Liv Tyler ironing at the Chelsea Hotel in New York in February 1996.

A Woman Ironing

Artist: Edgar Degas (French, Paris 1834–1917)

Date: 1873

Medium: Oil on canvas

The tips of my fingers are bruised. I was using a sashiko needle and thimble, but getting any needle through 12 layers of brocade is always going to end in bruised fingers. I didn't care to try to put it through the sewing machine given the struggle with the waist band I had yesterday and the fact that I cut the waist band with no extra to turn in the ends. I did manage to turn in the ends, but the seam allowance was miniscule. I just whipped over the edge and when I got to the ties I continued the same motion, just going through the tie by itself in order to come back around to the correct side.

I did the same thing for the ends of the ties. I decided that it would not be possible to put a buttonhole in the waist band for the tie to go through like I had been planning, but just having the tie come up over the waist band worked just fine.

The swoosh is magnificent. I'll be able to storm in and out of rooms with so much drama.

I got about half way through ironing the organza. I had heard that organza is a b**** to deal with, but I hadn't realized that extended to ironing. It takes the heat on the first pass, but it tries to escape and/or fold in such a way that the iron creases it further. I may have to get some of those heat protecting thimble things they make for hot glue guns because trying to iron this definitely did not help my finger tip situation.

Probably won't work on this again this weekend, I need to give my fingers time to rest and I have plans, but hopefully I'll have an update for you next week.