Sunday, February 9, 2020

Making dress shields


The name for this post, on the photo file, is: It's the Pits, but I just can't make that be the headline.
Because some of this is referencing other folks' thinking, which is NOT the pits.
It's a link party, because they did it better than I can

https://historicalsewing.com/how-to-be-a-shield-maiden

I read a lot of 'let's make our own' and this one makes the most sense in terms of construction and materials.
(I found the original source, but yes, I discovered this image on Gertie's page)

I had no idea Kleinert had such a stranglehold on the market of pits.

http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/2010/10/lets-talk-about-sweat.html

I like Gertie. Fight me. She gets people to sew. Her books are well considered additions to the canon. And she's funny.
"Reader, I was not Sure"*

This however takes the cake. 
https://thompsontee.com/blog/how-to-make-dress-shields-at-home/

It's an advert for tshirts, with a sewing tutorial as carrot.
All of the things they mention "scissors" "ruler" "pencil" you need are affiliated links to Amazon. 
Clever!
They get bonus points for sweat related links on their pages.

Here are my jacket shields. Lining and flannel.

Made a moon shape.

Cut them, stitched them, 

I had thought about making them this way
That is, cut a couple of squares of flannel, and pin them/attach them with snaps on the bias over the bottom of the armscye. If I were in a real pinch, this works (I've seen it done on costumes, pinned into place) but I am making a set for one jacket that will fit it and feel nice.
I think it was Kenneth King recently who wrote about a sleeve that feels nice to slip your arm into.
And I admit that is guiding my thinking on this. So mine are a little overdone.
my cardboard pattern is in the center.
I took it's shape from the underarm seam on the target jacket, but I'll wager it will work for any of mine.
I sew them together in chains, same for serging the bottom edge.

I pinked the top seam of each after I sewed the pairs together,
Fold them over the jacket seam and pin at the edges.

I only pinned through the seam allowance, and after I took this photo, undid this pin so it angled away from the center and towards the shape of the armscye. Just one on each side, nothing on the sleeve or body seams (you could). And I could put snaps in, but I was in a bit of a hurry and I think my arm will hold that shield in place against the seam. And if it doesn't, I'll come back and fix it AND this post to reflect that.

The finished product. No top seam under my armpit, no top stitching, no flat feld.
Boom, done.

Yes, the idea of making dress shields for that one jacket is great. And I do wear that jacket a LOT. Although it's Sag Harbor label, it's soooo Chico's Chic, and makes me Instant Grownup. Chenille upholstery fabric. 
I shortened it, and hemmed it with ribbon to finish it nicely, give it a little reinforcement, and cover up some nasty mended fraying action

And yes, I am sewing myself something similar, but it's taking too many toiles to get done in a reasonable amount of time.

Which is fine. Everyone needs a hobby hole.

*Jane Eyre has a go-to joke construction here. Reader, I cannot resist it.

3 comments:

  1. Strange you should write about dress shields now. I was thinking I am going to have to make some. I am a reaction to antiperspirant (very itchy pits), so I am limited to using all natural deodorant, which doesn't work all that well. Thank you for getting me started on my research!

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    Replies
    1. My body chemistry flipped out during/after menopause, so my choices are limited and not entirely clothing friendly too. I'm also not interested in dry cleaning my clothes, so anything I can do to keep the beloved clothes in the rotation is alright with me! Happy to be of service!

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  2. I discovered the disposable stick in armpit shields in Italy a few years ago (Till flai) so I read this with utter fascination! My partner thought it was so funny that I didn't know about them but I had never seen them before. I didn't want to sweat up a silk blouse at a wedding. I hate wearing most commercial deodorant but I walk quite a bit and end up sweating! This is a much better solution for jackets and I love it! Definitely love your jacket in progress - great fabric.

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Thanks for reading! I love your comments, I love your ideas, I love your recipes, but if you post links to advertising, I will delete your comment.