Dresses for Sisters

These are bad pictures, because 1. My Husband Hates Taking Pictures and 2. These dresses aren't meant for me, but for my sisters, and they need ironing... Here they are.

Here is a close up of the lacing...

Leah's Red Regency Dress, More Pictures

Refashioned Shirt

AFTER

BEFORE (forgive the wrinkled shirt)

I had a large shirt. I cut it apart, princess seamed it, which made the armholes smaller to fit me. I opted not to cut the sleeves down, but instead just made tighter cuffs, and gathered the sleeve at the shoulder and the wrist to make it puffed. My favorite part is how I changed the collar, it was so easy. It was a standing collar, but I like mandarin collars. So I ripped out the top pointy part of the collar so just the standing part of it was left, which looks like a mandarin collar.  I think it looks vaguely Romantic era. I am happy :)

Cloak Pictures and a Snowy Day

We went out and enjoyed the melting snow on the porch. Isaiah was jubilant. He ate snow, and made handprints with Dad in the snow, and sloshed in the melting snow, and even said 'na' for snow. He likes snow.

Eating Snow...

  I finished the wool cloak, and took pictures, with a Polar Bear. My boots are too-large hand me downs, which have a habit of letting my foot swim around in them and so my socks crawl down. I hate my socks crawling down. So I had an inspiration and tied the too loose boots to my leg. It makes them look like boots in Skyrim....

Eowyn White Wool Dress SLEEVES Planning part 2

I decided to make the dress unlined (since the cotton material is fairly heavy), and princess seamed. I am not sure whether to use armhole or shoulder princess seams. The armhole ones I already have a pattern for, but the shoulder princess I think works better for me since my nursing figure changes (the shoulder princess the pieces aren't as steeply curved, which helps when sewing the convex side piece to the concave front piece) The neck is going to be a wide v neck, and the back closure will be a zipper since I am not super authentic in this anyway and I want to be able to get into it myself. For nursing access, I will put an invisible zipper in the front. I had been considering putting in some lace up over the front and make it more of a design feature. I think that would be pretty but it wouldn't be Eowyn's white dress. So maybe I'll do the lace up on the Eowyn-inspired jumpers I am planning.

Here is an awful sneak peak of my Eowyn jumper plan. The neck is all wrong here (and I don't even have it laced shut as the baby had recently been eating....) but I am planning to cut the neck much lower, so its more of a jumper and less of a dress. How I set the gores here is a bit unflattering. I will work on that. The difference of the sleeves is one has a ponytail on my arm to help push the sleeve up. I think i will sew in some elastic on the inside....

My white dress will be floor length since I want to be able to actually do cool things in it. Trains are nice, but you can't do much more then pose for pictures or get married in them, and I want something I can actually slay fell beasts in. Kind of. Ok I know she was wearing boys clothes then, but it just feels cooler to think of it that way.

Those were the easy parts.  Now, drumroll, the sleeves. This is by far the most difficult part of this dress. How to do it? I looked online at other peoples beautiful recreations of this dress. Katherine at koska-the-cat.com did a gorgeous faithful recreation from the film.

koshka-the-cat.com

I want my sleeves to be a little less dramatic then this one, though it is quite beautiful, from koshka-the-cat.com

Eowyn at cosplay also made a beautiful one here. (she also made every single one of Eowyn's dresses if you look up her cosplay id)

By Eowyn at http://new.cosplaylab.com/cosplayers/complete.asp?memberid=34153

However, I like the sleeves on the cosplay one better. I guess I don't want the sleeves to hang down q at 90 degree angles when I hold my arms out straight. In this image, you can see how Katherine cut out her sleeves (the construction of her dress with helpful tips is all on her website).

koshka-the-cat.com

While this is how its done for the movie, Eowyn mostly held her arms so that they didn't fall down staight. I like the smoother less 90 degree angle, more acute angle look of this shot here of Eowyn in her coronation dress.

I love the drape of these sleeves

I am aware that both these dresses sleeves probably are cut at 90 degrees, but that her arm position is giving them more of an acute angle look. But I want to cut them at more of an acute angle to start with.  I also think I will have them fall only a couple inches below the knee...we'll see./ I found this awesome website http://www.threadsofrohan.com/  with awesome screencaps and illustrations from 'The Art of the Two Towers' (must get this book from the library) / Eowyn has a lot of cross-lacing on the bicep of all her outfits. (I just realized it was also on her coat in TT, its on her white dress, its even on her refugee outfit. In contrast, Arwen has thick, embroidered sleeve bands.)  But what makes me happiest, is THIS Which clearly shows some lacing on the underside of the wrist, to pull the sleeve tight at the wrist, and then let if fan out to the thumb joint. I love this look, but before thought I would have to make buttons and button holes (like a cotehardie) which can be bulky and uncomfortable, if its an underdress, and you have to roll the sleeves up.

Thursday Quick takes

---So I decided I wanted to do it Princess seamed, with a back zipper closure, and a front invisible zipper down the front for nursing access. It will be a shallow v neck like the movie. It will be floor length. Still working out the sleeves. I think I'll make a mock up...not sure what fabric to use yet..

In which Isaiah teaches Jehanne what Stethoscopes are for

Stethoscopes are tasty, really

He offered her Josh's baseball

---Isaiah was falling asleep in his crib, and I usually lie on the bed right next to it while he comes to terms with the fact he is going to have to go to sleep. Every night, when he's moved passed the denial and anger stage, and into the acceptance stage, he will push his little hand through the slats and hold my hand and fall asleep. He was going through the denial stage this night, and I was side-nursing Jehanne on the bed, and fading out myself. When I came to, I realized he had already gone to sleep. I was amazed, since he had not done this without holding my hand. I looked up and saw he had reached through and was holding Jehanne's hand through the crib slats. I got up and left them both sleeping angelically, holding hands through the crib slats.

---Another time Jehanne was wanting to suck on something (she still refuses pacifiers, and wants my finger), and then became quiet. We looked and saw that Isaiah had climbed onto the bed and put his finger in her mouth, which she was happily sucking. It was sweet. And then I wondered where else his little hands had been (he has an obsession with trying to open the diaper genie. He will embrace it and even though it is taller then him, carry it around the room, then lay it on its side, and try to crack it open...)


---Isaiah woke up very thoughtful and quiet on Sunday morning. As we were getting ready for church, Josh asked Isaiah how he was. He looked thoughtful and said "Ca"  so now we know he thinks about the Cat a lot...


---Jehanne has found her voice. Sometimes we wake up in middle of the night to hear her talking loudly to herself, and then she goes back to sleep.



---Isaiah said (a word we had never taught him before) "coat" very clearly when he wanted to join Josh in driving Sarah home. So he got to put on his coat, and said "Shoes" and got them on too, and went out with Dad.

---Isaiah will watch the cars going down the street through the glass door out to the porch. He got very excited when we bundled him up to take him OUTSIDE to watch the cars for 5 minutes. He was so happy. Poor city kid.... Now its like a ritual. Yesterday, at 10:30 pm (I know I know...) it was raining, and we all bundled up, Jehanne poking out of my coat, Josh in his green coat looking Ranger-ish silhouetted against the sky, and Isaiah decked out in the full glory of his coat and blinking spider man boots to go watch cars under the dark raining sky. It was fun. It felt epic. And I was pumped about Rand Paul filibustering and saying what needs to be said. I'm a neocon really, but I loved him for it, speaking truth to power and all that. It felt like the beginning of an adventure, and I imagined Josh and I and the babies embarking on an adventure out into the world....Then I noticed Jehanne had gotten rain on her head, and there was a possible homeless guy doing something strange in the street (maybe putting a secret mark on the pavement, the 'Striders' of the city....yeah that would be cool) and so we went inside.

Eowyn 'White Wool Dress' --Planning

About the zelda thing....

No, I don't think I can quite do it. Not with the shoulder armour and the hair casings and all....Its a bit...much. I don't even have the skill to make that armour , even were I to try it.  Maybe I'll make the purple coat  embroidered 'inspired by the armor' goldwork  embroidery...  Now, about Zelda's white dress...

from Zerochan.net  by Aishia

Eowyn's Dress

The white dress reminds me of Eowyn's white wool dress in the Two Towers. (www.alleycatscratch.com/lotr/Human/Eowyn/Wool.htm 

http://new.cosplaylab.com/cosplayers/complete.asp?memberid=34153  http://www.costumersguide.com/cr_lotr.shtml   

http://www.koshka-the-cat.com )  But I am not concerned with an exact replica. For one thing, the bliaut 2 piece bodice construction with only shaping in the side seams doesn't work for me. So I am going to unashamedly make this with princess seams (no medieval authenticity here either...) So I am going to kill two birds with one stone. I think I will make this with some really thick cotton I got for a discount, and I'll pretend its wool. I'll do bliaut style sleeves like Eowyn's, with tight muslin undersleeves. I'll embroider the neck, armbands, and perhaps...even the end of the skirt. Then, so I could use it for both, I'll make a removable belt for when its Eowyn's, and I would make a purple jacket for when its Zeldas. Maybe. We'll see. I've never played a Zelda game in my life, but somehow I think this will be fun :)

Josh Link Outfit--Planning

 So we can break down his outfit.  First,

1.  There seems to be a long sleeved tan undertunic with a mandarin collar and a little lacing up the neck. This is very similar to Faramir's quilted undertunic. I think the mandarin collar is there to keep the armor from chafing against his neck when he moves around in combat. And it just looks awesome. 
2. Next there is a chain mail tunic thing with sleeves to just above elbow and mid-thigh length. It is almost completely covered by the overtunic. 
3. Over that, there's a green overtunic with sleeves to just above elbow with some nice detail embroidery work. 
4. He wears tan brown pants.
5. Absolutely awesome tall brown leather boots, reaching to just under the knee
6.  A thick brown leather belt, suitable for hanging things off of
7. A sword scabbard with a double strap and buckle across the front that just looks cool
8. And some combination of brown fingerless gloves and black bracers held together with brown leather straps, 
9. With a really big tooled leather second bracer on his left arm (for blocking?), 
10. A SWORD
11. ...and a ridiculous hat.

I love the detailing on the green overtunic in this one, especially on the sleeve edges and around the neck.  Artwork posted by zelink4ever on fanpop.com 

Many of these components are similar to the components in Faramir's outfit. 1 (tan ls undertunic, green overtunic, belt and cool belts on the weapon holder, tall boots, combination of brown and black bracers).

So, back to the list, I think I will make

1. (1) like Faramir's undertunic, just without the quilted sleeves. Perhaps Josh can use this with his Faramir outfit in warmer weather, so as not to have to wear quilted sleeves in summer. (
2. 2)chain mail is alas, beyond my skill, 
3. (3)overtunic I can definitely make and will be the most 'Link'ish of the whole set, not interchangable with his Faramir outfit. 
4. (4)pants will be very useful, I like how they are fitted but not clingy and they will be interchangable with his brown pants for his Faramir outfit. 
5. (5)boots is a must have, and beyond my skill, and when we do get those awesome tall brown leather boots will be for both his Faramir and Link Outfit. 
6. (6)belt we kind of have, but I will keep on the lookout at thrift stores for more awesome brown leather belts, which I will use to make 
7. (7)scabbard but modify it to a quiver perhaps? Josh can use this for his Faramir outfit as well. 
8. (8)Bracers look kind of like a non-fancy version of Faramir's bracers, so I will make Link's first, and perhaps when I learn from them...
9. ...then I can make Faramir's true bracers and Link's tooled leather over-bracer(9). 
10. (10) Sword is alas, too expensive for us to justify buying right now (but like the boots, when someday we do, it will be a plain good sword to serve for all his outfits). I will make him a bow to carry in the meantime. 
11. (11)hat is ridiculous, and I shall not make this for Josh unless he really really wants it. It looks like a dunce cap to me.  

 

Just paint it green, and then you can feel cool :)

 Now, if Josh is Link.....dare I? It seems like crossing some definite threshold of nerdiness :)

 

Update: Breath of the Wild made me cry. So good. I'm gonna make the champion's tunic for Link instead. LINK HERE when I get to it.

Leah's Red Regency Dress

 

 I sewed Leah a dress yesterday. I am so proud of myself. I made the pattern myself. And it WORKS.  1. I had her try on my dress. 2. I roughly approximated things like, she could use a couple inches more in the shoulder, etc. 3. I redrew pattern pieces from my pattern pieces, and made a mockup (from an old sheet) and tried it on her. 4. Tweaked it a little more, and now was ready to make the dress.  Here are the initial pictures. We took these at midnight. I will have better pictures up and how we did it soon. Also I have the cutest little girl in the world. 

This gives a good view of the bodice. It is a drawstring neck with elastic inserted to keep it from gapping when she moves her arms. She moves her arms a lot. When I was a kid my mental image of 'industrious' was Leah.

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I am so proud of the skirt. Its an A line, with a hem and a tuck running along the bottom to make it stand out more. The back has pleats, the front is smooth but cut at a shallow u. I learned through trial and error that cutting the top waist part into a shallow u, makes the drape soo much prettier.

 The cat was trying to drink out of the water in the sink. I love how her braid hangs down her back. (Yes Leah was trying to do my dishes at midnight. She tried to convince me to clean the house instead of sew her a dress. She is my conscience.)

Did I mention I had the cutest baby in the world?