frog closures and the dress to go with them

If I could have found frogs in the right shade of green, that were the right size, and not too shiny, I would have bought them. Instead it took days of fiddling around before I figured out a way to knot them and get them all the same size. I took a billion pictures for reference, if anyone is interested in a tutorial let me know and I'll happily put one together.

Here is the 1955 cheongsam pattern I used for the dress to put the frogs on.

And here is the result.

This is the first real dress I've made myself. Not a costume, more than a tent with sash, and no safety pins or double sticky tape holding things together. I did not let the zipper get the best of me. I did a Hong Kong finish on all the seam allowances, and sewed the hem by hand so it's invisible (The sleeves are finished the same way.). Also, sticking to my rule, I used fabric from the stash and a pattern I already had. No wonder I look so pleased.

The pattern required plenty of alterations to get this fit. It had 4 inches of ease at the waist!? I was reading Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing and she had the same problem with a reissued pattern, but originals too must have had a lot of extra ease added. Not only did I take those 4 inches off the waist, I took a couple off across the back, and I added a few to the hips. I imagine without those changes the fit wouldn't come close to the illustration on the pattern envelope. 

I'm inspired to make a 1950's brassiere and cincher to help create a more 1950's silhouette. Wait, isn't that how this whole thing started?

seam reinforcement

I hate having to undo work. But I realized that I need to reinforce the plain seams so they don't rip out under stress, and I that it should be done before the reeds go in. So I pulled out the reeds near the seams, pressed the seam allowances open, made thin bias tape, and am basting it along the seams.

Once it's all basted on I'll sew down each side and the tape will help take the stress of the seam. I love how when making corsets, and stays, things that at first appear decorative are really structural. Like thin ribbon along seams.

reed prep

Before the reeds are inserted they are straightened by steaming with an iron.

Then the ends are sanded to remove sharp edges.

Here is a before and after shot.

Does that image remind anyone else of Constructivist art? The Museum of Modern Art has a great online exhibit, The Russian Avant-Garde Book 1910-1934, that has some cool Constructivist graphic design. I'm no Rodchenko, but maybe you can see what I'm talking about.

reed breaking solved

Steam! That the trick! Steaming the stays relaxes the fabric just enough so the reeds slide in easier. It's still snug, but I can slide them all the way to the last 1/4 inch, then guide that last bit in by pushing with my trusty needle nose pliers.

I don't grab the end, just butt the pliers up against it and carefully push, applying pressure with my fingers to guide it in. The reeds are all measured and trimmed so there is just over 1/4 inch space at the edge to allow for binding.

I'm so happy. I'd hit that point that comes in every project where momentum is lost and it seems it will take forever to complete. The reed situation was not helping. I feel like I'm back on track though. Hooray.

mundane stay making tasks

The loose threads are all being tucked away while I avoid dealing with the reeds. I just threaded them through a needle and pulled them into the nearest channel so the thread goes in the same direction the reeds will go when inserted. I don't want to chance the reeds catching on the threads and pulling them, or jamming them in the channel where there are several knotted ends tucked.

Here's a bit from the interior.

Now back to the stupid reeds.