Today I shall be Mainly...

[plaques]

Wiki, definition. " culottes were the fashionable silk knee-breeches of the 18th-century nobility and bourgeoisie, and the working class sans-culottes wore pantaloons, or trousers, instead." Hope we are not preparing for a re-run of the French Revolution.

[Wendyf]

In my mind, culottes are more of a split skirt than trousers, so if Sue stands still (showing off her Chinese brocade jacket whilst sipping a glass of champagne on board ship) she appears to be wearing a long skirt, but when she strides off (to greet the Captain) she has free movement and she can even run upstairs and down without having to hitch anything up...or risk tripping over the silk hem that was so difficult to sew.

[Stanley]

You've been following the action Wendy!
I wrote another three articles yesterday, I'm safe now until March 9th!
Busy day today but I am aiming for an hour of pottering in the shed.

[Sue]

In my mind, culottes are more of a split skirt than trousers, so if Sue stands still (showing off her Chinese brocade jacket whilst sipping a glass of champagne on board ship) she appears to be wearing a long skirt, but when she strides off (to greet the Captain) she has free movement and she can even run upstairs and down without having to hitch anything up...or risk tripping over the silk hem that was so difficult to sew.

Thats the idea Wendy, it looks exactly like a long flowing skirt, but when I get up on deck I will not have to worry about my decency when the gales start blowing up!

Anyway the toile fits so its all set now to start sewing. The other two toiles fit too, a coat and a summer top, so it looks like I shall be busy now for a few weeks. Coat first to get to a particular stage for my next seesion on February 7 th, then culottes, they won’t take long once I have set the machine for the fabric. Summer top! Well how urgent do you think that is

[Sue]

A bit like this. These cost £350 mine cost £42 for the fabric and an old duvet cover for the toile

72E5BD23-6DB7-422A-A151-EC646DA84B1E.jpeg

[Wendyf]

She's going to get her heels caught in the hem!

[Stanley]

I was just thinking, I can remember when you occasionally saw older women in that length of skirt. My last one was Mother Hanson at Admergill Pasture farm in the late 1950s. She wore long white cotton underskirts as well, the number varied with the weather! You can't do that Sue, are the culottes lined?

[Sue]

She's going to get her heels caught in the hem!

Mine won’t be that long . I have made the toile and checked tbe length with the actual shoes.. the culottes are lined with a similar luxury fabric to tbe outer later, a sort of black crinkled satin jersey. The outerlayer is not crinkled though. As for tbe older women bit Stanley...careful. It may be my birthday this week but I am still a young late 60 ish person ( very late 6o ish, its the big 0 in a couple of years)

[Wendyf]

You may not be able to wear layers of cotton petticoats under them to keep warm Sue but no-one will spot your long thermal undies!
2020 will be a good year for celebration!

[plaques]

I know that young ladies are getting taller these days but a lot of them appear to cheat. Its quite common to see 4-5 inch heel shoes, and those are the ones with the spikey heels, god knows what they wear under culottes. The model in the picture looks like she has platform shoes.

[Sue]

I know that young ladies are getting taller these days but a lot of them appear to cheat. Its quite common to see 4-5 inch heel shoes, and those are the ones with the spikey heels, god knows what they wear under culottes. The model in the picture looks like she has platform shoes.

Heeled gold sandals in my case about 2 inches...sorry 5 cm . Yes Wendy 2020 a good yesr for a celebration!

[Tripps]

I have made the toile

Pardon my ignorance - what's a toile - and is a small one a 'toilette'?

[Stanley]

I was going to ask that David.....
Sue, it wasn't your age I was alluding to but my own!
Today I shall be cooking and washing and grand daughter Yiota and her partner Ashley are calling in..... Yippee!

[Sue]

A toile is a mock up of a garment that allows you to check tbe fit, and do the all the modifications before you make the actual garment. In America it is called a muslin. In the trade they use plain calico so markings can be seen clearly. The modifications are then made to the original pattern so that when tbe final garment is made it fits perfectly ( that is the theory) . In home dressmaking most people don’t bother, but if you are designing your own patterns , or the final garment is expensive material or will mark if it is constantly altered then a toile is the thing to make first.Toiles are also useful if your shape varies substantially from the measurements on a paper pattern and you know you will have many alterations to do. Since I started making toiles I have had much more success with my sewing and am also aware of the usual alterations I need to make to commercial patterns.

In the industry, when the toile fits, the seams are undone and the fabric pieces used to cut out the final garment, and used to make thin cardboard pattern pieces that can be used over and over again when making the same garment for the same person.

Some people make a toile in a cheap fabric and make a wearable garment. Strictly speaking this is not a toile. I make my toiles from old sheets, duvet covers etc, but they really need to be cotton and not polyester as the latter stretches and distorts and does not give a good end result.

747AA5C3-0D20-4C8F-9BC2-5F38545967A5.jpeg

They look like shapeless sacks but many hours of fitting and altering have gone into these. Hopefully in the final garments all that work will pay off, and beautiful garments will rise from the sewing table like the Phoenix from the fire

[Big Kev]

Sounds far too complicated for me. Unless I can glue it, screw it or hit it with a hammer...

[Tizer]

I know what you mean, Kev. My experience with mock ups only extends as far as cutting out shapes in cardboard!

[Sue]

Sounds far too complicated for me. Unless I can glue it, screw it or hit it with a hammer...

It feels like that sometimes, ie pin it, draw on it even staple it

[Stanley]

Thanks for that Sue, it's a real skill!
Today I will be avoiding the rain and waiting for my castings!

[Sue]

Ah, the rain, our winter break in the Lakes and it is pouring and we have both started with a cold. Thank you all my friends who had colds last week snow forecast from tomorrow

[Stanley]

Hard luck Sue..... But the Lakes is best viewed through a thin veil of falling water....
I shall be in the shed marshalling my forces for making the steam hammer.

[Sue]

I refuse to say its flu, I am a great believer that people who say they have flu actually have a cold. But I ache all over have a splitting headache. We shall see. I shall take the medication and fingers crossed. We are out for a meal tonight to celebrate my birthday.

[Stanley]

You're going to see snow today in the Lakes Sue and more tomorrow with a lot of wind. Look after yourself and keep warm.....
I've done a bit of shopping that was outstanding. No snow at the moment but the cloud is building in the West. Off into the shed!

[Sue]

You're going to see snow today in the Lakes Sue and more tomorrow with a lot of wind. Look after yourself and keep warm.....
I've done a bit of shopping that was outstanding. No snow at the moment but the cloud is building in the West. Off into the shed!

Yes, it was forecast a week ago for this week. It always snows this week in the Lakes. It was forecast to arrive during last night but didn’t, we were expecting a thick white covering this morning.

[Wendyf]

Didn't you have a bad cold for your Lakes weekend last year Sue?
Happy Birthday, hope it's a good one despite the cold!

[PanBiker]

I hope you are feeling better sooner rather than later Sue. There seems to be some fairly nasty viruses about this year. Take care and have a nice birthday.