I am the world's slowest sempstress, I swear.

[soldiergrrrl]

I read about people putting stuff together in two days and I wonder what the hell I'm doing wrong.  For me, even an easy project is at least a couple of days, and usually weeks. 

However, I did FINALLY get the serger working last night, and get the sleeves put together.  Now, I'm going to put the lining and the body of the cote together and see what it all looks like.  Then, I'll see about making a few more. 

:-)

Not sure what other fabrics I'm going to use, but I'm sure I'll find something.  Cotton twill would be nice and I do have some lovely silk, but I need to make sure that's back with a very very strong lining fabric to take most of the stress off the silk.  The cote is very fitted, and it has to be to support the breasts, but I'm worried that the silk will just shred if it's not back with something very stable.  Not heavy, necessarily, but stable.  Just something very tightly woven.  Probably a cotton sheeting.

If anyone's got any advice for making a very fitted cote from silk (why yes, I am looking at HRH at the moment, but she's really busy, so I'm not looking TOO hard....), would you tell me your solution?
 
The silks are from this post, the one with all the fabric pictures.  :-)  I am trying to avoid buying more silk, like oh...silk twill.  So far, I'm successful.

Comments

[fieryredhead.livejournal.com]

As long as you line it properly making it with silk is easy-peasy. I usually use a good cotton fabric; anything from Joann's that feels thick enough (broadcloth is off the list). The lining takes the strain. I've made several silk cotes and never have had any problems with them shredding.

[mudo.livejournal.com]

Definitely read the subject as "I am the world's slowest temptress, I swear."

1st thought: that's hot.
2nd thought: isn't she married?

[must-sew-faster.livejournal.com]

Nah, you're not slow, you just have a full-time job and a house to take care of. I have two kids on top of all of that. Of course, while making Katie's dress these past three weeks, my house work has gone to hell in a hand basket. Something's gotta give, usually it's the cleaning.
The only thing I know about sewing supportive garments with silk I learned from the corsetmakers community. Some of those ladies have made corsets out of silk by backing the silk with a fusable interfacing, and then using a sturdy coutil as the strength layer. However, regarding the interfacing, evidentally there is a fine line between 'good interfacing' and 'my silk now feels like a potato chip', so maybe you can search through corsetmakers memories for that info.

[wishwords.livejournal.com]

Now that I've stopped laughing at the previous two responses...

I've learned to not pay attention to the parts of posts dealing with how long it took marymont to hand sew an entire Elizabethan. It's just depressing. It takes me weeks to complete anything. And that's after I actually start machine stitching. Sometimes the thing lays there all cut out for months.

I haven't made a supportive cote yet, but I agree with HRH about the lining. Just make sure to stand there and abuse the fabric in the store for a couple of minutes to make sure it will be sturdy.

I'm going to have to trek over to your part of the woods to find someone to help me pattern a cote. That is if I decide to stay in the SCA. :-(

[brian-berlin.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't consider you a seamstress. Tailor, or perhaps Clothier. I'm not sure if there is really any hierarchical structure among those who work in cloth... but I think of seamstress as a woman who hems.

Just my stupid, out of the blue, and unsolicited opinion.

[piroshki.livejournal.com]

...wait, a couple of weeks is slow? ^<kicks the half-finished shirt started in 2003 under the industrial>

Not sure what a cote is, but I made a corset out of silk once. It's all in the lining.

[lorihalia.livejournal.com]

A couple days for me is generally a fluke. Like the "OMG-I-CANT-COOK-IN-MY-GOOD-STUFF!!!" panic outfit I just did. Until then, I didn't think that my IEEEE!! mode was even remotely decent (I was convinced right up until I put it on that it was going to suck majorly).

Everyone has their own pace, don't compare yours to others. Me, I go in spurts, winter is prime activity time for me probly because if I don't sew I freeze my butt off, and in the summer I become related to the giant tree sloth. ;)

RE silk: Back the snot out of it with something that breathes and is sturdy, but won't effect things like drape and bulk, let that take the strain.

[momwolf.livejournal.com]

http://www.vintagetextile.com/

I know the period is a little later than you are interested in...but have you seen this website? Yummy!

[suzilem.livejournal.com]

Have you been to "Silk Road" on North Lamar?

(just being your friendly local temptress here....)

:-)

[chaotic-nipple.livejournal.com]

Is the "dork dork dork" tag a reference to that Robot Chicken segment with the Swedish Chef?

[boogieshoes.livejournal.com]

considering that i've got pieces in storage that have been waiting to be finished for a decade or more... you have nothing on slow, girl. :-p

-bs