A project in a weekend.

Believe it or not it is possible to complete a historical sewing project in a weekend. A small half circle caplet is the ticket to adding icing to your out fit.

I based my caplet on a extent one from a friend's collection. The soutache [russian] braid design is based on this photos from Fashion History dot com. http://www.fashion-era.com/images/ALLSMALLPICS/1897capebands400x55a_small1.jpg

I wanted to use soutache braid on my caplet. It's one of the authentic ways of trimming your caplet. However, there is one rule when using this braid. Always sew your braid on before you piece your garment together. So careful making out with chalk or water soluble pen of your design is essential. Usually this trim is applied by hand but if you are time strapped there is a way around it. However, you must accept that the trim design can only be simple.

Yes, you can sew this trim on by machine! I can hear you saying how?? Please tell me! My satin stitch foot enabled me to feed the soutache braid and sew it to the fabric. You must line up the farrow of the braid with the center of your foot and have your needle position also in the center.
There is one more adjustment you need to make. Change the amount of downward force exerted on your pressure foot. I decreased the setting to the lowest my machine had. This is to decrease drag on the fabric as you sew. Set your stitch length for usual stitch you use to do straight stitching. I suggest you take a scrap of fabric and braid and have a practice run before you start sewing on your lovely wool. This will help you adjust the settings on your machine to get the best possible result.

Okay this is great but how about those sharp corners? You can do sharp corners with this technique too. You need to fold the braid over itself and push the braid in front of the needle as you turn your fabric; while lifting your pressure foot. Position your braid and fabric in the direction of sewing and start sewing again.

Well my caplet has a leaf design on the corners and at the base of the neck. These were hand sewn using back stitching. Like I said if you want a complicated design you have to hand sew on all that trimming. Well this way you still get something nice but faster.

Well I guess I won't be visiting the 1890's for a while. As the undergarments, outer garments, dinner bodice and caplet finish this decade. I have gloves, parasol and two hats to choose from as accessories.

However, there still is my black skirt with silver trimming to finish. I won't even think about my Elizabethan smock until the skirt is done. Well that is something to look forward too.

Thanks for reading.