The BM Jacket - Sleeve

Whew! The sleeves are done. I finished the smocking rather quickly. These sleeves required a lot of thread pulling. I pulled a thread first just to establish grain and to be able to pleat the fabric on grain in the pleater. Once smocked I had to deal with cutting out the actual pattern so another thread was pulled in order to line up the pattern piece on grain. This was critical as the hemstitching has to meet at the under sleeve seam and be perfectly straight. Once the pattern was lined up and cut it was time to pull another thread to mark the fold of the hemline. . After the hem was pressed  and before sewing another thread was pulled and the folded edge of the hem was brought up to meet the pulled thread an pressed again. After that it was on to the upper sleeve where another thread was pulled to mark the hem fold and another to meet the hem edge, same as done on the lower sleeve. I found the fold on the upper sleeve much deeper than what it appeared on the pattern photo. It hid too much of the smocking. So I pressed an elipse of fabric up to reveal more smocking. The elipse needed to be secured down so why not one of those beautiful Mother of Pearl buttons from Ima? In the picture it is just pinned on.

Once the upper and lower sleeves were joined  together I hemstitched that upper fold over the smocking. Next came the actual sleeve seam which I stitched and serged. Once the sleeve seams were stitched I could hemstitch in the round with the pulled thread line meeting just right at the sleeve seam. As I said, whew! The rest should be easy, or at least easier. I will be hemstitching down the pleats on the bodice front  as well.

I ordered two different cotton organdies from Stauffers Dry Goods. They do not take credit cards and you must order by mail and with a check. There order form makes reference to their Alaskan customers needing to pay something extra, Alaskan customers! So this is a big operation, run by the Amish basically for the Amish the old fashioned way. The order form says if you overpay they will send you a check for the difference. I was afraid to underpay! One of these organdies will be the under collar for the jacket, I hope. I have three other possibilities on the cutting table and will wait till the organdies come in to make my judgment. In the meantime, I can get going on the lining. I have really enjoyed this project so far.
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I am glad so many of you enjoyed hearing about my visit with Mrs. Miller. It was special and I know there will be more. A couple of you mentioned that it would have been nice if I took pictures. Photographs are anathema to the Amish. They are considered what we called in Catechism class many years ago, "graven images." If you want to disrespect that Amish, take their picture. I wouldn't think of even asking. It is just not their way. I totally waited until Mr. Miller and my husband were away from the house and in the woods  to take the picture of the buggy and horse and I felt badly about that. So remember if you meet any Amish, do not take their picture. I have seen them do barn raisings, incredible, and so wished I could just go up and click away, but I want them as my friends and will not disrespect their ways. Actually, I try to practice that with anyone I meet who is not "like me." I learned that from my Mom and saw the wonderful diverse friends she had over the years. 

Someone emailed me and asked where everything was if there were not cabinets in the kitchen. There is a huge pantry beyond the kitchen, another whole room, not a pantry like most of us might have. There is no fridge in the kitchen. It is not needed. Meat is canned. Milk and butter are kept cool  down in their wells, pretty clever and it works winter and summer. They really have worked this all out for generations. Imagine living without knowing about oil spills, wars in Afghanistan, and Tea Baggers. There is a lot to be said for their life. I think they live it beautifully...Bunny