The better to match the corset, my dear

So, I’ve been sewing a bit, as you can no doubt tell from the FO 2012 list. The reason? The Hoggetowne Medieval Faire is nearly upon us and that means costume time!

Regular readers know that my alter-ego Cupcake has been a regular character at the faire for the last 14 years (yikes, 14 years?!). Last year, I upgraded her costume… with mixed results. I love her new corset, but the underdress and lack of overskirt left the look, well, incomplete. I definitely needed to do something.

And this year Cupcake has a new gig at the faire: she’s the head of a wench troupe* called Just Desserts**. Each of us wenches (Cupcake, Ginger Snap, Tira McSue, Cherri Tart and Molly Lickalolly) will have a color theme to our costuming… and Tira wanted purple. So, in keeping with the gold of Cupcake’s corset, I decided to make Cupcake’s costume in golden hues. To do this, I had to make a new chemise (underdress) and a new overskirt.

Josie the pussycat was a big help throughout the sewing process.

Here she is, helping me lay out the chemise fabric (a light cream polycotton blend):

Josie calls this part "smoothing out the fabric."

And here she is helping me sew it:

That black blob? Yep, that's Josie.

With her diligent assistance, I managed to make this chemise (cropped about thigh level):

The time-honored dress-on-a-hanger shot!

You can see some details about it on its FO page.

Today was all about two things: 1.) switching my sleeping schedule from days to nights, so I/Cupcake can stay awake to work the faire, and 2) finishing the overskirt.

As for the sleep-hours-switching thing, so far so good. I’ve been awake for 24 hours so far (worked 12 of them, and have been shopping, sewing, photographing, blogging since). I expect I’ll sleep well tonight… in the actual night. You know, the dark kind. (Weird, but I think I can deal with it for a few days/nights.)

And the overskirt, you ask? Well, Josie helped with that too.

How would I manage without her? (You wouldn't, says she.)

I got the embellished-taffeta skirt panels cut out and sewn together Tuesday night (actually, it was early Wednesday morning, but you know how confusing that gets when you work nightshift). And today I made the waistband with self-ties and hemmed the skirt. As you can see, Josie made sure I sewed it correctly.

Wanna see some pretty bad on-a-hanger pictures of the chemise and overskirt? Sure you do.

Full length, with the skirt pinned in approximately the right place on the chemise.

Here’s a closer view of the two:

Look at the pretty stitching on the skirt fabric! It's golden yellow.

But the final test (and all that really matters) is putting the underpinnings with the corset that will tie them together. How will they work as an outfit?

Well, forgive the bad and too yellowish photos, but I think the chemise and corset combo works.

So far, so good...

And when we add in the skirt? Let’s see…

... Oh, yes! Cupcake will be stylin' this year!

Next up, a vest for the BC15′s costume (a final touch) and then decorating a straw hat to shade Cupcake’s, um, crumpets and match her outfit.

After that? I sure do hope to get some knitting done. (Really, Tira, I will make you some long fingerless mitts for next weekend’s faire! Thank goodness we shouldn’t need them this weekend.)

—

* Those of you who have never seen a show by a wench troupe may not know that “wench troupe” is not a synonym or euphemism for “bunch of skanks throwing themselves at random men”. No, indeed. A wench troupe is a singing comedy troupe. We sing some traditional tavern songs, as well as some newer-but-traditional-sounding songs, almost all of which use innuendo and double entendre to be flirty and naughty and funny (especially funny), but not explicit. And the comedy also takes the form of improv, as the wenches (it’s a title we bear with honor) interact with the audience members between and around the songs, usually by embarrassing men accompanied by girlfriends and/or wives (much to the genuine delight of these girlfriends and wives, respectively). Rest assured that none of the wenches really wants to take anyone’s man away… not even for a few minutes. It’s all in the name of fun. And, ohmygoodness, is it ever fun! If you have the chance to attend a performance, do yourself a favor and go. You may surprise yourself by having a blast!

** If you are the type to support something you’ve never actually seen in person, based on a virtual friendship with one of the involved parties, you can Like our wench troupe on Facebook at this link.

And, if you’re at all interested in Cupcake, here’s her FB fan page.