Finishing up the Chemise. Fall Fun.

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Fall is cool.





















































Life is good.

Learning to do a little mending on a coat that was torn during morning chores.









I redid the the gathering on the collar, thinking I would do a better job with some tips I picked up online this morning, but after all was said and done, just doing it by eye worked out just as well, so I'm not going to bother showing what I did to redo it.

Here is a handy way, though, to keep your basted gathering stitches in place while you are getting the yoke ready to sew on. Wrap your basted threads around a pin at the end.





I had originally put the gathers all the way up inside the yoke, but after looking around at other examples in photos I found, I decided that having them as near the bottom of the yoke as I could reasonably get them while still being securely fastened was the best way to go. So I put in additional basting nearer the edge just before sewing it in.





Rather than ironing the gathers, I just crammed them tightly together for a little while. Not real scientific or sewing savvy either, I expect, but it was what I did.





Then stretching it all out later and spreading the gathers out evenly.





At first I was going to leave the neck gussets ungathered...





But decided to go ahead and gather them evenly with the rest of the neckline.





The fabric was inserted about a half inch into the yoke for sewing, and I simply ran over the other seam line already visible.





The yoke is on!









I found some spare trim to cover up the stitching that had accidentally been turned around while constructing the chemise. It's a little bride-ish, but it was the best I could find without running to town. I found a button that can pass as carved bone, and sewed a piece of ribbon to make a button loop, and that finished the bodice and neckline.





Finishing up the hemline, by double folding, ironing, and running a seam along it.





And it was done.





Except for the inner armholes, which I am not sure how to make them nice looking. I'll keep working on figuring out a solution for that.





Here's a quick shot of it on in the mirror. It fits really well, but it remains to be seen how comfortable it will be under the corset.





Now I need to focus on a cape for myself and an overcoat or cape for Michael. It's going to be cold caroling for Christmas in our Ballroom attire.

~Faith

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