Wednesday, January 15, 2014

HSF '14 #1: Make Do and Mend: The Finishing Touches

I had grand plans (after a fashion) of getting everything out of my "nearly finished - no, really" pile for this challenge. I have so many skirts that I've had to wear pinned in place, and nearly as many almost-finished-except-for-hemming-and-closures. I was going to fix all that!

Life gets in the way, as it does. I got inspired to work on a challenge or two from last year that I've been wanting to work on for over a year. The temperature dropped into the -40 range so I decided to cancel some plans and took the self-imposed-purgatory chance to clean up my apartment a bit more (I moved over 2 months ago...) and sort through some fabric. Then my friend had an extra ticket for Justin Timberlake, and on that same night, I got a notice that I was going to be inspected for bedbugs (for those keeping track at home, it is my fourth rodeo with bedbugs in three years. Yep.) so all of my to-do pile got put back into the box from whence it came.

But! During the Ridiculously Cold Weekend, I did finish a to-do project. Three years ago, I attended an SCA Coronation feast. I had worked really hard to get an outfit ready for the event, and I recall the temperature having been in the Ridiculously Cold range (a normal occurance in January, sadly) and the day of the event, it was quite pleasant out, with temperatures hovering around the freezing mark (-3C or so). Not warm enough to go without a coat, by a long shot, but I had no other outerwear. And so, this cloak was born. And then it languished in the Pile, when all it needed was to have a closure put on, the turning seam closed, and closing up the holes at the front corners. I'm pleased to say that it is finally done!

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Creepy mannequin head added to show off the hood shape.

I just have no idea if it's any good in the weather. Perhaps I'll run to the corner store on a day when it's not Ridiculously Cold and see how it goes.

The Challenge: #1: Make Do and Mend
Fabric: Wool, poly fleece
Pattern: Butterick 4419 with modifications
Year: The pattern appears to be late-1800s but could work for a variety of eras.
Notions: Thread, large hook and eye
How historically accurate is it?: Not terribly. The shape and wool outer are certainly period, but polyester fleece lining, not so much.
Hours to complete: Probably around 5. It should not have taken me 3 years to put on a hook and eye, but I swear every time I went to do it, either the cloak was mislaid, or the hook and eye was...
First worn: Not yet.
Total cost: I remember getting the wool at a mega-bargain but it's been so long I don't recall by how much! Perhaps $20 CDN total.


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Seriously... 3 years to do this.


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Side-back. The hood doesn't stick up that much normally, it's the Creepy Head...

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Complete with 3-year-old wrinkles and cat fur!
(What is it about UFOs that draws cats to use them as nests?)

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