SP: Chemises, Batiste and Corset Mockups #1

I haven't updated in a while so here's what I did last week:

Monday I ordered fabric for the chemise and drawers. I ordered almost 8 yards, thinking that I could kill two bird with one stone (and pay less shipping) and get enough to make a nicer shift to wear under my regency gown. The one I have currently is a bit too big and awkward fitting. When I finally wash the batiste, I’ll have to make the Victorian drawers and chemise first and then see what material is leftover. After ordering, I set to work tracing the corset pattern onto interfacing. It wasn't all that hard to trace the pattern because I have done this before with the pattern for my Regency Pelisse. Tracing is good because then I can reuse the pattern in the future. After tracing the pattern on interfacing, I cut out the pieces.

Tuesday I went to Joann's to get fabric to make my corset mock-up and also purchased some muslin and yarn to make a corded petticoat. I figured it's a good idea to have the materials because I know at one point I will be waiting for corset supplies or have finished the drawers and chemise, so I’d like to have materials to make something else in the meantime. I browsed the yarn and finally picked a bright blue ombre one. I don't think it will really matter what color I choose because A) it will be sewn into casing in the petticoat and B) it will be under my gown. I figured a brightly colored yarn would be better than a white yarn because otherwise my eyes could strain against the white fabric. I washed the fabric and yarn because every sewing expert always tells you to preshrink anything otherwise when you wash it later, the garment (or whatever you are making) could pucker and misshape. To get it ready, I rolled it out of the prepackaged ball and wrapped in into a loop like a hose. I discovered the best way to do this was wrap it around a book. After rolling 150 yards of yarn, I tied it at four ends and sent it into the washing machine after advancing the fabric. When the fabric was dry, I folded it and advanced the yarn into the dryer. While waiting for the washer and dryer, I watched DVD I purchased about corset making. It was actually really helpful to see the techniques used live and understand the differences between different materials. That night I went and helped at Vokes. I was asked to bring a sewing machine, so my mom gave me a quick rundown of her older machine so I could bring it. When I got to the theater, Elizabeth had me pin down a seam to fit a bodice for the lead actress. Then I sewed the seam down with her machine. It was a bit disconcerting because it moved really fast when I pressed the pedal down. After that, I pinned and cut out a pattern for a skirt. I don’t mind doing this, but my back hurts from sitting on the ground and leaning over. Later the prop master came in and started musing about all the flowers and hurricane lamps and candles and letter carriers they needed for the production. He was actually pretty funny to listen to.

Wednesday I pinned and sewed the corset pieces together to make a mock-up. It looks really good! I finally have a fitted corset mock-up! I just need to order the correct fabric. It fits pretty well. I also started part of my corded petticoat. I think it will be fuller than I thought it would be, but that's okay. I like full petticoats. I also seamed the fabric for the corded petticoat, making a large loop that is about 107” wide and 48” long. I also sewed the placket and it looks very neat. It will come in handy when I finally put on the waistband. I also rolled the yarn I had washed into a nice ball that will make it easier to work with later.

Thursday I changed projects temporarily. Since I finished my corset mock up and needed to order the fabric and other materials for it, I started to work on a corded petticoat. I ordered fabric to make the chemise and the drawers, but it hadn't come yet. When I bought fabric for my corset mock-up, I also purchased some 108" wide cotton muslin for my petticoat. It is fairly light weight, but with cording and some starch, it should stiffen pretty nicely. I found instructions for the petticoat online and started the bottom cord. I have read on zillions of websites that you should do a corded petticoat by machine otherwise you will drive yourself crazy. The instructions said to use a zipper foot on the sewing machine so you could get really close to the cording (which makes the welts in the fabric, allowing it to stand up). So I found the one for my mom's nice machine (aka. $2000 that I'm not allowed to mess up at all) and got all set to sew. When I turned on the machine, I didn't realize that the needle does not automatically adjust itself to the left or right of the foot. So as I started so sew, the needle broke the second it hit the metal foot. Oops. So then I got out the other machine that was more stable (but much older and less complicated). I think it belonged to my grandmother. Anyway, when I looked in the box that stores extra feet and bobbins, I couldn't find it! It must be with a different machine or something. Then when I went back to the nice machine, I couldn't find the right size needles. After I finally found them, I tried putting a new one in, but it just wasn't falling correctly over the foot. I really don't like ruining a nice machine, so I figured I'd sew one cord by hand. Hey, it can't be that bad - yes it will take a while, but at least I'll know what I’m doing when I finally get the machines up and running. So I put on a movie and sewed the first cord of my corded petticoat. I think it looks pretty good, but I may change the color and material of the cording. I like bright blue, but I think many rows of blue cording will look silly (even though they will be under another petticoat and a skirt.) This weekend I will probably purchase some hemp or cotton cord to use in the cording. I don't think that using yarn as cording will be very stable and won't we very stiff (which is very important in a corded petticoat). So two and a half hours (and a lunch break and movie change) later, I finished the one cord on the bottom of my petticoat - yay!

Friday I had finished my hours, but I spent time working on my journal for this week. I also too some pictures and tried to re-fit my corset mock-up to myself, but had difficulty. Next week I may make a mock-up of the other corset pattern in the package because it is more suited to my figure. The one I made this week is a bit low on the bust and has a lot of overlapping fabric when I pin it together. I also want to get some hemp that is sturdier for my petticoat.

SP: Speakers and a 20 year old cat

I think that it is quite an adventure every time I go help at Vokes. Yesterday I was there for 2 and a half hours and I saw lots of crazy things. At the beginning of the night, I was sifting through boxes to find appropriate hats. I found 4 that worked, but also found some crazy pointed wool hats and turban-type things. I also found lots of feathers and crazy beading. Yay. my supervisor had me pin a pattern so she could cut it out, but there is hardly enough fabric for the pattern to fit, so the skirt will be not full at all. At one point, a couple actors came down to try on some clothes for us and the stuff we had pulled (*cough* I had pulled, aka. pants) looked amazing. One of the overcoats needed new buttons, so I found 3 matching buttons and after sewing them on, realized they were too big for the holes! Bummer. So next time I head over to the theater, I will have to resew buttons onto the coat.

Now about my title. Vokes has a resident cat named Beatrice (after Beatrice Herford, founder of the theater). This cat is really old and very sad looking. Most of the time she is sleeping on the couch in the green room or hiding in the office upstairs, but yesterday she was walking around the green room and I could swear that the cat is senile. She was just staring into space or looking at things like the drawer-pull on the make-up cabinet. Poor kitty. She also is very thin. I guess one of the women stays there whenever Bea is sick to take care of her :-( I also discovered yesterday that they have this ancient speaker that you can turn on and then hear what is going on onstage. Pretty ingenious. Actually, never mind. Most theaters have those, just Wayland High School is too low budget to do anything of the sort. What was cool about it was how it was like one of those old radios. It buzzed when you turned it on and then faded in and out. I can't wait to see it in action again.

I also just got an email that my corset pattern shipped. Hopefully it will be here soon!

SP: Stubby Man Pants and green houndstooth

So I spent an hour and a half last night at Vokes digging for pants. Yes pants. While my supervisor turned this suit-coat into a vest, I picked through a box to find a pair of gray (or is it spelled grey?) pants, a pair of brown  pants and a pair of black pants. Towards the top of the box I found a couple pants that would work and as I worked to the bottom, I found pants for a very heavy and stout man. The waist measurement was AT LEAST 40 inches in diameter. Yikes. The inseam (taken from the crotch of the pants to the hem) was about 27 or so inches. To compare, I'm about a 30 or 31 inch inseam. And the men's pants were probably supposed to go to the natural waist. I wear my jeans at my high hips. Shows how much some pants (or in my case about a dozen pants in that box) are one size fits one. I then found a pair of brown pants in the next box and they are about the right size for the man we need them for. After last night, I felt very accomplished - I found pants for all three men! I think there are 7 people in the cast and we have costumes for about half of them! It's exciting because they open in a couple weeks (May 6th, I believe). Before I got to work yesterday, I got to watch them in rehearsal again and they were a lot better. They are off book right now and it is cool to watch "real" actors work through a true play. I'm going back tonight to find a hat for the aunt and sew buttons on a coat.

On another note, my corset pattern hasn't shipped yet. I need it for next week otherwise I will be in trouble. I should email the company and ask about my order.

SP: Assistant to the Costume Manager?

I feel like Dwight who constantly tries to change his title from Assistant to the Regional Manager to Assistant Regional Manager. Anyway my first week of the senior project went really well - but it had a slow start. I spent some time at Vokes on Wednesday. I've yet to read the play, but it looks quite interesting. When I arrived, the woman in charge of costuming wasn’t there yet so I sat and watched the actors for about 15 minutes. After being part of acting at the high school, I noticed a huge difference between them and my peers. They were very strong actors and able to drop in emotions at the drop of a hat. I wonder if it was because they had been in rehearsal for so long or if they were just naturally good. It was cool. When the woman arrived, we went downstairs and she gave me a basis for what the costume plot of the show would entail. Hedda Gabler was written in the late 1890’s, but set in the 1860’s (meaning the original production would have had hoop skirts and bustles – something the director didn’t want to deal with). So they are setting their production in the 1890’s. Once I had ideas of what we were looking for (and approximate sizes) I helped pull costumes from their stock (a costume closet that was overstuffed with boxes). At one point the woman left me looking for blouses and I found a couple in a plastic box (with mouse droppings) that would work. We later tried the clothing on the actors and actresses and found which pieces worked and which didn’t. By the end of the night, we had potential costumes for 2 actors. Yay! I'm hoping to go back later this week. I actually really enjoy learning all this stuff.