I know I've been horrid at updating, but perhaps that is a part of what comes with being comfortable in any century but this one!
But, to make up for it, I have a project, and I even took progress pictures! People who know me will be aghast.
I must give credit where credit is due- to Heather McNaughton of Truly Victorian for this brilliant idea. It is she who came up with the brilliance of getting a shirtwaist from a tablecloth, not I.
It is nearly impossible to find good quantities of good lace these days, so the idea is to save both money and fabric and use a battenberg lace tablecloth instead.
The tablecloth itself was 54" in diameter. Heather's called for 72", but I figured I was small and I could make it since I was drafting the pattern myself off of an extant I have. Famous last words.
It actually did all fit, but that center piece, the sleeve, was about five inches too short. I managed to have extra lace at the border so I cut it off and added the lace from the border to the lace on the sleeve and extended it. I also had to add some fabric to the armscye to get it to ease in well.
Heather's originally had fabric binding the neckline, but I wanted mine to have a proper high lace collar, and since there was enough lace left over, I added that, too.
The finished waist next to the October 1903 edition of the Ladies' Home Journal:
I finally got a few pictures of it at an event last weekend, which is why I was so long in posting. The only thing I think I would change is that most waists have pin tucks in the front to prevent tugging on the low, pigeon bust. The tablecloth didn't have this, and it does tug a little, but not too badly.
Forgive the pictures- it was at the end of a very long day out in the heat, so my hair has rather given in haha! The zig-zag wires to keep my collar up were not yet in at this point, so it too is a little saggy.
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