18th Century Riding Habits: Getting Closer

And the sewing of the riding habits continues - on and on and on! But I'm getting close to done. (Which is good - October 1 is less than two weeks away!)

My jacket - I'm down to the final trim, buttons, and buttonholes at last!

Because  these habits have so many pieces, sometimes I make the individual pieces out of stitching order in the instructions. That way they are ready to pop in when I get to that point in the instructions. But that can backfire, and it did yesterday.

I had made the cuffs for both jackets a week ago only to discover that I'd misread the instructions and had to totally redo them. That's four pieces of fabric per cuff for a total of sixteen pieces plus redoing all the trim. It took me most of the day. (So much for saving time!)

Finally! A correct cuff!

The buttons I'd ordered came in at last - I could not decide between two different styles so I ordered both.

I am leaning toward these fleur de lis buttons, but they will be harder to sew on as they all must be sewn with the tip of the fleur de lis pointing upward.

I practiced making buttonholes in a scrap of fabric and then tried different ways to put trim around them.

I may just leave this waistcoat without trim.

In exchange for the help that Leslie has given Lisa and me as we ensure our patterns, fabrics, trims, and buttons are period correct, I told her I would do some repairs on her outfits.

This hat is gorgeous, but its cockade has come loose and the ribbons droop.

The inside of the ribbons - I had to examine it before repairing it as I did not know how the milliner had constructed and applied the cockade.

It looks much better now and is ready to go back to my sister.

Still left to do on my habit: hem the petticoat, buttons on the waistcoat, attach the waistcoat to the jacket, buttonholes, buttons, and final (and minimal) trim to the jacket.

And for Lisa's: hem the petticoat, add lining to the jacket, add the cuffs to the jacket, buttonhole, trim, and buttons to the waistcoat, add the waistcoat to the jacket, and then buttons, buttonholes, and final trim to the jacket.

One of the highlights of the event - the French voyageurs arrive from their summer of hunting and trapping upriver in the northern wilderness. 

Still lots to do before I am ready for this!