Back In Black--Now With More Piracy! (A Sewing Post)

I did promise a sewing post, didn't I? And I'm so proud of my latest creations that I just have to share them with everyone. I've been making a lot of black items, partly in preparation for the colder months, and partly because I'm transitioning my wardrobe to more Gothic/Classic items. It's a slow change, but I'm loving every minute of it.

In the last two months, I've made three things I'm really excited about (and a fourth item, but it's a secret!). I made a fur capelet to match the fur muff from last winter, a black chiffon blouse (seen in the last post) and my current pièce de résistance, a corset-waist skirt made from teja_jamilla's gorgeous pirate fabric.

Carry on for the rest of the projects.
Of course I am the most excited about the pirate skirt, but I am still quite happy with the other two projects. The fur cape is useless right now (it was over 100 degrees last week!) but I know it will finally come in handy come December and January. It was nice and chilly here last year, and a capelet will be the perfect amount of warmth for a Southern California winter. The cape is made from a super soft and silky faux fur with polar fleece lining and a hook and eye closure. I also made a cute bow pin to wear over the clasp.

Fur cape and matching muff.

Coordinated here with the chiffon blouse and a BABY skirt.

The blouse was an interesting project, since I have not seriously worked with chiffon before. I got a less slippery kind (it has a nice texture to it, not too cheap, but not too slippery) so it wasn't as hard to work with as I thought it would be. Using the serger for the seams was a lifesaver--I don't know how I would have done it if I had needed to use French seams or other edge-finishing methods. My only peeve with the whole project was that the black thread I bought wasn't quite the same color, but it's hardly noticeable when worn.

My precious pirate skirt! When I first found the fabric, I knew I would have to make something with it. I sketched out a corset-waist skirt, in the style of Alice and the Pirates' designs. I originally wanted to trim it with black, but the Spoonflower ink is just not quite dark enough. The background is really more of a nice dark charcoal gray, which is looks good, but isn't so great for coordinating with black. Luckily the print has enough white that it looks fine with white trim and a white blouse.

The back has shirring, but I was a little too generous in drafting the corset portion of the waist, so I can lace it completely without it straining. I ended up going with a gold-toned ribbon, to try and bring out the golden accents in the print. I am also ordering gold-printed tights from teja_jamilla's Etsy shop to match!

Once the tights arrive, all I need for the perfect coordinate is the right headgear. I'm thinking a tricorn hat, but I haven't decided if I want to commission a mini one or get a full-sized one. I would love a huge one, but I think it might be kind of impractical. We'll see what kinds of deals I can find on hats!

I'll be posting the "secret" project in a week or two, along with all the other little odds and ends I've been working on in between the big projects.