I completed stitching up a costume in time to go dancing for New Years. It made a swell debut. For some further I-Am-A-Disco-Ball festiveness I paired it with my Sparkle Jacket*. To make this newest costume I used my trusty ol’ favorite Simplicity pattern for the gazillionth time. Nevertheless, I made a decision to make it somewhat “more durable” than strictly mandatory this time with some patchwork motion.
See, I’ve had this colourful, tropical jungle material for an extended, very long time: Blacks, blues, and greens, principally; An virtually reptilian texture printed on the leaves; A parrot right here and there for a splash of heat colours. I am certain it got here from my mother. Almost all of my material does. I knew I needed to do one thing wearable with it, however it simply lingered within the stash for years as a result of it was a comparatively small piece. There wasn’t sufficient of it for a costume and, since that is my stitching specialty, I wasn’t certain what to do with it. Possibly a vest…? Or…? I did not know.
Someday round September I had a lightbulb second: There may not be sufficient for a full costume, however what if I used the tropical material at the side of some others to make a patchwork quilt sorta costume? So that is what I did.
I discovered some remnants that Matt had dyed for me which had been a coordinating shade of inexperienced. They had been cast-offs from a failed self-drafted split-leg apron undertaking from looooooong in the past. Then I noticed the bolt of stable black materials that I obtained from the property of our expensive good friend David Cleaves, who died unexpectedly final yr. The black may act as distinction to all the brilliant colours and, on the identical time, tie all of them collectively. Cloth picks made, I promptly received chopping.
First, I lower out a whole copy of the skirt, together with the pocket items, in a white muslin. I needed to strive a method I’ve used on my quilted wallets the place the jungle material can be sewn straight onto a base material, including increasingly more items till the bottom is totally coated. I used every sample piece as a separate base and as soon as they had been all coated I sewed the separate items collectively into the completed skirt. For years I have been calling it Quilt-As-You-Go due to what the pockets sample mentioned, however I am unsure that’s precisely correct given what I’ve subsequently learn on-line. I figured that utilizing this method would end in an robotically lined skirt–all easy on the within, with no bunch of seen seams from the patchwork. And it did.
The bodice is unlined. The inexperienced material is a heavier weight that matched the double thickness of the skirt fairly properly. Plus there wasn’t any patchwork occurring up there so a lining did not appear as mandatory. I examined out somewhat shortcut on the arm and neck holes of the bodice, too. I overlocked the perimeters after which simply turned them beneath and top-stitched as an alternative of constructing the arm and neck facings. It appears to work and was definitely simpler.
Once I completed establishing the costume I nonetheless had somewhat pile of scraps leftover from the jungle print. Impressed by a not too long ago found scrappy sewing blog I made a decision to make use of them up, too. It was such cool print and I needed to wring each ounce of awesomeness out of it. I made a decision to make a focus on the bodice, a form of material medallion. It was my first time doing something like this, however I can see numerous potential with this concept. I used Elmer’s glue to assist me maintain the wispy, little scraps in place after I received them organized to my liking. I gave every scrap a line or two of sewing down their size to safe them to the spherical base. I then topstitched all around the medallion in a spiral sample with my customary stitching machine earlier than utilizing my serger to complete the perimeters. The final step was stitching the entire thing onto the bodice.
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| Even after a number of washings I believe the medallion nonetheless appears nice. The slight fraying on the uncooked edges may really make it even cooler. |
In the long run, I used to be left with only a tiny handful of unused scraps**. It was very satisfying.
On condition that I could make an easy model of this costume in a handful of hours, it took waaaaaaaay longer to make a costume this manner. At one level I had hoped it will debut on the dancefloor at Hillberry. (Ha! Not even shut!) I discovered it worthwhile to take my time although. Since I do not actually want any extra clothes I determine that I would as nicely make them further particular. Much more one-of-a-kind. Groovier than common.
*I received the Sparkle Jacket from Grandma Nina who has been busy these previous few years cleansing out closets on the farm. I adore it. It’s a delight. It had a shiny costume to match, however that was a bit an excessive amount of, even for me. The Sparkle Jacket however was waaaaaaaaaay up my alley. It makes me need to dance. It’s a little bit of menace although in that I go away a path of silver particles in my wake in every single place I’m going. On the Hillberry Music Competition you can inform which camp chairs I might been sitting in and, as Matt famous, even what portapotties I might been utilizing on account of all of the glittery proof I might go away behind on each floor. I determine sometime the Sparkle Jacket will cease shedding, however for now I simply journey with it in a sealed plastic bag and restrict the period of time and areas that I put on it indoors.
**I did not throw them away both. I need to mess around somewhat extra with this scrappy stitching.
