Sometimes, even David Attenborough doesn’t get the video he was hoping for. So he pronounces on it. That’s today’s title.
It’s been three weeks yesterday since I started this… The excitement has worn off a little as the package from the VPLL Titanic 1912 Project still hasn’t arrived but I am still constantly surfing for images, reading articles, absorbing and learning. The group get daily updates from the organizers and we have been told that 3 patterns are now ready for distribution!
In the multitude of pictures crossing my browser’s path, there are quite a few hats of course! Everyone wore a hat in those faraway days and they were BIG! The straw or velvet or felt hat was a large wide base to support countless flowers, with feathers, or just feathers. OSTRICH feathers… the beautiful plumes that seem to float made the hats light weight and ethereal! I have developed a liking for large hats… and last Sunday I broke down and splurged on 20 Ostrich Plumes to decorate a 1910s style hat I intend to make… They arrived in the mail today and they are gorgeous!!!
I am also sewing away at my little Steampunk project. This week I finished most of the hand sewing and realized that I will have to reinforce the small point of the stomacher. As I sewed it to the front folds of the drape it lost its shape… So I had to decide whether to take the stitches out and put some extra sheeting in there, or try doing that without taking the stitches out. Either way it would be a long job… so I made it easier on myself and took the stitches out, put stronger interfacing in and then re-attached the folds to the point.
In spite of the wicked flu that descended on me last weekend and which is still having its way with me, sending me to bed in the afternoon to rest and stop the dizziness, I managed to cut out, sew and finish the little hat for the Steampunk outfit. I am still deciding if I want to add more height to it with longer feathers… My daughter thinks it should be more imposing. I will leave it for the weekend and have another look at it on Monday. I never thought to stop every once in a while to photograph my progress. My bad! Here it is as it stands today.
The rest of my family have come down with my flu and are suffering its various stages, so I feel I will be nursemaid to them. How is it that I fell prey to it first? I work from home and only go out a couple of times a week!! One of the other three brought it home, I’m sure!!! Adding to the costume will be done while they sleep! The sleeves need to be attached to the jacket and the bustle requires snaps and hooks to attach it to the waist. And it will be done!! 🙂
On another tangent… A wonderful friend of mine sent me a picture of the most extraordinary dress I have seen in a long time! It’s a Luly Yang design, made of silk, painted to look like Monarch Butterfly wings! I wanted to share this with you, as it caused quite a stir of excitement on my part… Now I want to make one similar… I was thinking I could use light cotton or rayon, to make it less formal so it can be worn in summer daytime. It is truly beautiful and I can imagine myself in it now, basking in the warm sunlight! I have the fabric paints and the frame; all I need are several yards of white fabric to paint the colours on! Yes another project adding itself to my wish list! 🙂
Sewing The Titanic 