Why I shouldn't go to Joann's

I decided to go to Joann's after church yesterday because I needed one little thing. My plan was to grab what I needed and leave, but that didn't happen. Why not? Because all the already clearanced fabric was 50% the clearance price. I can't go into a fabric store and not check the clearance rack. So instead of only coming home with the one little package of button I went in for, I came home with all this.

Did I need more fabric? No. Do I have a plan for the new fabric? Yes. 

I got the tan calico in the middle to make myself a winter church dress, and by winter dress I mean a dress with sleeves. I have lots of sundresses but almost no dresses with sleeves. 

The tan piece at the bottom is coat weight wool. I decided I wanted to make a cloak to go with my purple plaid dress, and this will work perfectly! So I got 3 yards of it cut. Then, since McCall's patterns were on sale I decided to go ahead and buy a cloak pattern, and discovered that most cloaks, that looked like what I wanted, called for about 6 yards of fabric! Well since I couldn't afford 3 more yards of the wool yesterday I kept searching, and eventually found a cloak pattern that only called for 3 1/4 yards of fabric. So I got that too. Don't laugh.

                                                

The cloak pattern is actually rather similar to cloakes from the 1830's and 40's.

With the Frozen pattern I should be able to make a decent reproduction of the cloak on the left in this fashion plate from 1842.

The blue piece on top I got to make a dress, like this one I found on Pinterest, for my little sister.

Like me she seems to be lacking many dresses that have sleeves. I will use the blue for most of the dress and use some green fabric I already had in my stash for the sleeves and upper bodice.

Now why did I go into Joann's to begin with if not for all this awesome fabric? For these

Wooden buttons. Why did I need wooden buttons? Because . . drum roll please. . .

I finished the bodice of my purple plaid dress!!!!!! While the back of the dress will close up with hooks and eyes, as that is the most historically accurate, I needed buttons for the cuffs, I had no clue where to get china buttons and I just couldn't use plastic buttons. So wooden buttons it is, for now atleast. If I ever find china buttons I may change them out. 

Now that the bodice is done I hope to finish the dress this week, as the shirt will be easy. I have finished all the undergarments to go under the dress - a corset, a chemise, a pair of drawers, a ruffled petticoat - except for one, a corded petticoat, the precursor of the metal hoop skirt. So this week I shall attempt to make that as well. Then, I will try to figure out where I shall wear this dress, after all the work I've put into it. Any suggestions?