Breaking Down the Wigs

I had to make the wigs look like they had been around the beach for a long time, so I started with spray-painting the tips of the dreads a red-brown and green:

 Then painting in with blue, brown and copper acrylic paints for a more algae-type look:

 And took some sand mixed into glue and matted some of that in there too:

 And did the same to the mixed-media dreads as well:

Buttons, Button Holes, and Finishing Touches for the Costume Store

First, I slipstitched the welt pocket,

then the point straps,

the flap backing,

the waistband,

herringbone stitched the buttonflap,

slipstitched the calf strap,

Adjusted the strap so a buttonhole could be sewn in so that the strap wouldn't be so thick:

trimmed the seam,

and flipped it back around,

tacked,

and slipstitched the strap.

Then I practiced making buttonholes on my machine until I got the right size:

and marked the button placements on my shirt using a reference photo of the original shirt:

then sewed the buttonholes, cut them open and tacked the button placements

and did the same for the breeches:

Here are the breeches on a mannequin:

And the shirt:

The Victorian Blouse - Smocking

Smocking grid with running stitch going in and out of the same points:

Once all the stitches are across the grid, pull the threads tight, creating several small pleats:

back

front

Attempt at cable stitch (at top) and honeycomb stitch (lower half)

smocking on back piece 

iniside

wavy smocking grid on side pieces

back side smocking

all smocking