Wearables Sewing Project: Theater/Masquerade [ Round 104 ]

@cthulhu Absolutely exquisite. You have really outdone yourself, Madam Vastra is a vision!! What a delight to see this project come to fruition, these glorious moments of success help keep me inspired for my own creative endeavors. Thank you as always for sharing with all of us here

 

Happy to return the favor Gamine! Creative folks on DoA have been inspiring me as long as I've been here. From enjoying their photos, to improving my own, from learning all sorts of creative things posted about eye placement, safely sanding resin, restringing & the wonderful brave folks who did modifications I keep learning more all the time. My personal favorite has always been getting to compare notes on sewing projects, picking up tips on how to fix problems & sharing what I've learned & what we're working on. Your project journal has been a well rounded example of admirable skills and thanks for all you share. When I think of my first poor attempts at dressing & photographing my doll Amelia 12 years ago... Amelia's current style & this Vastra project have indeed exceeded my wildest early imaginings.

 

With several days to spare, no less.

Gorgeous work, as usual. It looks absolutely stunning.

Teddy

 

Thank you Poetic Soul! >\\\<
Her expectations are just as demanding whether as a doll or as a character... thank goodness I had this group to chat with while tackling this project.

 

@cthulhu Bravo, that dress is amazing and so is the character.
I got everything cutout and fray checked and a bit of basting but was preoccupied by other things, sadly. So, I will postpone this until Unfinished Business.

 

Steamwitch, seems we always have plenty on hand to fill the unfinished business themes! At least after 30+ years I managed to turn this purple wool into a finished garment. ;D
With all the prep completed, you'll (hopefully) have an easier time of it when it comes to sewing. I look forward to seeing that Green coat completed!!

 

@ohnoaiwa , I love the finished bunny outfit! The mask, the starry skirt, the tail! And it fits your girl perfectly.
@Valdemagra , the second layer in progress looks great, I especially like the sleeve lining.
@Lillith , your jester turned out fabulously. As expected, the pants look very good, and I love the hat and shoes. I may actually need to make very similar shoes for my Anwen's costume.
@cthulhu Ooooh! Madam Vastra's outfit is amazing! All the little details, the buttons, the sleeves, the beads and lace! And all this so masterfully put together. I'm in awe!

Anwen's Winter Bluebell outfit is as finished as it is going to be this month. I still want to add a velvet cape and shoes, and probably remake the stockings in a thicker and stretchier fabric and cover her arms. But the main parts are done:
Winter Bluebell by helgie, on Flickr
The bodice turned out a bit dark, but sparkly enough to be festive. So now Anwen has something to wear for New Year celebrations. I only hope to make some progress on her wig and faceup by then

 

It's lovely.

Teddy

 

At long last I have managed to claw myself from the depths of unfinished project purgatory. I finally finished my project from either August or September (I forget which). The blue/red base fabrics are both remnant pile crepe backed satin. Side note- I love that these dolls are small enough to fit a remnant for clothes. The panels are a brocade from my grandmother.
The pattern is NOT my own- it is the Christine gown by MB Lilac. Link for credit. I also used the picot beading tutorial. I did modify the pattern slightly. My girl is a resinsoul Xun, default body. She’s a bit longer and slimmer through the torso. I changed seam allowances on the bodice, shortened any waistbands, and then removed two of the original over panels. To get by with less modifications, I allowed the bulk to stack on the hips and artificially shape the doll. In other words, she’s a lot curvier now than what she actually is. Otherwise this pattern would NOT fit the doll. Do not attempt for this body if you do not want to modify it. It will end badly.

Spoiler: More pics

@helgie That is adorable. I haven’t been posting (just lurking) and your project is one of my favorites to watch come together this round.
@cthulhu That is amazing. I’m in awe of the sleeves.
@Lillith The jester looks great. I love the pants
@Valdemagra The robe looks lovely so far. I like your fabric choice.

 

Very nice.

How very Victorian/Edwardian of you - they used all manne rof pads to "improve" their hips and bust to get the correct fashionable silhouettes of the time.

Teddy

 

@Azure Agape , isn't it a relief once all the technical challenges are solved?!? She looks amazing & festive in your version of MBLilac's dress. Crepe back satins can be their own kind of special challenge to work with...nicely done! And that brocade for the skirt panels adds a nice rich touch.

Helgie, your Bluebell gets sweeter & sweeter!

 

Well it's late Sunday afternoon now, and I haven't made it into the sewing room - my last opportunity to sew this month and I got sidetracked into printing out some half-size dress and undies patterns from Truly Victorian that I just found out are a near-perfect fit on one of my off-topic dolls.

If I can get them taped-together and cut out ready to use beofre I finish wiorjk for Christmas, it ups th chanxcs that might actually make the doll some clothes over Christmas Break. I saw a YouTube video where someone got the corset, shift and drawers made in a day, and hte bustle and petticoat made in a nother day so Surely I can at least et the undies made over the break.

Of course, that does nothing towards my finishing the bathing costumes I was meant to work on this month (whichnow need trim adding before I can continue assembly, sp some progress has been made) that were in turn the substitute project when I couldn'tt find the pices for the 18th Century frock coat and waistcoat I had plaanned to work on this month.... I'm hopeless really.

Teddy

 

@Teddy I'm assuming frock coats were not meant to be this month I will try again later.

 

@SteamWitch It certainly seems that way.

Teddy

 

Teddy, you sound eerily like me when it comes to the task at hand versus the possibilities that come to mind when I mean to get started. XD
I'll keep rooting for the swim costumes. Perhaps by next summer they will have progressed. ;}
And now I'm curious as to your holiday project. ;D

 

@Teddy Thank you. That did occur to me while getting Bella dressed. “Historical accuracy” sounds much nicer than “excess bulk”. It’s not like the doll will be weighted down the way a human will. I think I heard the Victorians described once as “if you don’t have curves, store bought are fine.”
Best of luck on your own project.

@PoeticSoul Thank you! The train is lots of fun to swish around in person too. I kept messing with it instead of actually working on the gown. Someday I want to make myself a skirt like that.

@cthulhu Thanks. The fabric was a pain to work with. Sewing was fine but I was very close to running out of the blue. I also had my cat walking all over it while trying to cut it. I ended up having to baste it while dodging the furball. Half a centimeter off and I would have run out. I would say never again but I have some in a light pink I want to use.

 

Azure Agape, our cats have usually been aloof except when I start a creative sewing project .... Something about the thought process seems to draw them like a magnet to which ever fabric I'm trying to smooth & cut. XD
That's one of the few benefits to currently being a catless household here.

At least you had enough fabric. Trying to patch in a remnant would have been dreadful. ;}

 

Cutting, smoothing, pinning, ironing, beading, sewing. It does not matter. The cats will show up to help. One jumped up in my chair while I was leaning forward to sew on the machine. I can’t lock her out of the room because she’ll rip up the carpet to get me to let her in. I just stall until she goes to sleep. I love my crazy fur balls but they drive me up the wall sometimes. At least they don’t mess with my dolls. They sniff and look, then move on to bugging me.

So if the next project theme is pick a decade, does that imply a recent decade or is it any historical decade? I haven’t decided if I’ll have time with all my last minute Christmas presents to make, but I’d like to start thinking up ideas.

 

Thanks, Kathel, I'll get there eventually.

Thanks

Mine usually take no notice of our sewing, but last night as I sat taping papers together and cutting out pattern pieces, Bertie Mogster was sat inches from me, staring intently and occcasionally psprinign forward to bat at the paper pieces. We couldn't figue out why he was so suddenly interested after five years fo ignoring any sewing activity.

It wasn't until I was on my way to bed that I figured it out - Iwas sat on the soaf (watching Dr Who and Strictly Come Dancing), so was working on a seldom used lap-tray, and he coudl hear the beads in the cushion under it shifting as I moved so as trying to figure out what was moving aboout. I should have realizes sooner because he did the same with the glass beads in my weighted balnket when I first got it. He'd bat at the urface of the blanket trying to catch the things he could hear shifting about inside.

As with all the themes, it's any interpretation you choose.

Teddy

 

Tragically, my head seems to be stuck in transit (arrival time, tomorrow, but who knows for sure). I can't do the mask until I have the head, so it'll have to be finished enough.



Dramatically pictured here with my dead butterfly bush (from winter! Although I am an awful gardener).

 

It looks good nonetheless.

Teddy

 

@helgie Your Winter Bluebell turned out so pretty! The sequins and bead work really looks amazing.

@Azure Agape You made good use of that pattern. The dress looks great on her.

@Biofreak659 The outfit looks awesome. I hope the head arrives soon and without trouble. At least he will have some fabulous clothes right away when he arrives.

My own project is finished, sort of... I never seem to get as much done as I intend to, but at least Benny has a complete outfit now. I don't intend this to be his permanent look, but it suits him so well that I may leave him in it for a while anyway.

 

Well, I think it's Fab.

Teddy

 

Lillith he's a natural!

 

@Teddy Thanks! I had my doubts around the half way mark, but it came together in the end. Now I really like it.

@cthulhu Thank you. Now I just have to stop myself from starting jester outfits for my other dolls. This was a fun project.

 

He looks incredible! What a sly pose

 

Thanks @PoeticSoul

Teddy

 

My finished Rococo inspired dress. I finally put a snap on the overskirt last night. The colors got a bit washed out in the photo, and I might add decorations and a cape later, but here it is-
Finished Green Dress

 

Yay! Well done!

Teddy

 

these outfits all came out so amazing!
great job everyone * A *

 

Leo Phoenix, sweet! Well done.

 

@Leo Pheonix She looks great. Nice combination of materials.

 

Great work!!

 

Thanks everyone! It's one of the most complicated outfits I've ever made.