sasha_sews | The Brown Dress, Part Two

...continued from part one.

You remember that lovely kirtle I was making in a ridiculously wrong sort of fashion that was going to look fantastic under my brown doublet? The one with all the amazing boning?

Yeah. Starting with a bodice pattern that fit would have been AWESOME.

I ripped the bastard apart, cannibalized the "bones" for a new corset and had it done in three hours. Well, except for that hand stitching part where I have to cover up the openings for the boning. But other than that.

So, now I have a good pattern off of which to make a new bodice for the black skirt. (it's just going to be black because neither of the doublets can be worn open anymore.) Neither doublet? Yes. I made another one, which is far more labor intensive, and requires a good amount of hand stitching.

But, the brown one is done, minus buttons, and I have pictures.

This is maybe the coolest picture I have ever taken. If you look very very closely you can see my stitches in the collar of the lining.

(Um. pls to be ignoring how the trim doesn't exactly line up and the little fraying on the corner of the collar. It's PRACTICE, I have never done these things before. Shuddup.)

Here's a full shot of it, and I set the buttons on so you can get an idea of how it will look complete.

Why, Sasha, you say, what is that lovely lining fabric you have? It looks similar to the goldish fabric you posted pictures of just yesterday.

Uh. I am an idiot and fell so in love with the WRONG SIDE of the fabric, it never occurred to me to look at the right side. The lining? is the right side.

Here's a better picture.

And for reference, the wrong side.

I am so in love with the red, I just, I have no words for how in love with it I am. I had to make a whole 'nother doublet just so it could be on the OUTSIDE.

But, the fabric frays like nobody's business. Like, I want to CRY it frays so bad. But that's okay. I'll add extra seam allowance, and fold the seams over and stitch them down so there will be no fraying.

See?

Fraying, lots and lots of fraying.

Not fraying anymore! (this took me about an hour.)

So I will go over all ten seams like that, it should take about a week. The sleeves are sewn into only the top half of the armhole, and I'll wear a camicia under the whole shebang, followed by a corset followed by kirtle, followed by fabulous doublets.

It's a good thing I'm used to heavy costumes. But it's all light weight fabrics and linens, so it will be fine.

The sleeves are made of the brown stripes (and the sleeves for the brown striped doublet are made of the red and lined in gold satin.) and lined with this red satin.