The Sewing Place

Riding Habit

DementedFairy

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #15 on: May 31, 2017, 21:49:22 PM »
Lol I love the green jacket too- that soutache braiding took ages, and very sore fingers.  The back is the best, it's a Game of Thrones design I snaffled off t'internet
C'est moi!

Syrinx

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #16 on: June 01, 2017, 09:14:09 AM »
Did you make the braiding yourself?

Here is the riding jacket I really want to make once I'm better at the whole sewing clothes thing. http://m.vam.ac.uk/collections/cis/enlarge/id/2008BT6426

DementedFairy

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #17 on: June 01, 2017, 10:31:49 AM »
Well I sewed it all on by hand- you can do it by machine, but it looked more complicated to me!   It's special braid, like a double row of fine piping cord, and a thin thread runs through each side which you can pull up to make really tight curves.   It gives a lovely effect.
I looked at lots of historical outfits to get ideas, and thought the random cornelli was really nice for the lapels.  I went more pseudo-military for the cuffs, then the wolf sigil for the back.


C'est moi!

Catllar

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #18 on: June 01, 2017, 16:43:53 PM »
What do you mean" they go "rooting through your layers"?  That downright pervy! :|
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Syrinx

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #19 on: June 01, 2017, 18:11:54 PM »
They can lift the layers of the skirt, petticoats etc to make sure they all match and you are wearing the correct things under the habit. So 18th Century habit should have the correct 18th C petticoats

sewing in oz

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #20 on: June 02, 2017, 05:21:15 AM »
Exactly how far can they "root through the layers"?? My knickers are nobody's business but mine  :o  :|

Syrinx

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #21 on: June 02, 2017, 07:55:32 AM »
Well theoretically they could go all the way to check you are wearing split drawers (if that's the age and design of your habit) but they don't tend to do that! They just lift the edge of the skirt and take a look at the petticoats (if you have them) or to check you are wearing proper matched riding trousers, depending on your habit.

DementedFairy

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #22 on: June 02, 2017, 10:03:00 AM »
I LOVE MY SPLIT DRAWERS!  They are absolutely the best thing ever, and essential under flowing skirts.  They always make the missus giggle too, it's all a bit 'what the butler saw' [and probably wished he hadn't] :devil: :devil:
C'est moi!

Syrinx

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #23 on: June 12, 2017, 22:29:50 PM »
So skirt pattern traced and cut and I've cut my calico toile as well. There are a lot of darts!

Spoke to my tailor friend who thinks I'm crazy but she said she would help me with the fit, poked and prodded me a bit and declared that darts aren't too bad and to keep the hem really long as you can always take it up but you can't make it longer.

There are a couple of places where it gives the line for size 6 (the smallest) and doesn't give info on where to move the line on larger sizes. I hope tomorrow morning as I go through stitching the skirt toile together it will become obvious.

I've also been instructed on where to get the cavalry twill, but not sure if they will sell to me as an individual. I'm waiting until I've cut the jacket toile out as well and then I'll measure how much calico I have left to see how much nice fabric I'll need.

Also discussed proper canvas to interface and padding it out etc and she has lent me one of her tailoring bibles which will 'explain everything' and I will be hopefully showing her how awesome my skills are ;) hah! She said not to use fusible as it will get a lot of use and unless you have a heat fress you'll end up with bubbles and it coming apart and that never looks good. It's a bit more work but worth it in the long run.

DementedFairy

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #24 on: June 12, 2017, 22:32:03 PM »
If you use tailoring quality woven fusible, you'll be fine.
C'est moi!

Syrinx

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #25 on: June 12, 2017, 22:45:01 PM »
It's more the use that can be the problem. Because it's so very fitted, and we riders get terribly hot and gross and bendy and move a lot, the fusible will eventually come off or warp or bubble and it won't give as sharp a look as proper tailors canvas (which I don't mind trying). As she makes an awful lot of this sort of stuff (film work) and has been a tailor for a long time, I'm happy to go by her rcommendation as I want the jacket to last as long as possible without looking old, and lots of the modern ones, with fusible just don't look good after 5 years. Especially compared to the vintage ones which were done pre fusible and are still going strong!

It also means I get to play with pad stitching and it seems a little easier than the fusible, having briefly glanced through her bible. I don't mind having a go, especially as I can "borrow" some help if I need it urgently.

I can't get over how many darts there are in this skirt though and whether they are big enough/in the right place for me. Hoping to have it made up for Wednesday as I'm meandering over to my trainer for a sit on the horse I'll be borrowing so I can wear it and see how it sits and how much hem needs to go up...

Syrinx

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #26 on: June 13, 2017, 10:58:20 AM »
So I've sewn the toile together this morning. I actually had quite a bit of fun doing the darts!

I didn't pop any interfacing in as I don't have much and the calico seems to be heavily starched. I also don't have any velcro - I thought I did but can't find it! I did skipp all the hard bits of the instructions as they were all about adding the lining fabric and it's just a toile (please tell me that's right?!) to check for fit on me and the horse. I'm going to dig out one of my quilting safety pins in place of velcro and buttons for trying on horse. To be honest I'm still not entirely certain how it does up and how to fold it up or hang it!

I had no idea how to hang it so I plopped it on the table for a picture.

b15erk

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #27 on: June 13, 2017, 11:11:21 AM »
Good grief!  That is huge!  Look forward to watching your progress.

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

Syrinx

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #28 on: June 13, 2017, 11:15:38 AM »
Hah! Yes, there's an awful lot of fabric. And it's a very odd shape. As it's a modern skirt there's actually less fabric than in a full skirt. I can't even get my head around how much fabric is in a concours skirt!

Syrinx

Re: Riding Habit
« Reply #29 on: June 14, 2017, 18:18:55 PM »
Took my massive bit of fabric and sat on horse today. Need to increase the back of knee darts to get the shape a bit better, and need to have less of a fold at the left hip drop. My trainer was lovely and pinned the hem to roughly the right shape. And decided that the right side needs to be hammed at about an inch. When on the horse it didn't seem like so much fabric!

I traced all 17 bits of pattern for the jacket last night and will cut them out properly tonight. I'll cut the toile tomorrow and sew it together and hope for the best and try and follow instructions. I'll only chop out the "fabric" ones and ignore the interfacing and lining ones (which I think is right - it is a calico toile). It will be done by the end of the week I hope and I'll pop to friend and beg help for fit and any problems I have made. Once it's all cut out I'll know how much cavalry twill I need to attempt to order.

I'll ring them tomorrow and see if they'll sell to me :) and then JL for canvas and I'll have to trawl around for a lining fabric.

On the topic of lining fabrics, are there any out there which are good with sweat/hot gross person underneath them that won't go rancid. I've looked in my old hacking jacket but it doesn't tell me what fabric it is sadly and I'd rather not make the wrong choice and have to rip it out and replace it!

I'm feeling confident about the skirt.

I'm not feeling confident about the concept of linings...(I mean HOW?!)