At Her Leisure

I don’t really have any grand over-arching remarks, but I’m pleased with the things I made this year. It was a small year for events – only four: living history days at the Tucson Presidio, the George Washington Ball in Williamsburg, Costume College, and a Victorian Christmas ball in Mesa – but maybe that helped me to make a few things that I actually wear in real life. I hope 2019 will have more events.

January:
Mid-18th century stays


( The rest of the year is behind the cut )

Putting this together has made me realize that I’m actually rather in arrears on posting finished projects so I’ll have to put some effort into that over the next few weeks.

I wore my new 1940's dress today. It's wool jersey and made following the Vintage Vogue 8728 pattern. Since it was a knit, I left out the fastening at the side, which made this a really fast project. I cut it out during the Super Bowl and hemmed it the following Thursday. I added thread loops for a belt on Friday since it looks like a sack without a belt. With a belt I think it's reasonably cute. The whole project took six days.



As usual I shortened it by 0.75" between the armscye and the waist seam. I cut a straight 12, but I probably should have cut a 10. Either the finished garment measurements on the tissue are wrong or I can't measure myself. I wouldn't be surprised at either one!

I finished the shorts for my 1940's playsuit over the weekend so that project is officially done. It's just a fun project that I originally started in hopes that I'd be able to go to Costumers' Lost Weekend this year, but things didn't work out. After seeing all the fun from Costume College last week, I'm determined to make it to the little local convention next year so I'll wear this then.

I make no great claims of accuracy in the fabric selection. I actually bought it for a different project, and that didn't work out so I made a playsuit instead. It is 100% cotton so it has that going for it. The top and skirt are made from an out-of-print Simplicity pattern that was a costume pattern (9978). Simplicity was around in the 1940's, but I've never been clear on whether the "Retro" patterns they sold ten or fifteen years ago were taken from originals in any way or whether they were just vaguely in the style of the given period. The shorts are from a 1944 pattern (Hollywood 1343) that nuranar loaned me, and I think they're the best shorts pattern I've ever had. I definitely need to get some plain twill to make more. (That would make my husband happy since he's always begging me to wear shorts more.) Thanks, Ginger!

The 1940's pattern actually has a cuter top than the one I made so I might go back and redo the top, but it won't be right now. I've got other stuff in the works at present.

Now onto the pictures.

I finished knitting the third panel of my 1892 knitted petticoat this afternoon. That gives me five more panels to go at most. I'm not exactly sure how big a hem circumference I need. One later in the book calls for about 84" so I'm sure I don't need something bigger than that. Each panel is about 10" wide so I'm thinking I'll need either seven or eight.

I'm also making speedy progress on a 1940's playsuit. I just need buttons and buttonholes to finish the bodice and skirt, but the shorts haven't even been started. I meant to go to the store today to buy more fabric and buttons (this is not the originally planned project for this fabric), but I had a daughter stay home from school sick so we weren't going to run any errands, even though she was feeling fine after a couple of hours.