Brown and Blue Ensemble

I started the skirt for the ensemble years ago, probably two but I don’t remember for sure. That is how long ago I started it. The fabric is a fun stripe. I have enough to make a matching bodice but didn’t have the time or energy to actually get moving on that in time for Dickens Fair.

I had cut out a waistcoat for my husband in this brown/dark brown wool and the rest of sitting in a pile. I shrugged my shoulders grabbed it and drafted out a zouave jacket and as I laid the pattern on I knew I’d have just enough.

Many times when I start a project and I have on idea where I”m going with it, I turn around and the exact amount of fabric is sitting there waiting for me. I never planned to make a wool zouave for this outfit. But then it jumped out at me that this was finally the project for these fabulous braid frogs my mother-in-law gave me. Or at least they are for now, I imagine I’ll be reusing them on another project eventually or trying to make reproductions of them anyway.

I have a velvet swiss waist cut out from years ago when I had an ambition to get a bunch ready in standard waist sizes for Dickens workshops sales. Alas, that too hasnt’ happened, I still have a lovely one in teal velvet cut out sitting in my “to do” pile. But again the colour just felt right for the project so I finished it up, applying a quick lace to the raw edges (I even found images of them done with lace but of course now as I write this I can’t figure out where I filed it!).