Weekend progress

I got a lot done the past few days. I have finished flossing about 75% of the corset. I hate hand sewing, and am not good at it. Flossing is hard work requiring use of the thimble to work the thread through multiple layers of fabric. I was supposed to do a different design on the back panels but that was beyond my sewing skills, so opted for the same all around. Here is the half that is finished:

I also spent time cutting out the over skirt panels. Working with a pattern piece that is 80x60" was not fun, especially with the cats "helping". I also made some weird mistake cutting out the second piece of two, and it was a bit smaller at the bottom edge, but I decided just to trim them even and have the train a couple inches shorter. No biggie. I was thinking of trying to add a piece to it and covering with trim but I'm not positive how I want to do the trim yet.

I used the fabric paint I bought (Jacquard textile paint) to do the eye spots on the lining layer of the over skirt, which will be the reverse side of the butterfly wings. I am not sure this will ever be seen, or if I will make it fully reversible, but I wanted to do it anyhow. I spent a lot of time fiddling around with circular objects to make precise templates, then decided it looked better in a more organic shape and less precision. 

And last but not least, I needed a new chemise, as the one I have has too high of a neckline to wear with an evening bodice. My mother recently sent me a ton of old table linens that belonged to my grandmother and great-grandmother. I found a perfect tablecloth to turn into a chemise, and took advantage of the lace edge so that I didn't have to hem it! I used my Laughing Moon #100 Victorian undergarments pattern. I think it came out nice!