HSF'14 Challenge # 1

Make Do & Mend

...use this as an opportunity to get your historical wardrobe in order by fixing any little bits that have worn out or gone wrong....( http://thedreamstress.com/2013/10/hsf-14-how-its-going-to-work-challenge-1/ )

Well I had two big huge problems I have meant to correct for a long time, so now was at last the right time.

Fixing the velvet coat

The first was Mr T's gray velvet coat. It was the first coat I had ever made then ( year 2007) and oh little did I know then.... He likes it anyway for some reason (I guess it's nice to have on because there's no buckram or anything that kind to make it stiff - so it's soft an cosy....

But the biggest problem were the buttonholes - or the lack of them. Since the coat wasn't going to be held closed but open and I was in a hurry (like I always am) I thought that for that first time he could do it without the buttonholes. And I'll do them asap :-). And because I thought then that there should be somekind of "ornaments" aroud the buttonholes I taped !!!! (I have no excuxe for that but hurry.... :-< ) some sateen poly ribbons to mark the buttonholes with a double sided tape....

Before

And that's how the coat stayed for many years (ok, he did wear it only a few times). But then we needed a very very posh barock outfit for our fashion show, so I turned this coat into a one. I shortened the sleeves (with just few stiches) like they were at that time and ripped of those black poly sateen ribbons and added come glitter.. it looked awful but it was what we needed.

Then

I also changed the buttons for more glittery ones. The originals were self-covered with the same velvet as the coat so they were then ok. And because there still wasn't any real buttonholes I had to sew those glitter-buttons like if the coat was closed and then we had to pin the coat on him for the fashion show.

But those old tape marks were there to stay.....

So, what did I do now after 6,5 years I made the coat.....

I tried to wash those tape marks  with everything I know (and managed to make the velvet look pretty bad in some places) with no result. They are still there. And the glue of the tape is still there too. So when I tried to sew the buttonholes with my sewing machine the needle got stucked and I nearly broke the whole machine. So I had to do it by hand. And that was really hard since the glue was so hard that nearly everytime I put the needle through the fabric I had to use tongs to get it out. And I used about 12 needles because they all got so sticky. But I made it. But the tape marks were still there so I had to hide them somehow and I ended up using a velvet (poly) ribbon. I know that to be historical accurate there wouldn't be any ribbons, but that was the least problem. And then I changed the original buttons back. At least the coat ended up good enough that he can wear it sometimes. 

Now

Fixing the military uniform

I made this uniform summer 2012 and ever since it has been in need of some fixings... First of all buttons and how to sew the buttons. I had - of course - a hurry back then so I had to use a polyribbon (and wrong colour as well) to get the buttons on. I meant to fix it asap - for me asap seems to mean at least like two years.... but I changed the ribbon to a leather string and now it's ok. 

Before

Now

And then I had to change all the buttons to the waistcoat and to the breeches. When I made the uniform those buttons were unavailable (I just got them last summer :-> ) but now the right one are in their places. Until someone does more studying and finds out that these kind of buttons are totally wrong and we have to change them all over again. Buttons and men! And of course I did some sewing and repairing with some torn seams.

Before

Now

Now

And then I finally sewed the sleeves for the waistcoat. I had cut them when I did the waistcoat but  because I knew those sleeves weren't going to be used, I layed them aside to the ufo pile. Well now they are finished. And if he's going to use them I'l sew them on with few stiches. The outfit with the sleeves is so hot that nobody actually wears them.

Sleeves

Vendela maid getting dressed

A shirt - made just like a real shirt, but I had to adjust the pattern quite a bit due to her huge head ;-)

All linen and sewn with linen thread with 18th century stiches

And Vendela with her new shirt