Yellow knit!

Back in August 2019, I bought one of the Fabric Mart Fashion Bundles.  It's just a mystery box of six yards of fabric.  In it, I got a yard and a half of a red knit, a couple of yards of a white cotton with a 1980's rainbow print on it, and almost three yards of a modal blend banana yellow knit.  Since this past weekend, I've been working on garments from the yellow knit.  In total, I made three items from it and I also made a shrug from the red knit (still have plenty left to do something else with the red knit!).

By no means a pretty picture but these are a very practical pair of gym shorts.  They are from New Look pattern number 6139. I'm not too concerned about how they look because, well, gym shorts.   They did come out well though.

The shrug is out of the same yellow modal knit and is edged in black lace.  The pattern is a modified Simplicity 4334.  I elongated the sleeves to elbow length because I don't want super short sleeves.  This looks fabulous on.  Also, I highly recommend the pattern if you can get your hands on it - it just has a lot of useful basic items and is a good wardrobe builder as the linked page suggests.

The above images are of the red shrug I made from the cotton blend (I think?) I got in the fashion bundle and a yellow t-shirt dress.  The shrug is also from Simplicity 4334 - with slightly shorter sleeves but still longer than the pattern.  The dress is McCalls 7432.  

This is the dress without the shrug and yes, it looks funny on the dress dummy.  That's because the dress dummy is a size 6 and I'm...not.  It's also short waisted and I'm not.  The dress actually fits well but is a bit clingy.  I might make a longer jacket to go with it or just wear the dress under sheer overdresses for now. 


I promise, some actual SCA clothing is coming soon!  I just need to clear out some of my "work" clothing projects and the UFO bin.   Also, I was waiting to loose some weight before I start back on garb.  Luckily, I'm finally managing to keep my weight down and, hopefully, can make some neat looking garb starting next week. 

18th Century Caraco

This was a UFO project.  I started this jacket last year as a button front.   It ended up way too big so I threw it into the UFO pile where it languished for the past few months.   However, once Williamsburg got closer, I knew it had to be taken out and given another chance.

This was after I ripped off the front panels.  It's still way too big and I had to figure out how to take it all in.

This was part of the problem.  I have no idea why I extended the side into the neckline like that.  I really don't.  But that inch and a half on either side needed to go.

So I folded it to create a line (yeah, I know it's wrinkled.  It will get better, I swear!) and then chopped the upper front sides off.

The back gape.  It still gapes but not quite this badly.  I know what I did wrong and it's more trouble than it's work to fix it completely.

I took the entire thing apart, repleated the back, folded the center back insides over to take another inch off there, turned the front panels into a stomacher and then....

I'm on the left.  The photo was taken by Gloria of In the Long Run.  Once it was repleated, the back came out really well.  There is still a slight gape at the back because, as you can see in this photo, the back neckline is curved rather than straight.  I really just can't correct that without making an entirely new back lining - which isn't fun with 18th Century outfits.

I know, I need to iron it.  I swear I did before I left for Williamsburg!  It just ended up in the big purple body bag and...got squished.

I also didn't finish the sleeves until the day off.  Rather, I didn't finish sewing the sleeves on until the day off.  The sleeves were done.

The fabric is a chintz I picked up at Fort Fred a couple of years ago.  Although it doesn't have any orange in it, the bright orange quilted petticoat really went well with the fabric tones.   The bodice is lined in that glue stiffened fabric I can never remember the name of even though I should and cotton.