Blogging about Blogs and Sewing Recently

Sewing Recently: A baby bag, for putting babies in. Babies are spreading like wildfire at church right now, so it's time to hone my baby-bagging skills.

I love reading sewing blogs and seeing neat garments I could never think up on my own. It's inspiring, educational, and fun. I'm so bad about keeping up my bloglist, but here are a few sewing blogs I've recently discovered or have long enjoyed:

We Sew Retro is just a neat blog. Since anyone can post there's huge diversity in projects. And if you like retro, here's a similar European site called Fintage.

I've really enjoyed Confessions of a Seamstress since I discovered it this winter. I found Elizabeth's blog while looking for more on costumes from "Once Upon a Time." I admire her gumption in having her own costume business: something I might enjoy someday, if I get serious.

I found 19thC Costuming last year when I was making the fake bustle skirt. I generally try to avoid any garments between 1830 and 1900, but this lady's blog has some really great posts relevant to any era of sewing.

The photos posted here are amazing: Let's just call it "Oh That Dress."

Ok, yes, I read Romantic History. Doesn't everyone?And the Dreamstress, and American Duchess, and all the other greats, too.

Sewing Recently: Bow ties are ALL THE RAGE. So are cute gentlemen.

I bought two new patterns this week, just because. Simplicity 4923, the Jack Sparrow ensemble, because I just want someone to order this coat from me. It looks like fun. Butterick 5832, a new pattern of a romantic era dress. Will I ever make it? What a lot of material.

Been sewing this dress recently: One armhole and two pockets away from completion. I know, my photos lack quality. You'd think with a family of nine(wait, eleven? or is it twelve now? With the current epidemic I keep expecting the boys to come home from work and say they're married) in residence, it wouldn't be so hard to find a model and borrow a camera. But it is.  

Sheer pleated trim: I remember now why I didn't like sewing with this sheer before. It's stiff, so if you handle it very much it gets infinitesimal slivers in one's skin. You have been forewarned.

Sewing Recently

For the past month we've had varying numbers of overnight guests almost every weekend. It's good training for running a hotel! I'm looking forward to a bit of quiet this coming weekend, when the situation will be reversed with most of the family away. I feel like my sewing has gotten behind; however, I somehow managed to finish:

Vests.

Five ladies' vests and two men's waistcoats that had been languishing in my pile. Some still needing buttons and hemming, but mostly done.

Waistcoat: can't you see the guys falling over themselves to fight over this wool and flannel warmer?

For the local Renaissance Faire in the spring.

 As far as paid orders, I finished a tailcoat ordered by a gentleman to wear to events. Thankfully it fit without needing any altering. I attribute this to the miracular, since even though I was working from good measurements I still miss getting the right fit without an in-person fitting. I have two other orders this month. A 1950s tea dress and a Victorian men's three piece suit. A satisfactory amount of work for the rest of March and beyond.

Hats: I finally got around to stitching on a hatband and stiffening the two black felt tophats I blocked last month. I still hope to improve, but I feel these two are a good start. And they're for sale! I'm not sure if I want to do hats long-term; I have enough to do with sewing, and to set-up to do hatmaking well is a fair investment. But my goal is to sell half of this batch of hats to cover the cost of expenses. Thus, I have tophats for sale. Wool felt with a plain ribbed band, ready to be trimmed or worn as-is. Someday, when I get motivated and the weather is good, I'll take pictures!

Abandonment and Return

I suppose you're all wondering what on earth happened to me. I did drop off the map for a while, but all the exciting things have been happening to other people. After A arrived and we had guests for the weekend, I came down with a horrible cold that lasted a week and left me exhausted, foggy-brained, and behind on sewing: this is how things stand at present.

We all seem to be getting along with A, the easygoing in-law-to-be, who is staying for another two weeks. The Wedding is set for early June in Texas, an outdoor evening wedding with the main color being blue. We hope to get a start sewing The Wedding Dress before A returns home.

And that's how things stand!