Demented Fairy's A-Lister collection

[dementedfairy]

Inspiration- Gentleman Jack
[Anne Lister- get it?]



Challenge element- using my two fabric embellishment books at last

This will be mostly a variety of shirts and tops, with interesting sleeves,  with a corset-style waistcoat as my unifying item.  A couple of pairs of trousers [another challenge, I really can't seem to get a good fit these days] and a gored long-ish skirt should comply with all of the requirements.

My collection of images and ideas is in my blog post here.  Now I need to get on with it, and finally tidy up the bomb site which is my sewing room.

[dementedfairy]

Right- I've tackled the horrible, much-delayed job of blitzing my sewing room and clearing away all the costume-making debris I've accumulated this year.  I gained another bin bag full of scraps to stuff another Closet Case Files pouffe, and had plenty of chances to think over which patterns I want to use for my SWAP, and to locate some of the fabrics I KNEW I had lol
I plan to make
plain black skirt and trousers.  The skirt will be a copy of a  much-loved, but noe deceased, linen panelled and tucked skirt from Per Una.  I have ordered the requisite black linen, so that will be underway fairly soon.
There are several contenders for the trousers, and I may end up making more than one pair, assuming my battles to get a good fit don't make me fizzle out in despair.
lightly boned waistcoat, inspired by Prior Attire's riding corsets.  Several contenders for fabrics, ranging from a greenish tweed remnant to a deep purple velvet.  This will be one of the items that goes with everything, which is why most of the rest of the collection will be monochrome.
For the rest, I will be making tops in black and white, with interesting sleeve details/embellishment.
Plain white shirt x 2
Plain black shirt x 2
Black polo neck
White polo neck

That makes 9 in total, with the option to flex a little for more trousers or tops.

I've ordered a waistcoat pattern to start me off, but hope most of the rest will be from existing patterns, or from Franken-patterning a little.

[dementedfairy]

I finished my tidy up, got a huge pile of fabrics sorted out, and started getting some patterns assigned.  Blog Post Here

[dementedfairy]

...the sewing room is finally cleared, and I got to my massive cutting out project.  So far, 7 tops and a skirt...
blog post here

teaser pic

[dementedfairy]

Two linen skirts are sewn, all bar the hems [they are very flared so I'm letting them hang for  a couple of days to droooooop before hemming.
Today I cracked on with two fast easy makes [HA!] and ran up a couple of black polo necks, one with plain sleeves, one with punky/goth sleeves from a random fabric that's loitered in stash for several years, and proved to be a slight pain in the making.  Before I could completely finish them off, my overlocker decided to sulk.  It does this occasionally, and has to be re-threaded, brushed and sworn out several times before it will deign to continue.  I gave up for today.
It's looking good so far though.  2 shirts will be next, then I can re-thread everything to white and get the next batch underway.

[dementedfairy]

This weekend is hemming time!
The two linen skirts have been hanging all week so I will level those off tomorrow.  Not sure yet if I'm going to hand-hem [which I like, especially accompanied by a talking book] or to go with a tiny machine stitched hem.
I managed a little sewing this week and knocked up 2 black polo tops.  I'm very pleased with them, but my overlocker decided to throw one of its regular sulks before I finished the hems and cuffs, so they ALSO need finishing.
I would like to get started on at least one shirt too- they are cut out and interfaced already, and the machines are both threaded up in black, so it makes sense to crack on.
I got a bit side tracked and started planning the non-SWAP World Book Day adaptation of my Anne Lister look- the pelisse/spencer which will go over skirt, shirt and wasitcoat.  Pattern and fabrics are on order...

[dementedfairy]

I tickled the overlocker with a soft brush, blew in its ear, and it deigned to start up again.  Bloody thing.  Skirts are now hemmed and hand-finished, and so are the two tops.  Shirt time tomorrow.

[dementedfairy]

Both linen skirts and both black polo tops have been worn a couple of times each.  BOTH skirts then had to be altered as I seem to have somehow shrunk an inch round the middle.  As I have nothing much in the  way of bum and hips, my waistbands need to be quite snug or everything travels south.
One had to have the zip removed, and re-inserted with a smaller waistline, with the other I snuck a bit of wide elastic onto the seam allowances at the top edge, which should do the trick [not tested yet!]
One top is absolutely fine [the punky-sleeved one] the other needed the sleeves slimming down rather a lot, and also shortening.  Strange eh?
Two shirts are underway, but I'm only doing very bitty sewing right now...and OFSTED are in tomorrow...

[dementedfairy]

I survived OFSTED- although I did get sent home after my observation as I am in huge pain- my right hip [resurfaced and then replaced] seems to have abruptly deteriorated badly.  I can barely walk, so can only sew between painkillers...
Anyway, today I got back to work and finished the plain black shirt.  I had planned to embellish the sleeves, and found various options for trim...then decided I love it absolutely plain but with very fancy silver buttons.
I'm now partway through the Donna Karan V2813 shirt, all concealed buttons and fancy touches.  The sleeves are in a fab Alexander Henry tattoo print, which I've wanted to use for ages.
Looks like the embellishment techniques will be on the white tops instead!

[dementedfairy]

2nd shirt completed.  Still no pics of me wearing any of it, the weather is just too horrible, but a couple of hanger shots of the shirts at least.  More pics of the internal bits and bobs on the blog here

[dementedfairy]

Both shirts have had a couple of wears this week, and all was good, apart from the fact that before being washed, the collar on the tattoo-shirt is VERY stiff, so I prefer it unbuttoned and lying flat.
Got both machines re-threaded in white/ivory, and started the soft white drop-shoulder top, with French seams...but stalled.  I decided it would be very useful plain, but that I wanted some embellishment, and after much rummaging managed to dig out 2 beautiful cherry blossom appliques that have been in stash for quite a while.  The are the perfect length to place along the sleeves, so that's what I'm going to do.  A bit of quiet hand-sewing...and for once, I caught myself before completing the garment, so the sleeve seams are still open.  Much easier!
I'm waiting to hear from the doc about my aches and pains- looks like there's some knee damage from a fall in January, although they SAY my hips look fine.  Yeah right, feel this pain matey and tell me again!
Ah well, half term to rest and recuperate a bit...

[dementedfairy]

The blouse with cherry blossom appliqués is done, and I just ran up another polo top, white this time, with crinkle jersey sleeves.  Simple, but effective.  I'll get round to some pictures eventually!
Now back to the machine for white/cream polo neck #2

[dementedfairy]

Polo neck #4 made, cream rib jersey, very slightly brushed, a lovely texture.  I grafted in a sleeve from a vintage 60s pattern, and made a rib cuff, and I'm really pleased with the effect.
Now I've stalled after starting a white lawn shirt as I can't decide on the sleeve embellishment technique I want to try...
Maybe I should cut out trouser toiles [BORING]
Oooh I know, I could cut out my World Book Day costume instead!
Teaser pic of the white sewing so far...!


And a close up of the appliqué blouse

[dementedfairy]

Quick summary of progress so far [like Ruthie I will probably have made more things than needed, so can select at the end]

2 black linen skirts
2 black shirts
2 black polo necks
2 white/ivory polo necks
1 white applique blouse

In the making
1 white lawn shirt

Not yet cut out
Black trousers
Boned corset-waistcoat

Looks do-able!

[dementedfairy]

I have been agitated for several days as my favourite of the 2 black linen skirts did a disappearing act on me...I had to go through my whole wardrobe this morning, item by item [which at least gave me the opportunity to sort things a bit better] and eventually found it- I'd been lazy and bunged it on a hanger with a jacket over the top.
Phew!

I'm on a side track again of course with Worlds Book Day on Thursday, so I spent two evenings cutting out the complicated Laughing Moon pelisse [SO MANY pattern pieces] and getting them interfaced, pinned, and generally prepped to sew.  I'm off to get cracking now.
Here's my most recent blog post on that process, with a teaser shot of the lawn shirt with ruffled sleeve detail...

[dementedfairy]

World Book Day 2020, me as Anne Lister [Gentleman Jack] in my Laughing Moon pelisse over two SWAP garments [ha ha you still can't see them lol]
Here's the blog post and here's a couple of pics to whet your appetites...just don't look too closely I sewed the entire thing since Saturday!

   

[dementedfairy]

Last day of school tomorrow for the foreseeable future, and I can't wait.  Have spent the day calming kids that are worrying about missing their qualifications after so much work, and, to be honest, treading water.
All the little dancers who were to have worn the 15 masks I made were brought over to me today to see them...and I'd already moved them back home.  Ah well, they have had to make do with photos for now.  Here's a quick snap of a few of them

[dementedfairy]

Apart from making myself a Cthulhu mask [why not?], and hemming some net curtains for my mum,  I've not ventured into the sewing room yet.
I was glad to see the relaxed end date, I'd hoped this might happen, and it gladdens my heart.  I was wearing the black and white clothes a lot to work, but will now be in pyjamas for the foreseeable future, with less inclination to make nice smart things right now.
Having said that, I bought a gorgeous piece of ruby red linen from a personal destash on FB, and can't wait to make up a replica of my swooshy vogue panelled skirt, even if it gets no wear before September.
I will get back to the grindstone once I master this virtual teaching gig- lots of trouser patterns to toile...

[dementedfairy]

SWAP mojo has still not returned...as I'm living in pyjamas or 'slobs' I feel no urge to sew the rest of the collection.  I'm assuming school won't re-open until September, so have plenty of time.
Meanwhile, I joined  a Facebook group of volunteers sewing scrubs for the NHS, started a GoFundMe to raise £200 and as of yesterday, have got TWELVE HUNDRED POUNDS.  All of it is going on resources...fabrics and cotton tape are getting very hard to find as thousands of volunteers are working on this all over the country.
So far I have made 31 sets of scrubs, and 23 washbags from old pillowcases...and I have over 100m more fabric waiting to be cut out.
It's deadly dull, but very useful in blanking out stress.  I've pushed my limits and found that I CAN sew  helluva lot in a day, but it's no fun!  Each top takes about 45 minutes, trousers 40 minutes BUT slightly faster if batch sewn.

  

[dementedfairy]

Well, no progress on the SWAP but a fair bit has happened
I carried on sewing scrubs [current count is at 76] then made  a cock up of cutting and had to order a bit more fabric, which was out of stock, blah blah.  I have 24+ sets cut out after some mammoth sessions, but have lost the will. 
I made some masks for us , my parents, and colleagues
I made a  couple of very simple summer tops, which have been worn
AND THEN
I got hit with Bell's palsy just before my ruddy 60th birthday.  It's been unpleasant, has made my new glasses impossible to use, so my sight's been all over the place, plus lots of pain.  I was worried it would hit me as badly as it did my mum [she had it 20 years ago and it never healed] BUT it seems to be mostly better now bar occasional pain and twitchiness
Good side of it was combined with eyesight and age, I got out of having to go back into school, so I am working on a live online teaching project to start, hopefully to continue with long term to support my A level students
No progress whatsoever on the SWAP bar getting the rose sleeve shirt back onto the table.
I'm baking  a lot though, enjoying trying yeast recipes I haven't dared try before for some reason soft orange glazed rolls were LOVELY, and I'm doing bagels
  and soft finger rolls today
All the SWAP items have been worn before and after lockdown but are work clothes, so I'm not feeling any urgency to finish.  I suppose I might just wake up in the next 7 days and go crazy, but it won't be complete even then
I'll eventually feel happy to be photographed again and will blog what I have, but I think this is a bust as regards completing the competition on time!

Ah well, I love the clothes and WILL get the final items done for the autumn