Elsa Coronation Dress [Sewing the Skirt]

Welcome to my detailed post about my making of the skirt from Elsa's coronation gown in Frozen. If you haven't already, check out my Materials post for the fabrics and patterns that I used.

As I mentioned, I used pattern pieces from Simplicity 4940, since I had them cut already from a previous project. It was a nice, floor length, A-line skirt pattern with a zipper. This pattern had 1 front panel cut on the fold and 3 triangular pieces cut double aka 7 pieces total.

I recently acquired a serger, so of course I wanted to use it at every opportunity possible! I'm still a bit nervous with the idea of serging right away, so I basted everything together first. This is handy, because even though I've been sewing for a few years, I still attached all of the wrong sides together!! For this fabric, it really didn't matter and I left it as it was, but had I serged everything as the first step, I would have been out of luck!

After I basted the seams together, I did a quick try on to make sure that it was fitting correctly. Unsurprisingly (since I'd made this pattern before), I didn't have to make any adjustments. Then I serged all the seams closed, except for a few inches at the middle back seam. The only marking on this pattern (of the skirt portion) was the notch indicating the start of the zipper, which was very handy. I used a 9" invisible zipper. I also sewed on a hook and eye closure before I put in the waistband.


Here's a picture of the zipper - I was pretty happy with the color match of the zipper pull to the fabric, especially since I bought a multi-color pack of zippers online.

For the waistband, I simply measured my waist and cut rectangle that long and maybe 3" wide. I narrowly hemmed once around all the sides. Then I folded it in half lengthwise and ironed it flat. I'm the first person to skip ironing steps, but I've found that my skirt waistband is always a bit frumpy if I don't iron it first.

Then all that's left to do is to attach the waistband and hem up the bottom! And your skirt is finished! (Well, except for all the embroidery detail..........but that's a separate post)

Elsa Coronation Dress [Overview]

I know this blog has been disused for years, but I've been inspired to write about my latest sewing project - Elsa's coronation dress from Frozen! While not nearly as memorable as her sparkling blue ice dress, I love it a lot more.



There are 4 main pieces of the costume:

• Bodice
• Skirt
• Long-sleeve shirt
• Cape

There are also smaller details like the gloves and the hair (I'll be using a wig).

I'll write a separate blog post about each one, as well as the materials I used for each. 

This website was an excellent reference, with tons of closeup pictures of all the details of her costume:

http://arendellekingdom.tumblr.com/post/83870831287/elsas-coronation-outfit-cosplay-guidedetail

I hope you find my summary useful for your costume-making experience!

Tangled Costume! [Materials]

There was a ton of detail work that went into my Tangled costume. There was also a ton of little materials to make the details - colored threads, ribbon, lace. I've tried to make a compilation of all the materials I chose (and why!) so that any future Rapunzels can get ideas.

I should note that I live rather far from a well stocked fabric store. For a zipper or some scissors, I had a lot of nearby choices, but specific fabrics  were very difficult. I only went to a real fabric store once, and the rest I bought online.

Fabric:

There are four main fabrics in this costume - the corset, the skirt, the petticoat, and the sheer sleeve/undershirt of the corset. Depending on your corset/bodice pattern, you might also need a lining fabric - I used the same as my petticoat for this. (If you are just making a simple bodice shape without any boning, you probably wouldn't need any lining) 

Corset (Satin): https://www.fabric.com/buy/0290205/slipper-satin-lavender
I loved this fabric. It had a good sheen, wasn't too slippery to work with, and was a good color (it looks a lot different in real life than in their picture). I bought 2 yards of this.

Skirt (Satin): http://www.joann.com/casa-satin/zprd_08527822a.html#q=mystic+purple&start=1 (Mystic purple)

I had a hard time finding the fabric for the skirt. Originally I bought this:  https://www.fabric.com/buy/un-931/slipper-satin-rose

I also gave this one a try: https://www.fabric.com/buy/0290220/slipper-satin-plum

Ultimately, the first two had just a smidge too much red in them to go with the lavender corset. I had wished to buy two different shades from the same line of fabric, but it just wasn't meant to be. The Casa Satin that I ultimately went with had a little less sheen than the corset, but it was easy to work with. It was also a little darker than I'd like, but I was running out of time and had already tried out 2 other fabrics. I can't remember if I bought 1.5 or 2 yards...

Petticoat/Lining (Charmeuse): https://www.fabric.com/buy/aq-527/charmeuse-satin-snow-white

This fabric kind of irritated me. It was a little too slippery and slinky to work with easily. It was soft and felt nice against the skin, so it worked well as the inside part of everything. Very good as a lining fabric, if you have the patience to work with a more difficult fabric. I bought 3.5 yards.

Sheer Sleeves (Chiffon): https://www.fabric.com/buy/uf-740/nylon-chiffon-tricot-light-pink

I liked this fabric, although it lost a lot of it's color with only one layer. My sleeves and the back of the corset all have two layers of fabric, and even then I toyed with the idea of 3. It was soft (not like tulle!!) and, despite the fact that was gauzy, was not too hard to work with. Mostly with the chiffon (and the lace), I had to make sure the holes didn't get stuck in the feet, and it was all good. I bought 1 yard.

Structure

Interfacing: https://www.fabric.com/buy/nr-757/pellon-interfacing-sew-in-lightweight-by-the-yard-white

If you're new to sewing, interfacing is used to add structure to the fabric. I chose lightweight because my fabrics were lightweight. This was part of the corset pattern. I had no problems using this, and it was probably easier to cut/work with than my actual fabrics. I bought 2.5 yards.

Boning: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I1MOBY/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used covered plastic boning, which is what my corset pattern called for. I was only interested in making a fashion corset, not a functional one, so I opted for plastic. This boning was not difficult to work with at all, and I liked that it was covered, so you simply need to cut and sew it in. 

Ribbons and Lace and Buttons

I had a couple of little notions that went onto the dress.

Back Buttons: https://www.fabric.com/buy/0282050/dill-novelty-button-5-16-sphere-pink

I thought these pink buttons were perfectly cute. I bought 6, and promptly lost one underneath the abyss of my couch. It is gone forever. 

Cap Sleeve Ribbon: https://www.fabric.com/buy/mar-063/1-1-2-double-sided-satin-ribbon-pink

This is the wide ribbon at the bottom of the sleeve. I bought 1 yard.

Stripe Ribbons: https://www.fabric.com/buy/mar-203/3-8-double-sided-satin-ribbon-pink

This ribbon was used for the stripes on the cap sleeve. I bought 2 yards which was NOT enough. I probably ended up using more like 3.5 yards. This matched the wide ribbon well and was a good width.

Eyelets: https://www.fabric.com/buy/nr-321/fashion-eyelet-basics-1-8-black

I either have 30 or 32 eyelets in my corset (yes I'm lazy enough not to count them). This package said it had 35 eyelets, but I ended up with about 6 of one piece and none of the others and ended up buying 2 boxes. 2 boxes is definitely the safe route if you're notorious like me for losing things under the abyss of your couch (see buttons). 

Gripper Plier Tool: http://www.amazon.com/Dritz-Gripper-Plier-Assorted-Snaps/dp/B0001DS56W

This tool was pretty neat. It punches a hole into your fabric and then you can set up the eyelets and push them into place with the same tool. If you're going to make corsets frequently, I don't recommend this tool. I had a rough start when punching the holes in the fabric - one part of the tool would detach from itself where it wasn't supposed to, and I would have a tool stuck in my fabric. I ended up Krazy Gluing the tool together, and it worked fine after that. My only other complaint is that occasionally the eyelets would fall out - maybe 4 total over the course of a month. Either I have a weak grip (very possible), or the eyelets could have been designed better. Overall, worked okay for the price I paid, and okay enough for the frequency I plan on making corsets. 

Paint:

My favorite section! A little backstory on my craft life - I used to paint ceramic mugs and sell them on Etsy. My requirements for paint were nontoxic and waterproof. Apparently, this was a difficult requirement! Luckily, this line of paint came out right around that time: http://www.michaels.com/Satin-Acrylic-Paint/cp0469,default,pd.html

It can be used on a ton of surfaces, like ceramic and fabric, and while it is acrylic, it is waterproof after 21 days. For fabric, you can heat set it, and it is waterproof. It also comes in a few different finishes - satin, pearl, high gloss, and metallic. 

Since I had a big drawer full of different colors, you can see why I was interested in painting my brocade pattern instead of doing embroidery. Check out how it turned out:

Fabric Medium: http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewart-32194-6-Ounce-Fabric/dp/B007C7XI0S/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1383274811&sr=1-1&keywords=martha+stewart+fabric+medium

I mixed the fabric medium with the paints, which I think helps with the heat setting? I'd rather pay $10 for the bottle, and the safety of not losing hours of my work, than to forego it and ruin everything. The fabric medium also helps the texture not be terrible. Cheaper fabric paints (I'm looking at you, Puffy) are stiff and crackly and make your fabric more like a shield than a skirt. My paint mixture was by no means soft and silky, but it was the best combination I've found so far - and believe me, I'm pretty interested in painting fabric. 

The main color I used (Pink Taffeta): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007C7X9NO/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The pink taffeta was the main color I used on the corset. For the skirt, it was primarily Pink Taffeta, with a touch of Purple Martin (Pearl). For the blue part of the skirt, it was mostly Surf (Satin) and perhaps a touch of Purple. 

Threads and Laces:

I don't have specific links, as most of these were picked up here and there. I used pink leather cording to lace up the corset, which I bought from Michaels. I used a number of different threads - gold for the embroidery, pinks and purples for the machine sewing. I'd recommend estimating high on the amount of thread you use - I used a ton! 

If I'd had the time, I would have done the embroidery on the skirt with pink and blue thread. I purchased this, but never got around to doing it.

Here and There:

It should be obvious if you sew a lot, but make sure you have your sewing materials! I went through 10 needles on this project alone! Make sure you have a good tape measure, scissors, seam ripper, etc. It's a tragedy to really be in the zone and have no replacement for a broken needle!!

I also used a zipper on the skirt and an elastic on the petticoat. 

Tangled Costume! [Corset]

This was probably 80% of the work: the corset!

I used the Butterick B5662 corset, style D. I chose this pattern because it seemed relatively close to the shape of Rapunzel's corset. It has a princess neckline, and front lacing. The major deviations are the lacing in the back, and the rather thick straps at the top. The real thing also has a few less panels than the pattern, and also has a V under the bust. The last 3 of these problems I decided in advance that I didn't much care about, and the first problem I dealt with when I realized there was back lacing (read: when the corset was basically done being sewn)

I used satin fabric for the corset, and a charmeuse fabric for the lining. See my Materials post for more specifics. It ended up requiring more than 50 pieces of fabric to be cut, once you factor in the lining, interfacing and the outside. 

You should also note that I made a conscious decision not to make a muslin. I know this is heresy, but hear me out. I definitely didn't want to do something so form-fitting in a different fabric, and I was already using one of the cheapest satins out there. If I had to remake anything, I was still going to have to buy new fabric. I also don't think I would have had time to make it again. 

Here is a shot of it in process. The interfacing and the corset fabric are sewn together, and here I'm just putting the lining on top to see how it matches up. I spent a really long time finishing the seams. Neither the seams of the corset nor the lining fabric are exposed to the outside (they both touch each other), so I'm not sure if this was a necessary step or not. I'm a super beginner, so I wanted to play it safe. God forbid I don't finish my seams and it falls apart after a few washes. An observant reader might also notice that there's chalk on the right side of the lining - and you'd be right! I'm pretty much an idiot and folded my fabric wrong side together and cut - I also noticed this detail after I drew all the pattern markings on. I'm not really upset, because I use sidewalk chalk, and it's basically rubbed away by now. I'd also care a lot more if I did it on the outside instead of the lining.

This is the outside of one side of the corset. It got a lot less puffy in between seams once the lining and boning was attached. I don't have any in process pictures of the boning, but I used covered plastic boning. I only wanted a fashion corset, not a functional one, so I didn't care to get metal boning. However, if you want to do any waist reduction, I've read that metal is the way to go! The plastic boning was really easy to use, especially since it was covered. You basically just cut the length you need, round the sharp edges of the plastic, and sew the casing onto the lining, centered over each seam.

This is the edge of the corset, once the continuous bias strip was attached. This was a real pain to cut out - it was basically a huge rectangle that was cut on the diagonal of the fabric so it was stretchy - then you sewed it into a tube, and cut on the lines so it made about a 3 inch thick, super long strip. You then ironed this in half so the raw edges were tucked in, and used it to cover the raw edges of the corset. It was such a pain to line everything up perfectly, but it looked great once it was finished. 

You'll also notice in the above picture that there is boning on the vertical edges of the corset, to give it structure there as well. My main problem with this is that...

The stupid boning kept curving! I didn't really realize this might be a problem until it was in the corset. Because it was stored in a tight loop, the plastic boning naturally curved. Ironing the curved parts significantly helped, and I also spent a while bending them in the opposite direction. I also think it just straightened out over time. 

In the above picture, I've already decided that I wasn't going to do lacing in both the front and the back, and sewed both side panels to the back modesty panel, making the corset one continuous piece to lace up in front. It worked okay. I'm not sure what else I would do in the future. The fit was a little wonky at the top, and I'm sure that deviation from the pattern didn't help. 

You can also see that I've started adding my puff sleeves! For the most part, I used this tutorial. For the shape and the size....yeah, I pretty much guessed. I couldn't find much info on how to calculate that, so I just hoped for the best, and I think my second try was pretty alright. I attached the sleeve, and then remembered that the ribbon was supposed to be attached to the sleeve. I was feeling incredibly lazy, so as you can see in the picture, I pinned it onto the sleeve and machine sewed it. This was difficult to maneuver in the machine, and I had a hard time getting straight lines. Which is unfortunate, because it is in a contrasting thread. Oh well. Next time...put the ribbon on first, dummy. I also had wide pink ribbon at the bottom of the puff sleeve which connects to the sheer part of the sleeve. 

This is the back view of the corset. You can see how I've attached the back panels to the modesty panel instead of using eyelets to lace it up. You can also see the sheer undershirt made from chiffon with pink buttons. I used two layers of chiffon, and you can still barely tell that it is pink. It looks better on a body. 

This shot features the gold thread embroidery between the puff sleeve and the strap. I love this detail, and I wish I'd had time to do more. There should be gold thread between the corset and the chiffon, and basically everywhere the lace edging (later pictures) touches the main fabric. A sad missing detail, but I was crunched for time.

Brocade time! Rapunzel's corset is a brocade fabric with a cute little flower and vine pattern. I found myself faced with 3 options: buy a brocade fabric with a floral pattern but not the right floral pattern, buy some Spoonflower fabric, or put the pattern onto my chosen fabric myself. I opted for #3, and painted the pattern onto my satin fabric. It was never really a question that I would paint the design, and it was one of the reasons I was so excited about this costume - the multi-craft options that it offered were just too much to pass up. Every day was like a new craft and it was just awesome. 

Painting the corset took maybe a week - week and a half? This means whole days on weekends and weeknight evenings. I only had about 5 weekends to do things, so most of my painting was done after work. It got a little tedious near the end, but the end result was so worth it! I think the effect was just perfect - it's subtle, and changes in the light. If you're interested in the paint I used (Martha Stewart acrylic) and more specifics on that, see my Materials post. I can't rave more about this paint.

I only ended up trying on my corset 3 times before I wore it for Halloween. It was a pain in the butt to lace up, and I also ended up waiting a really long time for my eyelets and my hole puncher tool. Basically I just tried to pull it tightly onto my body and hope that it actually fit. It was a big gamble!! 

I used a Gripper Plier to punch holes into the fabric 1" apart, and then inserted black eyelets. I believe that in the real Rapunzel outfit, she has 11 eyelets that are more closely spaced near the bust, but I can't get every detail perfect. I later brushed the eyelets with the pink paint I used to do the pattern on the corset, to give a brushed metallic look. 

You can also tell at this point that it sits a little lower on my shoulders than I'd like. As I'm not an expert seamstress, I didn't really know what to to alter this so late in the game. I probably could have figured it out, but this pattern had no exposed seams that I could alter in anyway. I imagine that if I sewed the back panels closer together on the modesty panel, and I brought in the seam on the undershirt, this might help bring it up on my shoulders. However, my sheer sleeves are really tight, so it might not be able to move up any more. Ultimately, the shape isn't exactly correct, but I ended up with an off the shoulder look that was pretty cute with the lace. Once I gave up on a bra with straps, I was pretty happy.

This picture shows the corset fully painted with brocade effect, and some lace at the bottom! I spent a long time searching for the perfect lace to match, and I don't think that exact lace exists. So I have a sheer, scalloped lace. Technically, the bottom of the corset has pink lace while the rest is white - I briefly thought about painting this section of lace pink, then decided I didn't care. 

My costume just before my Halloween festivities. I have since sewn the sheer sleeves on. I had no pattern for these sleeves. I basically laid my arm down on top of the chiffon and hoped for the best. It worked for the first one (my right arm) and when I used the same dumb pattern for the second sleeve (laid on top and cut around it), it was too small! My arm didn't even fit! I cut it out a second time, giving some buffer around the edges, and it was still tight, but it fits. It's uncomfortable, not intolerable. I have no idea why my left arm is bulkier than my right.....but I guess it is.

You'll also notice I have a Pascal!! I bought the Disney beanbag version and just put 2 quick stitches through each foot. This seemed sufficient, because while I lost a button during the night, yet Pascal stayed on through some dancing and a few corners that I hit when I didn't account for my shoulder tumor.  This is easily removable so that Pascal can be part of my Disney plush collection when I'm not wearing my costume.

My costume, finished, in person! Pascal is kind of holding on for dear life since the sleeves are so pushed down. You can also tell that the corset is a tad too big on me. The corset is basically laced with the two front panels together, so it can't get any tighter. To remedy this, I could probably sew the back panels closer together on the modesty panel.

Overall, I'm very proud of my corset. It is by far the most difficult sewing I've yet attempted and except for a few minor problems, it pretty much came out like I imagined it. 

Stay tuned for posts about the Skirt and the Materials that I used!

Tangled Costume! [Overview]

I really was so excited to start blogging about cooking and all of my hobbies.

And then I started making my Halloween costume.

I basically had no time to even think about blogging, with all the time I spent working on this costume. But I'm going to try and summarize the process now.

Since it was such a grand undertaking, I'm going to split it up into a few parts, so you can peruse the parts that interest you.

Let's get started!

Borscht

There once was a time in my life, hard to believe, that I had never tried beets. I adore them now. For some reason, I'd forgotten my love, and haven't had them in a while. This is all changing today, starting with this borscht. I got the recipe from A Feast of Ice and Fire cookbook, which is an incredible cookbook. I cannot get enough of it, and I cannot more highly recommend it. There are a plethora of recipes, and I've made almost all of them since buying it about a year ago. They have a website as well, Inn at the Crossroads, which has a number of different recipes, equally delicious. 

Since I think they are incredibly deserving of receiving money for their fantastic recipe, I'm not going to include amounts, just give a general overview of the recipe, to pique your interest.

First, I peeled my beets and gave them a good dice.

Then, I chopped leeks and washed them thoroughly. The way that leeks grow causes them to store dirt in between the rings, so its better to wash them after you cut them. Besides, it helps separate the rings for cooking anyway. 

After everything is chopped, coat the bottom of a medium saucepan with olive oil. Toss in the leeks, and ground coriander and cumin. Saute this for 5 minutes. I stopped at about this level of cooked: 

Then, add chicken broth, wine, red wine vinegar and your beets. 

 Once I added everything, it looked like the picture above. You then let the soup simmer, covered, for 45 minutes to an hour, until the beets are cooked. Since I diced my beets so small, they cooked in probably 35 minutes. (I take very small bites, so I've gotten used to cutting things quite small. It's not a bad habit to have, practicing your knife skills.)

I think that perhaps my lid was not on tightly, because it got drier than I was expecting for a soup. I mashed up the leeks and beets with a potato masher, and then added about a cup of water back in. I also found the vinegar taste to be quite strong, another reason why I added the water.

Overall, I found that this soup had good flavor, but next time I would make it with more spices and less vinegar. I'm a huge fan of coriander and cumin, and not a huge fan of vinegar, so I think it's just a personal preference. 

Another successful recipe from A Feast of Ice and Fire! 

Super Simple Dill Pickles

Cucumbers are not one of my favorite vegetables, but man, do I like pickles! This time of summer, fresh picked cucumbers are usually pretty easy to come by. Occasionally, my landlord will share some cukes with me from her bounty, but these I picked up at a farmers market on the weekend.

Now, I'm no canning expert. I've only recently started to read about it/have a real interest. It seems like something I'll probably get into, so I'm approaching it slowly. I attempted pickles about two weeks ago, and my fear caused me to chuck them. (Disclaimer: as a biochemist, microbes terrify me. Which is why canning worries me.) Here's a general overview of what I did last time - I tried a recipe which required fermenting on a shelf for 4 days, then going into the fridge. After a few days, I noticed a white sedimenty floating thing at the bottom, and freaked and tossed them. I also tried one (I'm a hypocrite) before tossing them, and the flavor was so powerful that I wasn't too disappointed to get rid of them.

So, round two, I wanted to get it right and try a safer recipe. I followed the guidelines of this recipe from The Kitchn. My favorite part? It goes directly into the fridge! My other favorite parts were that it was simple, fast, and ready to eat in 2 days. 

For these pickles, you'll need two mason jars, pint sized, with their rings and lids. If you're planning on storing the pickles for a long time, you'll need to sanitize the jars before you start, in boiling water. If you just want to keep them in the fridge for a few weeks, clean jars are fine. 

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 cup of water and 1.5 tablespoons of pickling salt. This salt is important, and different from regular salt. The first time I made pickles (see above), I believe this is what led to my white sediment - I used regular table salt, despite reading otherwise. I found pickling salt at my grocery store, but apparently Wegman's has an uncommon selection. I believe regular Kosher salt will do. You want pickling salt, because the other kinds of salt have anti-caking agents, and that is what precipitates out and scares me into thinking I'm going to poison myself with microbes.

Here's a more in-depth discussion on types of salt: Pickling Salt

Continuing on! Heat your mixture on high until it boils. While you are waiting for it to heat, you can clean and cut your cucumbers. This recipe calls for 1-1/2 pounds of cucumbers, and I actually weighed mine. My 3 cucumbers were 1.42 lbs. Try not to vary too much from that weight, and actually weigh them if you can. Make sure to cut off the ends that it grew from, because this has enzymes that make your pickles not so crunchy. (And why even bother with limp pickles??) I cut my cucumbers into rather small pieces, but what can I say, I take small bites, so I cut everything into small pieces.

Take 4 cloves of garlic, peel them and give them a rough chop, then divide them into your jars. Add 1 teaspoon of dill seed into each jar. (Side note: I used the herb of dill for my last pickles, and this time I used seeds - I find that both instill a good dill flavoring, and are probably interchangeable depending on which you have on hand. You can mess with the flavorings in this recipe, but don't mess with the acidity/salt levels) You can also add crushed red pepper - I added a dash or two and don't detect much difference, so I'll probably add more next time. 

Once your spices/garlic are divided into the jars, jam pack all your cucumber slices into your jar. Really pack them in tight, but make sure to leave some space at the top.

By now, your vinegar water should be boiling, and the salt should be dissolved. Carefully pour the brine into the jars, making sure to cover the pickles and leaving about 1/2" of space at the top. You'll probably have leftover brine, so just discard what you don't need. Close the jars and let them come to room temperature before popping them in the fridge. 

Here's how to store them for longer: Heat a pot of boiling water, and place jars in the boiling water. When the water comes back up to a boil, leave them in for five minutes and then immediately remove the jars. If the lids don't pop down, they haven't been sealed properly and you should put them in the fridge, to eat them first. They should last for a few weeks in the fridge once open.

I waited, as recommended in the recipe, two days before eating them. I found that they definitely have a dill pickle taste, but are a little sharp/tangy. It's edible, but definitely not the perfect recipe...yet! I'm planning on waiting and seeing how they turn out after a few more days.

To summarize, despite my lukewarm feelings towards cucumbers, they may have earned a position in next year's summer garden.