The Golden Seamstress Challenge April 2017

Herein I'm going to share what photos I have of this event.  Suffice to say, we only had 18 hours (from 10pm on Friday until 4pm Saturday) to complete an entire  outfit from the "skin out" - a chemise/smock, kirtle, overgown, and a "forepane" and there were only 3 people including myself on the team.  So, there wasn't much time to take photos during the event.

My team consisted of:  Carrie Miduri, Rebecca Alty, and myself.  I did have some patterning sizing help from Carly Swarlemange Hjemdahl Monsen beforehand.

Here we are, with all the fabrics set out ready to go before the starting time.  Just waiting for the rest of my team to show up.  The farthingdale was allowed to be made prior to the event, so that is why you see it on the dressmakers' dummy I had brought to help with some fitting since I can't always be available.

You know,  I just realized this is the only photo I managed to take of my team members - and it's not the greatest shot.   You can see Rebecca working on the Blackwork for the chemise/smock.  On the right, by the table, you can see the skirts of Carrie as she is diligently working on whatever section of a garment.   There are other pictures of all of us, taken by others and were posted on Facebook as part of the event.   But, the BLACKWORK is AWESOME!  Thank you Rebecca for wanting to do this!

Before the start - the three of us talked about what fabric is going to be used for which garment.  Basically, the overall plan for the outfit.   Having chosen a linen for the smock, Rebecca then proceeded to prethread over a dozen embroidery needles with black floss.  That way, when she ran out of thread on the current needle, she could then just grab the next threaded needle and continue working.   (It was allowed as a "pre" since it wasn't actual "work" on the garment.)

Also, before the start, I handed out a couple of gifts to my teammates, as a thank you for joining my team.   One, was a pin with our team name on it: "Carolingian Tower Girls".   The second was a medium large drawstring bag out of some calico I had.   Rebecca immediately stated she was going to use hers to keep her large clips in when not in use.  (She did).   

When the starting "bell" rang out at 10pm, I started cutting out the pieces for the Kirtle and Overgown.  Rebecca & Carrie started prepping the smock.  Cutting out the body, marking where the neck hole and seam allowances were to be.  Then Rebecca fastened the body to the frame you see in the picture and off she went.

When I had finished cutting out the fabrics, Carrie started working on the Kirtle and I started working on the Overgown.  I did bring extra fabrics, to be used as linings and inner linings for the kirtle and overgown.  Carrie worked some pad stitching techniques for the lining of the kirtle, to give it a good stiff look.  I worked on the overgown bodice and skirts, not quite complete when I "crashed" at 3am.   I went upstairs for a little "nap".

When I woke, I came down to this:

And the overgown had been finished (well, the shoulder straps were not sewn in place.  So, at 7am Saturday  morning, we had our first fittings.

The shoulder straps were pinned in place, the overgown was pinned together.  It did fit like a glove.  We talked about the neckline, and making some decisions, the necklines were adjusted before the shoulder straps were sewn in place.

Rebecca was still diligently working on the blackwork.

Carrie then went on to make the adjustments, then started handsewing 1/4" hems on the overgown, about 3 dozens hooks and eyes on the garments.  I went on to work on the sleeves - which were to be tied on.  Also the padded shoulder rolls.

So, later we had this completed:

At this point, we took stock in what was left to do, how much time was left, an assesment.  I was hoping to make a gabled hood to go with the gown, but there wasn't enough time to do that and the silk/pearl forepane I envisioned.  Rebecca realized she was not going to completely encircle the neckline and made adjustments to even out the two sides.  At least they will get to just above the shoulder line.   Carrie started working on the sleeves for the smock to be ready for when Rebecca finished the blackwork at the appointed time in order to give Carrie time to finish the smock before the closing bell.  I started working on the petticoat/forepane with silk in the front, muslin for the rest, then started sewing on pearls in a large diamond pattern on the silk.

Then the closing "bell" rang.   Here is what we managed to do:

Now, the judges went around the room inspecting everyone's work.   Did I mention there were 2 other teams in the competition?  There were.  They both had 6 member teams and were able to accomplish way more than I could.  Well, at least one other team did.  The 3rd team chose the "Master" category and did all their sewing by hand.  There were some seams that didn't quite get finished.   But, I do have to give them credit for attempting all that hand sewing!

At 6 pm, we did the "Fashion Show",  where each team got up and got dressed.  One layer at a time.  There was a screen for us to go behind, and we came out in our smocks/chemises/camicia's (the Master team did Italian).  Then each layer was put on us as we dressed "from the skin out" before the audience.   

So, during my turn as the show, we had a couple of flubs,  the lacing snapped on the kirtle!  So, it ended up not getting pulled as tight as it could have, thus looking a bit "loose" and not quite the "fitted" look I was going for.  Thankfully, the Judges took note of that and didn't mark me down too much for it.  SNAFU's do happen.  Also, the fit of the overgown ended up being a bit loose.  I think that came about due to the morning fitting, the edges were overlapped and pinned, where the hooks and eyes had the gown closing with the edges meeting.  Not to mention, I think the shoulder straps were not sewn at tightly thus hanging off my shoulders as you will see in the picture below.

So, by the end of the dressing this is how I looked:

Then the Judges went off to make decisions.  Then we had court and there was some other business for the Barony Beyond the Mountain.  Eventually, we got down to the business of why we were there.  Who won what categories.

Well, I did not win the category I had entered.  There was one other team in my category and they were awesome!  

However, I did manage to blow away the Autocrat of the Event.  She was impressed that it tool only 3 people who, by the way, had never met in person before the start of this event, and managed to complete an entire outfit - with Blackwork!   So we took home this lovely prize:

Carrie had left by then.  She had stayed up the entire time!  She also had an event to go to on Sunday and needed to get home so she could get some sleep.   I do have to admit, I would not have been able to accomplish as much as I had if it were not for Carrie.   Turns out, she's a teacher of sewing!  She also had mad organizing skills.  She noticed something I was doing, pointed it out, and made suggestions for improvement.  Which I gladly took heed! Now, I suffer from "clinical depression", thankfully not severe enough for me to require medications, but when I tend to get "overwhelmed",  I do tend to "shut down".  She, graciously, without my asking, just took over the "to do" list and time management and kept me on track.   I just wish she had stayed so I could have shared with her some of the "goodies" we as a team received during court.

To Rebecca I gave the box of embroidery floss - since she provided her own floss for the blackwork.  I also let her pick out anything else she wanted.

Notes from the Judges:

They noted the farthingdale was peeking out the bottom of the gown.  There was a remark that the shade of purple on the silk forepane was not a period shade.  An additional comment on the forepane regarded it's construction.  Was it a period construction?  I didn't provide enough "documentation" for the outfit pieces.  The ill fit of the overgown and the padded shoulder rolls were not quite right.  The sleeves were a bit too long. I probably should have had a second fitting after the gowns had their adjustments completed.

Now, it wasn't all that critical.  I did get some positive feedback on the fabrics, the overall attempt was awesome - and with only 3 people!  They felt that if I had managed to have a full team, we could have managed more.

I received many complements from the populace and their Excellencies on the outfit and received other gifts and tokens from the same for participating in this first challenge in the East Kingdom.   

Thus ended the event.

Since the event, having time to rest up and reflect on "things":

1)  I got rid of the shoulder rolls.  I was not happy with them to begin with.  If I ever find a better pattern, and construction technique, I may re-add them in the future.  But for now, I am happy without them.  

2)  I picked out the shoulder straps, retried on the gown, repinned the shoulder straps, then resewed them.  They now stay on the shoulder.  

3)  I put the forepane aside.  I have mixed feelings about it.  I may pick it apart and re use the fabric and pearls on a different project.  I may still pick it apart and remake it and wear it again in the future.  

4)  I had to move the eyes on the shoulders that tie to the sleeves.  When I moved the shoulder straps, the eyes were more to the front of the shoulders than on the top, so the sleeves ended up being slightly "off" (twisted).

5)  I made the sleeves a bit shorter.   While I did this, I changed their lining a bit.  Instead of a white lining (which I could just add a piece of the purple silk that you see in the pictures above, or any other color), I just used some leftover linen from the purple kirtle.  The original white lining was used with even more leftover purple linen to make another pair of purple sleeves that I can pin on to the kirtle, should I choose to wear the kirtle without the overgown.  

6)  Made a headpiece.

Things I still have yet to do:

1)   Remake the farthingdale.  It fell apart the last time I wore it.  I'm going to try to make it as an A&S project using period materials (as best I can find) and period techniques, using a better pattern than the one I first chose.

2)  After the last time I wore the outfit (K&Q's A&S championship), I may have to make the sleeves even shorter. 

3)  Since I have lost over 25 pounds since this gown was made, I'm eventually going to have to take apart and remake the bodice(s).  As I continue to get smaller in size, the gown(s) will be getting looser and looser.  I may try to move the hooks and eyes to get a tighter fit as best I can before I have to take the whole bodice apart, so I can wear it a few times until I lose all the weight I intend to lose.  But, eventually, this is on the "to-do" list.

4)  Decide about the forepane/petticoat.  Remake - keeping the "not period" shade of purple?  OR toss the forepane/petticoat and do nothing else.  OR Take the pearls and sew them to the Kirtle in the front. If I decide on this, I'll probably sew some pearls to the neckline of the Kirtle as well as incorporate some needlelace along the neckline with the pearls. 

Ok, this post is long enough.   I'll do another one for the headpiece I finally chose and made.

I'm glad I finally made this post before I forgot the story of this event and give credit to my teammates.  Thank you for reading this much. 

Until the next time.....