In progress pics

[mala_14]

I have all the machine assembly done on the bodice, which is good because I am thiiiiiiis close to being out of white cotton thread. I need to go to the store tomorrow and pick some up as well as some straight pins that don't have plastic heads. I drafted this bodice to meet edge-to-edge and then use hooks and eyes for the closure, but I'm thinking that because the fabric is a bit stretchier (and I can do slightly smaller seam allowances at the front edge), I might end up pinning it closed. For those of you who have done 18th century, do you have any preference or advice?

I sewed the seams sort of like the jacket seams in Costume Close-Up, but with all the layers being sewn at once (lining layers right sides together and outer fabric right sides together) leaving about an inch open at either end. Then finishing those inch openings with just lining sewn together and just outer fabric sewn together. This allows me to have all the seam allowances enclosed, but also leaves the edges able to turn into each other. Most other methods seem to be based on hand-sewing techniques. There was no way I was hand-sewing this thing, so I jiggered it this way. I also did that cool thing where you sew the sleeve together, lining and outer fabric, all with one seam and then turn it and you magically end up with a lined sleeve with all the seam allowances encased. Did the same weird thing with leaving the hem edge open for an inch, etc. Some pictures of the front, the inside back, and the outside back:

Comments

[atherleisure]

I'm a huge fan of closing 18th century bodices with straight pins. It just seems to work really well. The key is to put them in horizontally with the points buried in the bodice. I use the dressmaking pins with the tiny steel heads. I think Dritz calls them silk pins.

Your bodice is looking nice.

[mala_14]

Thank you! Horizontally? That's really interesting. Thanks for the tip!

[atherleisure]

The first time I tried to pin a dress closed, I ran the pins vertically, and it about drove me to distraction. Then someone told me about doing them horizontally, and it was SO much easier. They almost disappear that way too. I've been trying to find a picture that shows the pins, but this is the best I've been able to do: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23597713@N05/10608069275/in/dateposted/ They disappear too well! They're spaced about every inch and go through all layers of the jacket going in then all but the outermost layer coming back out. I lap right over left and put the pins in from the left, but I'm left-handed so the opposite may be easier for you.

[mala_14]

Wow! That is really neat. I was worried that I wouldn't have enough overlap to pin horizontally, but I just tried on the bodice and it turns out that I do, so I will keep that in mind. Horizontal makes sense, like buttonholes, where you're supposed to do them in the same direction that the tension goes.