A little tip.....

.....when you're living by a shoe string........

 

I didn't know what to do at first when I couldn't find the right buttons in my collection. Then it dawned upon me: use the same fabric as before to cover the buttons!

And so I did. It worked really well.

Skirt E0200 is almost done.....

.....I say almost because I'm looking for some suitable buttons. 14 to be excact :)

The skirt is very straight forward. Just do what the instructions tells you to do. I stitched the scallops down to make them stay flat. I also split the back piece in two and added a seam there. I thought it would make it easier to adjust later on if I should need to do so.

I'm a quilter as well and well used to stitch down bias binding on scallops. I think these turned out just fine. They are without their button at this stage but I need to shop around for suitable ones. I didn't have the time to wait to finish the skirt though :)

I'm 5'9 and needed to add to the lenght of the skirt. Therefore I had to add a scallop as well I see now that I could have added two with not problem, but since I was a bit uncertain I only added one.

A side view. The fabric I used on the scallops is the same as I used for the blouse in this picture. The skirt itself is made out of a beautiful curtain fabric. If I didn't tell you would not have known would you? :) It is hard to get good picures when you only have a 70-300mm lense on your Canon EOS camera........

Summary:Fabric: Light creme, 100% cotton, heavy with a nice drape effect to it. Tone on tone pattern in the fabric.

Notions: 14 black/dark blue buttons (still to come), narrow black/navy self made bias tape, snaps, hook and eye.

Techniques used:

 

Use these two links for a good explaiation on how to bind scallops:

http://lindafranz.com/section/scallops/38

http://lindafranz.com/index.php?sectionId=39

Hours: Couldn't remember to count :)

Will you make this again? I actually really like this pattern! I think that without the scallops, it'll make the perfect straight skirt for several different gowns Especially now that I've gotten it sized to fit me.
Final thoughts: Not bad, for my first century-old skirt pattern. I don't know when I would ever wear this particular combination of top+skirt, but I feel like I should have a parasol or something.

VPLL Checklist!

1. Pattern Name: #E0200, Scalloped skirt
   
2. Sewer’s Skill Level: Intermediate
   
3. Pattern Rating: I like the scallop detail and it will look fantastic with the trim and buttons,  I give it a 4.5/5.
   
4. What skill level would someone need to sew this pattern and why? I think a beginner would be just fine on this pattern. There aren't many pieces and most of the seams are straight lines. Binding the scallops was trickier, but not impossible if you're willing to take the time to pin and iron. Follow my links as well.
   
5. Were the instructions easy to follow? If not, what needs to be changed? The pattern instructions were generally easy to figure out,. I do wish that it was a little more clear on how to finish up the opening, though. Markings for where to put snaps/hooks and eyes would be helpful, but not necessary.
   
6. How was the fit/sizing? Did it correspond to what you thought? When I initially measured the pattern, it seemed that it would end up with a final measurement of a 36" waist. If I hadn't been trying to make up the pattern as is, I would have changed up the facing pattern to give it more structure and tapered toward the bottom. That said, I was also wearing this without a corset because it didn't seem entirely necessary. I think it actually would be possible to wear this skirt uncorsetted.
   
7. Did you make any pattern alterations? If so, what alterations did you make? Were they fit or design alterations? I cut the back piece in two to make future alterations more easy.
   
8. Other notes: A decent pattern, and a good starting point for exploring vintage patterns as it was pretty simple. The scallop trim is just enough of a design interest, but not too hard to actually sew. The overall effect is quite nice, and I imagine it would be lovely in a drape-y wool, although this cotton worked out surprisingly well.



My next project..........

....... is a skirt. More precise Ladies Skirt E0200 February 1912.

34 inch waist!

I have some light, heavy fabric for this one. It will go well together with my blouses. Stay tuned for progress :)

Two corsets richer.........

The first time I tried to make a corset I didn't have much knowledge or luck. I used the free pattern from Bridges on the Body and her Sew along

Front

So I went for it one more time. Found some sturdy fabric, reused the busk and bones and bone casings. Reused the lace from the first corset.

Right side

I quickly wanted to make the most out of this pattern so I did some research on flossing. Quite interesting history behind the embellishment of the corset.

Back

I didn't know much about lacing and laces on the corset when I started on this journey and it shows. The lace for this corset is too short and I need to add a few more yards. Yes, yards. You won't believe how many you need :)

Right side/front

This is my second corset, the one I had enough fabric for from the first corset. For this corset I needed to order more bones and a longer busk. I didn't mind, but it sure was hard to wait for the mailman with my post!

Left side/front

 The pattern for this one came from Festive Attyre and it is free (at least for now). You will find some really good information about making this corset from 1911, so go for it!

Back

 Putting the corset on the body form isn't as easy as one would think. And I have to learn how to use the busk the right way when opening and closing it. I'm a newbie here!

On my body

Here is how it looks on my body. It sure isn't easy to lace yourself without any help. I can fully understand why the ladies needed a maid (or a mother/sister/friend) to help them get in to the corset. I could feel a bit of a preasure on the ribs but it didn't bother me very long. I became firmer at the waistline ( as wanted) and I got a taller postiure. Kind of liked that very much. Wonder if I would have said the same thing if I was to use it all day long :) Anyway, this is the perfect undergarments for my 1903-1913 clothes..........