Tutorial:Straw hat to bonnet

I have added a new tutorial on how to get a pretty (or not so pretty) Regency or Victorian style bonnet from an old straw hat.

This is the end result of my efforts:

This beautiful array is for the Dame and goes with the yellow/red/black bustle gown all ready to wear in the caravan. 

It took me about 2 hours from unpicking the original hat to the end result but of course it could be made more tastefully for 'proper' costuming.

The tutorial is on Tutorials 1

Waistcoat from tutorial

So earlier today I posted a tutorial on how to make a basic waistcoat to be embellished for a male chorus member.

Obviously I started out by having to take photos and write the tutorial before completing my waistcoat but here it is all finished and prettied up in less than 7 hours including the time spent on the tutorial:

I added a stand collar (I have also added a tutorial for that), epaulette sleeve caps and black trim.  I also put side lacing in which means this waistcoat (shown on the size 10 dummy) will go up to fit a 46" chest (not quite as much as I hoped but it is still a big difference and very flexible).

With the basic design all you need to do is add a few bits and each waistcoat will look totally different.  Not only can this be used for theatrical wear, it is the perfect fancy dress starter for many costumes from pirates to Victorians and can be adapted for any size from children to adults.  The only difference is the chest and length measurements, the rest is done exactly the same!

This is my second waistcoat made from the same pattern:

I added in an overlap of 5" at the front so that when it was turned to form the lapel it had a double layer.  The stand collar was measured from the shoulder seams to fit to where the lapel ends.  I have also added a tutorial on how to do the epaulettes/cap sleeves

Chorus costume completed

Half term is nearly over and with it goes plenty of sewing time.  Yesterday I spent with my mum and eldest daughter and we headed out to our local branch of ‘The Range’ which is full of so many crafty things it kept us occupied for ages!

My mum is an artist, and I do mean artist not painter, so she wandered off to get her supply of oils and canvas’s while me and daughter took a look around all the other stuff available in there.  I very nearly bought a straw Easter bonnet to turn into a Dames one but it was really too small for an adult head.  I did get some silver embroidery thread as I have a project in mind that will mean playing with that, if it comes to pass I will let you know about it.

I did manage to finish off a skirt to go with the bodices with my tried and trusted rectangle and elastic method (see the tutorial for how to make it) and think they look ok together so I will try and get a few made up before the serious sewing starts in the Easter holidays (yes I do plan that far ahead).  If time and cash allows I may add some trim to these later but it's good to know they are ready to wear as they are if need be.

I know I should probably have positioned this without the sun streaming in behind but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, it’s always nice to have proof that the sun does shine in Norfolk in February!

I also want to make some waistcoats in the same material for the male chorus members, unless I get distracted this may well be my weekend sewing for a while, quick easy and productive is how I like it when I only have a few hours a week to dedicate to it.

The pointy sleeves on Professor McGonagall's dress robes

So to start with I took my sleeve sloper pattern (see my tutorial on how to do your own!) and raised the sleeve head by four inches to give me a point of 2inches when the top is folded over, the pattern was only used to the elbow line.  You can see in the picture where I extended above the original pattern. 

I originally cut out a toile to test the theory of how to make the point.  Folding the sleeve in half to find the middle and then folded down in my best origami fashion.

I repeated the folding over and created a nice neat point

Then pinned the whole thing onto the robe to see if the theory worked!  I was surprised to see it did, but it needed some interfacing to make it stiff enough to hold up.

Moving onto the actual fabric I repeated the process but added in a triangle of interfacing under my origami shoulder.

All pinned securely into place it was time to hit the ironing board.

And press so there are really pointy points!

I hand sewed the seam to try and get it as invisible as possible.

Then realised the sleeve was to floppy to the outside and had to put interfacing on that too, luckily I am using the iron on stuff so I was able to add it without too much difficulty.

It has made a really sharp point that gives the effect I was looking for!

So here is where I am at, two rather nicely pointed sleeve heads!

I now need to add the lower sleeve, buttons and hem it all together and then I have one costume finished.

Dames dress refashion

At the end of last year I found myself really behind on my panto sewing, I won't go into details but it was an unavoidable money problem that inevitably happens when a personal issue hits someone within a group.

Anyway, it did mean that around half the costumes didn't have the time given to them that I would want them to have and it was often a case of 'that will have to do!'

One of those costumes was this Dames dress:

which in my mind was only half finished.

I decided to get all the 'refashions' out of the way as soon as possible as you can probably tell from my previous posts!  This was the last one and needed the most work.

To start with I cut the over skirt into an asymetrical shape and then I sewed on a full circle underskirt of blue.  Then I added a piece of curtain net to the bottom and an apron type device over the top and to the sides (It's really difficult to explain but easy to look at the picture)

Finally I ruched the sleeves and added some net to the ends and elastic to the cuffs.

The end result has more shape and poofiness all round which is more how I imagined it in the first place.

So now thats finished it can go out to the caravan, providing I have a caravan tomorrow as the wind has already blown away one of the stables in the field next to my house so who knows if it will last the night!

I also made a nifty mop cap for which I have made a tutorial, It's useful having a camera around when you're making something I have decided!

A flower tutorial

I have added a tutorial for these flowers:

Honestly, they can look really pretty with the right fabrics, I just wasn't going for the pretty look!

I did two tutorials :)

I have managed to add tutorials for two of my quick and easy how to do ‘somethings’; a skirt and ruffles.

If I was part of a whole wardrobe department, or being paid for what I did and able to not go to work, I am sure more time would be spent on every aspect of every costume.  As it is I sew over 30 costumes a year which inevitably means I need to make short cuts in some areas. 

The tutorials come from yesterday when I made a skirt to go under a Dames gown undergoing a change from this year to next year.  During the course of yesterday I took one daughter to the library (which didn't have what she needed so she had to go to the library in the City grrr), did the shopping, went and picked up another daughter from work as her car was being fixed, stayed at her house for a while for a coffee and then went to pick first daughter up.  Then got home, friend was waiting so we had a coffee and a natter, when she left another natter took place between me and daughter (and more coffee).

I made the skirt in the morning, it took about half an hour after which I added the tutorial.  I then started sewing together the strips of voile for the ruffling but left it halfway to do all the above.  I returned to the sewing at 8 o’clock and everything was finished by half 9 when I wrote the ruffle tutorial.

The whole thing took about two hours.  If the whole day was available I probably would have started on the extras I am putting on the dress itself which I will hopefully get done today and will put up some pictures.

These tutorials really are for quick and easy results (if not the most beautiful).

Pretty horrible isn't it, I'm sure the Dame will look lovely in it!