Eva's journal

And here are some pictures. Actually ,when I tried it on I noticed that I need to move two hooks and eyes and cut off an inch on each side of the bolero front opening because it was too big. But other than that it's really, finally finished. I'm already planning to fix the puckering at the front of the skirt and adding all the trimming of course but I have too many other things to sew. Apart from starting on the inner tent for my pavillion again i now have a deadline for my flemish 16th century gown since I plan to wear it on our king and queen's anniversary (as king and queen, thy're not a couple)party in March.

And another thing; my mother just finished changing the fabric on one of our armchairs that really was in a sorry state.

I have almost finished the skirt today. What's left to do is the waistband and to hem the slit I have put in the back to get into it. I'm not really satisfied with it. For one, the fabric puckers along the bias tape that goes from the waist and down to the hem in front and the bias tape there and around the hem is attached but not very neat machine sewing. But I have very little time to sew and I'm going to wear this dress once so it will just have to do. It would probably take maximum one hour to fix the rest of the skirt but I'm sick of it so now I'm going to bake lussekatter which are traditionally swedish christmas buns with saffron. A picture can be seen here. I also make special ones shaped like sun crosses for our Yule celebration.
Well, the butter has melted so off I go!

Having thought about it and seen how my economy has been affected by the latest purchases of fabric and dyeing supplies (we're going to dye silk yarn with indigo, cochineal, madder, weld and onion peels) I have decided that dress will have to be done without the trimming of satin ribbons and ruched bias tape. I think it will look nice anyway and to be honest, I've already spent waay too much on a costume that will be worn once. I'm willing to spend too much money on medieval and 16th century costumes because I can wear them many times and like those eras better anyway, but ca 1900 isn't really my favorite period even if I could find somewhere to play.
For the moment I have given up working on the bodice and started cutting the under skirt, which feels good because making the skirt goes faster than making the bodice and the pieces are big and easy to cut.

Yesterday was spent in a very frivolous way. Rickard and I had thai take-away together with Anna and Kristian and another friend called B-M. Since we almost never it take away, we maybe have pizza together with the kids three times a year, but never on our own this was a very special occasion that made me feel very frivolous considering the price of take-away compared to home-cooking. It was really good food too. Then we played Puerto Rico, a board game I hadn't tried before all five of us, before watching Shrek, which was on TV and Rickard and B-M hadn't seen.
Maja was being happy and adorable and I even started on my green silk bliaut since I needed some hand-sewing to do while watching the movie. Before all this Anna had helped me fit the under-bodice for the 1901 reception dress. I had made my second toile that was too small from the pattern in PoF and was feeling a bit frustrated. It is also very hard to do any fitting on oneself while wearing that corset. For one you don't see anything below the bust.But we added lots of fabric over the ribcage and bust area and she pinned it to me so now it fits perfectly. So today if I'm not in too much pain I have to go out and get ca 20 m pink satin bias tape and 10 metres each of two widths of pink satin ribbon + some thin boning and sewing thread in the right shade. This will be an expensive dinner party.
I really should be sleeping some more since Maja is asleep but my body hurts too much for that.

The meeting was really good although nobody cut any fabric. I also got to try on the corset with an expert at hand, Julia who studies theatre costuming. It looks very right but it hurts my back to bend it like that. I've also noticed that while Katherine's version of the same corset makes it look likes she's leaning against a very strong wind my version makes it look like gravity's finally won and my bust makes me tip over.

I have finished the lacing holes and tried the corset on, with just boning along the CB and CF edges.
Good things:
It fits reasonably well
It gives the correct posture. Actually the only way to stand comfortably in that thing is the way you're supposed to, leaning forward, so it will do a very god job in giving the right look.

Bad thing:
The shape it gives and that posture are damn ugly. I don't care if it's correct, next time I want to make a corset that makes me look pretty, not odd. Something victorian maybe?

The new corset fit me reasonably well when I tried it on with no bones and by lacing it myself. Some pieces will have to be redone because they are too short but other than that I think it will work. Surprisingly enough even this much smaller corset which I thought would leave a 10 centimetre gap in the back almost laced closed. Either I'm very "corsetable" or my waist has become smaller since I measured it two weeks ago.

I've just returned from singing practice, we're learning "Thus saith my Chloris bright" (which can be found here) right now and it's beginning to sound beautiful. To my great joy we got a new strong soprano in Ragnhild from Norway this autumn. She is trained and learns songs very quickly from notes. This is good because I don't and I'm also a strong soprano so usually I drench the other soprano which is a problem when I'm not totally sure of the melody (and I have to be very sure to feel confident enough to open up and sing). But now I hear her and learn much faster than I did before.

After thinking about it and studying the corset I have realized that I can't use the pieces I already have. I might be able to use the front pieces, which would be good because of the busk, but otherwise I have to make a whole new corset. I have however decided not to work on that tomorrow or monday and instead wait 'til tuesday when I'm going to the doctor with Maja because then I will pass a copy shop and then I can resize the pattern there.

I swear, the edwardian corset is cursed. I have redone one seam three times (and ripped the fabric when I took it apart once) and also managed to put on piece (piece B for those who have the pattern) in the opposite direction to what it's supposed to be. This corset better fit perfectly and make me look damn good when it's finished!

The cold is marginally better but now Maja has caught it too.
I have been doing some work on my lecture, maybe 1/4 of it is done, which is okay I guess, since it doesn't have to be finished until saturday. Right now my head isn't in a state to continue.
Tomorrow I'm going to see my rheumatology doctor and then I'm going to pass by my job and collect some Overhead-sheets and slides that I need + a book I've requested from the library. I hope Vendela and Valeria get well soon, both for their own sake and because I need time to work on the lecture and with them at home private time is very scarce.
Tonight my friend Tala is coming over to help me and my sister cut our edwardian corsets. She's going to a tailor's school and has recently made an edwardian corset for herself. I can't decide what fabric to use as the top layer but I'm leaning towards a pale blue grosgrain curtain that I originally intended to make a 16th century italian dress from.

Yesterday 6 metres blue 100% wool tabby arrived in the post (ca 8$/metre). It was a little scratchier, stiffer and looser than I had anticipated but that is being taken care of right now in the washing machine. I washed a test swatch on 40 degrees (centigrade of course) and it shrunk ca 10 % which is acceptable, and became much softer. the plans for this fabric is a half circle mantle for my husband, lined with my orange/green shot silk taffeta and an early 14th century dress for me, maybe lined with grey wool,depends if I can get some more on friday when I go to Borås again (if both me and Maja are well).