Making a full kit in four months

[madPete]

what happened to the janky sleeve? I thought you were talking about the lining...

[Tudor MercWench Smith]

1 hour ago, madPete said:

what happened to the janky sleeve? I thought you were talking about the lining...

Janky sleeve is more then likely going to be ignored. If it is not however and I decide to do something about it the lining in the sleeves hasn't been done and the picture is just the buttons being laid out not tacked down so I still have access to alter.

[madPete]

piecing fabric is perfectly acceptable. They did that a lot

 

[Mary Diamond]

Hmmm, that janky sleeve - everything else is looking so great, though! You are doing a beautiful job.

I personally would be tearing it off to reset it - IMHO, the amount of time you will spend fiddling to get the cuff opening to look good is better spent on resetting the sleeve.

 

[Tudor MercWench Smith]

1 hour ago, Mary Diamond said:

Hmmm, that janky sleeve - everything else is looking so great, though! You are doing a beautiful job.

I personally would be tearing it off to reset it - IMHO, the amount of time you will spend fiddling to get the cuff opening to look good is better spent on resetting the sleeve.

 

So weirdly, the cuff opening does actually sit on the right spot.

A secondary problem that I've been mulling on is the there just seems to be too much bulk in the sleeve in general making it very scrunched. I started wondering if that was exacerbating what might actually be just a minor misalignment.

I'm thinking a good "fix" between ignoring it entirely and yoinking the whole sleeve off is to go in and basically cut out the elbow point. i have more then enough room olin the sleeve that I can go in, debulk and remove the point and still have a sleeve lose enough for movement. 

(Terrible sketch showing the idea)

Losing the defined elbow point solves my problem in that the shoulder and pit  and seams are all functionally and visually good....it's just the elbow shape sticking up off my inner arm that is the problem 

Preliminary runs at pining provided proof of concept during my lunch break today. I'm going to try it on tonight with the shirt sleeves to make sure it has enough room and then I'm going for it as it won't prevent me if I later decide to actually reset it and it should probably happen anyway cause these sleeves really are too wide on me.

Edited July 24, 2023 by TudorSmith

[madPete]

I've reversed the arms (twisted one end) when attaching them to the body, and there is no fix but to reattach or remove.

I typically built one coat of outer fabric and one coat of lining with sleeves attached. Then good sides together and stitch all the way around (except neck opening). Flip right side out and then handstitch the neck opening

[Mary Diamond]

9 hours ago, madPete said:

I typically built one coat of outer fabric and one coat of lining with sleeves attached. Then good sides together and stitch all the way around (except neck opening). Flip right side out and then handstitch the neck opening

Same here…

[Tudor MercWench Smith]

18 hours ago, madPete said:

I've reversed the arms (twisted one end) when attaching them to the body, and there is no fix but to reattach or remove.

I typically built one coat of outer fabric and one coat of lining with sleeves attached. Then good sides together and stitch all the way around (except neck opening). Flip right side out and then handstitch the neck opening

Mostly same.....I'm just whip/fell stitching the lining in rather then doing right sides and flipping, to make the lining a little easier to remove in case it ever needs replacement or to be pulled out temporarily to be bleached or something. 

In updates to the sleeve saga, in my puttering last night, and getting ready to follow all best advice to just pull the sleeve and redo it, I determined that it's NOT the outer sleeve that's on incorrectly ,but the lining sleeve. The outer sleeve just looked janky cause of aforementioned bunching and twisting from the sleeve being too bulky and probably cause of the lining sleeve twisting it weird. So I'm sticking with my plan to narrow down the sleeves and straighten out the elbow point a bit on the outer sleeves and then will deal with the lining separately.

Might pause it though and get my second shirt and slops cut. I'm going to a different event the first weekend of August and will have lots of time to hand stitch things, but laying and cutting will be harder so best to have the pieces ready. 

Edited July 25, 2023 by TudorSmith

[madPete]

I finished a pair of slops I had started a long time ago. They were buried in a crate of unfinished projects LOL. And... finished sleeves for the two remaining shirts. Shirt Bodies and sleeve attachment next

[Tudor MercWench Smith]

1 hour ago, madPete said:

I finished a pair of slops I had started a long time ago. They were buried in a crate of unfinished projects LOL. And... finished sleeves for the two remaining shirts. Shirt Bodies and sleeve attachment next

Those shirts look so good! The patterns make me exited to cut my next one.

 

In other news, just "thrifted" this online. 

Stamped on the bottom as leadless English pewter. I think it's got the glass bottom which isn't thrilling but it seemed better quality then the new tin/aluminum/copper mugs I was seeing on Amazon for just as much as I ended up bidding on this one if not mode 

[madPete]

16 hours ago, TudorSmith said:

Those shirts look so good! The patterns make me exited to cut my next one.

 

In other news, just "thrifted" this online. 

Stamped on the bottom as leadless English pewter. I think it's got the glass bottom which isn't thrilling but it seemed better quality then the new tin/aluminum/copper mugs I was seeing on Amazon for just as much as I ended up bidding on this one if not mode 

$12 - not bad. Rarely ever see them in the thrift stores anymore, most cast alloy when you do

[Tudor MercWench Smith]

15 minutes ago, madPete said:

$12 - not bad. Rarely ever see them in the thrift stores anymore, most cast alloy when you do

That's why I pulled the trigger. Granted with shipping it was closer to $20 total, but for real pewter, stamped as leadless it still felt reasonable in comparison. Not my dream mug for my kit, but doesn't risk my pottery ones getting damaged in transit, is on budget and period-ish enough 

[Stynky Tudor]

On 7/25/2023 at 2:22 PM, TudorSmith said:

In other news, just "thrifted" this online.

Fantastic!

In my recent thriftings, I've only found a single (damaged) tankard - good job.

[Stynky Tudor]

On 7/15/2023 at 3:19 PM, TudorSmith said:

pulled the trigger on a cot/camp mat configuration.

I don't have a cot as yet, but it's on the list. I kinda finished my short mattress bag - had to remove the partial seams at the bottom. I added a squareish piece foam that's turned out to be a mattress topper - not sure how well it'll actually work.

 

[Tudor MercWench Smith]

54 minutes ago, Stynky Tudor said:

I don't have a cot as yet, but it's on the list. I kinda finished my short mattress bag - had to remove the partial seams at the bottom. I added a squareish piece foam that's turned out to be a mattress topper - not sure how well it'll actually work.

 

Whether or not it ends up working it certainly looks great!

[Stynky Tudor]

4 hours ago, TudorSmith said:

Whether or not it ends up working it certainly looks great!

Thanks!

[madPete]

that looks good. I might have to make a cover for my modern inflatable pad

 

[Tudor MercWench Smith]

AirCon at work is excessively glacial, so since my coat project gets carried with me wherever I go in case I get a minute to work on it, it's getting a trial wear early.

Shoulders and chest are cut to accommodate the stays, not modern gear, hence the current bagginess ...and cuffing the sleeves and starting button holes are today's projects but otherwise....I'm faintly pleased with myself 

[madPete]

Getting there!

[LadyBarbossa]

These are all so awesome!! Kudos to you all? 

Can't wait to see the finished product, TSmith! 😉

Stynky... love the mattress pad. Good luck with the cot. Hope you find a comfy one. Military surplus stores used to have canvas and wooden cots. I had one for several years until it broke. Holds up rather well really. 

Did anyone ever make like a portable 17th/18th c daybed for events? Does anyone use a hammock?   
 

 

[madPete]

I made an early hammock 10 years ago. Used it at one or two events. The trick is knowing if there is a place to hang it and getting there first. I really should plan to use it more, but there are not so many events these days. the hammock is very comfortable. If I was coming alone to Ft Gaines I would consider bringing it.

 

Here's a pic at Utah Pirate festival back in 2013 and thanks to William for taking these photos!

[Tudor MercWench Smith]

Buttonholing is the woooooooooooorst....

Upside of so many buttonholes.....lost of practice has them finally looking decent ish from all the practice.

Downside of so many buttonholes..... You think you are making progress only to realize you are only half way through just the front....

[madPete]

Look at the bright side, you didnt choose to do a justaucorp...

132 buttons/holes... (I cheated on a few in the back)

[Tudor MercWench Smith]

21 hours ago, madPete said:

Look at the bright side, you didnt choose to do a justaucorp...

132 buttons/holes... (I cheated on a few in the back)

Ok ok, I'll stop whinging about my >20 that I've done on this jacket lol.

But seriously, that looks fantastic and well worth the aggravation of doing it.

Any tips for keeping them tidy and even? Short of me figuring out the button hole setting on my sewing machine lol.....do you cut then stitch or do you do stitch then cut. Per what I've read I've been stitching then slicing open and it has helped keep them a lot more even and flat and less gappy but I feel like cutting then buttonholing around the existing slit feels.... sturdier? Definitely less bits of fraying fluttering around.

In other news my pewter mug arrived. Needs a good clean, and determined it was in fact a "glass" bottom which isn't thrilling, but otherwise, it's a good sturdy real leadless pewter piece. Well worth the $20. Might talk husband into making a leather wrap for it for me. Not sure of it's period correctness but will help it not get too dinged up and help with any heat transfer from my my morning hot beverages to hand....

[madPete]

I measure and mark each location and cut the button hole slightly larger than the button. Then stitch the button holes. When complete, I take the handle of a butter knife and rub the buttonhole to smooth out the threads and flatten it. As you can see I've had lots of practice over the years. There's been a few videos since I started that look like they would help a beginner make uniform button holes. But theres no substitute for experience.