SWA(SP)P 2016-Pack 2-#13: The end is nigh

No no no!  That’s Nighy’s end, very different.

I spent HOURS yesterday putting the boning into the bodice.  First I had to find it.  That took ages, as I knew it was all in the large cardboard envelope that it came in, but the ruddy thing had fallen over and was lying on a shelf the same colour with three plastic crates of thread on top.  Not entirely my fault, other than by virtue [by vice?] of being  a slob.

Then I had to cut all the casings, and all 10 bones, all different lengths.  That meant I needed to put each bone in its casing as I went along and pin it to the right seam/dart or I’d get in a mess.

THEN, I had to get each bone back out, and use a lighter to melt the ends so that they’re not sharp.  This led to the discovery that post-quitting smoking, the missus has about twenty lighters in THAT drawer in the kitchen.  They should last us til death!

THEN I had to herringbone all the seam allowances down, so that they don’t flip up and bunch around the bones.

THEN I had to go back and hand sew all those bones to the seam allowances.  In lots of places so they don’t twist.

The bodice, ready for a little more finishing, trimming and fastening…

I’d already cut out and assembled the lining, using even more of the ubiquitous pale blue silk/cotton- that really was a good buy! So next job up was pinning, sewing, trimming and pressing the ruddy lining in.  I’m getting fractious now, so it’s time to stop for a meal and a drinky I think, before doing the hand-understitching.  It’s not worth trying to do it on the machine- all those bones will just get in the way and make a mess.

 

Then I get to trim it and decide on fastenings- maybe using the wondrous legendary Singer buttonholer?  THen it will match with the completed [or is it?] over skirt/drapery.

I found more trim!

Beads leftover from my wedding dress, sequins bought for a costume for my grand daughter, and never used, and a bit of gorgeousness which acted as a choker for a costume party

I’m getting through a lot of audiobooks though, so I’ve had to backtrack in my library and put a couple of longer ones up for a re-listen.  I’ve opted for Game Of Thrones [which I didn’t enjoy at all first time round, due to Roy Dotrice’s awful narration] and/or ReamDe which is very very long, and confused the hell out of me first time around.  Let’s see if either of them entertain more on a revisit.

In further news I HAVE A PITH HELMET!  Ordered yesterday from Amazon, arrived today.  Joy!