Slip Basics, Insertion & Embroidery

In the continuation of the construction of the Princess Slip pattern # 0336  for the VPLL 1912 sewing project work commenced on the front portion of the slip.  Prior to construction I performed the following tasks:

• Cut 1 CF, 2 SF, 2 SB, 2 CB and 2 CB Facings(self-made pattern)
• Stay-stitched the neckline of CF, SF, SB, CB and armholes
• Stay-stitched SF along points 26, 27 going beyond those points
• Stay-stitched SB along points 31, 32 going beyond those points
• Fray-checked into point 27 and point 32, let it dry and clipped to stay-stitching
• Serged all raw edges and wove the tails into the serged stitching
• Throughout the entire project one of the MOST important steps to perform is PRESSING.  So many sewists’ projects end in failure due to the lack of proper pressing.   My process involves stitching the seam, pressing while flat then pressing open or as in some cases pressing the seam to one side or the other.
• Starch, H2O spray bottle and a pressing cloth are necessary tools as well.

My fabric choice for this project was muslin.  It is 100% cotton and would have been utilized during the 1912 time period and was an economical choice.  I usually purchase my muslin from Jo-Ann’s when I have a 50% off coupon.  A great time to buy the whole bolt.  My fabric was pre-washed and shrunk in the dryer prior to cutting and then pressed thoroughly prior to lay-out.  As far as the directions for this project…I read them but then put my slip together in my own order.

First up…inserting lace into the center front piece.   I had purchased lace but was not satisfied with the look it created on the garment so went back to the drawing board and searched out new lace.  This project requires an extensive amount of insertion which can cause it to become an extremely “pricey” project.  Not an option for me.  Right before Easter I stumbled on a lovely 1 1/2” scalloped, poly/cotton blend lace at Wal-Mart and then ventured on over to Jo-Ann’s and discovered a nice 3/4” lace for the princess seams and a 5/8” eyelet for the neckline.  My original ribbon choice was rose but I could not find any locally so settled for a shade of pink.  I also added some extra difficulty to this project by adding machine embroidery in pink on each side of the insertion.

Here is my center front piece with the insertion lace along with the embroidered stitching to the left and right of the insertion.  In the construction process I first stitched down the insertion along the center front and then utilized some iron-on, tear-away stabilizer prior to stitching the embroidery.  Prior to trimming open the front insertion I fray-checked the top edge just to ensure the edge didn’t ravel easily.

Prior to sewing the princess seams I sewed the insertion and 3/4” lace onto the upper, side-front pieces.  The princess seams were sewn next.  This requires a little fin-angling at points 26 and 27 where the area was previously stay-stitched and fray-checked.  Below are some pics showing how this area is pinned and sewed.

 

 

 

I sewed only from the seam allowance point at the neckline through point 27 down to the base of the slip.  I did not sew through the neckline to the raw edge.  This allows both pieces to be turned easily at the seam line when it is turned under to finish.  I did the same process on the back pieces as well.  A recommendation for the front seam is to start at the neckline matching up seam line points and reinforcing prior to stitching further then stitch through your clipped point on to the point where the horizontal insertion lace is marked, back stitch then switch to a basting stitch for the remainder of the seam, press flat and then press seam open.  The 3/4” lace was inserted over the princess seam. 

I need to offer another piece of advice here…

If your insertion lace is less than 1” wide you need to carefully move the princess seam to one side on the wrong-side while the insertion lace is stitched down otherwise it will get caught.  Once done with stitching your princess seam insertion lace down you can now easily open that seam due to the basting stitching.  Press the seams and finish according to insertion lace directions.  I fray-checked at the top of the princess insertion prior to opening the seam as well.

The horizontal insertion lace was stitched down at the bust and opened as in previous steps and then a row of embroidery was added at the neckline.  Placement was placed based upon the width’s of my eyelet and 3/4” insertion lace. 

With the front complete, on the horizon, the back…I will leave that for my next post.

Enjoy your day and as always, Happy Sewing….

Adjusting the Princess Slip for Me, Myself & I

I was very excited to receive the Princess Slip pattern # 0336 from VPLL for the 1912 Sewing Project.  When it comes to me and patterns it is always standard practice to make adjustments and this pattern was no exception.  I do have some body issues that complicate matters but have learned to live with them and the necessary adjustments that have to be made.  Those issues being my height, I always have to lengthen patterns, my short waist issue (I have no body – I am all legs) and the pattern adjustments that accompany my scoliosis.  I don’t have a bad curve but it does present problems that require all patterns to be tweaked in order to fit me.

In creating my pattern I traced only the top half of the pattern to make those necessary adjustments marking off a horizontal line for my high-hip and hip locations based upon the natural waistline of the pattern.  I am of the school of thought….I never cut my original pattern!!!  God forbid….I prefer to trace and mess with the tracing.  It may take longer but I am always left with a pristine pattern that can be utilized again for myself or someone else in the future.

The major adjustments I made to this pattern were as follows':

• Waist – made larger
• Adjusted the side front and side back per previous posters suggestion.  I too found that it fell too far back and cut and pasted the side front/back pieces to realign the side seam up correctly.  This in turn required a slight adjustment on the front armcye.
• Additionally the princess seam was approximately 1” too far over towards the side seam.  I realigned that so that it fell over my bust point.
• I lowered the bust 3/4” to match up to my bust point.
• I lengthened/shortened the shoulder as well on both the front and back pieces due to finding the seam falling too far towards the back.  I aligned it to center correctly at the shoulder.
• Shortened the waist 1 1/2” to match my upper body length and re-lengthened the pattern at the hip area to match the original overall length of the slip.  I did not lengthen the slip being as you have 17” of flounce to deal with and can make the length adjustments with that.
• I truly did NOT like the directions for the back placket and created a facing for both center back pieces.  I made a slight adjustment to the pattern at the base of the placket (had a placket nightmare moment which will be discussed in a later post).
• Some minor tweaks included some back darts on the center back pieces due my scoliosis and not liking the excess fabric gapping there as well as taking it in at the shoulder seam starting at the neck edge and decreasing it to match the seam allowance at the armhole.  There just was way too much fabric for my liking.  I left the front alone but if I make this again I would further adjust the pattern to take out the fullness at the center front as well.  For now that fullness can be drawn up with the eyelet trim and ribbon.

It took me two muslins to get this pattern worked out to fit my body proportions.  I am satisfied with the results but being as this project has taken me two months to complete from start to finish my final product is slightly large on me being as I have lost some weight due to a lifestyle change that my husband and myself have made for his health that was started back in January.  Not a bad thing…I am happy to have the weight gone but must now save for a new Myrna being as the present one is slightly too big.

Muslin # 1

 

Muslin# 2

   

Up next commencement of the slip itself!  Happy Sewing….

Pattern Drafting the Princess Slip and 1910’s Corset

Just a quick post today.  This past weekends hard work in pattern drafting yielded me a pattern for both my Princess Slip for the 1912 Sewing Project along with a corset pattern for a 1910’s corset based on a pattern which can be downloaded from Festive Attyre’s website. 

As to what alterations I made to the patterns, I will give more detail in a later post.  Up next will be the cutting and sewing of my mock-ups.  It is my goal to get this done during the week so that I may begin to cut and sew the actual projects over the weekend.

Happy Sewing….

Monday Morning Musings

With a cup of herbal tea in hand I sit and ponder my path for the day.  My weekend has been spent working on my 1912 Princess Slip pattern for the VPLL Project as well as adjusting a corset pattern by Festive Attyre.  Being as I am not the diminutive type that these patterns were made for I have had to adjust them for my 5’ 10” frame and build.  Teeny, tiny, I am not!

So…what is in store for today and the remainder of my week?

…mmmm

I am anxiously awaiting the Frances Grimble book “The Voice of Fashion” which I won in a Give-Away on Gwen’s blog After the Dress.  I just purchased Frances Grimble’s book “The Edwardian Modiste” several weeks ago and fell in love with all the fashions and patterns in that book.  As a winner in Gwen’s give-away you were given a choice of one of four of Frances Grimble’s books and in choosing one I decided on the book directly preceding the Edwardian Modiste which includes the Gibson Girl Era of fashion.  How wonderful it is going to be to have this reference in my library!  The other portion of the give-away included a membership to the VPLL(Vintage Pattern Lending Library) which is associated with the 1912 Sewing Project.  I am just aching to get my hands on some of their patterns.  I’d like to offer Gwen of After the Dress a heart-felt thank you for offering such a wonderful give-away.

Well…enough Monday morning musings…onto cutting a mock-up for my Princess Slip and corset and a little bit of sewing.

Happy Sewing….

Give-Away on Wearing History

Good Morning fellow sewists….I have my coffee in hand and am surfing the net and came across this lovely give-away on Wearing History’s blog.  In this give-away you will win ONE copy of the upcoming 1910s Blouse Pattern in the size pack of your choice.  If you are sewing for the VPLL 1912 Project this pattern might be of special interest to you.  So head on over and read Lauren’s post requirements and enter the give-away.  I am entering and keeping my fingers crossed.  Good Luck…

Happy Sewing…

Mail Call: Up Next the VPPL 1912 Project

Lookie-lookie what the mail lady brought me today!!!

What a haul!!!  I have been waiting patiently for two books from Amazon, The Edwardian Modiste and Patterns of Fashion 2 as well as lace trim from Deb’s Lace & Trims and my patients has finally paid off with a box from both UPS and the Postal Service yesterday.   The final piece to the puzzle, my Challenge Pattern – Princess Slip, was received today.  These items will get put to good use all in preparation for participating in the VPLL 1912 sewing project.  I am so thrilled to have the main components to get this project underway, all that is left is the fabric which I will hopefully acquire this weekend.

The books were ordered in preparation for this project and I have quickly perused their pages and am very excited to find that the authentic patterns have been included along with the accompanying instructions, fashion plates and period sewing techniques.  There are also directions for converting the pattern illustrations in the books into the actual size pattern.  In the Edwardian Modiste there are scales in the back of the book that will aide you in drafting a pattern for your individual size based upon the American System of Cutting Rulers.  It is rather interesting seeing how these patterns were designed during this time period and what the seamstress utilized to enlarge them.  As for the Patterns of Fashion 2, this book also has patterns based upon actual dresses that have been studied in museums and galleries.  The garments have been graphed out with accompanying notes on fabrics, trims, etc.  There is an evening dress I am eyeing up on page 58 (c1909-1910) that will be a future project.  Both books are well worth the money paid in the information that can be gleaned from them.

Onto VPLL…

Allow me to give you a little background information on the VPLL 1912 project.   I was reading an interesting article on the Threads Magazine website which lead me to a blog post on Vintage Fashionista that had made a request for test sewers for a special project.  The VPLL Library is transcribing patterns from the 1912 editions of La Mode Illustree in hopes of making the patterns from that year available to the public for lending/purchase.  As a test sewer I will receive patterns over the next year and will construct the clothing, post photos and blog about my experience sewing  on these vintage fashion patterns.  There are over 400 test sewers for this project and each has been designated a group based upon their geographic location.  As patterns become available they are assigned to a group.  As it stands right now not all groups have received a pattern but each sewer is given the opportunity to sew a “Challenge Pattern” that will be offered each month.  Officially I am now a member of Group #28, of The 1912 Project and am thrilled to have received the challenge pattern and am looking forward to receiving my regular group pattern once it becomes available as well.

I can’t wait to begin sewing vintage fashions!

Happy Sewing…

Resolutions Revisited….

Well…I did it!!!  It has only taken me a year and two months to finish blogging about my Lady Grey jacket and the sew-along that took place on Gertie’s blog back in August/September of 2010.  Whoooo Hooooo….Yippy-Ki-Yay!!!  As it was I didn’t start the sew-along until October of that year so I was behind from the get go but I am not going to use that as an excuse for my lackadaisical attitude in regards to blogging about it.   For the record I did complete my jacket right before Christmas but once the holiday's hit I was caught up in the fervor of the moment or should that be plural, “moments” considering how long I have been away.  You could say I took a “mental health day” that lasted a whole year.  C'est la vie…

The sense of accomplishment is incredible.  I am flying on the wings of elation with the anticipati0n of completing all my resolutions before 2012 is through.  Note the sarcasm in my voice!  Imagine that….REALLY…if that happened it would be one of those “aha moments” but before I get ahead of myself I should get my feet back on the ground and put the proverbial nose to the grind stone.   Those darn UFO knitting projects will be the death of me.  I have some sort of “block” or maybe it’s a boulder, in getting the ambition up to see these projects through.   With one resolution down and two more to go one could say “not bad…slow and steady wins the race”.  Seriously…I have been a wee bit on the slow side in my artistic pursuits  but I will keep on course and complete them before the year is out!  Wish me luck and until then…

Happy Sewing…