The mosquitoes are coming

Quick, get the walls up. The skitters are small, but they will only get bigger now that we’ve finally had rain. Finished Saturday putting down more pavers to make the floor fit the larger footprint. Assembled the west wall yesterday. It fit so tight when I lifted it into place that I had to knock it in with the sledgehammer. Good for keeping out...

One dormer in 38 seconds

Timelapse of the dormer constructions. Boy oh boy, it was up and down the ladder a bazillion times. It turned out nicely – the roof line matches the rest of the hip rafters very well. Apart from screening and a little decorative fascia, I plan to leave the sides and front open. Once I had all the plywood in place and I stopped to relax and watch a ball game, I looked up from below and swore a blue streak. I...

How ’bout them angles

3 common rafters, 4 hip rafters, 16 jack rafters – and I still have to figure out how I want to frame up the entrance area (where the 4th common rafter would have been). We want some kind of dormer – skylight – thingy. I’ll do that in 2x6s so it won’t be so heavy looking – and bonus – easier to cut the angles on...

First place at the fair

Millet Harvest Fest, the quaintness of rural Alberta. Vegetables, flowers, embroidery, jams, jellies and sewing. My dress dummy and I won first place in the “Sewing-other” category. The better part of the story – the only other entry in this class was a pillowcase. The best part of the story – the pillowcase was also awarded a first place ribbon.

Top it off with a hat

I couldn’t find any buckram this year to make hats, but at Michaels I found inexpensive sheets of felt. They didn’t have dark brown of course, but I dyed a grey sheet quite easily. The sizing that made the felt stiff washed out a little, but enough remains to keep it crisp enough for a hat shape. I had drafted the pattern weeks and weeks ago, before I had even started the dress, by making mockups with...

Bodice and trim

A sewing marathon while staying at Sue’s place for a few days. Raided her Sewing Closet of Treasures and found some fringey trim for the neckline of the bodice, and pearls for some elegant swank. The bodice is finished at last with the addition of the trim around the neck and bottom, finished the sleeve openings simply with brown bias tape. It fits nicely enough, and honestly it’s an comfy top. This...

The overskirt

Once I had the underskirt sewn I was completely in love with the fabric. I knew I didn’t want to sew the long overskirt that was in the pattern I had bought which would only cover it up. What is called a ‘butterfly overskirt’ was more of what I had in mind, but didn’t want to order another pattern, so I sort of made my own. It’s not perfect, and probably not terribly authentic at...

The underskirt

The fabric is divine. Just a little bit shiny and bright, and drapes beautifully. Only drawback was matching the pattern across the seams. On one side front panel I matched dead perfect at the top near the waistband, which I thought was clever, until I remembered the overskirt would cover it. Doh! The next side panel I used my head and matched lower down. I don’t think it’s too noticeable that they...

The underclothes first

Not exactly the kind of photos my mother would want me to post on the internet, but hardly racy enough to fret over. Cotton twill for the corset with a nice stripe visible in the weave. Wow, does that fabric ever press nicely. The corset trim is a pre packaged binding tape with lace. I bought it for a bedskirt years ago. But no one will notice it’s missing from the side of the bed that is up against the...

Choosing Fabrics

Below are some possibles I found at Fabricland. Practically the entire store is 50%, and many are even more. With the theme “Riverboat Gambling” I don’t want to be a saloon girl (haven’t quite the figure, or age). George’s costume is that of the sophisticated gambler, so I thought I might be the sophisticated, but somewhat garish girlfriend. A former saloon girl, perhaps? ...