Clocking Off: Peplum Skirt #5

I finally got the blasted thing done.  [And the refund came through, yay!]

I did a bit of faffing to get the peplummy whatnots to lie nicely- I’d shortened them both by an inch to maintain proportion when I allowed for my below average height, and struggled a bit to work out how they’re meant to fit into those long front darts, but plumped for ‘good enough’.  After all, there’s no pattern matching on the main seams, perfection doesn’t happen round here! [And it would have cost a FORTUNE if I’d tried, all that extra fabric.]

I’m not wild about the way the overlaid peplums/pepla fit into the placket opening either, but a judicious bit of hand sewing concealed all loose ends and raw edges.  A placket fastening is pretty standard for these older styles.

As it’s very much a steampunk interpretation, with all the giant clocks, I opted for two enormous press studs to fasten it- no way they’ll pop undone in a hurry!  A quick burst of hemming, and it was finished.

And I didn’t much like it.  Sigh.

I tried it on with the 1914 Armistice blouse, thinking it should work well…but it didn’t.  then I tried it on with a plain black Edwardian blouse…nope.  I think it’s the beige…my neutrals are usually black and white, this probably needs a cream or brown to go with it.  Any other steampunk has a wardrobe full of sepia clothing, not me of course.

Then I remembered something that’s been lying in the Crate of Shame for a year, all completed…  nearly.  I’d made up this Edwardian blouse with a lower neckline than the black one, then decided it needed something more.  I added this wide, heavy lace trim to the neckline, but it didn’t lie neatly.  We were too close to packing to go away, so it got dumped, pins and all, into the crate.  I just couldn’t be bothered.  Oddly, considering the busy print, it actually looks alright with the skirt [not perfect, that may take more thought] and with a brown leather belt I think it will do.  Ten minutes stitching, good to go.

Then of course, I lay fretting.  A bit of extra ease on a waistband is usually a good thing with my belly, but over  a corset it doesn’t work- this came out slightly too large despite careful measuring.  I think the linen-y fabric gives a bit more than I thought.  I need to lose a couple of inches from it, so [Mrs Bodgeit] pinched out a bit at the side seam and waistband.  Ahem.  I forgot the peplumaria.  Bum!

So now I needed to unpick that, unpick some of the waistband, take out a smidge more at the front darts, and re attach the waistband.  Would this never be done?  I contemplated adding hidden pockets under the bottom peplum…and couldn’t be arsed.

At last, all set.  The darts were now very wide, so I trimmed some of the excess away with pinking shears.  Then I got togged up…maybe I like it after all.  Do you?

And while I’m at it, some lovely rainy day garden flowers