Elizabethan! Cartridge pleats! Follow the link to my new blog! [link]

Until I figure out how to incorporate blogger's comment-ing ability, I'll have the blog/works in progress section of arachneattire.com at [link]

Enjoy!

[work kind of ate my life. Pics of the finished Seven Deadly Sins: Pride dress in mid November, followed shortly by a hooded green wool coat]

Arachne Attire: [link]

I'm in the process of launching my own costume website - but I'm a little stuck on the name. I was going to use "Arachne" - but the domain is occupied by some SCA lacemakers group. The alternatives I've been considering are:

1. Arachne Couture
2. Arachne Design
3. Arachne Attire

What's your vote for?

In preparation for this year's NEE costume [link] I had a friend help me re-fit a bodice mock-up for an 18th century Robe à l'Anglaise. She took in the side seams a bit, left the two back pieces as they were, and re-shaped the center front. All in all, easy enough.

Then I got this bright idea to re-do the bodice for the ever-frustrating red and gold anglaise - [link]

First, I sewed the shoulder straps on backwards. Then, the armholes were way too small, and I couldn't move my arms in it. I cut about an inch off the armholes, sewed the sleeves back on, and... still too small. Not. Fair.

The cotton in the mock-up stretches, the acetate brocade does not. I'm trying to get the kinks out of this pattern before my emerald green silk arrives for my Seven Deadly Sins costume.

On a positive note, we did shorten the strap on the front piece so that the horrible gaping problem is no longer an issue. We'll see if I can defeat this damned red and gold acetate.