Sewing Blues (in which our Heroine raises her spirits with shopping)

It's been a rather unfulfilling week sewing wise.  My hat for the HSF challenge was well received, but my current primary project is self-fitting a mockup for my 1880s corset and that is going every bit as frustratingly as I expected. My other projects are a mockup of a 1940s dress for the Black and White Challenge and finishing a pair of Victorian drawers for the UFO challenge but I'm not likely to have anything complete to post about this week, sadly.

I did, however, treat myself to some internet shopping.  I've been on an old magazine binge lately and have picked up some reasonably priced copies of 1890s-1910s issues of The Delineator on ebay.  I've also found a few 1920s fashion magazines online, so I started a "Research" page for the blog, in case these finds are useful for someone else.  I'm trying to find an efficient and economical method to digitize my Delineator issues; if I can, I'll post those for general reference as well.  I also started a "Fabric and Notions" and a "Tutorials" page, mostly to keep good info I find on my frequent Internet dives from getting lost in my bookmarks folders.  These are still very much works in progress, but perhaps they'll be helpful for someone besides me.

I also bought some Folkwear patterns and hope to have some more pleasant projects once I get the corset and the 40s dress completed.

Folkwear patterns.  I loved them in college.  Victorian, retro, ethnic, they all seemed a little magical and could be made from luscious fabrics that I desperately wanted to play with, but couldn't afford as a college student. (I've been battling my fabric addiction all my life.)

In my ideal world, I would have wandered campus in nothing but garments I'd made from folkwear patterns.  A friend of mine, Sarah, had actually made several folkwear skirts and shirts and I have to admit I was happily envious of her. But back in the dark ages when I went to college, even though I was far skinnier then than I am now,  Folkwear never made patterns in my size. (and, oddly enough,  it never occurred me to scale them up to fit)

So I really stopped looking at Folkwear for patterns and was almost surprised to find them still around when I started doing Japanese costuming a few years ago. For some reason, I found myself on the Folkwear site this week and, lo and behold, some of their newer patterns were sized up to a 3X! Of course, I had to buy...  several.  (after all, with the shipping they're charging, why pay shipping more than once!)

The one I think I'm most excited about is the 1918 Armistice blouse. I'm already envisioning ecru handkerchief linen and some of my antique lace collection for trims and perhaps lace insertion. Now I just have to get some of the less amusing projects completed!

Folkwear #210 Armistice Blouse