The final words of a condemned woman (a.k.a. Holly):
The final words of a condemned woman (a.k.a. Holly):
*beep*; Hey, I didn't expect you to be home. I just wanted to tell you about all of the stuff... I spent, I spent $100 in Kaplan's and I got stuff for the outside of the corset, the peach satin, silk for a pair of bloomers and for, for a camisole, and that green wool that we were looking at. That green wool that I got off the clearance table that had the rose pattern worked in it, was like $72 a yard...75, something like that, and it was a yard and half. He gave it too me for $25. I had to share that with somebody. I was kinda, "Huh, he must have really wanted to get rid of that piece." But, yeah, so I got it. And everything's going well. That's all I have to say. I�m excited about this project! La la la. Okay, bye.
Good to know I'm not goin' down alone. ;) Last week, Holly bought off-white velveteen, which she is going to dye a light green that will be similar to the color Darla was wearing in the 1880 flashback. She came to work one day and told me she bought the fabric and dye. My head exploded. I warned her in advance that this might happen.
Earlier today, Holly and I met at Kaplan's and touched every fabric they had...twice. I bought a couple of silk remnants from the infamous discount table and told the enabler (a.k.a., store owner), "You people are bad for me." He replied, "Thank you."
Another amusing Holly quote (I might have to make this an ongoing part of the journal): *sheer white fabric with an eyelet pattern on the bottom border catches Holly's eye* "Ooooh, Darla likes this."
I received another pattern in the mail this week. The adventure continues. They were printed on heavy paper that was almost twice the length of my couch.
I have to order grommets and a grommet setter before I can really continue on my corset. But I've pieced together the front and side sections, so I can see where it is heading. I'm dreading the fabric order. Nothing like dropping a few hundred dollars at once on one project. I'm waiting for one last pattern to arrive, then I can lay out all of the pieces and determine how much fabric I need. I'm estimating it will be nearly 15 yards.
Addendum (September 1, 2003): Yum, bought some make-your-knees-weak charmeuse silk for a camisole. Holly quote of the day, "Seems wrong somehow to be making all of these pretty, frilly things to portray a vicious killer."
I sewed the busk into the front pieces of the corset (left) this weekend with no trouble. Bernina makes a wonderfully precise machine. I cut out the muslin for the second petticoat and began piecing it together. Also received some patterns (right):
Well, this should be interesting. Those are patterns from Harper's Bazar, 1878. They are printed on six sheets which must be overlapped. On the sheets are all of the patterns for an entire dress. I'm going to use the pattern for the cape.
I�m still trying to entice Holly into the project. She wants to slide down that slippery slope. I know she does.
Since I've just decided to start this journal today, my first entry will include backstory and a catch-up to what I've accomplished so far in the Quest of an Insane Girl.
Okay, so here's the backstory. I meet a new friend, Holly. She kills a spider for me and I'm a friend for life. I find out new, spider-killing friend is a science fiction writer and a damn good one: www.quinntaylor.com. I find out new friend attends ConQuest, the local science fiction convention. And I find out new friend sews. A year later, Holly sews a Harley Quinn costume for her Halloween party (October 31, 2001). Then she's trying to wheedle me into dressing as Harley's pal, Poison Ivy, at ConQuest (May, 2002). I flatly refuse. I will not wear a bustier with a glorified thong. I won't. Flash forward to ConQuest and Holly painting me green.
Photo: Harley Quinn costume made by Holly. Poison Ivy costume designed and sewn by Holly.
Well, at least I wasn't wearing a thong. A few hours, many pictures, adoring fans and an award for "Dangerous Curves" later, and I'm entirely hooked. "So what are we doing next year?"
We brainstorm for our next coup d'etat. We consider making the dresses worn by vampires Drusilla and Darla in flashbacks to 1880 on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (Buffy season 5, episode "Fool for Love"; Angel season 2, episode "Darla"; and Buffy season 7, episode "Lies My Parents Told Me".) Holly wavers in and out of the project, but I'm hooked. I love Joss Whedon's work, I love Buffy, I love Drusilla and I love that dress! I start learning how to sew (October 2002).
[Aside: Here's a great idea, I'll learn how to sew by making a Victorian costume! But, before you think I'm convinced I'm the Wonder Seamstress, I have been sewing other, simpler things in between fits of working on Dru. I also have two excellent instructors: Holly and Cherry: a seamstress, designer and teacher at Kaplan's.]
Ladies in 1880 wore many articles of clothing: drawers, chemise, corset, camisole, two (at least) petticoats, underskirt, overskirt, bodice and (for Dru's costume) a cape. Being the masochist that I am, I cannot have a Victorian costume without the proper layers. 1880 fell during a 5-year period called the Natural Form era. During this time, bustles were out of fashion. 
I studied my tape of the Buffy episode with the 1880 flashback in excruciating detail. I rewound the tape, watched it in slow motion, rewound the tape again and so on. Then I resigned myself to never knowing what Dru's bodice looked like because she was wearing a cape the entire time. After I sketched a bodice to go with the costume I could see, Dru made another appearance on Buffy in the same costume! I yelled at the screen, "Take off the cape! Take it off!" Finally, for one scant moment, the bodice was revealed. Of course, it looked nothing like my design. I rewound the tape, played it in slow motion, rewound and re-sketched.
I hunted for patterns, I bought white muslin in bulk and started sewing. I made the drawers, which were simple. In a small nod to modern times, I sewed up the crotch. Accurate drawers have two legs sewn to a waistband, but not to each other. Next, I sewed the chemise. Everything went together well, but the tucks on the back, which should face out, are facing in. Oh well, it's going to be covered by a dozen other things and I'm not taking it apart. Finally (up to this date), I sewed the first petticoat. No troubles in putting it together, not even with the 225" ruffle (I gathered and gathered and gathered). But I placed the button holes wrong and the back openings don't quite line up. Those were my first buttons, so don't judge me too harshly. When I get a chance, I'm going to move the buttons over so the back will line up properly.
I made a corset mockup out of muslin, had Cherry help me fit it properly and found Duchess Satin ivory silk in the remnants bin at Kaplan's. A couple of weeks ago, I cut out the corset fabric and lining. The lining is ivory Dupioni silk. I'm adding dusky rose trim along the top and bottom of the corset. I may add some beads at each busk hook.