Op-shop score: Caning it! [Marie Antoinette Dress project - Part 3]

Y'know how oneday in a thirftshop you'll walk past a big old bag of cane and think, ugh, who would buy that? Even I can't see a use for that.... And others days, you think, OMG OMG that's exactly what I needed!

For the first time in my life I was in need of cane. And I found it. For only $6 from the lovely ladies at the Mosgiel 'Butterflies' op-shop.

Why cane? Am I channeling my inner 70s child about to make easter baskets for everyone! One for you! And you! Dear Timmy needs an Easter basket! Nope, it's quite simply my dear: Paniers.

"Huh?" You may reply

You know, those delightful 18th century devises for making skirts all sticky-outy. Let me remind you Gentle Reader, henceforth as I am on the journey of making my niece a Marie Antionette dress for her birthday. And back in the day cane was what was used to form the internal structure of said paniers.

And thanks to the Dreamstress' clear instructions I even know how to make' em! To the sewing machine! Cane ho!

I also snagged over 4 metres of cream satin which I plan to use for the underskirt/petticoat.

"How much for the fabric?" you may ask.

 $2. Not $2 a metre, $2 for the lot! Ahahah hahah ha! 

Sorry, overcome with a breif bout of bargain madness - which is a real thing. Look it up.

cane for making paniers, and fabric, part of my Marie Antoinette style dress project

Life before me - objects from the drawers of my 100 year old sewing machine

I think anyone who has bought an old piece of furniture will understand that odd thrill to find something in the drawers.

I was very lucky when I bought Ms White, the former owner -- how many have there been since she was made in 1906 I wonder? -- hadn't gotten around to restoring her, or sorting through the junk in the drawers.

And admittedly it was mostly junk - but correct me if I'm wrong, it's the endless possibility of what might be within, than what's actually going to be, that drives the nosey/curious/dreamers like myself. As if we can make a connection to lives gone before through the things they leave behind.

Most fortunately for me my White VSIII sewing machine came with a nearly complete box of rust-free sewing feet, (most of which I have no clue at this stage how to use) and two bobbins for the shuttle. Not many bobbins, true, but better than none.

Other items of note were: vintage rag-rug tools, two steel corset bones, a fountain pen nib, Bakelite buttons, a spool of silk thread on a wooden cotton reel, and a tiny squirrel jewellery charm.

What's the best thing you've found 'left behind'?

Garibaldi Shirt project - Shaping the back

With making a Garibaldi-"Franenkstein shirt" being a shirt made up from several commercial patterns, I just wasn't feeling the way the back was progressing with the patterns I have gathered so far.

Although I haven't found any photos/illustrations which are speficially of the back of Garibaldi shirts, it seems to me the common back piece of 1850s and 1860s bodices have curving side-seams, so that the main back piece forms a sort of triangle. I really like the look of that cut too.

So in order to get that look I'm adding another pattern to the mix: Simplicty 4900 .


Simplicity 4900, which I have borrowed, has that triangle back in its dress pattern. Although it doesn't have the drop-shoulder I wanted. But somehow I managed to trace a new back pattern piece by blendingthe back from Simpilicty 4900 with the drop shoulder in the Very Easy Vogue V8193 back piece.

I don't know how I managed it, but it seems to be working...

The Perfect Apron

My handmade birthday present of choice this year has been aprons - partly due to getting a ruffler foot for my sewing machine, and what could be better suited to ruffles than an apron?

I came across "The Perfect Apron" by Robert Merrett at the good old Dunedin Public library and for my sister-in-laws B'day whipped up (10 hours! ack! I'm so slow) an apron based on the Hot Lips cocktail pattern. My only change was to add a pocket - using the pocket pattern Floral Dance from the book.

the apron I made for my sister-in-law

My youngest niece just loved it and wanted one too (not the niece who wants the Marie Antoinette dress). I gave her the book and she picked out Gypsy Spirit.





My only change was to make the design reversible and again use the Floral Dance pocket. It took me about seven hours to complete - not including the pocket.

She loved it, wore it all night as we played 'shop'. And when my hubby went around to their place the next day, she was still wearing it.

reversible apron for my niece

Success!

Opshop score! Wedding Patterns

Recently I acquired 3 - yes three - wedding type sewing patterns from the op-shop, Orphans-aid international, located in South Dunedin for $2. Money well spent I feel. No, I have no plans to make a wedding dress, but I couldn't help but notice the sleeves and skirts do resemble Victorian styles.

Despite my glee at obtaining such a neat haul of patterns, it feels wrong somehow, getting wedding dress patterns from an orphan's charity...

Style Patterns  - No# 1204. "Misses [Wedding] Dress or Bridesmaid dress". circa 1976
Simplicity - No# 7389. "Misses Bridal and Bridesmaid dress". circa 1977
Simplicity - No# 9050 "Brides' and bridemaids' dress". Circa 1989.

Marie Antoinette Dress - Part 2

When I suggested to my niece I make her a Marie Antoinette style dress she seemed very keen. A week later and she confesses she doesn't actually know what style that I meant...

Uh oh

So I asked her to draw a picture of the kind of dress she would like...And what do you know, looks like a Rococo style to me.

Phew.

However, even to my inexperience sewer's eye I can see the back sketch doesn't quite match the front, but I can work around that. I've even found some polkadot and powder-blue fabric. Yay!

And even more progress: I made up a bodice toile using the Simplicity 5042 pattern I borrowed --- although I have altered it somewhat. The original pattern has a zipper in the back. Agh. No, thank you. --- and when J tried it on, it fit perfectly.

Phew.

Let's hope she doesn't grow much in the next 3 months...

Tutorial: How to Take apart an Empisal Sewing Machine Tension Unit

Why would you want to take apart the tension assembly unit on your vintage Empisal sewing machine? Good question. Perhaps like me, the tension check spring broke and needed to be replaced. Maybe your unit needs to cleaned. Whatever your reason, I wouldn't advise doing this unless it's absolutely necessary.

Should you decide to take your tension unit apart make a photo record of the process, your machine maybe not be identical to mine.  

Finally, I'm no expert, I'm just sharing this in case it helps someone out there because when I broke my tension check spring I couldn't find any info online about what to do for this brand of sewing machine, and I had to figure things out for myself.

In the another post I will show you how to put the tension unit back together - which is a lot more complicated, so be warned!

One last note: in these photos I'm using a replacement tension check spring which I made from salvaging another part, read about that HERE.