GFD progress
Robert and I have been planning for Three Stags, Labor Day weekend. Since I've gained some weight, my Gothic fitted dresses (GFD) aren't fitting so well, and so I had cut out three new ones a couple of months ago.
I had Savina make me a template last fall, from which I made the red GFD that I wore to the Pas d'Armes. Although I think that the body is ok, the sleeves on it need to be re-engineered to not cut into my armpits at the front. I used the same template for the three new ones. Since we had a sewing party here this weekend, I stitched the brown GFD together, and had Savina take a whack at fitting the bustline.
The thing is that you can use a template to cut out a GFD, but every one must be custom-fitted to the body to insure the correct shape and bust support. Linen is the preferred lining, and worsted wool the preferred fashion layer. The linen supports the bust and also stretches on the diagonal to create the correct shape.
The one I worked on this weekend is brown worsted wool, lined with an olive-forest green linen. The four lining pieces are first stitched wrong-sides together with the four fashion layer pieces at the neckline. The necklines are then clipped and turned. Because I'm leaving this GFD open for lacing, I also stitched linings to fashion layers down the front centers with the wrong sides together. Everything is pressed. For the remainder of the lining, I use a flat lining technique, treating all layers as one, and then finishing the interior seams after construction. The four parts - two fronts and two backs were then stitched together at the sides and center back.
This GFD is a bit of a departure from the way I usually build them, because instead of leaving the center front seam stitched closed, I'm lacing it closed. This meant that to achieve the proper fitting, I had to be sewn into the GFD at the front. I laid down on the floor, and Savina and Rivka pushed, lifted, and pinned, and we've got a preliminary shape. I discovered that the front neckline is way to high and narrow, and will have to be re-constructed. This would be the logical next step, along with stitching the side seams along the new lines. However, I've departed from logic, for the sake of expediency.
Since Savina was at hand, I asked her to demonstrate sewing eyelets into the front of the GFD for me. I've tried them, but they looked horrible, and so I've asked the expert. They're really not too bad, but I do need to find my thimble. She offered to do them on her machine, but I need to do them by hand, mostly because I'd be handicapped if I didn't have her machine handy. Not very workable to not do them by hand then.
Although the final shape hasn't been achieved, I figure that if I get the lacing holes sewn now, when doing the next fitting step I can lace it up and get a better fit. And I won't have to be sewn into it. I'm using a sewing needle as a bodkin, but it's really not quite large enough, and so it'd be nice to find my real, authentic bodkin. And I really do need to reconstruct that neckline before I put any eyelets into fabric that I'm cutting away. I may be sewing the eyelets by hand, but I'm not crazy!
I had Savina make me a template last fall, from which I made the red GFD that I wore to the Pas d'Armes. Although I think that the body is ok, the sleeves on it need to be re-engineered to not cut into my armpits at the front. I used the same template for the three new ones. Since we had a sewing party here this weekend, I stitched the brown GFD together, and had Savina take a whack at fitting the bustline.
The thing is that you can use a template to cut out a GFD, but every one must be custom-fitted to the body to insure the correct shape and bust support. Linen is the preferred lining, and worsted wool the preferred fashion layer. The linen supports the bust and also stretches on the diagonal to create the correct shape.
The one I worked on this weekend is brown worsted wool, lined with an olive-forest green linen. The four lining pieces are first stitched wrong-sides together with the four fashion layer pieces at the neckline. The necklines are then clipped and turned. Because I'm leaving this GFD open for lacing, I also stitched linings to fashion layers down the front centers with the wrong sides together. Everything is pressed. For the remainder of the lining, I use a flat lining technique, treating all layers as one, and then finishing the interior seams after construction. The four parts - two fronts and two backs were then stitched together at the sides and center back.
This GFD is a bit of a departure from the way I usually build them, because instead of leaving the center front seam stitched closed, I'm lacing it closed. This meant that to achieve the proper fitting, I had to be sewn into the GFD at the front. I laid down on the floor, and Savina and Rivka pushed, lifted, and pinned, and we've got a preliminary shape. I discovered that the front neckline is way to high and narrow, and will have to be re-constructed. This would be the logical next step, along with stitching the side seams along the new lines. However, I've departed from logic, for the sake of expediency.
Since Savina was at hand, I asked her to demonstrate sewing eyelets into the front of the GFD for me. I've tried them, but they looked horrible, and so I've asked the expert. They're really not too bad, but I do need to find my thimble. She offered to do them on her machine, but I need to do them by hand, mostly because I'd be handicapped if I didn't have her machine handy. Not very workable to not do them by hand then.
Although the final shape hasn't been achieved, I figure that if I get the lacing holes sewn now, when doing the next fitting step I can lace it up and get a better fit. And I won't have to be sewn into it. I'm using a sewing needle as a bodkin, but it's really not quite large enough, and so it'd be nice to find my real, authentic bodkin. And I really do need to reconstruct that neckline before I put any eyelets into fabric that I'm cutting away. I may be sewing the eyelets by hand, but I'm not crazy!
posted by Melanie Unruh-Bays | 12:14 PM
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