Massive progress! Friday after Thanksgiving, I made the skirt and painstakingly pleated it into the bodice. I usually have trouble attaching pleats to a V-shaped waistline (I’ve done it successfully once and since forgotten how I achieved that). But I figured out a way again. Let’s see if writing it down helps me remember…
After pleating and pinning the skirt, I laid the bodice on top of the skirt. I pin-marked where the V point should hit in the center-front of the skirt. Then, with right sides facing each other, I hand-basted one side of the bodice’s V to the skirt using buttonhole thread and relatively small stitches. Then I repeated along the other side of the V. The point got a little messy, of course, but when I turned the bodice out, I could hand-sew the point down from the inside carefully.
This pretty much worked! I liked the look of it and didn’t have to remove the basting stitches. I sewed over it on the machine for extra strength.
On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Kendra and Sarah came over for a day of stitchin’ and bitchin’, and we each got tons done. I added wings to the shoulders of this dress and made the sleeves (fully lined and finished). I do need to figure out a method of attaching the sleeves, as I want them to be removable. Either I need lacing strips (ugh; would have to ask Mom again!) or buy some soldered rings, because no more loops — those keep ripping out.
Then hem the skirt and this baby is done!
On to the overgown, for which I need more wool. Sarah helped me estimate how much fabric I need, and the last piece I have in The Stash isn’t enough (it’s barely over 2 yards). But it’ll be put to good use on another project, no worries.
