angelacostumery

It’s been kind of rough. (what i've been up to)

Hi guys! So it has been many many months since I’ve posted anything on here, as some of you have probably noticed.

I’ve been jumping on near the end of each month to pause payment cycles, so no one should have been charged since February, but I haven’t interacted much beyond that or checked stats or messages. I haven’t even looked at my email in ages either, to be honest.

It’s been kind of rough. That doesn’t excuse the lack of explanation on my part, but I hope to provide some context since you deserve at least that.

This was *supposed* to be in video form — and may still be in the future, but it’s been four months since I’ve dyed my hair or bleached my roots and my Sally’s order isn’t coming until Monday and I don’t think I can bear to edit footage of myself in such a dire state.

ANYWAY.

So I went into this year doing solidly not great. In February I was trying out new meds with some awful side effects and just trying to power through them since I didn’t like the alternatives and I wanted them to work really badly.

Spoiler alert, they didn’t.

Around the same time that I came back from visiting a friend I talked to my psychiatrist who increased the dosage, and things got bad quite quickly. As nice as it was seeing my friend, it reminded me of what a functioning human looks like and I guess it put into perspective how nonfunctioning I was in my own environment with my mental state? Which just made it worse.

I was trying to meet patreon deadlines that month but at the end of it, it went from my goal being “getting the bare minimum done for patreon” to “doing the bare minimum to exist.” And I’m not exaggerating, it was bad. Like, “I hope I don’t get committed to a hospital when I talk to a professional about this” type bad.

So that was my rock bottom point. And that was kind of refreshing? Like doing anything was a success after that because at least I was alive.

I got off the one med and after a super fun withdrawal period that led to me being awake for like 72 hours, I was put on Lithium. Which is pretty much the only thing I hadn’t tried already. So far the side effects have been OK but dosing it was slow so for a while I was on virtually no medication at all, and just slept all day.

March consisted of me buying things from Ikea so I had something to look forward to (mail deliveries) and reorganizing my sewing room (this was a mistake) and making plans (that I bailed on) with people for the future months. I didn’t pressure myself to do anything, and I really didn’t do much of anything.

And then April came. And I wasn’t a whole lot better. And I was upset about that. I had to do my taxes. I got a really bad cold that lasted three weeks. I had my birthday. I lost my health insurance.

Throughout all of this, my sewing room was a disaster zone from trying to reorganize but losing motivation part way through.

In May Posie had surgery (she is fine!) so I was taking care of her pretty intensively for a couple weeks. And then I started trying to push myself —just a half hour a day working on something even though I had 0 desire or motivation to even move.

Then I started on a new medication in combination with the Lithum and it has been working wonders so far (though it took weeks to have any effect). In June I’ve had multiple days where I got up and felt capable of tackling things. My sewing room is organized. My bathroom is clean. My laundry is done. I haven’t painted my nails in months or dyed my hair but I feel like I can do that and more (!) in July.

That sounds really silly and sad, but it’s true. I had like a two week period where one of my nails was too long and it was uncomfortable, but I couldn’t be bothered to find a pair of clippers to cut it.

I didn’t use conditioner when I showered because it was an extra action I didn’t have energy for.

For the first time in my life I was not forgetting to eat but simply unwilling to get up to find food.

I stopped replying to messages because I was doing so little I had nothing to contribute.

My brain fog was so bad I couldn’t even concentrate enough to watch youtube videos or TV shows.

I’m not saying this for sympathy, I’m just trying to paint a picture of the fact I wasn’t off having fun on this break. I wasn’t having…anything, or doing anything but existing, and I didn’t even always want to be doing that.

So yeah. Things are going better now, but I’m still probably lower than the point I was at in January.

I’m one of those people where I need momentum, if that makes sense? I think that’s how despite things being not-great for a long time, I kept moving along (if not entirely successfully, but still, I was moving.) And now I’m in a hole, and it’s going to take a bit to get back to that point –much less better than that.

And I’ve procrastinated writing this until the 30th of June because I didn’t want to come back until I was “better”. I’m tired of posting “Sorry, see you next month, it’ll be better!” updates, but I had to hope the next month would be better because otherwise what is the point?

And then I couldn’t even bring myself to write those, because it just got to be embarrassing and I felt like saying nothing at all was better than repeating myself over and over— because that is the definition of insanity, right? And I was starting to feel insane.

But I know if someone I cared enough about to support disappeared, I’d be curious if not worried about what was going on. And I’m doing well enough to give you that, at least. I’m sorry it didn’t come earlier.

I think it goes without saying that I’m skipping this month and no one will be charged, heh. As for July? I don’t want to break more promises so I’m not setting goals beyond like…showering daily, and painting my nails.

But I would like to use my now clean sewing room to sew something for the first time since February. What will that be? I don’t know. I’d just like to do something, and hopefully that will inspire me to do something else, and maybe I’ll get back to a point where I can make videos and earn money (please, my god, lol) again.

So that’s where I am right now. I hope all of you are well, and thank you for those who have stuck around —though I certainly don’t blame those who left!

Also, to be very clear: I have supportive parents, I have a roof over my head, and I have a psychiatrist who has heard the bulk of this. I have friends to talk to. I’m physically healthy, my dogs are healthy and I would never leave them. My intention with this isn’t to make anyone worry about me, just to fill in the gaps of why I’ve been gone.

I hope all of you have a good weekend! At least part of mine will be spent cleaning and setting up an above ground pool for my dog. Not my favorite activity, but she loves it and I love her.

I have rambled on for long enough I think. Thanks for reading and thanks for your support!

Angela

Pausing January Billing Cycle!

Hi guys! Just a heads up that I'm pausing this months billing cycle and you will not be charged on February 1st.

I've had a few battles with insurance over medications and due to that plus shortages, I've been off what allows me to be productive for nearly two weeks now. 

So I'm FINE just very very very tired, too tired to get much done, much less all I wanted this month. 

Luckily I received a 90 day supply in the mail TODAY so fingers crossed for a much better month in February. 

I have a fabric haul filmed and a new project that uses lots of new-to-me techniques, and I'm excited to share them both with you! It will just have to wait until February, sorry. 

Thanks for the support !

Angela 

Sewing & Reviewing Vogue V2902!

Do you ever start on a simple project with every intention of finishing it in a weekend?

And then instead of finishing it, you just don't touch it for 5 months?

I hope the answer is yes so I am not alone here, lol! That is the story with these dresses. I thought they would go together so quickly and easily, and they should have! I just procrastinated finishing them like crazy. 

But I GOT IT DONE. And PHOTOGRAPHED. And EDITED. All of which are huge accomplishments given my current capabilities! 

I hope you enjoy this video and that my thoughts on this pattern are helpful! :D

Making an 1830s Dress | The Sleeves

I have ANOTHER video to share! Wow! As I said in my last post, I hoped to get this project completely finished before the end of July. And that is well on its way to actually happening! It has sleeves now.

It…sort of has a skirt. I have assembled and embellished it, but it has to be sewn on. And then I have to sew in all the closures, which I am dreading but not as much as I was dreading the sleeves. So I guess that bodes well? Idk.

I’m not sure if *that* video will be up before the end of the month. But I will have another video up tomorrow, for $6 and up patrons. Let’s just say you should….keep an eye out for it.

(Is this the weirdest thing I’ve ever made? Perhaps.)

Making an 1830s Dress | The Bodice

Hello everyone! I have a new video to share with you. Finally.

I have been sewing a fair bit recently, just done a crap job of compiling that sewing into content.

This was made on a whim, but ended up being my big project for June. Every bit of it (especially the trim) was more time consuming than I anticipated, but I was pretty determined to get it, and the videos about it, done before the end of July.

Whether that actually happens is still to be determined, but the bodice is done! And this is the video all about making it. I hope you enjoy!

New Hair = New Dress!

I'm still fiddling with the thumbnail, and have to add links to the description - but I'm happy to present this weeks video! 

The concept isn't revolutionary: I made a blue dress from a vintage pattern to match my new blue hair. But this was a really fun one to film, mainly because I had company throughout the process. 

The lovely Morgan Donner came to stay for a weekend, and we got up to some hair and dress making shenanigans! I don't feel like my video is as fun as the weekend was, but I do hope you enjoy watching it! 

You'll be able to see Morgan's perspective on making the same dress from different fabrics, along with the hair adventures over on her channel this Tuesday. 

So keep an eye out for that, and in the mean time - you can see how I made my dress! 

THE DOG BLOUSE. Making a 1940s Blouse from 1970s Fabric!

This garment is nothing revolutionary, but I'm happier with it than most things I've finished in the last year lol! 

It came together really nicely, even with annoying design details aside (bound buttonholes, UGH). I enjoy the fit and the the fabric and the proportions, and I think I will actually get a good deal of wear out of it!

I'm especially fond of my little pheasant buttons. I feel like they really complete combo of 1940s details and the intentional weirdness of the fabric. 

I have enough patterns in my stash that I likely won't reach for this one again any time soon, but I do really like the cuffed view with the larger bow. If I found the right fabric I would definitely consider making it as well!

ALSO: This video includes credits for February, but my next few uploads will be out of order and I'm kind of working backwards. I will be caught up soon though, as I've done a lot of filming recently! 

"Simple to Make" 1940s Tops? | Simplicity 8593 Reproduction Pattern Review & Tutorial

Good news! After many delays and much procrastination I finally finished these stupid blouses I started in January.

And I finally photographed them - which meant I could ditch the purple hair! I'm feeling much better as a blue-head. 

I wish I felt as good about these blouses as I do the new hair, but alas they have some issues due to the way they are drafted. I wasn't a huge fan of the instructions either. But I did get them done, and I share my final thoughts at the end of the video. 

Have you followed this pattern? Or would you consider following it? I'd love to hear about it!

Christmas Tree Bodice Tutorial! (I AM THE TREE)

As promised, here is the video about making the bodice to pair with my christmas tree skirt!

It isn't as exciting of a garment, but I do think it matches the skirt nicely and finishes the ensemble off well. 

Speaking of the ensemble, I did film making the headpiece/wig/gloves which will all be part of a patreon exclusive video.  That video was supposed to go up today, but there was a little supply chain issue regarding getting my medications filled that majorly screwed me over this week. So it will be a boxing day upload instead, I think.

That supply chain snafu also prevented me from finishing a video about another festive project, that I've been calling my silver snowflake gown.

(a little preview) 

Despite photographing this at a christmas tree farm, it isn't overly festive. It is more wintery. I should still be able to post about it without it seeming too out of place, despite missing the holiday deadline.

So stay tuned for that! But in the mean time, I hope you have a fantastic holiday and weekend and thank you so much for the support! :)

Christmas Tree Skirt Tutorial! (the skirt literally looks like a christmas tree)

I don't have a lot to say about this other than it is my favorite thing I have made this year. It is festive and sparkly and lights up and I LOVE it! 

I hope you guys love it too, and that you are all having a nice weekend. Now I must return to editing the three other videos I hope to get up before the 25th! 

Making 18th century jumps (AGAIN)...but from bed sheets...

In today's video I revisit an old pattern, with some updated construction methods. The whole process was also made easier by using a less fray prone binding material, and a pre-quilted main fabric. I've learned a thing or two since 2017, thankfully!

(Though the fit of this pair is arguably worse than the original, TIME IS CRUEL.) 

Whether you've seen the video on my first attempt or not, I hope you'll enjoy this adventure in making jumps, and a striped skirt to match!

AND the pattern will be available as a pdf download for $10 and up patrons. It is in a single size (best suited for a 30" waist or so) but since it is so simple, it would be easy to grade up or down. 

I enjoyed making them, mostly, but I must admit - I don't really like the finished result. By that I mean it is probably my least favorite thing I've gotten around to finishing in the past year. 

I think the color, paired with the lack of texture these materials have just makes it feel very flat and boring (and yellow). Which are things I generally try to avoid with my costumes. I think I've gotten a bit spoiled by the sheen of silks and the weight of wool over the years! And even though I like working with quilting cottons a lot, the dullness of the fabric is always disguised by a bold print. Without that it just feels very...blah (and yellow) and I'm not a fan.

I think my next costume will be black. Because even the absence of color is superior to yellow. 

Pumpkin Pants, a Renaissance Doublet, and a Fancy Chemise Set! | Sewing Vlog

Hello everyone! Here is a video/vlog all about making this years pumpkin project! 

This years project is *very* different from previous ones, but I do hope you still like it! I had a lot of fun both making this, and prancing around a pumpkin patch while wearing my ridiculous pumpkin pants. 

It was however, a lot of work! I must have made over 100 yards of piping and spent hours at the sewing machine making strips for the panes. Getting these four pieces done completely took over my life this month. 

But now it is done! And I think it was worth the effort, since I'm very pleased with the finished result.

The video about the glorious hat is rendering, and should be up tonight/early tomorrow along with the pattern!

Making the Medieval Midcentury Cottagecore Unicorn Dress of my DREAMS | Sewing Vlog

So this video decided to take FOUR hours to render, so I apologize if there are any issues I missed since I do not have time before bed to do a full watch through. If there are any, I shall resolve them tomorrow.

In the mean time - I hope you enjoy this not-so-little vlog about making a somewhat ridiculous ruffly dress made from silk unicorn fabric. It is quite the mish-mash of aesthetics and periods, but I think it works? 

I had fun making it, so hopefully it is fun to watch! And I will be back tomorrow with something patreon exclusive before the end of the month!

The Bright Green Robe a la Francaise // PART ONE

I have no idea when this video will be made public, or when I will actually get this project finished. But it took the first week of the month to construct, and I was eager to share the results will all of you sooner rather than later!

I wish I had something else or something clever to say, but this took twice as long to render as I expected so now it is after my bedtime and I'm too tried to say much at all.

Also hopefully by the time this goes live for real, I will have come up with a better thumbnail, lol! 

Making a PINK Chemise a la Reine !

This has been a long time in the making. Well, actually the dress only took like a week to make. But I've been editing this for literal months. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Once you get out of the habit of editing, it takes a million time longer!

But now this is done! And hopefully that bodes well for future videos with this format. 

Also - as I said in this video, I actually have another fantasy-ish 18th century gown in progress. It is a very eleborate Robe a la Francaise made from a green brocade with heaps of trimming. It will definitely be a two or three parter, the first of which I'd like to have up before the end of the month.

Thanks for the support and hopefully I'll have more to share soon!

Making the most ridiculous renaissance pants!

Based on the response to the teaser in my last post, you guys are just as excited about these as I am lol!

These were an impromptu project inspired by a new book, and a recent fabric purchase. They went together really quickly and easily - one evening to draft, two days to sew, and one morning to stitch the eyelets. Which is a miracle, since they are completely different from anything I've made before, and pretty complicated to construct!

I ended up enjoying the process a lot (probably in part to it going so smoothly) and I LOVE the finished product. The pants are so ridiculous, they make me want to do a little dance. 

I think there are more renaissance pants in my future, given how much I like these. Luckily this book has TONS of additional fashion plates/paintings to use for inspiration. Here are some of my favorites...

My favorite part of women's renaissance costumes are the sleeves. And these ensembles require the same techniques and have the same details...but from head-to-toe! I find them so delightful, I want to make all of them. 

But I should probably finish a jacket to go with these pants, first. So stay tuned for that!

Making an Embroidered Shift & Wool Kirtle in a Weekend! | Part One | Sewing Vlog

So, fun story about this project. I started working on it back in February, when I wanted an 'easy win' and to make something simple over the course of a weekend.

I zoomed through making the shift, but ran into fit issues with the bodice. Instead of addressing those issues, I abandoned it for like 3 months. Then over the last few weeks I've been working on it a bit of a time and now it is FINALLY nearing completion. Just have to add some trim to the hem and then it is DONE!

The same week I made the shift and started the bodice, I edited this video. I thought I had it fully edited, and that it just needed a final watch through. It was 30 minutes long, so I decided to split it into two separate videos  based on that - I filmed the outro and everything! 

Then when I watched it through tonight, I realized I didn't edit down the b-roll and once I did, it was only 17 minutes long. Oops.

So basically - I'm posting this now for early access. But this version of the video may never get published, and after the project is completely finished I might combine all my footage into a mega-vlog. But I'm also stubborn and had committed to posting this video tonight so here we are. 

In other news, I also edited a video about making the weirdest pants ever, which were last weeks weekend project, and significantly more successful than this one...in that they only took a weekend to make, and are also a freaking delight. So keep an eye out for that tomorrow afternoon!

Decluttering my vintage sewing pattern stash...or at least attempting to!

This is a video I filmed earlier in the year where I went through my sewing pattern collection and attempted to declutter it. And then I cluttered it up again with new acquisitions!

This is a bit out of date now - I've passed some on, gotten more, and the drawer is overflowing once again! So I need to do another pass through.

I'd also like to do a collection video, where I go through every pattern I own and talk a bit about why I've chosen to buy/keep them. If you would be interested in seeing that, let me know! And in the mean time I hope you enjoy this video.

I actually planned on posting my 'making a pink chemise a la reiene' video this weekend, but lost the opportunity to photograph it on due to Minnie being mildly poisoned by branches she chose to chew on. All is well but boy that was a stressful day spent monitoring her! So that will be up next week instead.

I hope you guys have a great weekend!

Making a Historically Accurate Rapunzel Inspired Renaissance Gown!

After literal months in the making, here is an extra long video about making a very extra dress!

Fabric and fit issues plagued this project, but in the end I’m really happy with it. I think it is beautiful and I love the colors, textures, and finished result! It is a way better outcome than I had expected, given the frustration it provided at times.

My next project will hopefully go much faster - and then I’ll be getting to work on a pink and white ensemble from a fabric that won a poll. Both those projects will feature in vlogs, so hopefully those videos will be much faster to edit, too!

This one had ninety minutes of footage when it was roughly cut down (the raw footage was eight HOURS or so), and a similarly lengthy voice over. Everyday over the last week I’ve been like “I’m going to finish this today” —  but today is finally the day where it is finished!

I hope it is enjoyable, and hopefully I will have another video up for early access before the end of the month. Because I’ve actually finished and filmed TWO projects this month!

a tacky throw pillow tutorial (I spent 8 hours on these…)

This is a very important educational video.

Okay not really, but I had fun making it! I found these tapestry panels at Mood with uniformed beagles on them, and couldn't resist buying them. 

Despite being uniformed beagles, they were still a bit bland. So I spent about 8 hours embellishing them and turning them into fabulous, sort of tacky pillows. And I LOVE them.

I wanted to justify the process by filming it - but it is sort of a silly concept for a video. So it seemed fitting to kind of turn it into a joke by uploading it on April 1st / April Fools day. 

I know it won't appeal to everyone - but if you want to see me embellish and sew some pillows, then todays video is for YOU! 

Recreating a 1940s Evening Gown! | Following Vogue no. 8712

Hello everyone! I've been working on lots of things this month and am excited to FINALLY start sharing them!

Starting with the least exciting - or perhaps it just feels that way to me - a 1940s evening gown. This is inspired by the line art of Vogue 8712, made using the pattern Vogue 8712. This is the first in a trio of videos about recreating pattern covers - all of which are equally striking Vogue designs!

I decided to start with this one, with hopes I could have the video up on Valentines Day. The red and white color scheme seemed appropriate for it. But my first fabric choice was awful. I'd almost finished the dress, and editing the footage of the process when I decided to start over.

I'm really glad I did, because I think my second attempt is vastly superior. But it delayed the video by over a month, and soured my feelings towards this project in general. I think under different circumstances I would have really enjoyed this project, but at this point I'm sick of it! 

However now it is done now! And I can move on to bigger and better things. Like my 1860s butterfly inspired ballet costume. And something Downton Abbey inspired. And a pair of really ridiculous glittery beagle pillows. And some original designs from fabrics in my stash - I'm feeling more creative now that some of the more stubborn, and boring projects have been conquered. 

You'll hear (and see) more on those projects in an update that should be up in a couple days. 

And the beagle pillows will have their own video that should be done and posted for early access before the end of the month. It's sort of an april fools joke video but also not really, because glittery beagle pillows are a combination of many things I love and were ridiculously fun to work on.

But in the mean time, I hope you enjoy this video! 

making THAT gingham dress from The Queen's Gambit

It's a new video! Finally! 

I'll have an update with more info soon, but I've had awful luck over the past month when it comes to sewing projects. I've had nearly a half dozen things end in failure in a row which has really soured my sewing spirit...and my video schedule! But I should still have more to share before the end of the month.

Along with this video, which I'm sharing now! It's all about making a gingham dress based on the one Beth wears in "The Queen's Gambit".  I tried to get my version as close to the original as possible, and I think I was decently successful. Though it was definitely a struggle to get it there. 

I'm working on digitizing the pattern I drafted for this, and it should be available to download for the $6+ tiers tomorrow. It will be followed by a vlog on making the jacket, and a pattern for that too.

Thanks for being patient with me this month, and I hope your projects have been better behaved than mine!

Making a LIFE SIZE Barbie Dress : Fancy Free Barbie!

As promised, the Barbie series is back for 2021! And I started with one of my personal favorites: Fancy Free Barbie. 

This design came out in the 1960s and has such a delightful silhouette, interesting collar, and vibrant color scheme. It makes me smile. And I can certainly use more things that make me smile in my life!

I made this dress over the course of two afternoons and had a lot of fun in the process. I really enjoy the finished dress too.

 In my rush to render this video I neglected to airbrush the final photos...so here are two pictures without the bruises from slipping on ice while carrying a 26lb dog.

And here are two less flattering photos with the aforementioned 26lb dog who really wanted to play fetch.

The pdf pattern for this garment will be up before the end of the week for $6 and up patrons! I'll have it live before the video is made public (which will be Sunday morning). So if that interests you, keep an eye out!

I bought 200 more vintage sewing patterns...

Hello everyone!

This video is a continuation of a previous, MASSIVE vintage pattern estate haul. It was filmed over a month ago but I’ve been slow with editing.

I think today is going to be a stressful and potentially scary day for anyone in the US who is remotely concerned or effected by politics - and potentially worrying for anyone outside the US who is effected by our president too. I can’t do much about that, but here is an hour of talking about patterns that maybe some of you can use to escape it for a bit!

Also - I setup a coupon code, UNICORN15 for my Etsy shop that all of you, my wonderful patrons can use to get 15% off your orders of $10 or more. It will run for the next 30 days. You can enter it at checkout, or shop through this link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/countedandcurated?coupon=UNICORN15 

...

On a separate note, I have some personally devastating news. My dachshund, and my best friend, Guinevere had to be put down yesterday morning. She had some health complications a few months back that I touched on, but she had been doing really well up until Sunday.

She suddenly lost mobility in her back legs and showed signs of neurological issues as well. After an emergency vet visit and a horrible night I made the decision to have her euthanized on Monday morning. It was very peaceful, and up until Sunday night her life was as full and happy as ever.

Not to be dramatic, but Guin was literally what got me out of bed every morning (she insisted on being fed at 7:30). And she was a bright spot in every day. I don’t have a lot of friends, and certainly not the type I can call in the middle of the night or cry to. But I always had her. She was with me for half my life, and my closest confidant for the last quarter when my personal life and mental health started to deteriorate.

She was very dependent on me - if I left the room even for a few minutes she would whine or bark. It probably wasn’t healthy, but her dependence on me motivated me to keep going even when things were rough because I knew she needed me to be there. She had a place in my sewing room, a place in my bed, a place by my side and will always have a place in my heart. Though all of those things feel quite empty without her right now.

I’ve been lucky enough not to lose anyone so close to me before, and I’m not sure how the next few weeks and months will go. I could see taking solace in the distraction work provides or being too upset to focus at all. If the latter is the case I will skip this month so no one is charged.

Thank you for your support and hopefully I will talk to all of you soon.

Angela

Making a Beaded Victorian Blouse | 1890's Inspired Halloween Gown Part TWO

And as promised here is video number two about making this years pumpkin project! It covers the process of making a very detailed shirtwaist style blouse, based on designs from the mid 1890s.

Unfortunately, some of the details get lost from a distance. But I know they are still there, so I'm still quite pleased with how they turned out! 

Thank you for the feedback on yesterdays posts, I'll try to get back to everyone tomorrow! But tonight I'm attempting to edit the worn photos of this project, and I have a feeling that won't leave much time for anything else. I always feel like I overestimate how long it will take me to go through and edit photos...and then it takes 2x longer than my estimate. But I guess that is life!

 I should have at least one more video up before the end of the month! So stay tuned for that, and I shall talk to you then!

Finishing Spooky Halloween Things & Petticoat Assembly | Weekly Sewing Vlog!

Another week, another vlog! 

I've been working on my annual 'pumpkin project' this week, so hopefully the video about that will be coming next.

But in the mean time, here is a vlog that features the conclusion of my 1890s wrapper, and 1840s blouse. I also made a petticoat and started on a taffeta skirt.

And once that was done, I got my 1890s wrapper photographed. I still haven't edited the full set, but I'm quite pleased with the photos I've processed so far. These will probably be the not-so-seasonally-appropriate prints for next month.

Also, as promised in the video, here are my petticoat measurements for anyone who is curious.

The finished petticoat ended up having two layers. Both layers are made up of strips that were cut on the full width of the fabric (in my case, 60"). The width of the fabric doesn't matter nearly as much as the proportions of each tier. 

Each tier of each layer should be 2x the width of the tier it attaches to prior to gathering down. Start with the largest tier first and work your way up the petticoat. 

So, with layer 1 I: 

hemmed the bottom edge of 1d

gathered the top edge of 1d [to half its original width]

sewed 1d to the bottom edge of 1c 

[bound seam allowance with horsehair braid - optional, and repeated at every seam]

gathered the top of 1c [to half its original width]

sewed 1c to the bottom of 1b 

etc.

These measurements include 1/2" seam allowances at either edge, and a 1/2" hem allowance for the 5" strips. 

Layer two is a bit different - the overall process is the same, but the front pieces (left side) and back pieces (right side) are assembled separately, then seamed together. The top edge of the front piece should be gathered to 2/3 the width of your waist, and the back side to 1/3, forcing a lot of volume to the back of the petticoat.

(the top edge of layer 1 was gathered evenly)

Each layer (1 & 2) were assembled separately, with a 12" slit left open in the center back seam. The edges of the top tiers were aligned and stitched together prior to binding.

Materials and everything mentioned in the video should be linked in the description box! :)

Building a unicorn shelf for my collection of 150+ tokidoki unicornos figurines

So. Here is a video. A weird video.

As I mentioned in my last update, inspiration for sewing was hard to come by in July and August. But I still wanted to stay busy so I wouldn't become overwhelmed by all the awful things in the world.

So I ended up taking on what my mother nicknamed "pandemic projects". It started with opening a pattern store. Then painting my sewing room chair and making unicorn cushions for it. Then I made Guin a dog bed. Then I bleached and dyed my hair. Then I decided I needed a unicorn shelf. Now I'm really, really into plants (like my bathroom looks more like a jungle everyday). 

None of these things are the type of thing I generally post about on my channel. But I have filmed the majority of them. So I think every month or two and in between sewing videos I'll post one of these random pandemic adventures for the few who may be interested in them.

 You guys will see them first, and in much closer proximity to each other than they will actually be posted publicly. Simply because I've already filmed them, they are easy to edit, and I want the files off my computer!

I know they won't appeal to everyone...but if you have a spare 30 minutes and want to listen to me ramble about making a shelf and all of my favorite plastic unicorns than OH BOY do I ever have a video for you lol!

Weekly Sewing Vlog! | Big sleeves, big plans, and lacy blouses!

Two miraculous things happened this week:

1. I actually got enough sewing done to create a videos worth of content

2. I actually picked up a camera and filmed a videos worth of content

It isn't the making video I'd hoped to come back with and  present to you, but it is a start! These projects were a great way to get back into sewing - in that they were interesting and fun to work on, but not overly complicated. And this video was a good way to get back into editing, too.

I'll have another update video soon, and be responding to some messages and comments from the last week. But for the most part me and my dog are doing better. I really appreciate the concern and all of your kind comments on my last post. I hope you and your families (that includes your pets!) are doing well too & thank you for the support! <3

Making a Charles Worth Peacock Gown | Part Two

So - this video was supposed to go up on the 18th, for early access. But there were a few hiccups in getting it approved, so that didn't happen. 

However, I'm really excited to be sharing it with all of you! This video goes through the process of finishing the underskirt for the Worth peacock gown, and making a velvet train covered in peacock feathers. 

This is definitely the most time consuming project I've taken on in a long time. And I don't want to say it's been challenging - but it's definitely pushed me to work with materials I'm less familiar with, and techniques that are totally foreign to me. 

But weirdly, I've really enjoyed it. Nothing has gone horribly wrong yet, so it's been fun and satisfying to see it come together and my skillset expand. Tho I'm not sure when my newfound cherub painting and feather gluing skills will come in handy!

I hope you enjoy seeing this project continue to take shape! I actually started drafting the bodice and headpiece today, so hopefully the remaining videos about this project will be  coming up soon. 

Here are some photos of the underskirt and train.

That is it from me, for today! But I shall have another update soon :)

Making a 1860s Transformation Gown | Inspired by Little Women

This is another video I didn't post about ahead of time, but that's because I legally couldn't. This was sponsored by the new Little Women film (or more specifically, Sony, who created it) and I wasn't allowed to talk about it before the publish date!

But now it's out! So I can talk about it all I want. This was a doozy of a video, and just a huge project in general. I think I ended up with 300gb of files about making this, which is well over 30 hours of footage. 

The dress itself has dozens of yards of trim on it, and took twenty yards of fabric to construct.

I got the materials for this project at the start of March, and it was my primary project for about two weeks. After that I switched focus to other things, but was still adding final details up until March 31st, when the project had to be finished and submitted. 

This is definitely the most elaborate thing I've made in a long while. The construction wasn't as complicated as the 1630s gown I made over Christmas, but it was more labor intensive since it had SO MUCH trim, and binding, and hand work required in general. But I don't regret any of it, because I love the dress I ended up with. Or, rather, the skirt and two bodices I ended up with. 

My one main regret with this project is that I don't have better photos of it. I had done a lot of research into historic buildings on Long Island, and the historical societies they belonged to. I even made a short list of white Victorian homes that would make a good backdrop for this, and the associated contact information! But then coronavirus hit and ruined those plans before I could make them. Which in the grand scheme of things, is not a big deal AT ALL! But it meant I had to photograph this in my garage, where the lighting was weird and there wasn't really enough space.

Also - the trusty hoop skirt I made in my last patreon exclusive video betrayed me horribly. Or, the petticoat overtop of it did. The petticoat was so heavy it kept shifting to one side and making the hoop skirt jut out in the other direction. So a lot of photos were ruined by that. But I'm very happy with the silhouette it has on the dress form, and the fit of it when it's actually worn.

Hopefully I can get better worn photos of it in the future! 

ALSO! I filmed a video about making the headpiece. So that should be one of the patreon exclusive videos for this month.

I'm sure there is more I could write about this, but that is all that comes to mind right now! I'll be responding to the comments on this video later tonight, I was unfortunately sick the day I uploaded and am just feeling well enough to get back to work today (nothing COVID related, just an unfortunately timed mouth infection). 

Thanks for watching!

Angela