Starching Question

The orange dress is done! (Ok, to be honest, I still need to buy two more bars to sew on the back closure) No pics yet, namely because it looks almost the same as the last pic I posted. In fact, I probably won't post pics till Port Townsend next weekend, but I'll make sure we take a lot!

Right now I'm trying to decide whether it's worth it to starch my corded petticoat. I know it makes a nice shape, but it seems like a lot of work, and I'm worried about it drying in time. If I starch it tomorrow afternoon/evening (Sunday), and am unable to hang it anywhere except somehow in the shower (because I live in an apartment and it's supposed to rain pretty much every day this week), will it be dry by Thursday? And will it get a decent shape if all I can do is hang it in the shower?

Professor Trelawney Planning

I saw Cinderella today! It had lovely costumes, though they were such a random range of styles - everything from 18th c livery to 1950s sweaters. Still very pretty, though.

After Cinderella, I picked up some cotton to start on my artistic reform Professor Trelawney for the CosCol Ice Cream Social. Unfortunately, I don't think I got enough, but maybe I can make it work! I'm going to do a smocked dress with a sleeveless hooded over-robe. With the amount of fabric I have currently, I would only be able to do two widths (so like about 80-90") - is that enough if I want to do all that smocking? I had originally thought three panels would be best. But that means I have to keep my fingers crossed that the next time Joanns gets the cotton in, the dye lot will be the same.

These are my two favorite inspiration pieces for the dress: I'm definitely doing sleeves similar to those on the blouse, but I think the waist and neckline will be a little closer to the dress.


I've decided to make the robe out of some drapes I picked up at a garage sale. They're purple-shot mauve, with little flowers embroidered on them. Pretty sure they're all poly, but since this is a more costumey costume, I don't really care. Here's a couple pics of the fabrics draped on Antoinette: The color of the green is more mossy, like what's near the hem or neckline, and the color truest to the mauve on here is the fabric on the left side of the first pic.

Starching Take #1

When I was at Joanns today, I picked up another pack of hooks and eyes, so I was able to put the last two bars on the orange gala gown when I got home. Which means it's now completely done!!! I also attached the ribbon ties to my shoes, so they're all set, too. I think I might go visit a hair shop tomorrow, and pick up a couple braids to try making them into crazy apollo knot-type loops. Because right now, I have no idea what I'm doing with my hair on Saturday.

Oh, and I tried starching my petticoats. I bought liquid starch. Which I now know must not work! My solution was 4 parts water to 1 part starch, because that was the bare minimum I could do and still submerge the whole petticoat. Then I rang them out by tumbling them in the washing machine (with no rinse). They've been hanging in the shower under the heat lamp for about 5-6 hours now. The regular petticoat is pretty much dry, and while it feels slightly stiffer, it certainly can't stand up on its own. The corded petticoat is still quite damp, so maybe it's too early to tell on that one, but it really doesn't feel any stiffer. In fact, it may still be how wet it is, but if anything, it feels less stiff! Does starching petticoats only work with actual corn starch?