloweenRaising Small Human Beings is oftentimes an exercise in simultaneous frustration and amusement, and the selection of Halloween costumes is a prime example. When SHB#1 was three, he was obsessed with zebras, so he wanted to be a zebra for Halloween. That was fairly easy to make, and the fleece zebra suit I made for him got plenty of wear afterwards for pretend play. The next year, he was into construction vehicles and dinosaurs, so he alternated between wanting to be a pteranodon, a stegosaurus, or a "construction stegosaurus." I managed to convince him that a stegosaurus would have a hard time fitting a construction vest over the plates on its back, and together we settled on his being a "construction zebra" since the zebra suit still fit. I had to laugh when I saw his class picture: so many store-bought superheroes and princesses, and a lone zebra wearing a neon vest.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6QVXDyrzGNc/XhbO_1avXnI/AAAAAAAAMbQ/3LCm36h-1_sxbWNlrbQqt4cs8iycptSkACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_4945.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6QVXDyrzGNc/XhbO_1avXnI/AAAAAAAAMbQ/3LCm36h-1_sxbWNlrbQqt4cs8iycptSkACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_4945.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a picture of the zebra costume, with a red cape so that he could be Superhero Zebra (4yos are nothing if not literal) for his third comic con. His stuffed zebra is also wearing a tiny red cape so that they can match! I was dressed as Dark!Rey. </td></tr>
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This past year, he was into the Octonauts for a good deal of it, so he went back and forth between wanting to be Tunip or Kwazii. I was despairing about finding teal or orange pants at the thrift store when he suddenly, in the last month before Halloween, got super into Star Wars, and decided he actually wanted to be Darth Vader. SHB#2 wants to do everything big brother does, so she immediately declared that she, too, would be Darth Vader (despite my best efforts to convince her that she would make an adorable Ewok). SHB#1 then decreed that we should be a Star Wars family, so I had to be Rey and Mr. Cation had to be Luke Skywalker. I can't lie; since Star Wars was one of my first fandoms I was super proud of the kids' geeky decision and secretly thrilled to have an excuse to make all these cool costumes!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3VeBY7Y1AqA/XhgINi2_CII/AAAAAAAAMcc/SCPx1a3DR2Y6Dcua-mZzWuSXxN990k5VgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/9E0560EE-321F-4BB4-8B4F-8C6AE0CE883C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="737" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3VeBY7Y1AqA/XhgINi2_CII/AAAAAAAAMcc/SCPx1a3DR2Y6Dcua-mZzWuSXxN990k5VgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/9E0560EE-321F-4BB4-8B4F-8C6AE0CE883C.jpg" width="300" /></a>Both kids already had black pants, and finding black turtlenecks at the thrift store was easy, so then it was just a matter of figuring out how to make Darth Vader's iconic chest plate, belt and cape. I thought about trying to applique all the pieces onto the turtlenecks, but that sounded like waaaaay too much work, plus I wanted them to be able wear the tops for regular, non-costume things. In the end, I decided to cut all the little buttons and "lights" out of tape and put them on black felt that I had leftover from a school costuming project. Gray duct tape worked for most of the details, and for the red and green bits I just used Sharpie to color over masking tape. After I showed the completed chest box to SHB#2, though, she immediately tried to take off all the "stickers," and I realized I would need to find a way to make them more durable to survive kid handling. I bought some iron-on vinyl and put that over the chest box and belt pieces and it worked perfectly; the tape seemed to really meld into the felt and it was easy to stitch it onto some scraps of black fabric and ribbon in order to allow it to all be tied on. The capes were just half circles cut from stash black jersey knit and sewn on with some elastic to gather the top and allow for easy slipping on over the kids' large heads.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IFhdr_aOiJg/XhbPr2MLNQI/AAAAAAAAMbY/Ob5KdpXa3isz_01r9aHzsdrel_eXTrdmwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1548" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IFhdr_aOiJg/XhbPr2MLNQI/AAAAAAAAMbY/Ob5KdpXa3isz_01r9aHzsdrel_eXTrdmwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6685.JPG" width="618" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished costume, a little worse for wear after being stuffed into a backpack, but still holding up fine! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-geq3dC-3xgY/XhbLc1XtMdI/AAAAAAAAMa8/Xtotr3uf9iIBAz-e2OB9l7_dSwPFWsVyACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/A3ACC66E-FE76-41E7-8621-95F13C76F416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-geq3dC-3xgY/XhbLc1XtMdI/AAAAAAAAMa8/Xtotr3uf9iIBAz-e2OB9l7_dSwPFWsVyACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/A3ACC66E-FE76-41E7-8621-95F13C76F416.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Halloween, with their matching lightsabers. SHB#2 absolutely refused to wear a DV mask. </td></tr>
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Since SHB#1 hadn't specified which version of Luke he wanted Mr. Cation to be, I went with the easiest to put together, the ANH Tatooine Luke. I borrowed a gi top from a friend, and then it was just a matter of wearing his own khaki-colored linen pants and a dark brown leather belt with the buckle turned to the back. I also wrapped some strips of brown linen around his calves to mimic Luke's puttees.<br />
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Rey was the last costume to come together, even though I've been working on her the longest. I was originally planning on making her Resistance outfit to Rebel Legion standards, but stalled when I realized how difficult it was going to be to thrift the right fabrics. I'm committed to making my costuming greener where I can, and if that means not being screen accurate, then so be it. Costumes already get so few wears, I'd rather not add to their environmental burden by buying new fabrics for each one. Anyway, a year ago I thrifted some long brown pants; I cut off the bottoms and used those to make the kneepads. The shirt is made from a tea-dyed large white polo shirt, and the belt and wrist cuff were purchased from a seller in the Rey FB group. I found a very 80s grey wool herringbone coat at the thrift store for $10 that I initially thought might work for Rebel Legion approval, but upon closer examination, I realized that it was actually black and white herringbone, which together looked gray from far away. At this point I was too disappointed to continue work on Rey, so I stuffed everything into a garbage bag for a year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-saCLmkjE5pU/XhgEyBItm2I/AAAAAAAAMbk/s5UEGPOVBh4OHLqbcevkObE2oker7bjiACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1308" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-saCLmkjE5pU/XhgEyBItm2I/AAAAAAAAMbk/s5UEGPOVBh4OHLqbcevkObE2oker7bjiACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6691.JPG" width="522" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From (a galaxy) far far away, it reads as gray, but up close it's pretty obviously black and white ;__;</td></tr>
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A year in a naughty bag gave me time to get over the sting of disappointment, and when I pulled the coat back out, I felt okay about making the vest to complete our family costume. Thankfully, I still had the pattern pieces that I'd drafted and the mockup vest, so after what felt like miles of seam ripping to take apart the coat, I managed to get the pattern pieces to mostly fit.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DFbj7JFfFY/XhgFDeMPO-I/AAAAAAAAMbs/DIP788MhXtE04sv2-hAIEZ84CMdPxhaogCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/B6106FCF-1E63-4303-B03B-DFF945A4C3AE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="745" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DFbj7JFfFY/XhgFDeMPO-I/AAAAAAAAMbs/DIP788MhXtE04sv2-hAIEZ84CMdPxhaogCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/B6106FCF-1E63-4303-B03B-DFF945A4C3AE.jpg" width="418" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From my Instastory. See the welt pocket I had to work around on those top pieces?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yLa9pVAPT_4/XhgFIMH34LI/AAAAAAAAMbw/vaVFjgmWbqgY6LldqzO8zJzUEpEsiTS6QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/306C8F18-0E78-4320-A57F-8DFB2FDF8A77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yLa9pVAPT_4/XhgFIMH34LI/AAAAAAAAMbw/vaVFjgmWbqgY6LldqzO8zJzUEpEsiTS6QCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/306C8F18-0E78-4320-A57F-8DFB2FDF8A77.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I ended up using a bunch of the scraps to practice the closed blanket stitch that's used on the edges of Rey's vest. <br />
Why I chose to put in the time for that tedious that detail for a non-RL-approvable vest is beyond me. </td></tr>
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I did have to fudge a little by sewing some buttonholes closed, but it worked out in the end. I lined the inside of the vest with gray cotton flannel, which, with the interfacing that was already fused to the wool, made the vest stiff and heavy enough. I did reinforce the center front edges of the collar with some ironed and stretched horsehair braid, a technique I learned from my evening gown class with Lynda Maynard. After that, it was just a matter of adding the hand-sewn closed blanket stitch to all the edges. That took forever, and I only finished it just before we had to leave for trick or treating!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xPvTVv1sFw/XhgF-QhDTxI/AAAAAAAAMcA/IazsqtMbPmoZf33T0O0fxv-bGOw6wO_DwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1495" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xPvTVv1sFw/XhgF-QhDTxI/AAAAAAAAMcA/IazsqtMbPmoZf33T0O0fxv-bGOw6wO_DwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6692.JPG" width="598" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See that buttonhole I had to sew up right next to the side seam? Also I probably should've done something about the bulk at the shoulder from all the layers of wool+flannel+batting+turned seam allowances, but at that point I no longer cared. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfckCSXw-Q8/XhgGAQ5LXfI/AAAAAAAAMcE/bJtuWKz2ZOYD4poU_FCps8TshCSY3ypLACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1335" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfckCSXw-Q8/XhgGAQ5LXfI/AAAAAAAAMcE/bJtuWKz2ZOYD4poU_FCps8TshCSY3ypLACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6694.JPG" width="531" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all that time I spent carefully doing all that ladder-stitching by hand!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VZa_X6f8z6Y/XhgG4Q-btkI/AAAAAAAAMcQ/ZhvMVIsP5AMrCrN3q4GcZV3FNwDp6m0ewCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VZa_X6f8z6Y/XhgG4Q-btkI/AAAAAAAAMcQ/ZhvMVIsP5AMrCrN3q4GcZV3FNwDp6m0ewCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6697.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gray flannel lining and wool held together by closed blanket stitches, and also all the whipstitched edges on the shirt. <br />
So. Much. Hand. Sewing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6nGhumk7fI/XhbLtAu7USI/AAAAAAAAMbI/Pxnd9SbGlzc3FftEyp4t-JMg9RhBSH82gCEwYBhgL/s1600/B21B6C3B-47D0-4810-A392-AEA17218B43E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6nGhumk7fI/XhbLtAu7USI/AAAAAAAAMbI/Pxnd9SbGlzc3FftEyp4t-JMg9RhBSH82gCEwYBhgL/s640/B21B6C3B-47D0-4810-A392-AEA17218B43E.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here we all are! </td></tr>
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During trick or treating, it was so fun to hear people react to SHB#1's costume -- "Aww, a tiny Darth Vader!" -- and then to hear the even more excited reaction when they saw SHB#2 come up to the doorway right afterward -- "OMG AN EVEN TINIER DARTH VADER!!!" -- because obviously the smaller something is, the cuter, right? Only a couple people realized I was Rey, and not just somebody with somewhat odd clothing choices, but Halloween is really about the kid costumes. I would like to finish making my knock-off Po-Zu Rey boots at some point in the future, but in the meantime I'm just glad I finished this vest so that I could remove at least one UFO from my costume list and make my son happy at the same time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--sTmKSNIZZ0/XhgJTUt3oSI/AAAAAAAAMco/UUDHlZr-sqAA9UXxYFE9slHrAqJ1ksrowCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1253" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--sTmKSNIZZ0/XhgJTUt3oSI/AAAAAAAAMco/UUDHlZr-sqAA9UXxYFE9slHrAqJ1ksrowCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_6141.JPG" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then again, maybe his happy face is due to the fact that he just ate a piece of his trick or treating loot. </td></tr>
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-16424651486370981432019-12-31T20:31:00.002-08:002020-04-30T15:07:17.860-07:00The Most Extra Lab Garment EverApparently, when you take a non-elective class with the fashion department at Canada College, you are usually required to sew a "lab garment," aka something quick and easy to meet the requirements for lab hours and total number of garments sewn. This was the first time that I've had to do this, because somehow all my previous classes have been electives. The syllabus for my tailoring class said our lab garment should be something that goes with our coat, to make it into a complete outfit, but our professor said it could be anything. Most people made simple tops, some people made dresses from nice, well-behaved cottons, still others made easy gathered skirts from rectangles of fabric. I decided to be extra and make a 1920s-inspired evening gown to go with my coat. Also I was going to draft it myself. And I was going to use velvet. And I was going to add five yards of beaded trim that could only be sewn on by hand. And just to make things extra interesting, I wasn't going to bother making a mock-up; I was just going to just assume my draft was fine and try it on the week it was due, after all the work was finished and everything was pretty much irreversible. Maybe it's just as well <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-dangerous-coat.html">my actual tailored coat</a> was so simple.<br />
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In my quest to only sew my stash or secondhand fabrics, I already knew I was going to use this wine-colored stretch velvet leftover from <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2016/07/costuming-actors-nightmare.html">costuming <i>An Actor's Nightmare</i></a>. I also had this lovely dark brown beaded and sequinned trim that I got seven years ago at the FIDM scholarship store, back when I still lived in The City of Culver City. I'd been saving it for a suitably glamorous project, and there was definitely no way I was going to do my own beading for a 1920s-esque evening gown, so it was the perfect time to use it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_ji7Tzq9mo/XgvUJW22_kI/AAAAAAAAMZw/HPExziui50g1OOMrOFC9-ZWrqAn3s5F2gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/15244C75-7EE2-40C0-9351-0443A7E38DFB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_ji7Tzq9mo/XgvUJW22_kI/AAAAAAAAMZw/HPExziui50g1OOMrOFC9-ZWrqAn3s5F2gCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/15244C75-7EE2-40C0-9351-0443A7E38DFB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've used the armscye shapes from this dress before for my <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/05/hsf-my-great-gatsby-dress.html">Anna May Wong dress</a>. </td></tr>
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<br />
For my pattern, I started by looking at the shapes of pattern pieces from period publications, as well as the ones from Janet Arnold's <i>Patterns of Fashion 2</i>, and then sketching out similar shapes in my size as best as I could based on my measurements. Then I just made a V-neck in front and cut the back piece down the middle and folded some of it back to make the very low-cut V. For the skirt, I was pretty limited by what I could fit onto the remaining yardage, so they were just four vaguely A-line pieces, with more fullness on the back pieces. Because of the shapes of my remnants, I had to cut it with the nap going up instead of down, but I actually like how it looks richer and more luxurious that way.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LtoXhehftI4/XgvUJUksCZI/AAAAAAAAMZ0/4uyu0aHCPnY7bHgahdQ7ildnq8UMuMMiQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/D5944D86-79F2-4923-BA7C-6FC3486E319A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LtoXhehftI4/XgvUJUksCZI/AAAAAAAAMZ0/4uyu0aHCPnY7bHgahdQ7ildnq8UMuMMiQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/D5944D86-79F2-4923-BA7C-6FC3486E319A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see how tricky it was to fit my pattern pieces onto my remnants. I originally planned to have the deeper V on the front and the back to be cut on the fold with a scoop neck, but I couldn't fit that onto my fabric. I actually like my final arrangement better, since it allowed for fun back details. Also, laying out shifty fabric with both a cat and a toddler around is an exercise in patience. </td></tr>
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<br />
After attaching the pieces at the center front and shoulders, I cut facing pieces out of the stretchy black net remnants from <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/03/spur-of-moment-ursula-costume.html">my Ursula skirt</a>, then proceeded to brace myself for many, many hours of hand-sewing on the beaded trim and tacking down the facings. Thankfully, Disney+ had just come out so I went through <i>The Princess and the Frog</i>, <i>Cinderella</i>, <i>Sleeping Beauty</i>, <i>The Little Mermaid</i>, and <i>Mulan</i> while sewing. I sewed the trim on the top first, then attached the skirt and added the waist trim and and skirt front trim. The hem is left raw, since with my limited fabric I didn't want to lose any length (that also gave me the excuse to not have to figure out how to hem the velvet without sacrificing its slinky movement...pretty sure I would've had to do more hand stitching to avoid a visible hem line).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02n2KbRKWVE/XgvWB1WOETI/AAAAAAAAMaE/iKN7QIHwkQkEcGmgjRzaJdEsCHUSI1NwgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/C370415E-C3DC-4127-AA3F-B2E436E80A01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="737" height="396" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02n2KbRKWVE/XgvWB1WOETI/AAAAAAAAMaE/iKN7QIHwkQkEcGmgjRzaJdEsCHUSI1NwgCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/C370415E-C3DC-4127-AA3F-B2E436E80A01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blurry nighttime shot of my facings pinned into place. </td></tr>
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Because the deep V of the back meant that the straps would try to fall off my shoulders, I wanted to add a T-shaped decorative something to help hold everything in place, like in <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/269301252707257401/">this vintage dress</a>. Fortunately, I was able to find these brownish necklaces at Joann's that were a perfect match for the beaded trim, so I rigged up two of them to make the back detail. Of course, the cut of the back and slit in the center front of the skirt meant that I had to wear this over a slip. I had grand plans to try making a bias-cut slip from some cotton sateen, but of course didn't have time. Instead, while thrifting for my school's drama production, I found a brown slip that matched nicely and was a good length. I do need to adjust the strap placement a bit, but otherwise it was a perfectly fortuitous find.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--NPhKF0hTa4/XgwbSP2cf8I/AAAAAAAAMaY/J0Khlx3HacIYMFBaEfOiMK_YPDncWXPRgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191211_225719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="945" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--NPhKF0hTa4/XgwbSP2cf8I/AAAAAAAAMaY/J0Khlx3HacIYMFBaEfOiMK_YPDncWXPRgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/20191211_225719.jpg" width="378" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oops, the tag on the slip is showing and it looks like it may have gotten twisted around a little bit, but you get the picture. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sWOm7Utpv1I/XgweVFcRdSI/AAAAAAAAMaw/c9Sjqo4kSU8sLthFXiKKaYi7bEeT4SThACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191211_184440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sWOm7Utpv1I/XgweVFcRdSI/AAAAAAAAMaw/c9Sjqo4kSU8sLthFXiKKaYi7bEeT4SThACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/20191211_184440.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closer look at the beaded necklace detail on the back, and you can see where my invisible hand-picked facing isn't really that invisible around the armscye...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<u>Summary:</u><br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</i> Loosely based on vintage garment shapes, but drafted for my measurements<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Fabric:</i> Weirdly shaped remnants of wine-colored 4-way stretch velvet that was originally 58" wide and 5 yards long, but had large sections cut out of it for a 1930s-ish evening gown; bits of black stretch net for the facings<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions:</i> 5 yards of 1.5" wide brown beaded and sequined trim<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Total cost: </i>Since the fabrics were all purchased for other projects, I'm counting them as essentially free. The trim was $1/yard, the necklaces were $15, and the slip was $8, so the whole fancy outfit was less than $30!<br />
<b style="font-style: italic;">Would you make this again?</b> Well, I do have a lot of beaded trim in champagne that I bought at the same time...but I think I would probably make a different look. As it is, I've realized that the shoulder straps are, sadly, a little bit too long for me. It's fine and wearable now, but it would be perfect if I could just pinch out half an inch at the shoulder seams. *cue tears* because of course all my trim is already sewn down. I doubt I'll ever bother with fixing it on this dress, but at least now I know if I ever want to use this draft again as a basis for another 1920s dress.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">First worn:</i> Again, just to class for pictures, but I'm hoping that now that we're entering the Roaring Twenties again, my life will suddenly, miraculously be filled with Gatsby-themed events to which I can wear this. *insert laugh-crying emoji here*<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Final thoughts:</i> I really seem to have a thing for making fancy dresses that I have nowhere to wear to, don't I? It's hard when I really like making pretty things but my life is really more about milk spills and cleaning up poop and putting away chemicals. But if I'm ever invited to a 1920s weekend extravaganza that requires multiple fancy dresses, I'll be all set!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGAEULAtnx8/XgwcSHYVb6I/AAAAAAAAMak/2tU2YsnjHKQoS9JwdpKjHaGbDLaPWZkgACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191211_225736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="858" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGAEULAtnx8/XgwcSHYVb6I/AAAAAAAAMak/2tU2YsnjHKQoS9JwdpKjHaGbDLaPWZkgACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/20191211_225736.jpg" width="342" /></a></div>
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Although when I think about it, I started making my <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2016/05/hsm-1-procrastination.html">fancy gentleman pirate outfit</a> three years before I had an event to wear it to, or <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-lotr-symphony-costume-extravaganza.html">my Galadriel gown</a> four years before reworking the sleeves for the LOTR symphony, so maybe in 2024 I'll wear this to the Costume College Gala or something...<br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-83716447540699455982019-12-30T21:47:00.000-08:002020-05-01T15:17:37.287-07:00A Dangerous CoatI used to think the 1910s and 1920s had the worst fashions, but the <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/search/label/1912%20Project">VPLL 1912 Project</a>, <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-did-i-not-know-about-edwardian.html">Downton Abbey</a>, the new Great Gatsby movie, the Fantastic Beasts movie, and Phryne Fisher have all conspired to totally change my mind about that. I now love love love these eras, so much so that when at a loss for what to do for my Cañada College fashion department classes, I've just sort of defaulted to the 1920s. I drew drop-waisted dresses for my <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2017/07/a-year-of-fashion-illustration-classes.html">fashion illustration classes</a>, made a summery cloche for my millinery class, and for this past semester I've worked on making a 1920s-ish coat for my tailoring class.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/54/24/a7/5424a76de4e55ad3e22dc96d70d4d5fb.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/54/24/a7/5424a76de4e55ad3e22dc96d70d4d5fb.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This tweed+fur coat of Phryne's was my inspiration.</td></tr>
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When McCall's started releasing updated vintage patterns as part of their Archive Collection, I immediately snatched up a copy of <a href="https://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m7259">M7259</a>, a (sadly now out of print) caped coat pattern, and filed it away for "someday when I have a good reason/the time and skills." Since I can only take classes at night, and tailoring was the only class I hadn't taken yet for this past fall's evening classes, that gave me the reason, and presumably I would learn the skills and make the time. Admittedly, it's not a very difficult coat to make (it's even rated as "easy" on the pattern); a shapeless boxy coat doesn't require a lot of fitting, there's no notched collar or vents anywhere, and not even a welt pocket! But I knew I would have a busy semester already, what with parenting in general, Halloween and cons, and costuming. Did I feel a little embarrassed about the <i>simplicity</i> (even though it's a McCall's pattern...haha sorrynotsorry) of my pattern choice when I saw my classmates making five or more muslins, making all sorts of alterations, drafting new collars and sleeves, and putting in eight welt pockets? Maybe a little. Was I grateful I kept it uncomplicated when, after finishing up the drama production I had a little over a week to put together all my coat pieces and do all the fussy hand-stitching? You bet! Besides, I know I would never wear a blazer, and I already have two perfectly serviceable RTW coats that I love, so I might as well get going on my dream of having a Phryne-esque wardrobe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mccallpattern.mccall.com/sites/default/files/styles/p_xl/public/products/m7259/M7259_a.jpg?itok=V2nDjzlu" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="582" height="640" src="https://mccallpattern.mccall.com/sites/default/files/styles/p_xl/public/products/m7259/M7259_a.jpg?itok=V2nDjzlu" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pattern: I was definitely swayed by the brilliant red sample. </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GX4WQ0_u5CE/XgrO8d0D53I/AAAAAAAAMX8/Au3e-xiZKskJ-BFvPwcVzIfm1x09_QaXQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="843" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GX4WQ0_u5CE/XgrO8d0D53I/AAAAAAAAMX8/Au3e-xiZKskJ-BFvPwcVzIfm1x09_QaXQCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_6234.JPG" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little compilation of scraps to give me<br />
an idea of how things might look together.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
First step was selecting fabric: I knew I only had a couple of pieces of yardage with the right length, drape, and fiber content (our professor preferred natural materials, especially wool because of its "pressability"), so it was basically between a dark green wool blend suiting material or a gray wool tweed suiting with little colored specks in it. We decided that the gray tweed would hide more sins, what with this being my first serious coat, and I did have a little more of it so as to allow me to make the cape as well.<br />
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Next step was to do a pinned-together paper mock-up, which to me seemed a little pointless, but I can see how it would be a cheaper, faster way to get a sense of major size or fit issues without the effort of making a real muslin. As it was, I only had a very minor swayback adjustment to make, but then I do realize that I am extremely fortunate that I usually fit Big-4 patterns with very few adjustments (usually only swayback, narrow back, and small bust adjustments). Then we made actual fabric mock-ups with cotton muslin, and again, not much to report here, other than that I decided to shorten the cape significantly so as to keep it from being visually overwhelming.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k54BQ7vJUTE/Xgrb_QAdwLI/AAAAAAAAMZQ/tvTjgUnombIckRClWTrlIWz-W8pqB9bwACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/5A5F837D-39F8-454B-A549-DB39653D659B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k54BQ7vJUTE/Xgrb_QAdwLI/AAAAAAAAMZQ/tvTjgUnombIckRClWTrlIWz-W8pqB9bwACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/5A5F837D-39F8-454B-A549-DB39653D659B.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Without and with the cape, with dark threads marking the grainline on the sleeves and the center front line. </td></tr>
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I sewed my mock-up with the side seam pockets that the pattern called for, but decided later that I didn't like them; they made things hang weirdly, I didn't like the bulk of the pocket bag, and they were too far back to feel natural when I put my hands in them. I decided that I needed to make pockets on the front of the coat, but at that point I had a minor crisis about what kind of pockets to make, and proceeded to flood my IG with way too many stories debating various pocket types and placements and their historical accuracy vs. general aesthetic vs. ease of use. Since I was also in the thick of drama costuming, the pocket issue gave me an excuse to not work on my coat for a month. I did assemble the cape (but not hem it), but three weeks before the coat due date, and I had really only a bunch of fashion fabric pieces (that I had at least interfaced with soft fusible knit interfacing; since my fabric was so thin and loosely woven, it really needed some extra support) and lining pieces.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4LtYILnIYmg/XgrT8C4WLCI/AAAAAAAAMYI/cBcVYcPt9egEmdoF31EPFNXD4dZ1Oq0ogCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/54AF8A86-1273-4D19-87A8-947F1AC8DCF7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1085" data-original-width="742" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4LtYILnIYmg/XgrT8C4WLCI/AAAAAAAAMYI/cBcVYcPt9egEmdoF31EPFNXD4dZ1Oq0ogCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/54AF8A86-1273-4D19-87A8-947F1AC8DCF7.jpg" width="437" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was what I was primarily deciding between: a shield-shaped patch pocket, or a swoopy-looking patch pocket that would be sewn into the side seam. Although the swoop won by a small margin on IG, I realized that I really preferred the look (and historical accuracy) of the shield and went with that option. If you want to see all my ridiculous wibbling about the pockets (and other construction bits), you can check out my 1920s coat highlights on my IG <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17874241249457389/">here</a>.</td></tr>
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The antepenultimate week (and also the week leading up to the show, so lots of last minute decisions, fittings, and runs to various stores for accessories and such), I sewed together the facing, lining, and lining patch pockets. The lining patch pockets were hand-stitched so that I wouldn't have topstitching thread showing, per <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/119305082/bonwit-teller-fifth-ave-ny-1920s-silk?show_sold_out_detail=1">this extant 1920s coat</a> (I did briefly consider smocking the tops of my pockets, but then dismissed that idea as that of a person with more time than I had), which looked lovely but took a long time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tC2LqUQXGHs/XgrcUaU0brI/AAAAAAAAMZY/F_jaibUZ2vsA1VRkHJcc5mb8RbXEoRZVgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/74C4CE12-1EBA-4C1A-AF75-4B7E0FD3D902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tC2LqUQXGHs/XgrcUaU0brI/AAAAAAAAMZY/F_jaibUZ2vsA1VRkHJcc5mb8RbXEoRZVgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/74C4CE12-1EBA-4C1A-AF75-4B7E0FD3D902.JPG" width="356" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's what the facing + lining looked like hanging on Cecily. You can also see the only dart in the entire thing where the shawl collar is. Ignore the stack of toddler clothes storage boxes in the background...</td></tr>
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The penultimate week (and also the week after the show, i.e. all the tasks of costume striking to be completed by me, the one-person costume shop), I sewed together the fashion fabric fronts and back, and sewed the sleeves (but didn't set them in) and brought them in to class to have them hung by my professor (I put on the coat and she pinned them in place in the position that caused the least drag lines. Since many of us work on computers, we have forward sloping shoulders and lining up the shoulder seam notch and underarm/side seams may not actually be the best position for a lot of people; my sleeves needed to be rotated forward about 3/8"). I basted the sleeves in by hand in class, then brought them home to set in by machine. I also had decided on shield-shaped patch pockets as being the best compromise between historical accuracy (while there are some examples of welt pockets on coats of the era, the vast majority of them had large patch pockets...or no pockets at all, but that was a non-option for me), general aesthetic (a heckin' large square, while historical accurate, looked a little too boring to me, so I went with a slightly more interesting shield shape), and ease of use (I placed them low enough that it wouldn't be awkward to put my hands in them, even if the perfectly vertical placement is a little less ergonomic than a slanted one). Like the lining, these patch pockets were hand-stitched invisibly, and thanks to the busyness of the fabric, they don't break up the lines of the front as much as I was afraid they might.<br />
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That last week, I set the sleeves in, put in all the tailor-y bits (homemade shoulder pads, sleeve heads) attached the outer shell to the facing/lining, and then went about the tedious business of evening out my hems and catch-stitching everything down. For the hem of the cape, I catch-stitched the fashion fabric and the lining separately, then used French tacks to secure the two together at the side seams and center back. I had previously attempted to attach the lining entirely, but couldn't get it to sit right with a jump hem on the bias portions, so I opted to let it hang separately.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ix0b9p0nYSA/XgrZ34vS-9I/AAAAAAAAMY4/jvgd0dB4jTM3j7PPRWqX6dzpQyIieMYrACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1A14C5F2-B740-424B-8B99-F05194C23EB8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="941" data-original-width="714" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ix0b9p0nYSA/XgrZ34vS-9I/AAAAAAAAMY4/jvgd0dB4jTM3j7PPRWqX6dzpQyIieMYrACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/1A14C5F2-B740-424B-8B99-F05194C23EB8.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the shape of the cape here, as well as the snaps that hold it onto the coat. </td></tr>
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For the coat, it took a couple of tries (and lots of staring at the coat on Cecily as a pinned, glared critically, repinned, glared again, etc.) before I got everything to hang right without pulling, but eventually I got it all sewn down (again, by hand) with a jump hem and everything! Oh, and I also tacked the lining to the coat at the neck seam allowance and the side seams so that the lining wouldn't billow out separately from the outer shell of the coat. I finished all the hemming with two days to spare, but the next day was full of frustration as I attempted to sew in the fabric-covered snaps and large button in exactly the right places and without any weird pulling anywhere. The morning the coat was due, I plopped SHB#2 in front of Sesame Street so that I could sew on all the snaps that attached the cape to the coat, and then I was finally done!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ON3gAvg4h_4/Xgrakfq8KlI/AAAAAAAAMZE/NvkbdloO0eAjb6cCaetsrp7Yyv15g1QygCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/17B5FD9C-4061-463F-B33F-351597538D5A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="726" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ON3gAvg4h_4/Xgrakfq8KlI/AAAAAAAAMZE/NvkbdloO0eAjb6cCaetsrp7Yyv15g1QygCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/17B5FD9C-4061-463F-B33F-351597538D5A.jpg" width="402" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Without the cape, with nicely-blending-in pockets. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kZzO-H5X7ZA/Xgrc_7aY1BI/AAAAAAAAMZk/98TAaWTd3jgpmUD74BK6df7qnXs9gaFlACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/6BDB5794-8074-411C-8864-45A6F5AF8E9D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kZzO-H5X7ZA/Xgrc_7aY1BI/AAAAAAAAMZk/98TAaWTd3jgpmUD74BK6df7qnXs9gaFlACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/6BDB5794-8074-411C-8864-45A6F5AF8E9D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello, 1920s-esque ulster coat!</td></tr>
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<u>Summary</u><br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</i> McCall's 7259, part of the archive pattern collection, circa 1927<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Fabric:</i> A little over 3.5 yards of a 60" wide, dark gray, tweed wool suiting with little flecks of ivory, burgundy, black, cornflower blue, and mauve; I originally purchased this from an antique furniture store in Berkeley seven years ago when I found a tiny little shelf in the back of the store that had some random yardage. The lady said she had got it for herself to make something fabulous, but had come to realize she likely never would, and she just wanted it to go to a good home. I paid all of $30 for it, which I now realize was an absolute steal for fabric of this quality. The 2ish yards of 55" wide lining fabric was mostly this dark burgundy floral damask polyester satin, which is on the thick side for a lining, but that just makes it feel extra luxurious. This was from my best friend Elaine's partner's stash, that they passed on to me when they moved (out of Arizona, ultimately back to the Bay Area!), so when I look at the lining I'm reminded of their generosity. It wasn't quite large enough for me to be able to cut all the lining pieces, even with the shortened cape, so I supplemented with some black Bemberg rayon for the sleeves since they wouldn't be seen.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions:</i> 3 yards of 20" wide fusi-knit interfacing, which I used on every pattern piece except for the lining pieces and the back piece. I didn't have enough to do the large back piece (and actually had to piece together bits for the side edges of the front, and didn't want to wait to order more, so I just used black silk organza to underline the back piece. The organza was a fortuitous find from the free shelf in the back of the sewing classroom, and I still have yards left! I also purchased six 3/8" metal snaps for the cape attachment, a 1.5" covered button kit for the coat closure, and used a set of 1" metal snaps (covered with fashion fabric) from my stash for the inner closure. The facings on both the cape and coat are piped with black silk dupioni left over from <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/03/and-now-construction-post.html">my bustier project</a>, and the hem of the cape lining is finished with burgundy-colored lace hem tape from an inherited stash.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePRuVTSaTRE/XgrYD31-4PI/AAAAAAAAMYc/darn56eGfhwzPKGQuYJAnUA8WDqwrYmsgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/63E2094D-DB08-4CDF-9D2D-8946769F714A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="744" height="387" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePRuVTSaTRE/XgrYD31-4PI/AAAAAAAAMYc/darn56eGfhwzPKGQuYJAnUA8WDqwrYmsgCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/63E2094D-DB08-4CDF-9D2D-8946769F714A.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love that the inside is so secretly beautiful, even if nobody will ever see it!</td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Will you make it again?</i> Unlikely, since I don't really need another coat like this. I do want to make another Phryne-inspired 1920s coat though, maybe a lighter duster in linen?<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Total cost:</i> $30 for the wool, lining was free, about $15 for the interfacing, and $5 worth of snaps/buttons = about $50! Of course, throw in the cost of the class tuition + toll + parking...and all the hours spent...<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">First worn:</i> Just in class to show off and for pictures, but I'd like to wear it to go see the Phryne Fisher movie when it comes out next year!<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Final thoughts: </i>I'm really glad that I was able to make this coat almost primarily from stash/secondhand fabric, thereby keeping to my unofficial pledge to not purchase new in order to stay as green as possible in all my sewing endeavors. Things like interfacing or the exact size of snap are hard to come by secondhand, so I'm making an allowance for those things, though. I'm in love with the (detachable!) drama that the cape provides, and the instant Sherlock-y vibes of a caped coat. I have a little bit of wool leftover; maybe I should make another deerstalker? Actually, I would rather try to make it into a 1920s hat to match, so maybe if I find a suitable pattern one day. Without the cape, the coat is a little boring, but that's fine, because I decided to splurge a little and buy myself a fabulously fluffy, white faux-fur collar from Amazon that I can throw over the shawl collar of this coat to up the Phryne-ness of it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-it7lpUMKPtw/XgrXGc3cBnI/AAAAAAAAMYU/7hTofoop5wYvTcBtdBP9AbHljwTjDWLxACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1876-rotated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-it7lpUMKPtw/XgrXGc3cBnI/AAAAAAAAMYU/7hTofoop5wYvTcBtdBP9AbHljwTjDWLxACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1876-rotated.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was taken by <a href="https://fashion.canadacollege.edu/2019/12/speaking-of-bespoke/">the fashion department's blogger.</a> </td></tr>
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I'm really pleased with the whole tailoring class experience: I got a lovely coat out of it (even if I later realized that I had made myself yet another grey wool coat (aforementioned RTW coats in my wardrobe are also grey wool, so I guess I have a definite coat type...), and while mine didn't have more technically challenging bits like bound buttonholes, welt pockets, or a notched collar, at least I got to practice those skills when I made my samples, and best of all, I got a scheduled sewing time every week (and I even got to throw in the bonus of regular conversation with another adult, since my costuming friend @simply_mi was also in the class!). Even though the lead up to class is always stressful (get dinner ready! make sure the house is somewhat in order! spend some time with SHB#1 when he comes home from school! make sure my bags are all packed with all the sewing things I need!), in the end it's really nice to know that I'm guaranteed at least three hours every week to do something just for me.<br />
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Sometimes I feel guilty for taking so much time for myself every week -- it's not just the sewing class itself, but the commute there and back, the time it takes me to do my assignments for the class, and the time it takes to go out and acquire the materials I need to do my assignments -- but just recently I fell down the rabbit hole of Bernadette Banner's historical sewing videos, and she mentioned Cathy Hay's Worth peacock gown reconstruction project, which then led me to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J523zeyx-0I">this very helpful video</a> where she talks about how not to feel guilty about sewing when you have a family. She quotes Iyanla Vanzant: "My cup runneth over: what runneth over is for you, but what's in the cup is for me." At first, it seemed like just another variant of the "put on your own oxygen mask first" mantra that <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2017/07/ease-in-to-motherhood.html">I blogged about before</a>, but upon further rumination I realized the problem with that: oxygen masks are vital to life, so it makes sense to take care of your own basic needs first. But sewing costumes, or just giving in to my drive to make things: that's not *really* a basic need, is it?<br />
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I don't know if it's the child-of-immigrants, sacrifice-everything-for-your-family, just-work-harder rhetoric that was drummed into my head growing up, or leftovers of my childhood church's very conservative, Puritan-esque suspicion of anything that seems like too much fun, but it's very, very difficult to let go of the feeling of guilt that I should be spending all my free time doing something less frivolous. Like I said, I already have two fine coats, and there's always something more <i>productive</i> I could be doing with my time: research on developing children's emotional intelligence, integrating NGSS into my science teaching, or figuring out how to reduce waste in our family. I go ahead and pursue my hobbies anyway, because I'm a selfish Slytherin like that, it's just that I carry along a lot of guilt with it that prevents me from fully enjoying it. I'm not sure where to draw the line, since I know it's obviously not an either/or issue. Taking time for myself is healthy, but parenthood does inherently involve some sacrifice, and there must be a balance somewhere...and what if I just have a really, really big cup and "need" lots of replenishing time before I give the runoff to anyone else? See how I'm hesitant to even call time to create a <i>need</i>, I mean it's not one of those things that form the foundation of Maslow's bogus hierarchy of needs now, is it? If any other sewing moms out there have any brilliant insights, I would appreciate them!<br />
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Anyway, all this to say, it's so hard to know how to break out of societal constraints and expectations for women and undo the years of programming. A man cave is, if not expected, definitely not frowned upon for a stereotypically male breadwinner to be able to relax, get away from responsibilities, and putter around. How that translates in my mind for a non-breadwinner is trickier until I remember that I'm trying not to devalue traditional "women's work" like childcare and sewing, and I want to set an example for my kids of self-care and not self-martyrdom. So I suppose it's kind of perfect that my coat has four nice large pockets, perfect for carrying leaflets to spread sedition? Or, you know, fairness, kindness, and equality. Ladies, I guess I did take the advice of <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/682488826/dangerous-coats?ref=shop_home_active_1&crt=1">Irish poet Sharon Owens</a>, and sewed myself a dangerous coat made of pockets and sedition (go read her fabulous poem if you aren't already familiar with it).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gJ_T8gZATag/XgrYYMiZQHI/AAAAAAAAMYo/3_zg3TKwEIkKHgyOfZ-Sa88OEodN-x53ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191211_225902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1015" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gJ_T8gZATag/XgrYYMiZQHI/AAAAAAAAMYo/3_zg3TKwEIkKHgyOfZ-Sa88OEodN-x53ACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/20191211_225902.jpg" width="406" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pockets! (Photo courtesy of my professor, Ronda Chaney.)</td></tr>
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[Apologies for the mostly terrible photos in this post. Most of the construction photos were taken at night, since that's when I sew, and I kept thinking I would take better finished garment photos in an atmospheric location, but let's be honest, that's probably not happening anytime soon and I'd rather get this blogged before I forget all about how I made it! Also, more about my lab garment, a 1920s-ish evening gown, in the next blog post!]<br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-52067470518904009472019-11-08T09:42:00.001-08:002020-04-30T15:07:17.881-07:00A Glamorous Loki-Inspired Evening Gown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6FJUyAuq6fY/XcWmDklyWgI/AAAAAAAAMWE/HTzeB80gwWIq0PpOBweu7jSIrbRfnorIACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1030" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6FJUyAuq6fY/XcWmDklyWgI/AAAAAAAAMWE/HTzeB80gwWIq0PpOBweu7jSIrbRfnorIACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5215.JPG" width="412" /></a></div>
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I never thought that having a second child would result in my finally making all my dream cosplays, but something about having another drain on my energy/time made me think "oh f*** it, things are never going to ease up so I might as well just do it now." Since I've had BBG, I've done my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/mulanwonderwomanmashup/">Asian-inspired Wonder Woman</a>, <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/08/mommy-me-mulan-cosplay.html">victorious Mulan</a>, and many other dream cosplays, and Glam Loki is another one! Loki is my favorite MCU character, both for his sartorial style and his snark+angst. (what can I say, I love me a well-dressed antihero...see also: Thranduil, Ballister Blackheart, BBC Sherlock, and Prince Zuko). I did an <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/07/historical-sew-fortnightly-eastern.html">Asian-inspired version</a> of Loki for the <i>Thor: Dark World</i> movie <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/11/i-do-what-i-want-thor.html">many years ago</a>, but wanted to do another one with more of a nod to the overlapping torso pieces on his original <i>Thor</i> costume. I bought <a href="https://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/44548">Simplicity 2253</a> many years ago with an eye toward making a glamorous genderbent version of Loki, but just never had a reason or enough courage to tackle the 30+ pieces that I would have to cut out...until this year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made view A.</td></tr>
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I've been taking fashion design classes at Canada College for oh, six years now, and one of my favorite professors is <a href="http://lyndamaynarddesign.com/">Lynda Maynard</a>: she's hilarious and so knowledgable and I just like her teaching style. I've taken all her classes (French moulage, <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/09/pants-pattern-alterations.html">pants drafting</a> and <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-quest-for-perfect-pants-achievement.html">construction</a>, <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/03/and-now-construction-post.html">bustier</a>, and <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/07/copying-rtw-clothing-using-silk-organza.html">copying RTW</a>) and was kind of bummed when I had finished them all, so I was super excited when it was announced that she would teach Evening Gown Construction over the summer. I was a little less excited when I found out that we would be making a strapless gown, as my only foray into strapless gowns was <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-fitting-strapless-dress.html">not my favorite.</a> I kind of had this idea in my head that only certain body types could pull them off, and mine was not the right kind; spoiler alert: I was wrong. Thank goodness for education and expanding ones' knowledge, right?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_F4DE0woIzY/XcWmM2393II/AAAAAAAAMWI/LeYrNnGQl2shuaU2wEseo7gOVd8GDDxXwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1247" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_F4DE0woIzY/XcWmM2393II/AAAAAAAAMWI/LeYrNnGQl2shuaU2wEseo7gOVd8GDDxXwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5214.JPG" width="498" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have not yet, however, expanded my knowledge when it comes to doing hair for cosplays. </td></tr>
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Besides learning lots of tips and tricks for working with tricky fabric (velvet! chiffon! sequins! things cut on the bias!), I also learned that the key to making strapless gowns work (i.e. stay up without lots of periodic tugging) is having a well-fitted corselet underneath. A corselet differs from a corset in that the former is meant to be a close-fitting garment that conforms to the curves/shape of the wearer, but is not meant to change one's measurements or silhouette. A corset, on the other hand, is a garment that is specifically worn to change the measurements or silhouette of the wearer (think wearing an S-bend corset to get the fashionable Edwardian silhouette, or any number of literary heroines tightening their corset laces to fit into their gowns). Having worn both, I can say that they can both be comfortable if fitted and made correctly, but they definitely serve different purposes and the latter is certainly more restrictive (but not in a painful way, unlike all those corset myths about women removing ribs and fainting all over the place!). In a lot of ways, the corselet is similar to the bustier; the only real difference is that a bustier is meant to be a standalone garment, so it has an additional fashion fabric and lining layer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zmyjAKXTmh8/XcUWwiQJyII/AAAAAAAAMUA/Ahk54jMgJnUoO06Yg_7QPko21Gr2P_GPQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DABF32B2-4EAF-4B51-911F-06DCB58957FF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1285" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zmyjAKXTmh8/XcUWwiQJyII/AAAAAAAAMUA/Ahk54jMgJnUoO06Yg_7QPko21Gr2P_GPQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/DABF32B2-4EAF-4B51-911F-06DCB58957FF.jpg" width="513" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front view of the corselet on Cecily, who is close to my measurements but not quite the same. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OxhGNXZam-U/XcUWywDyksI/AAAAAAAAMUE/KMUYf1RpoygfYUwEKuqxydjeOBDcCWaSQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/31DE6240-8970-46CE-8DC6-02D7BDAE0B06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1285" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OxhGNXZam-U/XcUWywDyksI/AAAAAAAAMUE/KMUYf1RpoygfYUwEKuqxydjeOBDcCWaSQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/31DE6240-8970-46CE-8DC6-02D7BDAE0B06.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back view.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x3V8MdHKIEE/XcUWy6QvE_I/AAAAAAAAMUI/BIlToWQwvgYO5Ntg4PALEuB-_EhuBqaDACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/69335C12-D82C-44AB-BAA3-57E0C2CA1D38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1285" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x3V8MdHKIEE/XcUWy6QvE_I/AAAAAAAAMUI/BIlToWQwvgYO5Ntg4PALEuB-_EhuBqaDACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/69335C12-D82C-44AB-BAA3-57E0C2CA1D38.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side view. </td></tr>
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My corselet was made from unbleached muslin, but any tightly-woven, thin, stable natural-fiber fabric can be used; other recommendations were cotton batiste or bobbinet. Essentially I made the lining pattern of my dress twice, then stitched the two layers together, sandwiching the steel boning in between. I also added a grosgrain waist stay and decorative lace and the whole thing closed with lingerie-style hook-and-eye tape.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A5MfFqVtyS8/XcUW8j-4tsI/AAAAAAAAMUQ/SOKqpuHKUD0zBPFprJP_QboMockfw5vTQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/3E3C4FEC-E1AF-48D3-AD98-7EC20F1BD091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A5MfFqVtyS8/XcUW8j-4tsI/AAAAAAAAMUQ/SOKqpuHKUD0zBPFprJP_QboMockfw5vTQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/3E3C4FEC-E1AF-48D3-AD98-7EC20F1BD091.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did it bother me slightly that the hook and eye tape was bright white and the muslin was unbleached ivory? Yes, yes it did. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mov_TfBit68/XcUW8THz2aI/AAAAAAAAMUM/PmwMAr3X_Tkhvt5613smhwp6li3w-SOfQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/385AF077-3F19-433A-9DC9-D2D27BBDFD69.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1281" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mov_TfBit68/XcUW8THz2aI/AAAAAAAAMUM/PmwMAr3X_Tkhvt5613smhwp6li3w-SOfQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/385AF077-3F19-433A-9DC9-D2D27BBDFD69.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the boning placement (and my humongous seam allowances) really well in this backlit picture. </td></tr>
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The finished corselet is then hand tacked at the top only to the neckline of the evening gown. Because the corselet is fitted perfectly to one's body and lengthened by an inch to combat the inevitable settling over time, it serves to hold up the weight of the entire garment and no awkward tugging up of the gown is required! I know this is true because I wore this gown for a whole day at Silicon Valley Comic Con and did not once fear a costume malfunction.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-upQvRI1iyOE/XcUXMOEBkFI/AAAAAAAAMUc/Yr89R026X-g-_91DvDo0gLs5NFOcVVeXgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-upQvRI1iyOE/XcUXMOEBkFI/AAAAAAAAMUc/Yr89R026X-g-_91DvDo0gLs5NFOcVVeXgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5324.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't judge my hand stitching please. </td></tr>
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Once I made the corselet, I had to cut out all the pieces of fashion fabric for the gown. It was both more tedious than I thought it would be (all those pieces, but x2 or x3, because I underlined the black twill with silk organza, and some of the pieces had an additional lace or gold taffeta or green velveteen layer!) and easier (the actual construction is easier than it looks; no weird pivoting around angles because of the order in which it's sewn). The back closure is a hand-picked zipper which disappeared beautifully into the green panné velvet of the skirt and the black and gold lace of the bodice.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0O_R3c9hKiU/XcUXvPPRW3I/AAAAAAAAMUw/pfbVVt-NUeUaVVLJeAQjMu107YarmSnrwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0O_R3c9hKiU/XcUXvPPRW3I/AAAAAAAAMUw/pfbVVt-NUeUaVVLJeAQjMu107YarmSnrwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5323.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny prick stitches!</td></tr>
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I did run into a problem that turned into a happy accident when it came to piping the front upside-down V. Since I was trying to avoid buying anything new if at all possible, I used some gold lamé bias tape that I had leftover from a previous project. After I sewed it in, it looked too flat, so I had the (I thought) brilliant idea of plumping it up with some white pipe cleaners I had. Unfortunately, since I was inserting the pipe cleaner after sewing, I poked a hole through the fragile lamé, right at the center front! I tried to stitch it down with some gold thread to keep it from getting worse, but it just made the issue more obvious because there was a giant lump of messy handstitching. On the day my gown was due, I had an epiphany and realized that I could cover it up with the gold necklace I'd originally bought to wear with this gown. I found it at a thrift store and thought it perfectly echoed the little curved gold piece of Loki's first outfit, so instead of wearing it, I detached it from the chain and sewed it to my gown. The concave back fits perfectly over the ugly bit on my gown and I honestly like the look better than my original plan.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-msrCQlpwv84/XcUYf9eeFnI/AAAAAAAAMU8/t_53hf-HPgU4DCzY0t3NBFw_sxG6GFotACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_4946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-msrCQlpwv84/XcUYf9eeFnI/AAAAAAAAMU8/t_53hf-HPgU4DCzY0t3NBFw_sxG6GFotACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_4946.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the shameful bunch of hnnnghhh in the middle! You can see here that I already started trying to cover it up by hand-stitching a little piece of of green material over the mess.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x6IBFDK6wLE/XcUYf_-ABXI/AAAAAAAAMU4/h7C6RK87pykFc4p6gZZ9mX2AiifMK3ICQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_4948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1332" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x6IBFDK6wLE/XcUYf_-ABXI/AAAAAAAAMU4/h7C6RK87pykFc4p6gZZ9mX2AiifMK3ICQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_4948.JPG" width="532" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glorious. Like it was meant to be there. </td></tr>
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Once I finished the gown, I decided the skirt portion needed something more in order to bling up all the green, so I added gold chain "draperies" to the hips. I'm toying with the idea of making some kind of necklace that has similar gold chains draping over the shoulders to visually break up the expanse of neck and shoulder skin. When I wore it at SVCC, it felt like it was missing something and maybe that would help visually tie it all together? Or maybe it'll just look too busy?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9nAn6-DKG0A/XcUZRWPE8WI/AAAAAAAAMVI/B9mFAY7EqOIgdtLyOEJam2M0M-QjN36EwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9nAn6-DKG0A/XcUZRWPE8WI/AAAAAAAAMVI/B9mFAY7EqOIgdtLyOEJam2M0M-QjN36EwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5312.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I measured out two sets of four chains in increasing 2" increments, then attached them all to jump rings that I sewed to the center front point. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tYpunHODhvc/XcUZT9Cv8pI/AAAAAAAAMVM/30oOC0Sev5gdqmsdjfcO7FQxkf-F04DTQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tYpunHODhvc/XcUZT9Cv8pI/AAAAAAAAMVM/30oOC0Sev5gdqmsdjfcO7FQxkf-F04DTQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5308.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the back, I attached them where the lace panels end. </td></tr>
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To go with the dress, which was only subtly Loki-ish, I decided I needed to make his signature humongous horned headpiece. Googling and Pinteresting (I know the former is a real verb now, but the latter definitely isn't) turned up <a href="https://redshoesredwine.com/burlesque-loki-helmet/">Red Shoes and Wine's Burlesque Loki</a>, so I followed her brilliant lead and used a sawed-up floral heart to make the horns. After carving and sanding it down, I used wood filler to coat it all, sanded that down too, and painted it with a base layer of brown acrylic craft paint, several layers of gold, and finally a matte polyurethane coat to seal it. I cut out the rest of the headpiece from craft foam and painted it the same way, then hot-glued it all to a flexible headband. To make sure that the horns wouldn't detach themselves suddenly, I used two tiny nails to poke through the craft foam and into the styrofoam. The flexibility of the headband meant that I could bend it around my forehead enough to get it to stay, as long as it wasn't too windy, I didn't look too far down, or turn too suddenly. Since Loki would definitely have some blinging huge rings, I purchased the largest green and gold beads (I don't know if there's a better word for them; they're flat and have the holes situated such that they would be perfect on a bracelet or choker) I could find and strung them on black elastic cord to make matching rings. I borrowed some gold cuffs from my sister, and of course, I had to break out <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/11/making-lokis-chitauri-scepter.html">my Chitauri scepter</a> from my Asian-Loki in order to complete the whole look. Thankfully, the batteries were still working and all I had to do was touch up some paint.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C3rGEqbPP2E/XcUa4jbrqII/AAAAAAAAMVk/LjtPC82y4_gQF69kRvipIu7-Toch_EXvwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C3rGEqbPP2E/XcUa4jbrqII/AAAAAAAAMVk/LjtPC82y4_gQF69kRvipIu7-Toch_EXvwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5317.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Accessories! The gold at the bottom is a purse that I ended up not using. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ACNK_3FAb2U/XcUbYDmA4oI/AAAAAAAAMVs/NOCHoRk51yoMlKiawpYeXUM495AKQVbUwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ACNK_3FAb2U/XcUbYDmA4oI/AAAAAAAAMVs/NOCHoRk51yoMlKiawpYeXUM495AKQVbUwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5224.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The staff looks pretty good still, even after hanging out in a closet for several years!</td></tr>
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<u>Summary:</u><br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Fabric:</i> Muslin for the corselet; black twill (<a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/12/genderbent-han-solo.html">Han Solo</a> vest remnant), black silk organza (secondhand from the Canada College free shelf), black and gold lace (remnant from Dark Garden, purchased during a trunk sale), gold poly-taffeta (inherited stash), and green poly-velveteen (inherited stash) for the bodice; stretch green panné velvet (leftover from <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2016/12/professor-mcgonagall-cosplay.html">McGonagall</a>) for the skirt<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions:</i> Cream-colored lace hem tape and bias tape (inherited stash), pink grosgrain ribbon (FIDM store), spiral steel boning (leftover from <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/04/wedding-dress-progress-post-5.html">Elaine's wedding dress</a>) and hook-and-eye tape for the corselet; gold chain, zipper, and nylon horsehair braid for the dress<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Hours:</i> So. Many. I made a test muslin of the corselet as well as the dress, then there was the actual construction of the whole thing. Basically it was my main project for the eight weeks of class. I'd estimate upwards of 50 hours.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TDhlekWbaTo/XcWkc3zSDLI/AAAAAAAAMV4/nqfR4qiZR3Qo0g5K29xDQH7eBwZwiKWOwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_4539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1161" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TDhlekWbaTo/XcWkc3zSDLI/AAAAAAAAMV4/nqfR4qiZR3Qo0g5K29xDQH7eBwZwiKWOwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_4539.JPG" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My muslin fitting of the pattern. </td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">How accurate is it?</i> Seeing as how it's my own imagining of the character, it's extremely accurate, hah! But in all seriousness (as serious as one can be about a cosplay outfit), despite the upside down overlapping torso pieces (the original outfit is Vs; mine are flipped the other way because that's what the pattern was), the color scheme was enough that when I wore the gown (sans headpiece and staff) for the class final showcase, people asked if I was meant to be Loki. And of course, with all the props, it was pretty obvious at SVCC, and it was gratifying to see people's eyes light up when they recognized my cosplay.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Total cost:</i> $92 for the cost of the class, $64 in bridge tolls and parking permits for the eight sessions, about $20 worth of muslin, $10 for various notions, $6 for a floral heart, $3 for a headband, $4 for the beads for the rings, and all the rest was from stash. Did all my driving back and forth by myself negate the sustainability efforts of trying to avoid buying new fabric? Sigh, probably.<br />
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I am trying really hard to be more green in my costuming efforts and going with stash or secondhand materials whenever possible, even when it's tempting to buy something shiny and new (all those sequined fabrics and laces and burnout velvets -- Jo-Ann's has really upped their game, yo!). The unfortunate reality of living in the East Bay, though, is that all the classes I really want to take are going to require a drive <i>somewhere</i>, so yeah...it's not easy being green. My consolation is that I would've taken the class anyway, and at least I made a conscious effort not to unnecessarily purchase new fabrics.<br />
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At any rate, attempts at sustainability aside, I am really pleased overall with how this came together, and that I was finally able to use that pattern for its intended purpose. I loved how grand I felt swishing around at SVCC in it; it was worth the burden of wearing heels all day just for the added three inches of glorious purpose!<br />
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I found a Professor McGonagall (in a cloak of much nicer velvet than mine) so of course I had to take a picture with her:<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YXJg4AxmVl8/XcWns8QP-HI/AAAAAAAAMWg/6QST6VmUENw6Ay4cQxFkzmbyqDxrcLgugCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_5231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YXJg4AxmVl8/XcWns8QP-HI/AAAAAAAAMWg/6QST6VmUENw6Ay4cQxFkzmbyqDxrcLgugCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_5231.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-87966920976799105542019-08-24T20:59:00.001-07:002019-08-25T21:44:37.808-07:00Mommy & Me Mulan CosplayWhen I was a very little girl, I loved Disney princesses. When I (jokingly) complain about rereading <i>Spooky Pookie</i> to my kids for the bazillionth time, my dad likes to remind me that when I was two or three years old, Cinderella was my favorite and I requested that he read the storybook basically every night for the longest time. <i>The Little Mermaid</i> was the first movie I saw in theaters, and I still remember singing "Part of Your World" in the shower for an embarrassingly long time afterwards. When <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> came out when I was eight, I instantly identified and fell in love with bookworm Belle. Feisty, spirited Jasmine the year after was everything I wished I could be, and who doesn't want a pet tiger? I proudly wore my Belle and Jasmine sweatshirts in fourth grade but was teased for it, and after that I eschewed all Disney princesses. They were too dependent on men, I told myself, and fairytale romances weren't real and besides, other than Jasmine, they were all so...white.<br />
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It wasn't until high school, when <i>Mulan</i> came out, that Disney wooed me back. My mom had told me stories of Fa Mulan the warrior heroine, but I never expected to see a Chinese story told on the big screen. Even though her story was set in ancient China, Mulan disappointing her father and wiping half her matchmaker make-up off while singing "Reflection" was *me* as a Chinese-American girl failing math, dropping out of AP Physics and piano, and taking Creative Writing and art classes instead. Every time I hear the Lea Salonga version of that song (never the Christina Aguilera one!), I'm instantly transported back to wrestling with what it means to be Chinese and American, wondering if I can honor my parents while still carving my own path. All that to say, Mulan has always meant a lot to me. #representationmatters, y'all.<br />
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Once I discovered cosplaying, I knew there were certain costumes I definitely wanted to make: Belle, Jasmine, and Maleficent, but the dream was always Mulan's outfit from when she saves the emperor from Shan Yu. I'm grateful for Disney putting a heroine who looks like me in their princess line-up, but I've always been scornful of their choice to highlight her matchmaker outfit, which is the most patently unemblematic of the character! Also, I look terrible in pink and light green (her ending outfit, which is also featured heavily), so blues and maroons near my face it is! I decided to try to make this outfit in time for my fourth Silicon Valley Comic Con, since I've always wanted to do a Disney princess cosplay at a con and I'm not comfortable wearing my Slave Jasmine at such a venue. Conveniently, I had all the necessary colors of fabric in my stash: light and dark blue sweatshirt knit remnants from my <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/12/cat-face-sweatshirt.html">raglan sleeve sweatshirts</a>, maroon poly-cotton leftover from <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/01/nimona-science-buddies.html">Ballister Blackheart's cape</a>, pink rayon challis stockpiled as underlining for sheers and laces, and of course I have a whole bunch of thrifted white sheets. Now obviously none of these are historically accurate for ancient China, but then Mulan's outfits in the movie are kind of <a href="https://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/07/historical-sew-fortnightly-eastern.html">all over the place</a> too...I'd rather be economical and green instead of running out to buy more new fabric. Bonus: knit fabric on top means that this costume is super comfortable and not restrictive at all, which was very important as I ended up taking my two year old daughter with me to SVCC by myself, and wrestling toddlers requires all the mobility I can get!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0JxiquHaPrA/XWGz0q597lI/AAAAAAAAMQI/Qzd9dksbXbwrMvtCLHvUF2q2FEF4uu_MgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0JxiquHaPrA/XWGz0q597lI/AAAAAAAAMQI/Qzd9dksbXbwrMvtCLHvUF2q2FEF4uu_MgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5146.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the only full-length photo I have of the outfit, taken after I got home, and I'm sweaty and tired and didn't realize the sash got flipped to the side :(</td></tr>
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In deciding to depart from historical and/or screen-accuracy, I felt freed to go with very costume-y construction and design choices. The base bodice was just my knit t-shirt sloper with slashed and spread sleeves to make them appropriately blouse-y and rectangular cuffs at the end. To make it look more "princess-y," and flattering, I opted to make a full-length 3/4-circle skirt out of an old sheet, which has a bonus of being very washable! Very important for a white skirt at a dirty convention center. The waistband of the skirt is a wide piece of elastic and that closes with flat hooks and bars, and I didn't even bother with a zipper or any kind of placket on the skirt since it'll be hidden under the top. Instead of going for a tabard over the top, I decided to make things easier for myself and just a make a wrap top, rather than futzing with how far to the side it should extend and how to make things stay in place. The bottom portion of the wrap top ended up being more of a peplum than a skirt since I was running out of fabric. This ended up working out since the shorter length better accommodates the fullness of the wrap skirt.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j3LzGyND-SE/XWGz-dCFItI/AAAAAAAAMQQ/88a1BIy7pEc8_15wnc6p60zHhpt92GNwACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5344.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1439" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j3LzGyND-SE/XWGz-dCFItI/AAAAAAAAMQQ/88a1BIy7pEc8_15wnc6p60zHhpt92GNwACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5344.JPEG" width="574" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the greatest picture, but it gives you an idea of the general shapes of the different pieces. The maroon waist wrap was just a 34"x6" rectangle. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zs8ppWeaR28/XWG5baFoiDI/AAAAAAAAMRo/2RTHydmyi1oxpBQS8Plj6eRXWw1AiUkpQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zs8ppWeaR28/XWG5baFoiDI/AAAAAAAAMRo/2RTHydmyi1oxpBQS8Plj6eRXWw1AiUkpQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5347.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the sash, I didn't want a big lump know where it was tied together, so I interfaced a 3" tube that was long enough to go around my waist, then attached another 50"x3" tube (un-interfeaced, to keep the flowiness) perpendicularly at the end. The whole thing was secured with hooks and bars, then the top layer of the sash could just flip down to cover up the closures. You can get a better feel for how it was put on in my first photo where my sash got accidentally flipped to the side. </td></tr>
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Now that I have a daughter, I've had to go back and think a lot about what I want to expose her to in terms of princess media. I read this <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/05/24/726129132/how-disney-princesses-influence-girls-around-the-world">rather concerning article from NPR</a> about how girls around the world have been raised on such a diet of Disney princesses that they default to drawing the early white princesses. I was fortunate to grow up in a predominantly ethnically Chinese area of San Francisco, so I didn't actually feel "othered" much growing up, and somehow I managed to really notice until much later how few princesses of color there are in the Disney pantheon, but I think I'm an anomaly in the general Asian-American experience. I don't want to leave SHB#2's experience to chance, to so for now I'm opting to not show her any princess media at all. That said, I couldn't resist making her a matching outfit since I still had fabric left and toddler clothes are such a good way to use up remnants. Instead of making her two separate pieces for the top, I opted to just make her a wrap top but use the light blue knit to make long sleeves in order to give a layered look without the bulk. Her gathered rectangular skirt is just an old undershirt from Mr. Cation that's had the top half cut off, and I even used the elastic from a pair of his old boxers: how's that for the ultimate green costume?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SDYqr803TIc/XWG0OppxlvI/AAAAAAAAMQU/spRbP5t_a0IKq9MvsVh_xej76VMAb8NXgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SDYqr803TIc/XWG0OppxlvI/AAAAAAAAMQU/spRbP5t_a0IKq9MvsVh_xej76VMAb8NXgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5076.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first thing she did upon getting to the con was bite into a cherry tomato and spray seeds and juice all over herself. And here I thought I was being such a good mama in packing healthy snacks...at least her top was dark enough that the stain weren't obvious. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-je2eWIxcY38/XWG4t4MMOkI/AAAAAAAAMRg/oO70dqMMlEI75M5RFZ8flV_H8PFXUlrugCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1129" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-je2eWIxcY38/XWG4t4MMOkI/AAAAAAAAMRg/oO70dqMMlEI75M5RFZ8flV_H8PFXUlrugCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5115.JPG" width="450" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you think finding appropriate shoes for cosplay is hard for adults, it's even more ridiculous for toddlers. They have OPINIONS about how sparkly their shoes need to be and their feet grow so fast! Hence the pink glitter jellies.</td></tr>
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<u>Summary</u><br />
<b><i>Fabric</i>: </b>lots of poly-cotton, in both knit (light blue and navy blue) and sheet (maroon trim and waist wrap, white circle skirt) form, some dusty rose rayon challis for the sash.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions:</i> 3" white elastic for the skirt waistband, lots of hooks and bars for the skirt and sash closures. I used some pale pink piping from my stash between the maroon trip and the navy blue body; light blue would've been more screen accurate but I couldn't be bothered to make new piping when I already had yards of this other stuff. The wrap top and the waist wrap piece are both held in place with hidden safety pins. The part of the sash that goes around my waist is interfaced, and the neckline of the undershirt and the armholes of the wrap top are finished with bias tape.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Props:</i> For the crest of the emperor, I got mine 3D-printed with <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3477029">this free file</a>, and then I sanded and painted it with acrylic paints and sealed it with a matte polyurethane varnish. For SHB#2's crest, I woodburned a little wooden gift tag that I had in the stash and then painted and sealed it in the same way. The color is slightly different on hers because of the light beige of the wood versus the dark gray of the 3D-print plastic. For the hair clip, I made mine out of Crayola Model Magic (petals), cardboard (leaves), and gold head pins, all hot-glued to a plastic hair comb and judicious colored with markers. SHB#2's hair clip was a standard child's white flower hair clip that I added rhinestones and a green fabric leaf to, and again colored with markers. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9c-3L32xZcA/XWG0rTCb0YI/AAAAAAAAMQs/CEDEc1EIRTY73QIQxkiVlR4eMRcg8jFCQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9c-3L32xZcA/XWG0rTCb0YI/AAAAAAAAMQs/CEDEc1EIRTY73QIQxkiVlR4eMRcg8jFCQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5321.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 3D print was generously done for free for me by one of the members of the SheProp! FB community. If you're a female-identifying or nonbinary person who wants a safe, welcoming space to ask prop-making questions, this is an amazing, knowledgeable group that is such a far cry from the toxic masculinity of the RPF. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RmXQQ6vZahw/XWG3jBnHsFI/AAAAAAAAMRU/KXfoBk69lGUnjcY6UQBqX2j7oobEl8hEACLcBGAs/s1600/C315C488-AC73-4888-A9FE-6D04E654F01C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RmXQQ6vZahw/XWG3jBnHsFI/AAAAAAAAMRU/KXfoBk69lGUnjcY6UQBqX2j7oobEl8hEACLcBGAs/s640/C315C488-AC73-4888-A9FE-6D04E654F01C.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here are SHB#2's accessories! The sword is made from a paint stir stick and chopsticks and tape, but we ended up not bringing it with us because of the con's prop weapons policy. </td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Hours:</i> I didn't really keep track, but this was an easy costume to make, fitting wise, so both pieces took maybe a few weeks of naptimes. Knits are forgiving and the skirts are so voluminous that it's easy to just sew without having to stop for a lot of fittings. The most tedious part was all the circle skirt hemming. The knits I didn't bother to hem at all.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">How accurate is it?</i> I think it's very recognizably Mulan's outfit, even if the light blue could've been more teal and less periwinkle, plus the design differences described above.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Total cost:</i> Literally everything was from my stash, so essentially free (in the present day)! In the past, the knits were inherited from a friend's destash and the the sheets couldn't have been more than a few dollars each, so even counting past costs, the whole thing was definitely less than $10. Pretty sure that's the most Chinese thing about this, is how cheap it was...j/k.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXRgCWCM40Y/XWG1ND0cwTI/AAAAAAAAMQ0/dZRrT_WNECMZzxOUC5EtCQrkbOCTalHbQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXRgCWCM40Y/XWG1ND0cwTI/AAAAAAAAMQ0/dZRrT_WNECMZzxOUC5EtCQrkbOCTalHbQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5063.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's blurry because she was bouncing up and down in excitement. </td></tr>
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We had a good time at SVCC together, after the initial awfulness of standing in lines for over an hour. It was so fun to have people see me and be like, "Oh cool, Mulan!" and then see SHB#2 in the stroller and start squealing "AND THERE'S A BABY MULAN TOO!!!" Once she got used to the con atmosphere, SHB#2 was totally eating up all the attention and by the end of the day was proclaiming herself to be cute. She didn't want to leave, but as soon as we got into the car and onto the freeway, she totally conked out after the excitement of the morning (and early afternoon, since we didn't leave until 2:30 pm, well after her usual naptime). I still want to get some more pictures of the both of us in our costumes; one of the downsides to going without another adult was that I didn't get any full-length shots of just the two of us. I am grateful, however, for the generosity of Gloria and Mike of <a href="https://inthelongrun.wordpress.com/">In the Long Run Designs</a> for squeezing in a few photos of us in their shooting schedule!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sygqy-fcpT0/XWG1YnlwXRI/AAAAAAAAMQ8/IwxyL7aWS6Uj4B-bhXlFMaMEWbMIy8GLgCLcBGAs/s1600/48603086761_d3f5614c43_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sygqy-fcpT0/XWG1YnlwXRI/AAAAAAAAMQ8/IwxyL7aWS6Uj4B-bhXlFMaMEWbMIy8GLgCLcBGAs/s640/48603086761_d3f5614c43_o.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I decided that the slightly frazzled, hair-flyaways-galore look is appropriate for having theoretically just climbed onto a roof and battled Shan Yu. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XSsDEOfFwCc/XWG1YkV2oiI/AAAAAAAAMRA/OeGCQLOjMuAyO4W2JTOgfhjoCm4FsniQACLcBGAs/s1600/48603221332_681b842dab_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XSsDEOfFwCc/XWG1YkV2oiI/AAAAAAAAMRA/OeGCQLOjMuAyO4W2JTOgfhjoCm4FsniQACLcBGAs/s640/48603221332_681b842dab_o.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I adore my (both literally and figuratively) cheeky little girl.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qakTOQpFZkc/XWG1YUMhUMI/AAAAAAAAMQ4/hivGx6FJmMUT-U1cQin4maGR6YslYHNXQCLcBGAs/s1600/48603221712_927955fa44_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qakTOQpFZkc/XWG1YUMhUMI/AAAAAAAAMQ4/hivGx6FJmMUT-U1cQin4maGR6YslYHNXQCLcBGAs/s640/48603221712_927955fa44_o.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm so happy to have these photos to commemorate our little date, even if she doesn't look quite as thrilled! </td></tr>
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-17156018076955177952019-08-09T23:33:00.000-07:002019-08-11T22:28:58.323-07:00I Left With A Quilt, I Came Back With A Quilt (Or Four)So ummm, last time I blogged, I was very pregnant and had just finished <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2017/07/projects-for-shb2.html">a quilt for SHB#2</a>...two years later I have birthed the SHB#2, made a whole bunch of random things (plushies! a tiny hut on chicken legs! art! more than 250 nativity figurines!) and a few costumes. Due to said SHB#2, who is less inclined to play by herself than SHB#1, I've opted to do save my me-time for making things instead of blogging, relying on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/cationdesigns">Instagram</a> to quickly document most of my finished projects. I do miss the more detailed, longer form of blog entries though, and always meant to get back into it. Now that the new school year is starting and I have cosplays to finish before SVCC next weekend, this is the perfect time to procrastinate with a blog entry, y/y?<br />
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Since my sewing area is accessible to the kids, and I don't really need more clothes (more on that later), I haven't done much sewing until recently, when SHB#2 got old enough to (kind of) understand that she needs to leave Mommy's things alone. And even then, I was so brain-dead most of the time, I couldn't handle complicated things like fitting or figuring out new patterns, so I've defaulted to making quilts, which are not <i>easy</i> per se, but at least once I have the pieces laid out, it's more or less mindless sewing of straight(ish) lines.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ptjCHZQHDPE/XU5cZkZArjI/AAAAAAAAMNg/se-OXtSpvWQueb1aMoBqDxNtQeUUPa-vACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1985.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1308" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ptjCHZQHDPE/XU5cZkZArjI/AAAAAAAAMNg/se-OXtSpvWQueb1aMoBqDxNtQeUUPa-vACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_1985.JPEG" width="523" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made this from florals that I inherited from the school drama teacher's mother-in-law's stash. All straight lines, and can you tell that I really didn't think too hard about the placement of my blocks?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3YFNwXjIe4/XU5cbSqV3wI/AAAAAAAAMNk/cHq0senKNyI8D4pNINgqVj2BbYgkN8kJwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1979.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1416" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3YFNwXjIe4/XU5cbSqV3wI/AAAAAAAAMNk/cHq0senKNyI8D4pNINgqVj2BbYgkN8kJwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_1979.JPEG" width="566" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mean, look at how haphazard all the piecing on the backing is!</td></tr>
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After the stashbusting quilt, I made a few quilts for important babies in my life:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BT0IMwBn73g/XU5dLN6t0PI/AAAAAAAAMN0/8BITBlvKwxwW2Kt-Kwvnhbse3V9i1IpPACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1590.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1287" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BT0IMwBn73g/XU5dLN6t0PI/AAAAAAAAMN0/8BITBlvKwxwW2Kt-Kwvnhbse3V9i1IpPACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_1590.JPEG" width="514" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very simple, vaguely sportsball field-esque look. </td></tr>
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A dear friend's baby had a difficult start in life, spending time in the NICU and then working hard to recover for the first year of his life, but now he is a healthy, thriving boy who outweighs my own little girl, despite being almost a year younger! Maybe one day he will play sportsball for one of his parents' alma maters, you know, because the quilt I made him is so inspiring...j/k.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YEhzhW_Oh78/XU5dKvDW61I/AAAAAAAAMNw/IAuHJKZM8NEWm_v_T0SeJqyKgXgAZ88IQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1592.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1225" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YEhzhW_Oh78/XU5dKvDW61I/AAAAAAAAMNw/IAuHJKZM8NEWm_v_T0SeJqyKgXgAZ88IQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_1592.JPEG" width="490" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back was fleece (no batting inside, since San Diego weather doesn't require a lot of warmth).<br /> I'm glad the school colors don't clash. </td></tr>
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Another dear friend had her third daughter, and I wanted that little girl to have something special of her own that wasn't a hand-me-down from her older sisters, so I made a Harry Potter and Star Wars mashup quilt so that she would have both of her parents' fandoms to wrap her in love. And then because those are also two of my big fandoms, I made an almost identical one for SHB#2. Like her big brother, Chewbacca is her first favorite SW character (SHB#1 has since moved on to Darth Vader, mostly because his lightsaber is red), so she enjoys pointing him out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_u3opitsrgM/XU5eJ7phxWI/AAAAAAAAMOA/AZTeEPRvr0Q3vX5tjNK2-EtUOP-VG4ThACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_u3opitsrgM/XU5eJ7phxWI/AAAAAAAAMOA/AZTeEPRvr0Q3vX5tjNK2-EtUOP-VG4ThACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3482.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a challenge to design (even though it's all just rectangles) because so many SW fabrics are so dark, and HP fabrics are so bright, so to put them together in one quilt and have it look somewhat cohesive was tricky. I'm inordinately pleased with what I came up with!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VKA6dIb9FLY/XU5eKERba4I/AAAAAAAAMOE/GzcEmpFegvwp6CxC2IF9sQ_iqUqMg2JHQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VKA6dIb9FLY/XU5eKERba4I/AAAAAAAAMOE/GzcEmpFegvwp6CxC2IF9sQ_iqUqMg2JHQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3589.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the back of the one I kept. The one I gifted had a border of Hogwarts house crests instead of the spaceship blueprints shown here. All of these licensed character fabrics are from Joann's. </td></tr>
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And lastly, one of my college friends struggled with infertility for many, many years, so when she found out she was expecting, I knew I had to make something for her baby. She and her husband are huge LOTR nerds (they previously attended <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-long-expected-party.html">my LOTR birthday party</a> and her husband won the trivia contest), so I wanted to incorporate that somehow into a quilt that also illustrated their story. While googling LOTR-themed quilts, I came across <a href="http://needleseyestories.blogspot.com/2015/04/into-west.html">this amazing art quilt</a>, but I knew I wouldn't be able to replicate something like that, nor would it really be baby-friendly. More googling of landscape quilts yielded <a href="https://lwkoenig.blogspot.com/2018/03/someone-elses-design.html">this one</a>, which seemed much more doable with its pieced strips (yay straight lines!). I decided to try to combine these two ideas to make my own take on an "Into the West" quilt; the more I thought about it the more I was set on it as the perfect representation of their journey. They had walked through the wasteland of Mordor in their quest for a biological child, and now after all that exhaustion, they were finally getting to sail into the west, into the rest and peace and hope of the Undying Lands. Not that having a newborn baby is at all as restful as I imagine Valinor to be, but you get the idea.<br />
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I had purchased a sizable lot of quilting cottons in various colors a year ago from somebody else's destash (some of the pieces were used to make up the rainbow blocks in the HP/SW quilts), and I tried to use those as much as possible in this quilt. I figure elves and hobbits would be all about being green and not purchasing new fabrics, right? The only new fabrics I had to buy were some browns for the cliffs and the backing fabric. Anyway, I started by laying out my fabrics in a semblance of the final image, then I got to all the tedious cutting and sewing of sky and water strips.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6KOByBUSVyI/XU5gTmUdjZI/AAAAAAAAMOU/fisgwj8i0I0SxuFVIkAfIjbVVlTj9VO_QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6KOByBUSVyI/XU5gTmUdjZI/AAAAAAAAMOU/fisgwj8i0I0SxuFVIkAfIjbVVlTj9VO_QCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_4361.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I initially wanted to have hobbit boles at the bottom, hence all the green bits. After doing some measuring, though, I realized it would end up being too long of a quilt for its width. </td></tr>
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Figuring out the cliffs and greenery was more fun and challenging. I wasn't sure how to attach them, so after more googling I treated them as appliques, folding the edges under and hand-stitching them down. The little boat was done the same way, but I interfaced the pieces since they were so tiny and fiddly to work with.<br />
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I chose a neutral gray, vine-y backing fabric; I wanted a fabric with some kind of busy pattern to disguise my inevitable quilting errors, and vines seemed appropriate for the elvish theme of the front. For the binding I went with a plain solid navy blue since I figured the edges would get dirty fastest and I didn't want to take away from the design. The quilting was all sort of haphazardly done; I didn't mark any of my lines beforehand and just sort of sewed with a vague plan in mind. I think it turned out pretty well, all things considered. One day I'll take a quilting class and figure out how to do things the real way instead of just winging everything...<br />
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This quilt took a month's worth of nighttimes and naptimes, but since AP exams were over it was mostly a relaxing way to wind down after a hard school year. We were even able to make it down to San Diego as an entire family to deliver it in person at their baby shower; it was gratifying getting to watch them unwrap it. This is why I'll probably only ever make quilts for people I love a lot -- I don't think most people would be willing to pay for the hours and hours it takes to make one, but this is the best way I know how to show how much I care. I may not be a baby person, but I'll be a sewing-for-your-baby person as long as it's my idea and not an outrageous request that belongs on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/canyousewthisforme">@canyousewthisforme</a>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vh_zFhPcX_M/XU5igsbmAQI/AAAAAAAAMPU/PZ1DtkbfdcQ2T719nLYenuLX081sULC9ACLcBGAs/s1600/67213344_10106981107651161_5933387849297559552_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1281" height="466" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vh_zFhPcX_M/XU5igsbmAQI/AAAAAAAAMPU/PZ1DtkbfdcQ2T719nLYenuLX081sULC9ACLcBGAs/s640/67213344_10106981107651161_5933387849297559552_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These last two pictures taken by the mom-to-be's sister. </td></tr>
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-972441080034915122017-07-27T16:00:00.000-07:002017-07-27T16:00:20.330-07:00Projects for SHB#2I made <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/04/shb-sew-along-baby-accessories.html">a whole host of things for SHB#1</a>, most of which are still perfectly useable for SHB#2, so I didn't make a whole lot during this pregnancy. Also chasing a toddler kind of precludes having the time to sew and paint very much! But one thing I definitely wanted to do was to make SHB#2 a quilt; I wanted each child to have their own tangible piece of evidence that I was thinking about, dreaming about, and hoping lovely things for their lives. Since <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-geekiest-baby-underwater-themed.html">SHB#1's quilt was ocean animal themed</a>, I decided that SHB#2's should be land animal themed, with a bit of a feline bent, because obviously cats are great. This decision was also helped by a dear friend bringing back a pink cat quilting cotton from Japan. Although I'm not a huge fan of pink, I decided to go ahead with a pink/red color scheme for this quilt, if only to set it apart from SHB#1's teal blue quilt. I managed to find fabrics with a lot of yellows and oranges as well, though, so it's not overwhelmingly pink in a froofy pastel princess way.<br />
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Back when I made SHB#1's quilt, I kind of just chose every single ocean animal quilting cotton I could find, and that's about all the thought that went into it. Maybe because SHB#2 is a girl, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BSTrbBdgzUZ/?taken-by=cationdesigns">I've been thinking a lot about the world she's coming into</a>, and what my own experiences were like growing up as a quirky, nerdy girl who didn't come into her own until a quarter of a decade into life, but my fabric choices and sewing experience with this quilt were much more thought out and meditative.<br />
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I realize that a lot of this is going to sound overdramatic (and a lot like the made-up symbolism for my art class essays), but this is really what I was thinking about while sewing. I thought about back in the Laura Ingalls Wilder pioneer days when women would make quilts by hand with meaningful fabrics, and I tried to think of the whole process as sewing my love for this baby girl into a blanket that she could wrap herself up in. The pink cat fabric that started it all was from a long-time friend who helped me feel welcome and at ease when I felt particularly awkward in a new social situation, and despite living in different cities now, she remains someone I can look to to offer wise questions and compassionate understanding when I struggle with marriage, motherhood, and life. I want SHB#2 to have those kinds of uplifting friends in her life. The other small rectangles have different animals on them; I feel strongly that how we treat animals, who don't have a voice and represent the stewardship role that humans have, is indicative of our hearts. I want SHB#2 to have that kind of care and sense of responsibility for all the vulnerable and oppressed. The lion fabric in the middle features male lions with crowns, but I want SHB#2 to know that just because she is a female living in a male-dominated world, does not mean she can't rise up and still accomplish what she wants. The ombre-ish dot progression goes in both directions at the top and the bottom of the quilt; I hope that as she matures that she still maintains a childlike (but not childish) sense of wonder and openness and imagination. I hope that she has the courage to go in the opposite direction of those around her when necessary, and that she can see people and issues on a spectrum instead of as black and white, that things aren't always either-or, which is something that I struggle with personally. And lastly, the dotted backing fabric and striped binding fabric are echoes of her brother's quilt; I pray that instead of being jealous or rivals, they will enjoy a close relationship and love and support each other.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qrV5KlF8dpQ/WXjUMv-im9I/AAAAAAAAMA0/EWkTjbSfAn4fIiWypw0vqLuN1h5RdifmwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qrV5KlF8dpQ/WXjUMv-im9I/AAAAAAAAMA0/EWkTjbSfAn4fIiWypw0vqLuN1h5RdifmwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6916.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">I thought it was fitting that as the little sister, she have little dots to his big polka dots. </td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEDgvGSQp6E/WXjUl58CwBI/AAAAAAAAMA4/TEmDBGqNR_4c0pdERqZw-NW2yWEGSSzXgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1310" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEDgvGSQp6E/WXjUl58CwBI/AAAAAAAAMA4/TEmDBGqNR_4c0pdERqZw-NW2yWEGSSzXgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_7265.JPG" width="522" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">"I just trying it, Mom." Of course he would like her quilt more than his own. </td></tr>
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And then because I was on a quilt-making kick, and because the Warriors had just won the champeenship (Homestar Runner, anyone?) again and I still had leftover Warriors fabric, I figured that I might as well make a little blanket to match SHB#1's SF Giants one. That way, both kids will have a fleece blankie to commemorate the Bay Area sports team that won some big thing the year they were born!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">I made it with remnants, hence the irregular logo distribution. At least all the squares made for easy quilting!</td></tr>
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<i>Bonus Warriors-related craft:</i> I know this post's title says that this is supposed to be about projects for SHB#2, but here's a clock I made for Mr. Cation.<br />
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When Mr. Cation and I first started dating, I remember being really concerned about how much he liked sports (which is funny because now that I've met more husbands of friends, I realize he's not even that hardcore...he doesn't get depressed when his favorite sports team loses, nor does he spend a lot of time/money to watch/attend games). Sports and I have a terrible relationship, mostly stemming from the elementary school trauma of always being picked last for teams. But anyway, I was so worried about it that I actually talked to my wise older mentor teacher (who was also an awesome life mentor) about whether our relationship could even work. She advised me that he was a good guy who was worth holding on to despite our different interests, and pointed out that there would be different opportunities for me to show my support of his "fandom" with my crafts. She was so right of course, on both points, and while I'm still incapable of dribbling a basketball, I have enjoyed making these sport-themed projects for our children and for him. I'm so glad that our marriage has given me the chance to somewhat redeem my awful childhood PE experiences; I'm especially glad that with him as a dad, SHB#1 and #2 will have a better grounding in sports than I will, and hopefully won't have to suffer as I did!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">This is pretty much what all sports sounds like to me. </td></tr>
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-43329438947749499902017-07-14T10:09:00.001-07:002017-07-19T23:45:09.844-07:00My Other Miscellaneous Geeky Fangirl DoingsBesides working on <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2017/07/a-year-of-fashion-illustration-classes.html">fashion illustrations</a> and <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2017/06/sew-all-plushies.html">sewing plushies</a>, I've also been crafting my fandoms and doing some cosplay-lite. I wanted to chronicle these, however briefly, before SHB#2 arrives, since this blog is supposed to be a record of my haphazard (and some are definitely more haphazard than others) projects.<br />
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I was late to jump onto the Hamilton bandwagon, but I console myself that once I jumped on, I jumped on <i>hard</i>. The soundtrack has been on repeat in my car for oh, more than half a year now, and SHB knows and enjoys a good half of the songs (his top requests: anything sung by Aaron Burr or King George; not his favorites: cabinet battles, anything having to do with Maria Reynolds). Although I'd seen it recommended by basically every blogger I enjoy and many real-life friends I love, I didn't get into it until my best friend's girlfriend got her into it. As a thank you to the two of them for finally getting me into my favorite musical ever (sorry Les Mis, you've been relegated to second favorite, although you'll always have the distinction of being my first love), I drew/painted these two pieces:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-83orm0SNvss/WWjwsMfUICI/AAAAAAAAL-g/dO8DjJ7Rt5Qtyc4oBGXHaX0fUuWAAzEsACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4870.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1280" height="532" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-83orm0SNvss/WWjwsMfUICI/AAAAAAAAL-g/dO8DjJ7Rt5Qtyc4oBGXHaX0fUuWAAzEsACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_4870.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took all of Alexander Hamilton's and Aaron Burr's best lines and turned them into a ham (A Dot Ham!) and a burr (A Dot Burr!).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8oCeMXqfkxM/WWjwvd8rdHI/AAAAAAAAL-k/OiSYsP4M74w3Ro9oduoRL-_yzk_FvD4vACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="638" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8oCeMXqfkxM/WWjwvd8rdHI/AAAAAAAAL-k/OiSYsP4M74w3Ro9oduoRL-_yzk_FvD4vACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5744.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time is such a theme in Hamilton, so it seemed appropriate to make a clock. "Why do you write like you're running out of time?" </td></tr>
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Bonus LOTR-themed clock that I pyrographed for Elaine:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the new craft kits that Target is putting out! </td></tr>
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It's really thanks to my fashion illustration classes that I even did the first two pieces; I had all my nice pens and paints at hand already and felt empowered to use them. I also drew this little illustration based on my best friend's cat for her husband, who is a Toothless the dragon fan.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cactus the cat looks a lot like Toothless the Night Fury, don't you think? Color pencil and pastel illustration.</td></tr>
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It's been hard to find the time and energy to make proper costumes this year, thanks to pregnancy and a busy schedule, but I'm proud of myself for still managing a couple of less-involved outfits. Elaine and I went to see the next installment in the HP symphony series at the Silicon Valley Symphony, <i>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</i><i>.</i> I originally planned to make a Fawkes costume, but time and a baby bump got the better of me and I went for a much more low-key and goofy costume: the actual Chamber of Secrets! I'd seen all those Buzzfeed-ish "articles" about ridiculous uses of a baby bump in cosplay (Krang! the Death Star! an alien/parasite bursting out!), so it seemed to follow that my incubation chamber should hold a basilisk. I painted some painter's tape to make a quick "sticker" because I didn't want to paint directly onto a perfectly good black tee, then painted the door to the Chamber of Secrets onto a piece of craft foam and fastened it over my belly. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vmu2r17nXhE/WWjzn4pmvaI/AAAAAAAAL-0/3TNrLrUEvakEceEm5EsISAzvyx2MR-vjwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1453" data-original-width="1600" height="580" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vmu2r17nXhE/WWjzn4pmvaI/AAAAAAAAL-0/3TNrLrUEvakEceEm5EsISAzvyx2MR-vjwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5394.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I put a bunch of painter's tape onto a piece of waxed paper and used acrylic to paint the basilisk, then cut out the shape. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kjnwQvHkL7g/WWjzn6GYOUI/AAAAAAAAL-w/qnrKroijf-k1rzyRNUcW5eycD6crjPiHgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1579" data-original-width="1600" height="630" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kjnwQvHkL7g/WWjzn6GYOUI/AAAAAAAAL-w/qnrKroijf-k1rzyRNUcW5eycD6crjPiHgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5389.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I considered stressing about the not-quite-symmetrical door design, then decided it wasn't worth it. Same goes for the scale pattern on the snakes. </td></tr>
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My crowning glory, though, was the tiny Moaning-Myrtle-in-her-toilet headband I made to direct people to the chamber:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cbGUFpnF-VA/WWj0KIQxURI/AAAAAAAAL-4/jTdbcXypXA4AmXPTAkhkc1O7ga3asUiCACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cbGUFpnF-VA/WWj0KIQxURI/AAAAAAAAL-4/jTdbcXypXA4AmXPTAkhkc1O7ga3asUiCACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5397.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't ask why I have a tiny pink plastic toilet readily available in my house. </td></tr>
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Elaine was a great sport and let me slap a printout of the blood-painted warning wall on her dress, so that we could go together like we did at the first symphony, where we were <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2016/12/professor-mcgonagall-cosplay.html">McGonagall and her silver cat Patronus</a>.<br />
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I'm hoping to get my act together post-birth and make a Snape-boggart costume for the third movie/symphony...we'll see how that goes.<br />
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Shortly after the symphony was the second Silicon Valley Comic Con; I wanted to dress up as <i>something</i>, but with AP exams coming up I had no time to make the pregnant Princess Serenity or pregnant Zoe Washburne costumes I originally envisioned. When my sister Emily told me she was going as Imperator Furiosa, though, I knew I could pull off a quick pregnant Splendid Angharad costume. Can you even call it a costume if you're just wrapping white fabric around yourself and throwing cinnamon and coffee grounds at it to dirty it up? At any rate, it was a very comfortable costume to wear and certainly easier for toddler-chasing than my original ideas. Just FYI, if you bring a two year old to a convention and you're pregnant, it's very helpful to also have the best aunts along to help chase and wrangle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The orange convention wristband kind of ruins the whole look though. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NX3mo-L4eJ4/WWj3tTTBbWI/AAAAAAAAL_I/e-NnmkT-imErM-uTb5xbEh7iHAKeFLueACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1577" data-original-width="1600" height="630" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NX3mo-L4eJ4/WWj3tTTBbWI/AAAAAAAAL_I/e-NnmkT-imErM-uTb5xbEh7iHAKeFLueACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5644.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right after we took this picture, SHB squirmed out of my arms and took off across the exhibit hall to point at a Batman display. I guess I was asking for it by dressing him in his caped Batman shirt. </td></tr>
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I was really excited for the Wonder Woman movie coming out, but sad that there was no way I was going to make either of my two preferred costumes from the film: the wool suit, which is actually quite historically accurate for a superhero movie, and the blue dress with the sword down her back, which is just awesome. I still want to make both, but they'll have to wait. In the meantime, I'm still pretty pleased that I managed to spray-paint my own maternity Wonder Woman top and make a quick craft foam tiara. Emily went as Doctor Poison, who, although a villain, still has a tiny piece of my heart as a female chemist.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I succumbed and bought the toy sword. </td></tr>
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So that's what I've been up to this spring! I still have to blog SHB#2's quilts and then I'll be all caught up. Minus those <i>Antigone</i> costumes, of course.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-4697438861472174572017-07-14T08:22:00.000-07:002020-04-30T15:07:17.877-07:00A Year of Fashion Illustration ClassesFor the last school year, I've been taking fashion illustration classes at <a href="https://canadacollege.edu/fashion/">Canada College</a> in Redwood City. This is the same community college where I took <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/09/pants-pattern-alterations.html">Pants Drafting</a> & <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-quest-for-perfect-pants-achievement.html">Construction</a>, <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/03/and-now-construction-post.html">Bustier</a>, <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/07/copying-rtw-clothing-using-silk-organza.html">Copying RTW</a>, <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-first-official-costume-design.html">Intro to Theater Costuming</a>, and <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/09/all-about-man-made-fabrics-now-in.html">Textiles</a>. In fact, <a href="https://canadacollege.edu/fashion/2013/05/instructor-kathleen-mccarney/">the professor</a> for this class is the same as the textiles class, and she is basically everything I would've wanted to be in a different life: an illustrator, knowledgeable about the chemistry of textiles, and a teacher! And what a teacher -- I haven't taken a serious art class in more than fifteen years, when I took an introductory drawing class my senior year in high school because I dropped out of second semester AP Physics. That was all about shading and stippling techniques and I think I drew a pretty awesome pine cone, but that's about all I remember. And before that class, the last time I picked up my paintbrush to do a serious painting was in eighth grade. Even then, I was pretty lost because my teacher's instructions basically consisted of "get your paintbrush wet and then paint until it looks good."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MjBo9xc9Z3I/WWjbU1jhvdI/AAAAAAAAL-M/G_SSDro1YjcdvODJ-mvAn9RF82JWnYv0wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3212.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1280" height="478" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MjBo9xc9Z3I/WWjbU1jhvdI/AAAAAAAAL-M/G_SSDro1YjcdvODJ-mvAn9RF82JWnYv0wCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3212.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The one painting from that era that I don't cringe at was copied from a calendar when I was in a horse phase. I don't have any real pictures of it, but I found it in the background of this picture from Thanksgiving four years ago. My parents still have it hanging in their dining room, bless them. </td></tr>
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With that background, it was like an epiphany when our prof actually gave concrete instructions on how to proportion figures, illustrate different fabric types, and use various media effectively. As I told her on my last day of class, I feel like a whole new world has been unlocked for me (you know, because I needed more types of hobbies that involve a cabinet of supplies). No more staring enviously at other artists' illustrations and wondering how they knew how to do that; now I can do it too! Er, kind of.<br />
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Last fall, after several weeks of drawing <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJjpZ_xDTzX/?taken-by=cationdesigns">stick figures</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ1w99uDTDp/?taken-by=cationdesigns">blocked figures</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKZw8S6DeXE/?taken-by=cationdesigns">various body parts</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLDDhbUDLWP/?taken-by=cationdesigns">types of fabric</a>, our first assignment was to put all of it together to do a black and white drawing. I drew a 1920s-inspired figure wearing a beaded flapper-ish dress and holding a fox-fur stole. It's funny, I was so pleased with it when I drew it, but looking back at it now I see so many mistakes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wOKmdIUvKFQ/WWf9AKArM0I/AAAAAAAAL8o/sya7rw9cxCwXR9Mrv94VYLsGkwaVz9NdQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wOKmdIUvKFQ/WWf9AKArM0I/AAAAAAAAL8o/sya7rw9cxCwXR9Mrv94VYLsGkwaVz9NdQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_7077.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her right shoulder is too high and her pose looks a little awkward. </td></tr>
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The next assignment was to do a figure in sepia and/or monochromatic pastels, i.e. not a lot of color, but shading and texture as a focus. I went for a 1930s look, with a drapey bias-cut satin dress and huge fur coat. In contrast to my first assignment, I still love everything about this piece.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4I8Tuf8jog0/WWf9MxcQ-AI/AAAAAAAAL8s/Ca5L98W9rIsrr87q1jgnkEQn9NFL2kbFwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4I8Tuf8jog0/WWf9MxcQ-AI/AAAAAAAAL8s/Ca5L98W9rIsrr87q1jgnkEQn9NFL2kbFwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_7076.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the category of draw what you know, most of my figures read as Asian. </td></tr>
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The third assignment was an illustration using colored pencils, so we were supposed to choose nubbly and textured fabrics to render. I illustrated what was meant to be a boucle wool coat with tweedy trousers. This was my least favorite piece from first semester, which at the time I attributed to the medium, but it's funny because I ended up using color pencil a lot during second semester. I think I just didn't know what I was doing yet. Also I went overboard on the background. Or maybe I just didn't like it because it wasn't a vintage look?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VCKeT6klvDs/WWf9U-QENhI/AAAAAAAAL8w/pYbqmaZ0lXgo0MAif2ZVZsO180XqqqGbQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VCKeT6klvDs/WWf9U-QENhI/AAAAAAAAL8w/pYbqmaZ0lXgo0MAif2ZVZsO180XqqqGbQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_7079.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I realized that the white hair made her look a lot like Ororo Munroe, so in a late night, last minute decision I added in the background, then hated it. I've gotten too used to being able to Ctrl+Z everything!</td></tr>
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Our final project was a watercolor illustration, and I went with an Erte-inspired Art Nouveau figure. Despite a mistake on the shading of the draped folds on her dress, I still love how this one turned out, mostly because of the cheetah. This was the illustration that made me fall in love with watercolor as a medium; I realized I could actually control the moisture in order to get the color to do what I wanted, instead of letting the moisture control me. It's amazing what a good teacher can help you achieve!<br />
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I debated whether or not to take Advanced Fashion Illustration during second semester, because I knew I was going to be super busy with prepping my AP students for exams, plus the inevitable exhaustion of pregnancy and the continued demands of caring for a toddler. I'm so glad I did it, though, because I was able to build on my momentum from first semester, and who knows when I'll be able to take another class? It took two years for me to carve out time for myself to take these classes after having SHB, and he's a fairly easy kid, so I figured I should do what I can while I still can.<br />
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We started the semester by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BPwXnX5BI8X/?taken-by=cationdesigns">drawing more "extreme" poses</a> (read: more attitude) and working on profile and back views. This was my attempt at a Poiret-inspired cocoon coat (something I definitely want to make one day, if/when I find the perfect velvet fabric) from the back, using pastels and color pencils:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XRpYMjSrYGQ/WWgzHKciCbI/AAAAAAAAL9M/1ZGPSdhR8qMt3EzoltRLmeuSGnZ3tG_zQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1367" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XRpYMjSrYGQ/WWgzHKciCbI/AAAAAAAAL9M/1ZGPSdhR8qMt3EzoltRLmeuSGnZ3tG_zQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_7074.JPG" width="546" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backgrounds: not my strong suit. That tree is just sad. </td></tr>
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Then we experimented with timed drawings, where we used brush pens to quickly capture a figure's style and movement. Unlike my previous pieces, these poses were based on fashion magazine photos since the limited time didn't allow for coming up with and perfecting my own figure poses.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQUb-NSjjYf/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Working on more stylized drawings in fashion illustration class tonight. #nomorethanfiveminutes #nomorethanfifteenlines #sohardtoletgoofmyperfectionistside #letitgoooo #tryingtochannelmyinnerelsa 🤷🏻♀️❄️🌬</a></div>
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A post shared by Cation Designs (@cationdesigns) on <time datetime="2017-02-10T05:27:47+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Feb 9, 2017 at 9:27pm PST</time></div>
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We also spent a class period playing around with acrylic paints in the <a href="http://illustratorslounge.com/fashion/fashion-fridays-steven-stipelman">Stipelman</a> technique, where, according to our prof, you just smoosh paint around until it looks good. I somehow ended up painting a pink wedding dress. I don't even like pink.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V-9ivHCiF6U/WWg0dr4IRdI/AAAAAAAAL9Q/oHOZ5uqIOxIGfDuMCv_2xxEDJXHo3BhcACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1045" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V-9ivHCiF6U/WWg0dr4IRdI/AAAAAAAAL9Q/oHOZ5uqIOxIGfDuMCv_2xxEDJXHo3BhcACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_7073.JPG" width="418" /></a></div>
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The first official assignment was to render four different types of fabric. I did a floral jacquard, an iridescent silk dupioni, a gold-flecked acrylic sweater knit, and a lovely ombre organza that had little colorful crinkles in it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My silk dupioni rendering looks too dark because of how the light hit the fabric sample. Doing the jacquard was lots of fun though!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I seriously love this fabric; it's hard to appreciate the gold flecks until you see it in person and the light hits it right. I'm really pleased with how I captured the fuzzy boucle-ish texture though. This outfit is based on the actual costume I created for our high school's production of post-apocalyptic <i>Antigone</i>. One day I'll get around to blogging those costumes...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vboec_IGZVw/WWg1mJOu7dI/AAAAAAAAL9g/b1tZGCF09C03sJfQthtYUKDZ9Sp-EwFlACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1279" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vboec_IGZVw/WWg1mJOu7dI/AAAAAAAAL9g/b1tZGCF09C03sJfQthtYUKDZ9Sp-EwFlACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_7087.JPG" width="510" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My inspiration for this figure/outfit was a combination of <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/05/met-gala-2016-red-carpet">Zac Posen's 2016 Met gala gown for Claire Danes</a> and the announcement of Noma Dumezweni's casting as Hermione in <i>Harry Potter and the Cursed Child</i>. I had this lovely iridescent organza with periwinkle in it and I imagined what Hermione's head-turning Yule Ball gown could've been. </td></tr>
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The next assignment was a fashion illustration portrait, where we were supposed to focus in on the face, which we hadn't really done before, while still illustrating at least part of an outfit up close. I chose to illustrate <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/chinese-american-film-star-anna-may-wong-wearing-a-dress-news-photo/3205906?esource=SEO_GIS_CDN_Redirect#chineseamerican-film-star-anna-may-wong-wearing-a-dress-with-a-dragon-picture-id3205906">Anna May Wong</a>, <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/search?q=anna+may+wong">whom I've blogged about before</a>, in her iconic <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/156230">Travis Banton sequined dragon dress</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeiJh_LgXJk/WWjR2OfRZJI/AAAAAAAAL-A/jpLlpcahcHAN2efw01CTWeibWg1nc1I-gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7091%2B%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeiJh_LgXJk/WWjR2OfRZJI/AAAAAAAAL-A/jpLlpcahcHAN2efw01CTWeibWg1nc1I-gCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_7091%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I based the pose on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/269301252698758718/">this photo</a>. I love how the sequined dragon turned out, but got carried away when doing the fabric at the bust area and it makes the dress look much less fitted than it actually should be. Also her face got too slim and doesn't look so much like Anna May Wong as it does my mom...</td></tr>
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Then we spent several weeks working on an advertisement using a fashion figure; I really didn't want to spend that much time working on a random fashion line, nor did I have a business I really wanted to promote, so I ended up making a propaganda piece instead, for <a href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/">International Women's Day</a>! I figured that I might as well advertise for something I actually care about, i.e. women's rights, and not a perfume or handbag.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really wanted to capture the feel of <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/cationdesigns/suffragette/">teens-era women's suffrage posters</a>, with the Art Nouveau-inspired font style and the vaguely military/heraldic imagery. I used an actual slogan from the women's suffrage movement on the banner. </td></tr>
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Our final project was to put together a presentation board with the technical flats, specs (measurements), photographs, and illustration of an actual garment, as if we were trying to sell/manufacture it for RTW. I chose my <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-roaring-twenties-dress-and-another.html">Roaring Twenties dress</a>, as I figured that it would involve relatively few measurements, and since I came up with the pattern on my own, I could say it was really MY garment that I was showing off.<br />
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Even though taking these classes made for a hectic year (hello, late night drawing, rushing home from work to drive across the bridge in time for class, and extended screen time for SHB while Mommy finishes up last minute cutting and mounting on the days assignments are due!), it was so worth it to be able to make beautiful art again. I remember being in college and having an Elfwood account (anyone remember that site?) and marveling at their artists of the day and being so blown away by the art of <a href="http://www.shadowscapes.com/">Stephanie Law</a> and <a href="http://anke.edoras-art.de/anke_home.html">Anke Eissmann</a> especially, and wondering if I would ever be able to draw anything that beautiful. I've still got a long way to go, but art like that feels achievable instead of impossible now.<br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-61684420081106934102017-07-05T15:31:00.002-07:002017-07-05T18:06:23.919-07:00Ease-in to Motherhood<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for inviting me to be part of <a href="http://seamstresserin.com/ease-into-motherhood/">the conversation on sewing and motherhood</a>, Erin!</td></tr>
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Before SHB, I used to get slightly annoyed whenever one of the sewing bloggers on my feed reader would announce her pregnancy, because I knew that she would either 1) post much less frequently, or even disappear entirely, and/or 2) start sewing irrelevant-to-me items, either baby things or maternity/nursing garments. Oh pre-motherhood Cation, what a selfish, clueless sewing blogger you were! The minute you had SHB, you basically became all those things, even going so far as co-hosting a <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/03/introducing-small-human-being-sewalong.html">sewalong centered around sewing for small human beings</a>! I can't remember the last time I sewed a non-costume garment for myself (although to be perfectly honest, I was such a prolific sewer before pregnancy that I really didn't need to keep sewing to keep myself clothed), and the last thirty things I've sewn have all been <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2017/06/sew-all-plushies.html">plushies for SHB</a>. So yeah. But let's talk in more detail about how motherhood has changed my sewing.<br />
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As I'm sure is the case for many of you, sewing is a vital creative activity that keeps my brain active and my heart happy. In my early sewing years, I relished finding ways to use the crazy fabrics I was finding at thrift stores in the form of bedsheets, and making fit-and-flare dresses out of them became part of my identity: <a href="http://seamstresserin.com/cindy-of-cation-designs-on-sewing-and-style/">I was a quirky green Ms. Frizzle wannabe</a> who <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/p/geek-dresses-from-bedsheets.html">wore her fandoms on her sleeve</a> (literally), I knew what looked good on my body and had the time and means to dress it how I wanted. After <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/06/sewing-and-my-personal-sense-of-style.html">the fashion-related insecurity and teasing of my pre-teen years</a>, it was such a relief and release to be <i>me</i> and, as I got older, the more I realized I only needed and cared to please myself. <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-sewings-done-for-me.html">Sewing was the vehicle to self-love for me</a>, not only with my body but with my mind and talents.<br />
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And then I found out I was having SHB. Suddenly I wasn't a selfish seamstress anymore, and while I did still sew for myself, I had so much fun <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-geekiest-baby-totoro-themed-bouncer.html">making cute things for my coming baby</a>, too! Having a baby meant rediscovering my love for <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/04/shb-sew-along-baby-accessories.html">sewing non-garment items</a>, as well as discovering new forms of sewing expression, <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-geekiest-baby-underwater-themed.html">such as quilting</a>. I was excited and felt like new worlds were being opened to me.<br />
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Then I actually had SHB, and it was miserable. He was bad at sleeping (I wore him in the Ergo and bounced on a trampoline to get him to nap for the first six months of his life), I was tired beyond belief (hello, 9 PM bedtime in anticipation of waking up five times every night!), and when I had a moment to myself (rare, as we didn't have any regular babysitters and I nursed SHB until he was two), I was so brain-dead I couldn't make my mind work enough to go through the mental exercise of sewing. I started just sleeping or wasting time on Pinterest when I had free time, but was still confused about my ongoing grumpiness until I realized that I wasn't <i>creating</i>, and I missed and <i>needed</i> it. Talking to other creative moms (mostly sewing bloggers I met through here!) helped me realize that what I needed more than sleep was to Make Things Again. I don't remember who said it, but basically what I needed to do was <i>at least one irreversible thing every day</i>. So many of my life tasks were reversible (baby needs to eat again! dishes need to be washed again! toys need to be picked up again! papers need to be graded again!) that I felt like I was in the Red Queen's race, running and running just to stay in the same place (or actually fall behind, TBH).<br />
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Once I realized things needed to change, I made a plan to Get My Life Back. For me, this meant sleep-training SHB. I realize that that's a controversial decision in a lot of parenting circles (and I had my fair share of nights crying while he cried because I was afraid that I was damaging him forever by not going to him), but it was the best thing I could have done for us. It took several months (like I said, terrible sleeper), but once SHB was out of our bed and out of our room, I finally had the space (physically and mentally) to create again. Even if all I was making was simple items for him, it was enough to see concrete evidence that I had Done Something With My Day. Around the same time, I was hosting the SHB Sewalong with Mikhaela and Clio and just having other sewing moms to commiserate with helped me see the importance of community. As my social psych prof used to say in college, misery loves miserable company, and while we weren't necessarily miserable, I felt so much better knowing that I wasn't the only one trying to figure out how to manage a needy, demanding being while still being one's own person with hobbies and a changing body that needed to be clothed.<br />
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SHB finally started sleeping through the night at around a year, and since his 7:30-8 PM bedtime is fairly early, I get the whole rest of the evening to be an adult. Sometimes that's sewing, sometimes that's just catching up on adulting tasks, but it's glorious to know that my nights are my own again (especially since I'm a night owl...midnight bedtime means I get a few hours to myself). I'd say that around the 18 month mark was when I felt like I really had a handle on this whole motherhood-while-not-just-only-being-a-mother-I'm-my-own-person-too business, and it's only gotten better as SHB becomes more independent and verbal. Now, at almost three, SHB has enough of an attention span and his own interests that I can even sew during the day sometimes; of course, that's only if the items are for him...<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BU2I_zVga-o/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">If you let a toddler find out that Mommy can make unicorns, he's going to ask for a pink unicorn. If you tell him that you need to put all these fabric pieces together to make the unicorn, he'll try to help, and he'll surprisingly do a pretty good job. He will, however, ask every minute whether it's done yet. #surprisedbyhowpatientlyhewaitedthough #justhoveredovermyshoulderwatchingittakeshape #lookmommyitcanstandup #butmommywherestheeyes #notejetblackinthebackgroundeatingsomecarrotswhilewaitingforhismommytobesewn #slowtoymovement #likeslowfood #buthesnothangrysothisisgoingbetter #slowfoodistheworstfortoddlers #imsewingathing #raisingamaker #zactothefuture</a></div>
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A post shared by Cation Designs (@cationdesigns) on <time datetime="2017-06-02T17:41:44+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 2, 2017 at 10:41am PDT</time></div>
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While I've mostly reclaimed my creative time, I'm still working on how to reclaim my style. All those fun sheet dresses I made (mostly) still fit before I got pregnant again, but they're really not practical as a parent of a toddler. I'm satisfied with living out my geekiness in cosplay instead of everyday life; I don't think quirky clothing is as central to my identity as creating is. I believe strongly enough in slow fashion to not sew when I don't technically need to, so I think this is one of the areas where I'm content to wait and see. I'll wait until I'm done nursing for good to see where my body settles, and then decide what kind of style suits me then.<br />
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Now that those I'm-so-tired-I-hate-my-life-why-did-I-decide-to-have-a-kid moments are a (somewhat) distant memory, I sometimes wonder why I'm subjecting myself to the horror of having another small human being; I think knowing that the newborn months are short will help me make it through to the toddler years, which I find much more enjoyable. I have more mom friends now, both online and IRL, which will hopefully make a difference when I'm in the worst of the sleep deprivation and demands of two small human beings. I'm hoping that since I'm more experienced now, both as a mom and as a person, I'll recognize sooner the importance of having my own time to create, and make an effort to make room for it. My self-care mantra in this past year has consisted of trying to remind myself of the truth of the airplane oxygen mask -- take care of yourself first so that you can take care of your child -- instead of succumbing to the lie that I'm being selfish by not giving of myself constantly. We'll see how it goes in a few weeks when SHB#2 arrives!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THIS.</td></tr>
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-61447767863433702562017-06-28T23:40:00.001-07:002017-06-28T23:44:51.459-07:00Sew ALL the Plushies!One of my (not so) secret addictions is <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/search/label/Plushies">making cute plushies</a>. Unfortunately, adults just don't need that many tiny stuffed things (or <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-many-adventures-of-squidney.html">large</a> <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/08/meet-whaleford-brimley.html">stuffed</a> <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/08/its-most-wonderful-time-of-year.html">things</a>, for that matter), so while I occasionally indulge in this addiction by making gifts for people, it's hard to justify making things that are just going to sit around collecting dust.<br />
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[Enter SHB, a toddler who loves unicorns and dinosaurs.]<br />
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I know unselfish sewing for small children is supposed to be a thankless task, and for the most part it has been -- SHB is not into any of <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-geekiest-baby-underwater-themed.html">the quilts I made for him</a>, nor the ocean-themed plushies and accessories -- but when the small child is finally old enough to make requests and then express definite (positive) opinions, it suddenly becomes supremely rewarding. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I love the mental exercise of 1) figuring out what aspects of a creature are most important to preserve for maximum recognizability, then 2) translating the 3D stylized creature in my head into 2D pattern pieces, and 3) coming up with a best order of operations for actually sewing up the creature. It's just enough work to feel like I'm exercising my mental muscles, but not so much work that my school-is-out-and-third-trimester-tiredness-is-really-kicking-in brain feels overwhelmed. Also it feels like a still somewhat productive activity as a means of procrastinating re: figuring out a potty training strategy and how on earth I'm going to deal with having two small human beings.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bailiwickpress.com/uploads/1/8/9/6/18963671/s343618564388218309_p38_i7_w1516.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bailiwickpress.com/uploads/1/8/9/6/18963671/s343618564388218309_p38_i7_w1516.jpeg" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="800" height="279" width="320" /></a></div>
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It all started with this <i>Goodnight Moon</i> parody book, <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26113657-goodnight-unicorn">Goodnight Unicorn</a>.</i> SHB loves the original classic board book, so I picked this book up at the library because I love parodies/spin-offs and the illustration style appealed to me. For some reason SHB totally latched onto this book, and kept asking where it was after I returned it to the library, and I totally went through a unicorn phase when I was in elementary school, so I was not at all averse to purchasing our own copy. SHB's favorite unicorn was the "jet black," and for some reason toy manufacturers only make pastel-colored unicorns, so it was up to me to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUxYTV5gHqV/?taken-by=cationdesigns">make SHB's unicorn toy dreams come true</a>. And of course, in a if-you-give-a-mouse-a-cookie scenario, he then wanted <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BU3J7SuAtFM/?taken-by=cationdesigns">a mommy and daddy unicorn</a>, and then <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVIIxz3gH1C/?taken-by=cationdesigns">a rainbow unicorn</a> to represent his coming baby sister, and then because the Warriors were in the playoffs, a Steph Curry unicorn, and then things just spiraled out of control.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--8smW0kG4RI/WVBUi3Wt4GI/AAAAAAAAL6c/nMVjVe5MrDErHo5tE1Cl5CrpyjbwPMZowCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1517" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--8smW0kG4RI/WVBUi3Wt4GI/AAAAAAAAL6c/nMVjVe5MrDErHo5tE1Cl5CrpyjbwPMZowCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6336.JPG" width="604" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the book, the rainbow unicorn and the jet black unicorn sleep in a barn at night.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i3e0ibSZO-0/WVBUlfRH6JI/AAAAAAAAL6g/vHy272t3OsQl1V1BrTz2X09_S3Sl5-13ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i3e0ibSZO-0/WVBUlfRH6JI/AAAAAAAAL6g/vHy272t3OsQl1V1BrTz2X09_S3Sl5-13ACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6381.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steph Curry unicorn with a basketball. I used leftover fabric from <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/12/this-years-christmas-projects.html">the Warriors' pajamas</a> I made a couple Christmases ago. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ihNNsVjgxB4/WVBUnPmUdfI/AAAAAAAAL6k/IKps0kdluw8AkUKuF89LA2x07TGJuL9NgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1540" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ihNNsVjgxB4/WVBUnPmUdfI/AAAAAAAAL6k/IKps0kdluw8AkUKuF89LA2x07TGJuL9NgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6383.JPG" width="612" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He just loves cuddling as many as he can hold at once. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hEB1eQD5UqI/WVBU_yWBpoI/AAAAAAAAL6o/1ejzLBXLNicldRXeRCMmKbK7z3X3RKmKwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="1600" height="492" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hEB1eQD5UqI/WVBU_yWBpoI/AAAAAAAAL6o/1ejzLBXLNicldRXeRCMmKbK7z3X3RKmKwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6415.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Current count at ten, but still requested: an orange one, and one with a "patootie," i.e. a cutie mark. I don't know if I'll get around to those, as that would require buying another bag of stuffing. </td></tr>
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And because SHB takes books very seriously, the unicorns needed a rainbow to slide on. Also to please make sure, Mom, that there's pink in the rainbow.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i10pgXojxp8/WVQw39hyyMI/AAAAAAAAL8Q/_H0skepKt1ga8QP4OjL2cfMV80xqZh1kQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1381" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i10pgXojxp8/WVQw39hyyMI/AAAAAAAAL8Q/_H0skepKt1ga8QP4OjL2cfMV80xqZh1kQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6817.JPG" width="552" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used craft foam inside the rainbow to get it to stand up. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s8XZQcSmwCY/WVQw3mTlLQI/AAAAAAAAL8M/KNLG2-BWKzASCL-otQgW_QB8ju4uyt4AQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1392" data-original-width="1600" height="556" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s8XZQcSmwCY/WVQw3mTlLQI/AAAAAAAAL8M/KNLG2-BWKzASCL-otQgW_QB8ju4uyt4AQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6824.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know, I know, he really doesn't need more stuffed toys, but how can I say no when this is the happy face I get when he sees the newest plushie?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jCeys8nia0Q/WVQw4JTT0-I/AAAAAAAAL8U/tOScc1JlbIoDEDrYQ2LjMTj1yeh-YEYgwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1411" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jCeys8nia0Q/WVQw4JTT0-I/AAAAAAAAL8U/tOScc1JlbIoDEDrYQ2LjMTj1yeh-YEYgwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6833.JPG" width="564" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then he immediately has to get the book and copy the picture with his toys. </td></tr>
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I used <a href="http://nuno-runo.blogspot.com/2010/04/zebra.html">Nuno Runo's zebra plushie pattern</a> to make the unicorns, and in browsing her other stuffed toy patterns, discovered that there was a <a href="http://nuno-runo.blogspot.com/2012/05/stegosaurus.html">stegosaurus pattern</a> as well. Unfortunately, making a stegosaurus just opened up an even bigger can of worms since SHB then realized he could request that Mommy make ALL the dinosaurs. This wouldn't be a problem if he only knew a few dinosaurs, but he has this pack of 30 dinosaur flashcards from the Target dollar section, so after stegosaurus he requested a tyrannosaurus rex, then a triceratops, diplodocus, ankylosaurus, parasaurolophus, brachiosaurus, pterodactyl, pteranodon, and dimetrodon.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-73wQxhuOXG8/WVMoR1K_1WI/AAAAAAAAL7w/OU-gSqD56m4Ik_Jnen0PzI60puD0Vo5JACLcBGAs/s1600/CB049C43-EF7B-4328-8D23-6688FEFA1D12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-73wQxhuOXG8/WVMoR1K_1WI/AAAAAAAAL7w/OU-gSqD56m4Ik_Jnen0PzI60puD0Vo5JACLcBGAs/s640/CB049C43-EF7B-4328-8D23-6688FEFA1D12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had so much fun designing this pattern! I'm really pleased with how the bony frill turned out. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F5LjbIS0pgQ/WVMoSBS71DI/AAAAAAAAL70/EDL3kAAnTG05ibADAYco8xUz1p6rAeruQCLcBGAs/s1600/4C919B3F-75F0-4604-A96A-9C1E798560B7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F5LjbIS0pgQ/WVMoSBS71DI/AAAAAAAAL70/EDL3kAAnTG05ibADAYco8xUz1p6rAeruQCLcBGAs/s640/4C919B3F-75F0-4604-A96A-9C1E798560B7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The diplodocus was easy; the ankylosaurus' wedge-shaped head, armored back, and clubbed tail was a little trickier. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lddJMK_NCWo/WVMoPZcQSdI/AAAAAAAAL7s/zuLSyzce81spSGpB7W8tEo5fq_4ruCoVACLcBGAs/s1600/8513A6BB-F22A-4172-869B-EA9D87E9A63F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lddJMK_NCWo/WVMoPZcQSdI/AAAAAAAAL7s/zuLSyzce81spSGpB7W8tEo5fq_4ruCoVACLcBGAs/s640/8513A6BB-F22A-4172-869B-EA9D87E9A63F.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The parasaurolophus turned out exactly as I envisioned, but the brachiosaurus' neck had some grain issues so it looks perpetually perplexed with its cocked head. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DRvQIYlsEyw/WVMoVLxoU8I/AAAAAAAAL74/UOJMGtO6kPIY-bwaWR30c0t1OH6w272TACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="638" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DRvQIYlsEyw/WVMoVLxoU8I/AAAAAAAAL74/UOJMGtO6kPIY-bwaWR30c0t1OH6w272TACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6800.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dimetrodon was just a thicker version of the original NunoRuno stegosaurus, but the flying dinosaurs were trickier because they're so unlike any of the other shapes. The magenta one was version 2.0, because the first one was too skinny and fiddly to make, and was missing its hands. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pwagdmrc4uw/WVJ5FLKA5XI/AAAAAAAAL7c/po83knZJxAEASTB25xulzRCMFqVK9SDiwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1283" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pwagdmrc4uw/WVJ5FLKA5XI/AAAAAAAAL7c/po83knZJxAEASTB25xulzRCMFqVK9SDiwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6584.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A favorite activity: matching the dinosaurs to their flashcards. Poor (magical) liopleurodon, of Charlie the Unicorn fame, doesn't have a flashcard. </td></tr>
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As I got better at making dinosaur patterns, I realized that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVVjbWdgaJJ/?taken-by=cationdesigns">my original T. rex</a> didn't really look very accurate, so then I went back and improved the pattern to give it a boxier head and allow it to sit up better. And once I made two, because toddlers are nothing if not consistent, SHB labeled them as the parents, which meant that once again, we needed the rest of the family...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_S53Y8kuQ2A/WVBYM7lAIVI/AAAAAAAAL60/hAreppU56_gZFLmSksmqxpiB_tx1rnl_QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1600" height="578" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_S53Y8kuQ2A/WVBYM7lAIVI/AAAAAAAAL60/hAreppU56_gZFLmSksmqxpiB_tx1rnl_QCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6551.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">According to SHB, he is the purple one because he loves ube ice cream, I am the teal one, Mr. Cation is the magenta one, and baby sister is the seafoam one. </td></tr>
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I then turned the original derpy T. rex into a dragon since the unicorn book features a red dragon, but (and you can probably guess what's coming) it didn't look very dragon-y either, so then I had to make a better one. SHB requested purple, so I gave it orange accents so that it would look like Figment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7eUuRNJeS-Q/WVBYUBhqGsI/AAAAAAAAL64/-LEfegM2sigb9L8bZuSOKv9Uod07vkUOgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="1600" height="580" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7eUuRNJeS-Q/WVBYUBhqGsI/AAAAAAAAL64/-LEfegM2sigb9L8bZuSOKv9Uod07vkUOgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6664.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pair of wings and horns does not a dragon make. "Mom, where the bony plates on his back?" Okay fine, you picky boy, I'll make a better one. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rqv_HgSE3lQ/WVBYUW4aXdI/AAAAAAAAL68/j98NzqBuCd8VdkEjp6hMnq__6Q3ksjggQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1480" data-original-width="1600" height="592" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rqv_HgSE3lQ/WVBYUW4aXdI/AAAAAAAAL68/j98NzqBuCd8VdkEjp6hMnq__6Q3ksjggQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6665.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There, bony plates added. Happy now? (Also the creeper gingerbread man who looks more like a voodoo doll than anything was added by SHB while I was taking pictures of the dragons.)</td></tr>
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<br />
All this to say, SHB now has a veritable menagerie that he sleeps with every night. Which is more trouble for me, because now there are thirty-odd creatures that we need to track down every night and they barely fit on his bed, and if he wakes up in the middle of the night and can't find one of them in the dark, he'll start crying until I get up and help him find the prodigal plushie. Sigh. Mr. Cation has very little sympathy for me, though, since, as he rightly pointed out, this is really a problem of my own making. Literally.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vTHkSkTkJx0/WVJ0Nl3xcLI/AAAAAAAAL7M/8lifmnyvhKUx2JqtxxkG8M9R8lYV7k6xwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="1600" height="468" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vTHkSkTkJx0/WVJ0Nl3xcLI/AAAAAAAAL7M/8lifmnyvhKUx2JqtxxkG8M9R8lYV7k6xwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6785.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't even the entire collection of his "friends." There are more that can't fit, but this is the core group.</td></tr>
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<br />
Eventually, I'd like to turn the dragon and dinosaurs into cleaned up patterns, but with only a month to go until baby girl's arrival, that's unlikely to happen anytime soon. My one goal is to make a quilt for her so that she has at least one new thing that's all hers and not a hand-me-down from her big brother...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-37089565467658946582016-12-29T21:43:00.003-08:002016-12-29T21:45:48.449-08:00My Little Gryffindor SeekerOne of the things I was looking forward to most about being a mother was getting to dress up SHB. I <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-geekiest-baby-my-little-hobbit.html">made a couple</a> <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/02/mommy-and-me-batman-beyond-cosplay.html">costumes for him</a> when he was a baby, but ever since he started growing like a weed and taking up most of my mental energy, I haven't done much sewing for him. But since I made myself a McGonagall costume for Halloween, I figured I should make him some Hogwarts robes to match. While I identify somewhat with McGonagall, being a teacher and all, SHB's life is not much like Harry Potter's; he is loved and well fed and of course, his parents are alive. There are still some similarities, though: he is well-known at school and he sleeps in a closet.* And Harry Potter is the youngest Quidditch player in a century and SHB is definitely the youngest kid at school...so Gryffindor Quidditch robes it was!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vzN888ZdiSo/WGXw3pNlHmI/AAAAAAAAL4U/Kf9dBEbfS_Mh570MQpL2ImqDBODzUAB8ACLcB/s1600/IMG_3685.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vzN888ZdiSo/WGXw3pNlHmI/AAAAAAAAL4U/Kf9dBEbfS_Mh570MQpL2ImqDBODzUAB8ACLcB/s640/IMG_3685.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't know what to do with my hands. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SC6vBTe3I7M/WGXw3-v-EWI/AAAAAAAAL4g/qjHrJkmV2QMyTXT_VchQMQN0jg9UeHsLQCEw/s1600/IMG_3670.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SC6vBTe3I7M/WGXw3-v-EWI/AAAAAAAAL4g/qjHrJkmV2QMyTXT_VchQMQN0jg9UeHsLQCEw/s400/IMG_3670.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I very briefly entertained thoughts of cutting out and sewing on the letters for "GRYFFINDOR" but dismissed it after thinking for like, five seconds about how tedious it would be.</td></tr>
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I used the hooded jacket pattern from <a href="https://kwiksew.mccall.com/k3127?page_id=3056">Kwik-Sew 3127</a> as a basis for the robe. Following these <a href="http://www.polkadotchair.com/2014/08/diy-quidditch-robes.html/">tutorials</a>/<a href="http://www.clairesanders.net/2011/10/wizard-robe.html">patterns</a>, I slashed and spread the body and sleeve pattern pieces and cut out stripes and such. I used regular fleece from Joann's, figuring that the warmth would be nice for the end of October -- WRONG! It was still quite warm so the robe wasn't quite comfortable for SHB. Add in the fact that I made it bigger on purpose so that he could wear it next year too, and he was not happy about wearing it. Of course. After all the time I spent, too! How like a toddler! I suppose it's my own fault for treating him like a doll...but oh how cute he looks in his robe!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qgx561jXAmw/WGXyF7Q1kQI/AAAAAAAAL4o/PqpDJsSuxDYjv_YnMf8pQw-dmUGx_OiQACLcB/s1600/IMG_3698.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qgx561jXAmw/WGXyF7Q1kQI/AAAAAAAAL4o/PqpDJsSuxDYjv_YnMf8pQw-dmUGx_OiQACLcB/s640/IMG_3698.png" width="412" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why am I wearing a fleece robe when it's 70-something degrees??</td></tr>
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I also <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLSf-sBDY8r/?taken-by=cationdesigns">made him a little Nimbus 2016 broom</a> as a prop. Thank goodness for the abundance of decorative brooms in stores around Halloween; I just painted the handle and added gold duct tape, then Sharpie-d the logo and model number on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6IDHBLWlK-c/WGXw3jbeR4I/AAAAAAAAL4Y/JAgGnL3SpnMLZWTz7NPMvQpgczsqWn6QwCLcB/s1600/IMG_3695.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6IDHBLWlK-c/WGXw3jbeR4I/AAAAAAAAL4Y/JAgGnL3SpnMLZWTz7NPMvQpgczsqWn6QwCLcB/s640/IMG_3695.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Um, why am I holding this? (Also I can't get enough of his little curled up toes sticking out of the bottom of the robe!)</td></tr>
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In the end, SHB got sick and didn't go trick-or-treating on Halloween at all; he only wore this costume for half an hour to take pictures a week after Halloween. Turns out it was a good thing I made it so big, then! Next year! Or maybe for a con?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YtQLSPTXANk/WGXyty8g96I/AAAAAAAAL4w/yuLIw8l-lacIu_c_9LRj4nxw96FnsDzJQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4228.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YtQLSPTXANk/WGXyty8g96I/AAAAAAAAL4w/yuLIw8l-lacIu_c_9LRj4nxw96FnsDzJQCLcB/s640/IMG_4228.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or just endless pictures with Mommy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1W5cptXVX7k/WGXyt2trW3I/AAAAAAAAL44/SkJ1D5hlJIwPI0on8T142EqT95Nan0QcwCLcB/s1600/IMG_4241.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1W5cptXVX7k/WGXyt2trW3I/AAAAAAAAL44/SkJ1D5hlJIwPI0on8T142EqT95Nan0QcwCLcB/s640/IMG_4241.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to get my phone to do autofocus and capture opposite colors was just too much, I guess. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V8NkehGzClg/WGXytxjNclI/AAAAAAAAL40/PlsBkebXbhE2VsQ-h7MAEfLlTKPokdkMwCLcB/s1600/IMG_4277.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V8NkehGzClg/WGXytxjNclI/AAAAAAAAL40/PlsBkebXbhE2VsQ-h7MAEfLlTKPokdkMwCLcB/s640/IMG_4277.png" width="542" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What are you, a young Napoleon? </td></tr>
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<u>Summary:</u><br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</i> Kwik-Sew 3127, modified.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Fabric:</i> 1.5 yards of burgundy fleece, half a yard of goldenrod fleece for the lining and decorations<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions:</i> Tiny eyelets for the front fastening and some black twill tape<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Hours:</i> At least ten. Topstitching and cutting all the stripes and such took the longest time.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Total cost:</i> $10<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Final thoughts:</i> I think SHB looks adorable, but now that he's older and definitely has his own opinions I do feel a little bad making him wear a costume when he doesn't understand why or want to. I guess it's a good thing I don't make many for him? I always wonder how other geeky parents manage this; I see so many blog parents say things like oh, my kid loves Star Wars or Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, but their kids are quite young. Do they actually have them watch the movies or read the books, which to my mind can be quite a bit beyond say, a kindergardener? I would love to have SHB love my fandoms, but I can't see having him sit and watch anything longer than a fifteen minute Daniel Tiger segment right now, and even then he has trouble sitting through and following the whole thing (I know this depends a lot on the child and what they're used to, but we try to keep SHB's screentime minimal so he hasn't developed that kind of attention span). I suppose one could get a simplified version of the story (how cute is <a href="http://rosemarytravale.ca/blog/787/">this imagining of <i>The Hobbit</i></a>?), but the purist in me wants SHB's first experience to be the original medium. Any geeky parents want to weigh in on this?<br />
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*I bring SHB with me to school and he naps in a Pack-N-Play in a cozy little supply closet while I teach. This is not nearly as awful as it sounds. There are no spiders, for one.<br />
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You're reading a post by <a href="http://cationdesigns.blogspot.com/">Cation Designs</a>. If you're not reading this in your reader, then it's been stolen. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you see my feed being stolen. Please don't let content thieves get away with their evil deeds. Thank you!</div>Cation Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785063344305810736noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479880960748887964.post-25949555489554502372016-12-29T17:23:00.000-08:002016-12-29T21:43:45.249-08:00Professor McGonagall Cosplay[I know I was supposed to write about the costumes for Antigone, but that's just too overwhelming to think about. I was so burnt out after sewing like mad for two months that I didn't touch my machine for another five months. It wasn't until the thought of Halloween popped up that I could stand to think about sewing another costume. Thankfully, it was a very inspiring costume.]<br />
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When I found out that the Silicon Valley Symphony was doing a series of Harry Potter movie soundtrack concerts, I knew I had to make a costume, especially since the first one was during Halloween weekend! Although I briefly toyed with the idea of a femme-Snape costume, I decided to stick with one of my teacher heroines, Professor Minerva McGonagall: strict, no-nonsense, fair, high expectations, but not above the unexpected biscuit-offering. As a teacher myself, I'd rather emulate her teaching style than Snape's.<br />
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I already had a RTW black turtleneck and a thrifted long skirt that I could use for her dress, but I knew that to really <i>get</i> her I needed the iconic green velvet robe and the huge pointy black hat. The hat was fairly straightforward to make, even if it was annoying trying to sew all the layers of thick fabric together. I used the hat pattern from the now-OOP <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/1389">Simplicity 9887</a>, but with a much wider brim, and black cotton velveteen and heavyweight craft interfacing from Joann's. The bent tip and brim were wired with floral wire to help them hold their shape, and a pheasant-feather bundle from Michael's and a random stash button finished off the look.<br />
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The robe was a little more tricky, since it was hard to find good pictures of her. I ended up watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJLpssiYcqI">this YouTube clip</a> several times to get a good idea of how the seams on the back yoke of the robe looked (best shot is at 0:32-33), then modified the robe in Simplicity 9887 significantly in order to get the yoke lines and the fullness at the back, as well as the collared look in front. The sleevehead had so much excess that I was able to just gather it before inserting to get the look. I didn't bother lining it because I just wasn't feeling motivated, but in hindsight I wish I had at least lined the sleeves since the inside definitely shows.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7CaqsZrxdmA/WGWjvDvqdnI/AAAAAAAAL3I/jyp2lBjl3Us0qsgIMkAlh-AHilwPVEmPwCLcB/s1600/IMG_3471.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7CaqsZrxdmA/WGWjvDvqdnI/AAAAAAAAL3I/jyp2lBjl3Us0qsgIMkAlh-AHilwPVEmPwCLcB/s640/IMG_3471.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm really pleased at how the collar and yoke integrate with the sleeve, but all those layers of panne velvet meant I had to topstitch everything since I couldn't press all that thickness into submission. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uJze9ODJ9JU/WGWjvcxqNUI/AAAAAAAAL3M/M910Nh2K1vcY138Y5mAxz_lJNkBB9xB9wCLcB/s1600/IMG_3473.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uJze9ODJ9JU/WGWjvcxqNUI/AAAAAAAAL3M/M910Nh2K1vcY138Y5mAxz_lJNkBB9xB9wCLcB/s640/IMG_3473.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love how full the back came out, but I wish I had interfaced the front collar. <br />Panne velvet is cheap, but doesn't have much by way of body. </td></tr>
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The finishing touches were her wand and brooch. The wand was made possible thanks to a fortuitous finial find at a bead store, otherwise I have no idea how I would have mimicked the carved wood look of hers. I used superglue to attach it to some beads and a wooden dowel, then painted it all with my usual acrylic craft paints.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tz3FLWWw9Cg/WGWmQ8gPoJI/AAAAAAAAL3c/Y-5WWWtJLFAugEtO8WXKe-yWpEUtzP6JwCLcB/s1600/IOHO0197.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tz3FLWWw9Cg/WGWmQ8gPoJI/AAAAAAAAL3c/Y-5WWWtJLFAugEtO8WXKe-yWpEUtzP6JwCLcB/s640/IOHO0197.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My finished wand compared to McGonagall's official wand. </td></tr>
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The brooch was definitely a lot trickier; I didn't want a goofy-looking handmade Sculpey one (McGonagall demands sharp perfection, not Becky Home-Ecky) so I asked my very talented brother if he could design and 3D plastic one. Boy, did he deliver! So many people at the concert asked where I had gotten my movie-accurate brooch! I used silver paint pens and nail polish to color it appropriately and the gems are just plastic rhinestones, and there's a brooch pin tacky-glued to the back.<br />
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I realized after assembling all these pieces that the look would be totally ruined if I had my regular purse with me, so I decided to make a book-purse as well. I bought a fake book (the kind that opens up to reveal a secret compartment) at Ross and glued on a faux-leather cover. Metal decorative corners and a carefully-calligraphed and cut out "Complete Guide to Transfiguration" bookplate completed the look. When I wore this costume to the Barnes & Noble HP Ball, I actually got stopped by a lot of people wanting to know if I had purchased my book purse there and where was the display so they could buy one too...high praise for a last-minute addition!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ebx31QDmESg/WGWnX748kUI/AAAAAAAAL3o/8BNd_B9Jx8IF4ab9PNU5JzsM6NykHG6IQCLcB/s1600/IMG_3811.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ebx31QDmESg/WGWnX748kUI/AAAAAAAAL3o/8BNd_B9Jx8IF4ab9PNU5JzsM6NykHG6IQCLcB/s640/IMG_3811.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I based the color scheme and front cover on the movie version of <i><a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/A_Guide_to_Advanced_Transfiguration">A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration</a></i>. </td></tr>
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When I put all of the costume pieces together, I definitely felt very McGonagall! This might be one of the most screen-accurate cosplays I've done -- enough so that people at the concert and the ball asked 1) whether I worked there, and 2) whether I got my costume at Universal, and then were subsequently amazed when I said that I made it. And of course, seeing all the smiles from little kids was the best. It was all kinds of gratifying and a fun reminder of why I loved making costumes and wearing them, even if I get strange looks en route to the event (when I met up with Elaine at an English pub before the concert, somebody called me Mrs. Harry Potter, and when I was walking through the parking lot to B&N a dude asked if I was a witch, and when I answered in the affirmative he said plaintively, "But...it's not Halloween!").<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E8s07H6uCWg/WGWrbJN5v3I/AAAAAAAAL38/0l1qwhD_ZygxeRdbbAoFtRvhwaFHLZNtQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4025.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E8s07H6uCWg/WGWrbJN5v3I/AAAAAAAAL38/0l1qwhD_ZygxeRdbbAoFtRvhwaFHLZNtQCLcB/s640/IMG_4025.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know McGonagall is supposed to look stern and forbidding, but I was too excited!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-88iLaIHh0Zw/WGWraydqLGI/AAAAAAAAL34/c1ej5lOPH38giunt82P21NiUzaifNczmgCEw/s1600/IMG_4022.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="582" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-88iLaIHh0Zw/WGWraydqLGI/AAAAAAAAL34/c1ej5lOPH38giunt82P21NiUzaifNczmgCEw/s640/IMG_4022.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elaine in her grey cat hoodie was my Patronus. Because yes, McGonagall's Patronus is a grey tabby, and her Animagus form is also a grey tabby, so that means her Patronus is...herself. How's that for the ultimate cat lady? </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qrP0H6vsNPc/WGWsSP9YS9I/AAAAAAAAL4A/5ZT8y5lmvJwuvWLh42cNzfWedaE-TrgeQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qrP0H6vsNPc/WGWsSP9YS9I/AAAAAAAAL4A/5ZT8y5lmvJwuvWLh42cNzfWedaE-TrgeQCLcB/s640/IMG_4629.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The concert was awesome, but the Barnes & Noble Harry Potter Ball was frankly quite lame. All they had was a cutout for taking pictures with, and lots of merchandise to buy. I hear other branches had funner activities like trivia contests and such. Oh well! I was able to browse all the books searching for Seraphina Picquery costume shots, though, so that was soemthing at least. </td></tr>
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<u>Summary:</u><br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Pattern:</i> Simplicity 9887, but heavily modified. The brim of the hat was extended by three inches all around, and the robe is pretty much a different pattern now.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Fabric:</i> 6 yards of forest green costume velvet for the robe, 1.5 yards each black cotton velveteen and heavyweight craft interfacing for the hat, 1/4 yard of burgundy faux-leather for the book<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Notions:</i> Feather bundle and stash button for the hat, decorative corners from the scrapbooking section for the book<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Hours:</i> Four or so for the hat, twelve-ish for the robe, three for the wand, two for the brooch, and two for the book. A lot of the time for the crafty items was spent running around to different stores getting the materials, and this is not counting all the time spent researching. So at least 25 hours total for this cosplay!<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Cost:</i> $18 for the velvet, $15 for the hat fabric, $6 for the feather bundle, $5 for the wand materials, $8 for the brooch materials (nail polish and silver pens and rhinestones), $8 for the book materials; total cost of the costume, $60. Not bad!<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Final thoughts:</i> Um, I love it? I think that's pretty obvious. SHB does not like it, though. He doesn't like it when I wear hats, and this one is pretty huge. It's a costume better suited to cold weather since it's so warm to wear all that fabric, but winter also brings rain and high winds, which is less good for long skirts and a big hat. All in all it's very comfortable but cumbersome to wear.<br />
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Since I made a McGonagall costume for myself, it was only logical that I make an HP-related Halloween costume for SHB as well. Next up: the youngest seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team!<br />
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