EnchBySew-54: A Postcard from the Mother of the Bride (MOB)

Modernized Downton Abbey
MOB: Lace Overblouse/Lace Jacket

Click on this link in iTunes   to download the 53'rd, and other, episodes of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast

Or listen directly on the web by clicking on
http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/FINAL_castMotherOfTheBride_Laurel_Shimer_part3_postcard_MOB.mp3


Part three of my series about my 3-piece Mother-Of-The-Bride (MOB) outfit.
Wrapping up my MOB sewing project -sharing  my experiences working on this ensemble.
It’s about- Planning, Patterns, Prick stitching , Perturbation, and Patience.

All 3 garment pieces have involved  pattern creation or alteration.

Snapshot of This Month’s Show

- Pensamientos Primeros – Planning and Patterns
        Recapping the history of my mob ensemble
        a. Camisole slip - See my previous podcast - "A Camisole for the Mother of the Bride"

b. Modified Dirndl skirt

i. Modified dirndl is not the Heidi style traditional alpine look
It's NOT http://www.kaffeeundkuchen.co/home/guide-to-buying-and-wearing-a-dirndl
ii. It's NOT any of these fun skirts! http://vintagedancer.com/1940s/1940s-skirts/
iii. Back in the 80’s I remember a number of the suit patterns I sewed called the style of skirt I just made
a ‘modified dirndl’ – but I can’t find a link quickly. I’ll describe it
iv. What IS a modified dirndl?
1. Somewhat straight skirt
2. Not so straight that walking is inhibited
a. No slits or kick pleats needed
3. Wth a little gathered ease
4. Attached to a waistband

c. Lace over blouse
i. Kept under garments as narrow as possible. Lace blouse loose fit
ii. Downton Abbey inspired lace overblouse
1. Not straight hobbled skirt of Edwardian era

iv. Slightly below waist
v. Loose
vi. Scalloped lace ¾ sleeves and down the open front of blouse
vii. Hem of blouse maybe 3 inches higher than knee length skirt


- Technicos
    - Pick Stitch and A hand-sewn zipper

- Pensamientos Finales  -Perturbation and Patience

Mother of the Bride Lace Choice (MOB)

I've been working on my April podcast, which is about completing the work on my Mother of the Bride outfit. It includes a beautiful lace blouse-jacket from this lace.

The fabric.com sample swatch for this gold lace looks white in the picture from their web site.

In fact it is much more yellow-gold - which was what I wanted. 

Glad I sent for a sample!

https://www.fabric.com/buy/0438085/telio-daisy-embroidery-gold

Click on this link in iTunes   to download  episodes of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio/Podcast

MOB - Hand Sewing Zipper

On the left ..... I've unzipped the  hand-sewn zipper only part way on my Mother of the Bride (MOB) skirt. You really don't see the prick stitches with this dupioni fabric. The slubs in the fabric look more like stitches than the stitches. 

I don't bother to baste when I hand sew a zipper. You catch any errors as you sew, unlike on the machine. I think I spend less time doing this task by hand than on the machine, and it looks much cleaner too.

On the right  ..... the back side of the zip. The prick stitches are much more secure than a running stitch.

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How To Sew a Prick Stitch?  - You can't beat Craftsy!

  https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/10/prick-stitch/

EnchBySew-53: Spring Shirring (MOB)

Click on this link in iTunes   to download the 53'rd, and other, episodes of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast

Or listen directly on the web by clicking on http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/castFINALSpringShirring.mp3

This podcast is an extension of my regular sewing blog - http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com

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In this show I'm continue to share with you, some of my experiences working on my Mother-Of-The-Bride ensemble.

All 3 garment pieces involve  pattern creation or alteration.

Snapshot of This Month’s Show 

1) Pensamientos Primeros/First Thougths 

Shirring? Are we talking sheep? Thoughts on scissors,  shears, and the sewing technique known as ‘shirring’.

To shirr is to gather a piece of fabric, or garment piece,, using drawn or elastic thread in close rows.
 

The knife center.com ….The Difference Between Scissors & Shears www.knifecenter.com/shop/scissors

2) Entonces inspiración para fruncir/Inspiration for Shirring  

Museum portrait and wardrobe shopping

Fruncir means “ to gather”. If you’re practicing your Spanish you might also use the word ‘fruncir’ in reference to frowning or knitting your brows, or puckering up your lips! 

http://www.spanishcentral.com/translate/fruncir

3) Y finalmente, Technicos /And finally 

Techniques that I’ve used for shirring

Give Fabric Elasticity with These Shirring Tips for Beginners - Craftsy

https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/11/shirring-tips/

1 Cached

Nov 12, 2014 - Shirring is a magical technique for sewing texture that takes a regular piece of fabric and shrinks it up, giving it elasticity. It's great for skirt waists, shirt hems and even entire bodices! But shirring for the first time is no walk in the park.

n

m

Shirring Fabric - Sewing Tutorial - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZtOqqyRZU8

Note: Within the Inspiration Section, and at the end of the ‘cast,  I included travel notes for places I like to visit in San Francisco Golden Gate Park for fellow sewists who may be visiting, or to prompt other local sewists to share their own thoughts on this locale.

Mother of the Bride-Shirring Inspiration: De Young Museum

My mother of the bride outfit also has a loose sheer blouse

And I'm quite partial to hip yoke shirring

De Young Museum, San Francisco, Golden Gate Park

MOB: Lessons in Lace: Which Scissors? (Mother of the Bride)

Tried both my Stagg and Gingher Scissors for cutting out my lace over-bodice. The Stagg worked better for this gorgeous lace. The Gingher often work better on smooth cottons.

MOB Camisole Straps - How I sew them (Using String - Not Bodkin)

Find an Audio Description in the February podcast 'A Camisole for the Mother of the Bride'.

When it comes to creating a shoulder strap - bodkins work for many folks - but not for me. Plus, I always misplace them!

I use an encased-string method. I think I may have read about this in an old edition of Threads magazine.

1) Fold tube in half  (right sides together)- I use a 3" wide strip for a somewhat wide strap
2) Slip String into the fold STRING NEEDS TO HANG OUT ON EITHER END - SO CUT IT LONGER than the fashion fabric strip
3) Pin fold down
4-6) When sewing down long side of strap, make sure to catch the string at just one end of the tube. Sew several times back and forth so it can't pull through when you tug.

7 - 9) Work the fabric over the string, by pulling on the end of the string you did NOT sew down

10) Eventually you've turned the strap all the way inside out - the inside being the side you want to see

11 -12) cut off the end of the tube where you throughly sewed the string across

Then pull the other end of the string out, turn your seam so it runs up the middle in the back of the strap and press the strap flat.

EnchBySew-52: Audio/PODCAST - A Camisole for the Mother of the Bride (MOB)

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Click on this link in iTunes   to download the 52'nd, and other, episodes of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast

Or listen directly on the web by clicking on http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/castfFINALCamisoleMOB_LAURELSHIMERENCHANTEDBYSEWING.mp3

This podcast is an extension of my regular sewing blog - http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com

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The camisole I talk about in this show, is Part one of my 3-piece Mother-Of-The-Bride outfit. I'm also working on a lace over-blouse and a skirt.

In this show I'm begining to share with you, some of my experiences working on this ensemble.
All 3 garment pieces have involved  pattern creation or alteration.

Snapshot of This Month’s Show 

- Pensamientos Primeros/First Thoughts - short sewing history to date of my MOBride ensemble
Fabric is from fabric.com  

- Technicos/Techniques

I used the Jan Bones Lingerie Secrets book, to create the camisole pattern, based on my own measurements.

Original pattern was designed for knits. I made this garment from a woven golden dupioni fabric from fabric.com, so I cut the pattern on the bias.

I added 1 inch seam allowances to be on the safe side, since I was converting from a knit to a bias fabric.

Adding Darts....Darts and Natural Dart Placement

-Shoulder straps
         - sewing
        - placement

- Pensamientos Finales/Final Thoughts  - is it worth the trouble?

MOB: A Camisole for the Mother of the Bride

This Camisole Slip is the innermost layer of my Mother of the Bride (MOB) outfit. I talk about how I created this garment in this month's Enchanted by Sewing Audio/Podcast

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2017/02/enchbysew-52-audiopodcast-camisole-for.html

MOB: Lessons in Lace (Mother of the Bride, Technicos/Techniques)

I have been fussing all month over the pattern work I've been doing for my Mother of the Bride (MOB) outfit. I don't even want to start fussing about where I've gotten to with it!

But I will enjoy showing some of the experiments I've made, learning to sew with the lace I'll be using for my MOB outfit.

This is sample lace I had in my inventory, not the real deal I'll be using for my MOB ensemble.

I chose stitch 22 on my machine to experiment with edging the lace.

Haven't decided yet how much I'll be stitching onto tissue paper, then peeling the paper away. It works  OK for some of the  parts, but in other cases I can't get all the paper off  - particularly once I gather the lace.

From My Journal - Mother of the Bride - Sewing Daydreams

Looking down the road to June of 2017.

The party will be at a lovely ranch in San Luis Obispo.

My daughter's wedding colors are blush and champagne. Her attendants will be wearing those colors.

For myself I'm thinking about dark rose, dark peach or gold

A sheer float'y overdress? Maybe I'll use the pattern I created for my Fiona the Irish Laurel dress (green linen below) - except I'll want to add 3/4 or elbow length sleeves.

Colored lace or a lovely sheer colored voile perhaps?

Somewhat high neck - or boat neck straight across. Dress below will be a scoop neck. Pearls will nest above.

Length of both over and under dresses - I'm thinking knee length. Show off those legs!

But tea length would look romantic.....

I have my nice well fitting straw hat. May want to re trim it. Or visit Wayne's studio for a hat workshop, and make a new hat based on  dress fabric scraps.

Clarks shoes - dressy low heeled sandals. Comfortable and cute too. I have two pair, but the colors are probably wrong. Oh durn, will need new shoes!

Beneath the sheer overdress I'm thinking of a simply shaped dress made from my sloper pattern. Similar to the above line art - but not quite as fitted.

Sleeveless? Cap sleeves? Quarter sleeves?

Plain colored silk or rayon? (Linen?) Silk dupioni or similarly draping polyester fabric?

Color same color/tone as the sheer overdress.

A nicely scooped neckline on this dress beneath.

.....

Either my long baroque pearls tied in a flapper knot, or my regular nice-string-of-pearls. I have a couple of different long strings of pearls, so I could see what color goes best with the dress.