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OH daggum!!!!(more pics)

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
I don't know how them women did it back in the 1800s......makin mourning dresses out of black. Stitching them together by hand...with black thread...by the light of a karosene lamp......here I sit, with a sewin machine, with a light on it mind you......in my dinin room that has an 8 bulb chandalier (sp) and I can't see what I"m doin.....even with my dorky granny glasses on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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This dress is for Lil Lilly's One Act Play. She's supposed to be a 'young rich widow' durin the Victorian Era. I have about a week to get it finished. I've got it all cut out, and just started sewin it together. Any other color would be fine. But black on black is murder on my eyes. I had to buy cheap ole cotton/polyester fabric, because the pattern called for 12 yards. :shock: This stuff I bought was 2.99 a yard, then they had a in store coupon for 40% off it and some of the other stuff I bought...zipper....thread....pelon....etc. But I still spent $50 on all of it. The pretty fabric was anywhere from 9.99 a yard up to 14.99 a yard. No way was I spendin that for a dress that'll only get worn for this play.

So....I thought ok....I'll do somethin to make it look more expensive....ughhhhh I got it figured out, and done on the top part of the dress...thank goodness my idea didn't carry over to the skirt part. This idea bit me in the behind...big time. On top of all that, my sewin machine is actin stupid. I can't count the times already today that I've threatened to throw the thing in the creek!!!!! LOL
 

gcreekrch

Well-known member
What we will do for those we created. :D

Lilly, I have always said that tommorow will create another problem, all we have to do is get through today. :wink:
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
Yanuck said:
I just thought that was how sewing made everyone feel...sure does me!!! :shock: :lol: :lol:

Normally I enjoy sewin. But NORMALLY it's somethin I wanna sew. Stuff never goes as planned when it's not somethin you dreamed up yourself LOL

I failed to mention in my above post, that this mornin before startin, I took the sewin machine apart. Cleaned and oiled it from stem to stern so it should be sewin good. I"m still pluggin away at it.......I WILL FINISH THIS DRESS WITHOUT PULLIN MYSELF BALD HEADED!!!!!!!!!!
 

Blkbuckaroo

Well-known member
Could'nt you have bought a dress at the thrift store for the play Lilly?Although we all know you got mad skills when it comes to arts and crafts :wink:
 

tta stockdogs

Well-known member
A little sewing story...about 15yrs ago when got divorced my aunt decided I needed a sewing machine, fixin' I was going to be on my own. So a few yrs later, one cold winter day, I figured i'd get that dude out and figure out how to use it and sew a pair of pillow cases. Well.....3hrs later, with a lot of scratching my head, ripping and re-sewing, more ripping and sewing..I got em done. Told my Mom it took me 3hrs and she laughed till she almost cried. That sewing machine has been in the closet better than 12 yrs now...I just buy pillow cases :D Some things are just best left to women folk.
 

Blkbuckaroo

Well-known member
tta stockdogs said:
A little sewing story...about 15yrs ago when got divorced my aunt decided I needed a sewing machine, fixin' I was going to be on my own. So a few yrs later, one cold winter day, I figured i'd get that dude out and figure out how to use it and sew a pair of pillow cases. Well.....3hrs later, with a lot of scratching my head, ripping and re-sewing, more ripping and sewing..I got em done. Told my Mom it took me 3hrs and she laughed till she almost cried. That sewing machine has been in the closet better than 12 yrs now...I just buy pillow cases :D Some things are just best left to women folk.
I agree,i would'nt even think of touching a sewing machine.
 

per

Well-known member
I had a friend during school who's dad worked at a men's wear store. He was an excellent seamstress and the ladies brought in their alterations as well. He custom fit several suits over the years for me until his passing a few years ago.
 

Jigger Boss

Well-known member
Well, I want to be the "young rich widow" for real!! :nod: :nod: :nod:

Sorry you're not having a good time with your project :? . I love sewing, but not people clothes, I'll stick with horse clothes and bags.
What kind of machine are you driving?
I drive a Nakjima 280L, I love it!! :lol: Its a little to heavy duty for people clothes though.
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
Jigger, this is just a lil ole Brother sewin machine that I bought....ummmmmmmmmm probably when Lil Lilly was a baby. (The last time I had sewin machine trouble and threatened to throw the other one in the creek LOL) I was just discussin this today. It probably really wasn't designed to do serious sewin. It's been thru all the clothes that I made for Lil Lilly when she was little (never bought her a dress always made them) Probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 denim quilts.....plus numerous other quilts over the years......two weddin dresses that I made for a cousin, and sis n law.....A bunch of dresses that I made for myself years ago.....Mr Lilly's confederate uniform for Son's of Confederate Veterans group.......lots of jeans I've dressed up for Lil Lilly.....

haha...probably time for a new one. But I don't wanna go out and buy one. Cuz I know it'll be a cheapo too like everything else they make these days. I wish mom's Singer she bought when I was a baby wasn't 500 miles away, or I'd go get it. That thing will sew anything!!!!

I can't figure out what's up with this machine. It's never done what it's doin now. Sew a little ways, then it starts gatherin the fabric up like you would if you were gonna do a gather. I can pull it, and it comes out, if I catch it when it first does it. But it leaves a small loop on the underside of the seam. If I don't catch it soon enuff, and pull it, it breaks the thread. I've messed with the tention (which I NEVER do) I've even messed with the tention screw on the bobbin case.....(Which I NEVER do) Usually if anything goes wrong I can clean it and oil it, and it sews like a top. Only thing I can figure is there might be somethin up with the feed dogs.

edit: Come to think of it....ever time I've ever used black thread I've had problems. Grandma always told me it was somethin to do with the black dye that's used in the thread.....I may just go grab some different thread, and material, and load the machine and see what it does. If that's the problem...guess I'll just hafta deal with it till I get this thing finished.....haha I'm gonna hafta deal with it anyway cuz I ain't draggin out the old treadle sewin machine.

:shock: :eek: Just dawned on me!!!!! Mama gave me a little Feather Weight Singer a while back before she passed away. She's always bragged on how well them little machines sew....I may just hafta get it out and see if it'll do the job!!!!
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
Blkbuckaroo said:
Could'nt you have bought a dress at the thrift store for the play Lilly?Although we all know you got mad skills when it comes to arts and crafts :wink:

Mad skills.....haha pun pun pun!!!!!!

One of the girls Lil Lilly goes to school with, her mom owns a thrift store in Huntsville (20 miles away) we called her and asked if there was anything that would work, and the only thing they had was lil slinky black dresses. Nothin to fit the time period. 1880s.

I would not have made a good seamstress way back then.....them dresses they wore......oh man I can't even imagine havin someone come in, and order a whole wardrobe like you read about. And all that lace!!!!!!!!!
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
Thank goodness someone I was talkin to suggested using a bigger needle. (They said black thread is bigger than any other thread...I never knew that) I went and sewed a little bit, and that seems to have fixed the problem. Amazing such a small thing can cause such a headache!!!! Literally, I've had a screamin headache all day...finally went away about 9pm when I quit workin on the dress. LOL

Ok...thought I'd share a few "so far" pictures.

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Rockie helpin' me LOL
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Bodice only half sewn together...but you can kinda see what I did to the material to make it look "more expensive".....or "fancier" (rich young widow remember LOL)
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Debatin on puttin this around the neckline......it's just laid on there....
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the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
I always laugh, when I see those home improvement shows...or decoratin shows that do the "no sew tricks"

I can't see it bein easier....I'd make a huge mess with a hot glue gun and material.......and plus it's not gonna stay together if you ever wanted to wash or clean stuff.

I know ya was kiddin about usin hot glue...but you'd be amazed at some of the things I've seen people use hot glue guns for. hehe
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
I'm makin progress now...this is where I'm at now. Most of the rest will be hand stitching the lining in it. And I still hafta make a pleated ruffle to go on the bottom because with the shoes she's wearin with the dress, it's too short. I'd already planned on the ruffled thing on the bottom, but it's gotta be a little bigger than I'd planned, but that's ok, I got plenty of fabric.
Her bein her goofy self.....
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She's so not a girly girl, but when ya git her dressed up like this for One Act Play....what does she do??? She starts twirlin, and swishin the skirt....and gigglin.....she's just plum goofy!!!!
 

Yanuck

Well-known member
wow you're a talented lady jersey! and you've sure got a pretty daughter....my girls act like that too when they play dress up :lol:
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
It's a small steam whistle. Mr Lilly picked it up at a flea market a few years ago. You put a candle underneath it to get the water hot....then pull the lil lever and the whistle blows. Took a couple closer up pics for ya. LOL

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I think it's supposed to have a little door that covers the opening...not sure.
 
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