Hobbity goodness

Hobbity sewing complete! *insert happy Hobbit dancing here*

Chemise

The chemise is calico and a combination of the neckline and raglan sleeves of the Simplicity 5582 peasant blouse and the length of the Regency Underthings chemise.

The neckline is drawstring with a few pleats at the back (because the drawstring casing was just a tad too short for the neckline and I couldn't be bothered cutting and sewing an extra piece of fabric to make it match).

The sleeves are decorated with antique crochet lace (with an adorable butterfly pattern) and criss-cross trim that I threaded with ribbon to make the sleeves adjustable.

I added a ruffle to the bottom of the chemise to give the bottom a bit more bulk when it’s under the skirt (and because I like ruffles!)

 Chemise: front and back.

 Chemise sleeve detail.

Bodice

The bodice is side-lacing with a sweetheart neckline, and is comprised of four pieces: the back panel (brown cotton blend), two side front panels (yellow gingham muslin) and the front (pinky red cotton).

The back panel is Simplicity 5582 bodice back. The front side panels are a combination of Simplicity 5582 bodice front and my own pattern for a curve-front fitted kirtle (use of the curve-front method inspired by this post: a good step-by-step how-to draft a curve-front bodice here). The front panel I drafted myself.

The back panel and front panel have two layers of lining: a thicker pink flannelette (from an old sheet) and white cotton. The yellow gingham muslin side front panels have a layer of pale yellow cotton instead of the pink flannelette, as the gingham muslin was too sheer for a pink lining.

The bodice is lightly boned with 7.6mm black cable ties, to help it keep it's shape. The ends of the cable ties are coated with hot glue to cover any sharp edges. Again the yellow gingham muslin proved too sheer for black cable ties, so the four under the yellow gingham are encased in white bias tape, secured by hot glue.

Gold eyelets were hammered in for the side lacing, and the entire bodice is finished with yellow bias tape, complete with bias tape bow (tutorial here)

Boning layout, pre-glue and bias tape.

Side lacing with gold eyelets.

Skirt

I made two circles skirts; one blue, one green; out of old jacquard tablecloths.

The blue table cloth was already circular, making its transition to skirt much easier (the bottom was already hemmed, score!). The green table cloth was rectangular and required a bit more fiddling with measurements and hemming (this post has lots of helpful pictures and confusing math about circle skirts... if, like me, you're not big on math, I can tell you that a 15cm/6" radius gives plenty of room to fit 105cm/41" hips)

I finished the skirts with a waistband in a similar colour, threaded it with elastic.

Costume front.

Costume back.

Inspiration:

http://rebelshaven.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/hobbitness.html

http://romantichistory.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/lady-hobbit-costume-finished-at-last.html

http://costuminglavenda.blogspot.com.au/p/lotr-everyday-bodices.html

http://costuminglavenda.blogspot.com.au/p/lotr-special-occasion-bodices.html

Let me know if I have left out any details.

Next up is accessories. If anyone could recommend good Hobbit ears, or hairy feet, that would be awesome, otherwise I will spend hours derping around the internet getting distracted while looking for them on my own (what a shame ^_^)

I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

whoops

There goes another month without a post... blame this lovely lady as she finally convinced me to join Pinterest where I promptly wasted my November pinning random awesome things.
I also managed some sewing in between Pinteresting around; my Hobbit bodice is near completion, but I am awaiting the return of my glue gun (with much separation anxiety) and two Regency gowns are still in the works.
Rest assured you'll be the first to know when something is finished!

October excuses

As you probably may have guessed by now, I'm a bit of a lazy blogger (in my defense I am also pretty boring and don’t usually have much to talk about). Nonetheless, bad me for not posting anything for October yet!

I am still soldiering along in the Regency sewing challenge, my project for September is very close to completion but I had a mishap with my sewing machine about a week ago where I accidentally put my finger through, and on top of a rather painful sewn finger, I also snapped my needle and haven’t been brave enough to change it until now... but finger is now on the and not swollen and bleeding everywhere (seriously, I do NOT recommend sewing yourself!) and I have braved the change of needle and finished the little sundress that was in progress when I sewed myself.

I have also been busy forgetting about my graduation and having to scramble at the last minute to hire academic dress, but I got there despite the best efforts of my terrible memory and the freight train that broke down on the track ahead of my train.

The only thing left to distract me from my sewing is a trip to Ikea on Monday, but hopefully the Ikea-induced euphoria will translate into desire to sew.

Lookin' academic in my robes at the University of Sydney (or, as I usually called it, Hogwarts)