Starting to Wrap it Up

Three weeks until Kalamazoo. At times I feel stressed, at others I feel confident that I am in good shape. But that can swing back and forth even from hour to hour.

April, a long time customer who'd ordered two shirts, a stock, and cravat for KZoo asked how I was doing and I confessed that I was feeling a bit frazzled. He responded,

"Well, don't push yourself too much. This is supposed to be a fun hobby."

Mack and April, long time customers wearing my shirts at the Feast.

I took a step back and considered his words. He was right - I loved the sewing that I was doing, and if I didn't get that last bedgown or the panniers finished in time, it would be okay. Actually, I had enough things ready and could set up and open for business now. (Well, except for maple cakes. But those are ordered and will be delivered to me at the event.)

I've wrapped up the bedgown making. I experimented with some navy linen that was in my mother's fabric stash,

Even unfinished (no side pleats or hemming yet), I thought it was beautiful. And linen has such a nice feel to it and drapes well, too.

The finished bedgown. I wish I had more of this fabric; I'd make myself a bedgown from it!

I rarely take custom orders, but I will in certain cases. (My advice-giving friend April who asked for the two trade shirts, a stock, and a cravat, for example.)

Brandon and his wife Jessie own Eagle Talon Traders, a source for really great 18th century fabrics at really great costs. You can also buy in bulk from them, too.

You may remember the infamous spool of twill tape that I bought from Eagle Talon Traders. (I learned that, just because MOST vendors sell spools of tapes and ribbons on 25 yard spools, that doesn't mean EVERYBODY does, especially someone with access to warehouse sewing supplies!)

Brandon and Jessie are very dear friends, and Brandon's mom, Pat, is one, too.

She had asked me at the Feast if I would make a bedgown for her with some fabric from her stash, and that fabric happened to be the cranberry version of the bedgown I was wearing at the time! (Mine is the teal; there are two more versions of it.)

 I got started on Pat's bedgown Thursday,

and finished it yesterday. It turned out well; I actually like the cranberry version of the block print better than the teal. (The side pleats are pinned shut in this photo.)

And with that completed, I revised my "last call" sewing priorities for the event. I am going to make the three pockets that are already cut out and ready to go. They are easy peasy and will stitch up quickly.

(To the person who asked about pocket patterns, these are from Laughing Moon and the pocket pattern I like best.)

And then, I really think I need to make a cloak or two. I have the pattern, the thread, and the wool, plus cloaks stitch up surprisingly fast.

I did a lot of work yesterday making sleeve buttons to take to the show

and have new mini pouches for them cut out. Easy sewing on these and done in under thirty minutes for them all.

Sweet Pepper, my constant companion, is going to be glad when I wrap up this months long frenzy of sewing and she can stretch out on the bed in the sewing room again.

I'm almost done, girlie, I'm almost done. I promise.

Sharp eyes readers noticed something in the blog today. Stay 'tooned!

Sewing Zoomies

Sewing an 18th century bedgown goes much faster than sewing an 18th century trade shirt. The difference? There are cuffs and collars on the shirts. A bedgown has neither,  and that makes a tremendous difference in how fast I can sew one. And, I can do that without sacrificing the quality of sewing for speed.

This was my output in just three days of working on bedgowns. Sewing zoomies! LOL

Granted, this one was not yet finished. I needed to put in the two inverted pleats on the sides (easy peasy) and add the hem. (Also easy.)

Here it is in its finished form.

It is not made from a block print fabric, but the pattern on the fabric is very period correct for the 18th century and is 100% cotton. I think it will sell quickly.

This is a block print bedgown. Sharp eyes will remember this fabric in the red version that was made into a trade shirt.

It had occurred to me as I was working on the red trade shirt that the blue version of the fabric, which I already had in stock, might look nice as a bedgown. So, I saved that fabric back and tried it - I am pleased with how the bedgown looks.

My sewing progress is also going faster on these bedgowns because I have the pattern memorized and don't need to consult the instructions for every step of making one. I know how to make one and even how to dovetail steps so that time is saved. 

This has to be one of the most beautifully block printed fabrics I've ever worked with. I anticipate it, too, will sell quickly.

I have two clothing racks in my office full of completed garments.

The one for trade shirts is full

and the one for women's clothing is, too. (I had to remove four hangers of pockets to make room for the bedgowns.)

I'm out of room and yet still I have things to make. The cloaks will take up a good amount of space, and the panniers are bigger than the Francis rump on the left in the photo. I cut out three more pockets and another bedgown yesterday and have plans to cut out two more of those.

I may get my portable rack out of the garage and bring it upstairs so I can hang the things I am still working on onto it.

I probably could squeeze it all onto the other two racks, but I spend so much time ironing the clothes when I make them, I'd rather not crush and wrinkle them when another option is available.

Been wondering what the dogs have been up to? Another episode of Dogs of Our Lives coming soon!

Stay 'tooned!