it is the night of halloween.........

Here are a few photos of Augusta (Gussie) and my brother Dominic on Halloween. As you can see, the dress came out beautiful. There are no photos of me due to the time it took me to dress and curl my hair.

Gussie after candy collection

Augusta as Queen Victoria

Augusta full view

Dominic as the Hot Towels Butler

Dominic close-up

Augusta at last minute decided to be Queen Victoria because she looks like Emily Blunt from "Young Victoria" with curled hair. Dominic is a butler who throws steamed towels. His idea is from some show he watched with friends. I was a Jane Austen character according to my original plan.

We spent the holiday in Connecticut with my cousins, which was a lot of fun.  Clockwise, from far left; Augusta, as Queen Victoria; Maeve (my cousin), as Shirley Temple behind the scenes doing her hair; Aidan (my cousin) as a gladiator; Brigid (my cousin) as a bunny; Dominic as the butler; and my little cousin Mary Colleen as a cowboy!!! As you can see, a lot of us ended up cold, mussed, and with smeared makeup by the end of the night- but it was totally worth it!!!
I really enjoyed making the gowns for Halloween, and they will be used many times!!!

Bennett gowns~Step 4~Finishing the Gown

To finish the gown, put on your skirt and then put the bodice on over it. (Note: when you put this dress on it helps to firmly tie the drawstring ribbons to something, otherwise the back of the skirt will be The bodice should overlap and the gathering ribbons should be under the bodice. Put pins under your arms and a few spaced in between (make sure your hem is where you want it- pull the skirt up to shorten it), and take it off. Sew a running seam, backstitching at each end, from one arm pin to the other. It doesn't matter that this seam shows- the sash will cover it. Turn the dress inside out and fold the raw underarm edges up 1/2" and sew around the armhole. Do this on the other side. Turn the dress back out and put it on. Get out your wide turquoise ribbon and tie it as a sash over the seam connecting bodice and skirt. You are now COMPLETELY done!!!!!

Bennett gowns~Step 3~Bodice

First off let me say I have no photos and I apologize. I start working and I just can't stop to take photos.
But I do have instructions for the gowns...............
Step 3: Bodice
(Note: This is for a bodice without sleeves. I can't do it and you can invent your own pattern for that.)
Follow the instructions for the Bodice Lining, but use your sheer fabric curtain, your old pattern, and omit the part where you fold and hem all the edges. Then put the two together, raw-edged side of lining & wrong side of bodice together. Turn it inside out. Then fold all the edges of the bodice over the lining and sew them, except for the armholes and 1 side of the back slit. Then take some 1/4" wide white ribbon and cut 5 2-3" lengths. Fold that unfinished edge in half so that the raw edge touches the edge of the lining. Fold a ribbon length in half with the edges side by side. Put it on the lining at the top of the lining and then fold over the bodice edge and sew back and forth over where the ribbon is a few times. Then fold the ribbon over that seam to make a buttonhole loop and sew over that a few times. Do this at the bottom, the middle, and between the bottom/middle and middle/top. Then sew a few times over the 4 spots on the edge where there are no loops  to make a apparent continuous seam over that edge and trim all the loose threads. Now all your buttonholes are done.  Now turn the bodice right side out and put the buttonhole edge next to the other edge so that the ribbons go over that edge and it looks like it's buttoned without buttons. Take a fadeout marker and make dots inside the loops where you want the buttons. Then sew the buttons on those marks. You are done- try it on!!!!!!

Bennett gowns- Step 2- skirt

I am so sorry for the delay but I quit work on the dresses for 2 weeks due to school beginning, but I am back at work;

The skirt for the Bennett gown project I have had an idea for from the beginning. Before I decided to do a simpler Empire-style gown, I was going to go all the way and do a gorgeous, big Rococo ball gown.

After searching around for some easy way to do it, I decided to let it drop. I am not that good and I am not fast enough to do the thousands of seams required, but I hung on to the idea of making a drawstring-style waist to give a gathered look and keep it adjustable. These instructions, therefore, are for a high-waisted Empire gown with a gathered, adjustable back, made for my sister Augusta (mine will be made, eventually).

I used a sheer curtain, some muslin and about a yard of wide white grosgrain ribbon to make this skirt. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND using a sheer curtain for my pattern. It has the pre-made hems needed to make sewing simple.

INSTRUCTIONS:

First I took the curtain, held it up to Gussie, and cut it at around her underarms. Then I laid it on muslin, keeping the selvage edge of the muslin lined up with where the hem of the curtain ended (this makes it easier to hem) and cut the muslin right at the cut edge of the curtain. Then, putting the curtain right-side-in, I sewed a running stitch across the cut edge, trimmed it, and flipped it right side out so that the curtain faced up. Then I tried it on Gussie, bringing it up to her underarms, and it was too long, but I left that for hemming later. Then, while she was wearing it, I lined up the edges of the fabric and made sure they were near the center of her back, and I used a fabric marker to mark under her underarms where the drawstring would begin. Then I took it off her. I laid it out and folded it in half lengthwise. Then I checked the marks and made new marks that were identical(i.e. right on top of each other) and lengthened them so that they reached about to where I wanted the bottom of the casing to be (i.e. 2-3 inches) and made vertical 1" wide lines connecting the marks. Then I unfolded the fabric and put it right-side-up and cut my yard of ribbon in half and made one edge of both angled (this will be the edge that shows) and stuck the non-angled edge in between the skirt layers so that it went about 1/4 in. beyond the casing mark. Then I sewed a running stitch back and forth over that mark to secure the ribbon. Then, making sure I did not sew the ribbon, I sewed a running stitch from the casing mark to the edge of the fabric. This creates 1 drawstring complete with casing. I repeated on the other side of the fabric-marker rectangle (if the fabric marker is fade-out and will not fade out, I use this method; Take water, wet your finger, and rub the mark for all it's worth. It will seem to get brighter, but after about 20-30 seconds of rubbing, it fades out). Then I folded the skirt in half, right-side-in, added pins, and sewed a running stitch, backstitching at both ends, starting at the bottom of the skirt and going up to about 5-6 in. below the top edge. The fabric will be uneven, so sew the seam 1/2 in. from the edge of the shortest piece of fabric. Then I turned it right-side-out and tried it on Gussie, gathering it in the back. Then I folded up the curtain edge and put pins in, took it off, and ran a seam there. I did this a few times till it was to her ankles, sewing the last hem with a wide zigzag. That way I'll be able to let it out as she grows. Then it was done!!!

Bennett gowns~Step 1~Bodice Lining

OK..... Step 1............ Bodice Lining..........

Here are explicit instructions.

First of all I took an Empire-waisted dress of mine and I traced the bodice onto paper. The method I used for this is: Take as many pieces of paper that you need and tape them together. Then pin the waist tightly to the bottom of the paper and pin the base of the armholes to the paper. Then trace that line. Then remove the waist pin and put it at the top of the armhole (stretch the fabric if there is elastic) and trace the armhole. Continue like this. Then cut it out and fold it in half. Trim the non-matching parts. Then fold muslin in half and put the pattern at the selvage edge. Then trace the pattern onto the fabric and cut it out. You now have 2 fabric pieces. Then sew the shoulders and the sides, leaving the armholes, neck, and waist open, and cut a straight line down one side, so that you have a back opening. Then try it on. If it fits, fold over all the raw edges and hem them. Don't put any fastening on, this is just a lining. Leave the seams on the obvious side, since you will put the actual bodice on that part. Save your pattern. You are now done!!!

The model for this was my sister Augusta, for whom I will be making a "Bennett" gown as well.

Halloween

I have always made a quick, dress-up, pin-a-tablecloth type of costume that has always turned out very nicely. I have made 2 saris, a sari for my doll (see October 2009), a chiton, and numerous other outfits with different clothing. I have never bought my costume, which I am proud of. But this year I intend to branch my sewing expertise to costumes and make without a pattern a Regency gown (circa 1810-1815), based on those exhibited at the Fenimore Art Museum (Cooperstown NY) to use as a costume. I will post every single step I will use so that everyone can use my pattern for their Regency gown. I have no idea whether this will be the biggest flop I have ever thought of doing, or whether it will be the biggest success I have ever imagined, but now it is worldwide on this blog I might as well try my best!!! I want to get it done by October 12th in the best scenario, since I go on vacation for 10 days on October 14. I am hoping to make it out of some blue-embroidered voile that is currently a pair of curtains or some Greek embroidered white-on-white linen. I might also use plain linen and muslin to make a petticoat. The gown will be long-sleeved (no getting away with anything but that up here) and will probably have traditional shoulder puffs, although that might be past me. It will have an Empire waist (obviously) and a long cascading skirt that is straight in the front and mildly gathered in the back for some more oomph. The bodice and skirt will be muslin lined. The petticoat, if I make it, will be Empire waisted and done in the same style as the skirt. I will make myself an embroidered sash to wear with the dress, and if it is cold I will wear a linen wrap. Let's see how it all turns out, but I feel confident!!!

autumn

Fall can be a interesting season...............

It is very flurried and fun.............

I love it..............

but it's going to be mighty busy this year.............

just you wait, Antonia, just you wait.............

summer visiting

Just saw my godfamily leave after spending 2 nights....... last week my uncle stayed 1 night....... next week friends might stay 3-4 nights.......

Doesn't summer always seem like the season of social events? I've probably been at a dozen events and dinner parties, and yet it goes so fast....... you see people whom you never see any other time of year, and yet it's so hard to absorb.........

I suppose that's the mystery of summer............

Happy Birthday

just wanted to say to my cousin Nora:

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NORA!!!!!!!

MAY YOU ALWAYS BE AS WONDERFUL TO EVERYONE AS YOU ARE TO ME!

I MISS YOU SO MUCH AND I WANT TO WISH YOU TO HAVE GREAT BIRTHDAYS FOREVER.

I LOVE YOU, ANTONIA

present in 2 meanings

I am making a present at the present time = voila- 2 meanings!!!

• My present is a brown & yellow sunhat for my cousin Nora- colors chosen by her. I will post pics of this when I am finished.
• I have already made a present for her- a origami flower ball that is named something like "cosmuto". This is an amazing technique, very simple and gorgeous. I will post instructions soon.
• Recently finished was 2 projects with Amy Butler fabric- this fabric is very nice, and I definitely recommend it to be used.

• Project 1 was a bag designed by Amy called the birdie sling. I did this bag in a brown cherry-blossom print with a brown and yellow damask print for trim, and a lining of pink and orange damask, which pops nicely.
• Project 2 was a dining layette set I put together using various patterns & Amy Butler fabric for Adam & Jessica Koury who had a wedding celebration recently. It included 2 coasters, napkins, and placemats.

That pretty much sums up my projects recently.

clara therese

Just wanted to link to a really amazing blog- All You Who Hope!

www.allyouwhohope.blogspot.com

Karey is really amazing and I am very honored to soon become a honorary sibling of her new daughter Clara Therese who supposedly looks the way I did as a baby- lucky me!!! I am so glad for her & Ryan who have had wonderful attention from God recently with the arrival of Clara through adoption and now their little boy arriving in a few months!!

This all to me is very similar to the situation our friends were in- I have always seen a similarity between these two families through the fact that we met all of them through the same circumstances (Karey and Ryane coming in to the church together) and now the same chain of events- infertility for Karey and Ryane, very slow adoption processes, and then pregnancy right when their adoptions were confirmed- it's like God wishes to give adopted children the full family experience by giving them close siblings- it's so great!!

I am including a few pics of Karey and/or Clara- they are from January.

Karey in Clara's nursery

just like you- tank tops!!!

Yesterday Josefina and I dressed matching in jeans and tank tops!!!

(accessories: ballet flats, jackets, and necklaces) in pink (me) and purple.

It was the perfect outfit for today, as it's super warm, but light jackets are still needed.

I wore:

a white cabled sweater (talbots), a smocked coral top (gap), black flats (payless) bootcut jeans (target), and a celtic silver cross on striped ribbon (made by me).

Josefina wore:

Note: Josefina is an American Girl doll- these clothes will be listed as the AG outfit they came from.

The purple tank top and lavender jacket from the Yoga outfit; the coral slippers from Felicity's Tea Lesson Gown; a chunky purple necklace I provided; and a pair of denim pedal pushers from the Pottery Barn Kids doll collection.

Welcome Spring!!!

(if you know what it's like here!)

Complete Update

• I am going to update completely for right now: here is the new plan:
• A daily journal of my activities with my dolls!
• I will post photos when I can.
• Mainly I will be taking notes of my activities
• with my American Girl doll Josefina,
• and, of course, Emma.

P.S. Please excuse the posting mistake, it was NOT posted in June!!!!