Yuuko Ichihara - Foxy Lady #30

heat formed ears

Two fox ears almost completed and two crisis averted.

About three days ago, I grabbed my heat gun and started heat forming the fox ears. First I carefully folded them, making sure the bottom is a curve, until the open part matched the cut out part, as best as I could. Then I curved the bottom part, on both pieces.

primed inner sides

gold painted inner sides

Crisis #1

I gave the gold paint can, Pébèo Deco Spray, in 868 Gold, which matches the shoes gold colour, a really good shake, but the first layer came out mostly gas, and little paint. Besides, it looked a pale yellow, and not gold at all! I shaked it more, and tried again, but the can started drooling... Bah!

Fortunately, the next day I was visiting my mom, who lives near the shop where I bought the paint at, Imaginação das Cores. I took the can and told them what happened. I bought two more cans, because I was afraid these small 200ml cans wouldn't be enough for the ears, shoe embellishments, and the staff. They were very nice, and also gave the cans a good shake before I left.  At home, I shook the new can vigorously for at least 15 minutes straight, and the result was much more to my satisfaction. I only sprayed a thin layer to the cut out fronts, to make the surface even, as it mostly won't be seen.

Crisis averted!

glueing the fronts to the backs

Crisis #2

I filed the backs' edges, so they match the fronts, and to remove the excess paint for some grip surface. I did the same to the fronts' edges, about 3mm in. Then I proceeded to glue them with superglue, which I thought would glue PVC, by melting it slightly. It didn't. PVC typically should be glued with proper PVC glue, which I don't have. I usually do it with contact glue, but it also isn't the best for PVC, especially with these weird curves. Well I had to glue them with contact glue, I wasn't in the mood to use the E6000, which I only use when no other glue works, because it dries slowly and is messy.

I glued them with contact glue, but realised I needed to correct the heat forming in some places. I bount them with elastics, and let them dry overnight. Then I heated the mismatched places again carefully, I didn't want to boil the paint, and pressed them in place. Then, with a nail clipper spatula, I took the glue off, where it didn't work well, and applied contact glue again. This time I waited a bit longer until it was tacky, and then pressed it together. Added the rubber elastics again, and let it stay overnight.

Crisis averted!

smoothed joints

To make the joints look nice, I filed them smoothly, then sanded them with a fine grit sandpaper, and, finally, added filler to all the gaps, and sanded again when dry.

I added another thin paint layer to the inside, as with all the manipulation, it got a bit stained.

+ the heat forming went much better than antecipated, which gives me hopes for the ruby.

- the paint debockle, it was a mess, and I probably should have bought PVC glue for this, but the end result is becoming really nice!

THE CUNNING PLAN 

Paint the primer on the outside tomorrow. Try to squeeze some paint out of the first can and use it to paint the cut-outs with a brush.

Stop procraftinating and sew the dress!

Yuuko Ichihara - Foxy Lady #29

the dress patterns

After making a mock-up/structural piece in white flannel, from the patterns I drafted last week, this week I finally cut the dress.

There was a bit of indecision concerning the structural part, I altered the corset I made for the Chinese dress, I opened up the back and added eyelets and ties, but it still didn't fit me well, it was a pain to try to put it on by myself. So I decided to restart from scratch and make a boned under structure for the dress.

When I need to draft patterns for long dresses (or skirts), I usually don't draft them full length,  if the skirt part is straight. I usually only draft the fitted parts, which, in this case are from the bust to the pelvis, my torso.

This time, I eyeballed it a lot, I still don't have a full length mirror in the new house, so I had to trust my instincts. And apparently it worked.

The dress has 6 pieces:

• 1 front (with a sweetheart neckline)
• 2 sides with princess seams
• 2 backs (it will close on the back)
• 1 detachable bustle

I cut the pattern in white flannel, with wide seam allowances, to leave room for eventual alterations, and basted it by hand to try it on. Without the boning and not being able to properly close it (I may baste the zipper to the back when I properly sew it), it seemed to fit fine, except the back darts need to be a bit wider.

tracing the pattern (front side)

So I proceeded to cut the dress in the grey jacquard. This fabric is 280cm wide, and I bought 4m of it, so I have plenty to work with. I first traced the backs, near the selvedge, in order to take advantage of it, and then proceeded in order, the sides and then the middle front. I measured how long I'd like the dress, from the small of the back to the floor, 150cm. To add the length to the traced pattern, I made a mark of the small of the back in the middle back, and measured the 150cm from it. I marked it on both sides and cut the excess fabric.

folded fabric on the floor to cut the excess length

Even though now I have a cutting table, I still needed to take the 280cm wide fabric to the living room to cut it lengthwise. This fabric doesn't rip, so I had to cut it with the scissors. I folded and pinned it on each side, then laid it on the floor so I could also pin the centre. Then I tried to cut it as straight as possible.

marking the vertical straight lines

I laid the piece of fabric with the traced patterns back on the cutting table, measured the distance of each line from the selvedge and marked it on the bottom. With the help of my T-ruler (inherited from my engineer dad, along with the lead weights), I marked the vertical lines from the hips to the bottom. I'll trace and cut the bottom hem after I sew the dress.

the cut dress

Then I cut the dress, first the outside pieces, near the selvedge, and moving inwards. After that, I laid the remaining fabric on the cutting table, and traced and cut the bustle, which is a very big trapeze.

I kept the leftover fabric between the dress pieces to make the extra pieces, the facings, and the pouch-purse I will add under the bustle.

I still need to buy ribbon to attach the boning, to make the waist tape for the corseted part, and grey grosgrain ribbon to add a belt to attach the bustle. The bustle will be separated from the dress, and it will attach with a belt on the inside. I'll explain it when I make it.

+ as it's becoming a habit with this costume, I finally went ahead and cut the dress. It was a smooth process, I just hope it won't need more than one fitting.

- it took me too long to get here, I just hope to finish the dress on time.

THE CUNNING PLAN 

Sew the inner layer, bone it and fit it. Then sew the dress to start hand hemming it.