I have made some progress on my hems of approximately 135"... I have about over a foot to finish. yeah! I decided to handsew the hem with a single brown thread so as not to see the thread, but my other justification is that it is also cost effective as I am using twice as less thread.  Surely, women from the 1860's would have thought the same way.  Of course, I could be wrong.  My lazy cat, Mr. Butternut, sure is enjoying snuggling in my skirt right now that I hate to wake him to even finish my skirt plus my hands are growing tired as well as my eyes.  I am going cross eyed from looking at that plaid tweed.  I can hear my mother saying in the background.... "you are going to ruin your eyes, you need better light".   except that my big head gets right in my own light. oh!bother..... 

Next journey to finish this hem up and start on drawing out the bodice next. 

I have commenced on my 1860's social/wedding dress ( I am not getting married) out of my silk/wool fabric of chocolate brown and charcoal gray plaid.  I have sewn the the immense 46"inch 3 panels together and just recently (after a week of sleeping next to my child after putting her to bed and not having an inch of energy to sew) pressed and started hand sewing the hem.  It seems like an endless stream of fabric and while I am working on that I have to find a way to reproduce the original pattern of the basque bodice from the book on English Construction to my size.... how fun! I did find some dotted interfacing that will hopefully help.  This will be my first time to do this and boy am I looking forward to this.  It shall be yet another learning experience that I hope I can get some help and pointers.  I did recently purchase a dress form so hopefully that will help too in draping the fabric and such.   I am hoping to possibly work on the hem so more tonight and if I get bored, perhaps I will layout and draw the bodice. hmmm.... we'll see.. that is, if I don't fall asleep.