HSF14 Challenge #21 - Redo

From the beginning of the HSF14, I had a plan for Redo.  For the very first challenge, Make Do and Mend, I wanted to do a Make Do.  I'd purchased a curtain from a thrift store that would be perfect for it.  But it was at the start of my faire season, and time was against me, so I just did a quick mend of one of my faire gowns I wasn't using.  Good thing too, since I've had to pull it out twice since then.  But I still wanted to make something with my curtain, so I decided that unless I missed another challenge, when Redo came around, I would do the Make Do part of Make Do and Mend.  Well I've fortunate enough to have managed every challenge. The only one I have truly disliked was Paisley and Plaid, however my Poetry in Motion gown was also paisley, which more than made up for it.  So the Make Do Redo was on!

While my choice of garment was very simple, I'm pretty happy with the result.  Once again I have to apologize for the lack of progress pictures, but I promise there was nothing terribly interesting about it.  I picked a 1943 skirt pattern, since the war years seemed appropriate for Making Do.  The curtain I bought is a very lightweight cotton, and has nice linear texture pattern.

It was a bit sheer, so I lined it with muslin.  The pattern required very little adjustment, so I was able to use the mock-up as the lining.  I intended to bag line it, but I couldn't quite figure out how to put a lapped zipper into it.  So it became sort of half and half.  It was mostly bag lined, except for the zipper seam, and the lining was folded up with the hem.  It gave the skirt a nice weight and a little stiffness, like there was horsehair in the hem.

I've always been the sort of person who used and abused shortcuts.  In theatre, it only has to look good on the outside, and from several feet away, even in small venues.  But somewhere along the way I've become much more particular.  I've become the sort of person who cannot resist hand picking a zipper.  When did that happen?  However it did, this is definitely one of the best ones I've put in.  I was positively giddy when I saw how flat it laid.  I also handstitched the entire hem, because I didn't want a big machine stitched line across the bottom.

The Challenge: Redo/Make Do and Mend

Fabric: Cotton curtain, muslin

Pattern:  McCall's 5189

Year: 1943

Notions: Plastic zipper, hooks and bars

How historically accurate is it? 60/40?  It's from a vintage pattern, and the fabric is the right material, but I did serge my seam allowances and used a plastic zipper.

Hours to complete: Eh...

First worn: Just to model

Total cost: $15 at most. 

And the result: