Just Keep Sewing…

Only a few days left until my 12th Night deadline to get all these commissions done! Eeep. Christmas tried to interfere, but at least I had finished my family’s handmade holiday gifts back during my Thanksgiving break. But still, I have SO much to do, no matter how well I schedule, plan, and to-do list things.

Some gratuitous in-progress shots…

Also a pro tip: When sewing the iconic Venetian ladder lacing, be messy. Specifically I’ve found that it helps to sew the channels across in a contrasting color of thread and leaving any markings showing. Even make additional markings in between the channels.

This presumes you’re using the patented Jen Thompson method for creating the Venetian ladder lacing effect, of course. It really is the best! It looks good, it works, and it’s not hard to do. (Sorry, her original page about it is gone and the pix aren’t coming up on the Internet Archive). The essence of it is to sew two strips of flat tape in rows on each side of the bodice opening, and cross these with lacing channels. Then you lace across and around in an “S” pattern. The result is the iconic Venetian ladder laced look.

But adding my little tip helps show you where to thread the lacing cord when you’re wearing the gown, looking down, and trying to get it right. With the Venetian ladder lacing, it’s very easy to miss the correct channel as you lace yourself up, and invariably you’ll miss it halfway and not notice until you’re done. So you’d have to unlace the whole thing and start over.

However, on one of the gowns Sarah made for me, she (probably accidentally) sewed the channels in contrasting thread. That gown is my easiest one to lace up! Now I’ve gone back and added markings on the others, and when I’ve made these gowns, I sew the ladder lacing channels in contrast thread. It’s a little thing, but it helps.