Today has been kinda hard. Work was more work than usual, but not bad...I'll be happy to be going home in the next half hour. But I've been trying to get my homework done while I'm at work so I can do whatever I want when I get home, and it's not working out that well today.
Brad stayed home today because he wasn't feeling well. But I'll recap my weekend of non-productiveness in the way of costuming. Friday night I tried putting together my indian fancy pants and determined that they are so unflattering I don't want to spend more time anymore. I might try futzing with them if I have extra time before the fest season ends, but for now I'm putting them away to focus on more pressing issues. For Saturday I would like to put a guard on my skirt and repleat & reattach the skirt. I'd also like to check the pattern of my sleeves and possibly make another pair as they're falling apart anyway. I don't think I could get to a corded petticoat made by then, but I'd like to have that done as well. That's all for now, the last 15 minutes of work usually passes very quickly and were at that point in the day! Yay!
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Sorry it's taken me a while to get these up...somehow I cracked the screencover on Brad's camera and feel so terrible about it that I hate looking at it anymore, much less using it. The camera still works, it's just marred. Above are the "pantaloons" I've made using fabric from the salwar kameez. The fabric with small flowers was the orginal pant fabric for the outfit and the stripe down each leg is from the dress part of the set. Above are the wearable mock-up breeches for Brad. This fabric might be hot because it's a mystery brocade (and the manliest floral brocade I've ever seen, how about you?) Brad's response to "these might be hot, are you sure?" was, "they can't be any hotter than my leather jerkin"...Ah! Good point!
I still have to finish up the waistband, the couple of buttons & holes and the fly, and buttons and holes on the legbands, but I included the button we're going to use, so you could see it! This past weekend was my sort of last push to get anything done before the start of Renaissance Festival! I'm excited that it's starting on Saturday, but it marks so many things.
The end of Summer, that State Fair will be starting shortly, the return to school, the beginning of Fall...and that all leads to the end of the year, which always arrives strangely soon, leaving us wondering what we did with the past year and always making plans to move onto the next. It's a circle. But, to What I actually accomplished this weekend...not much! The great thing about Fest is that since it runs for 6+ weeks, there's time to do stuff while it's on, which is actually very motivating! Saturday we did some errand running and ate lunch while we were out. We slept in, which gives me less time to get things done, but I did press Brad's black linen before we left the house and when we got back, I put my corset and Venetian dress on and Brad helped me with the frustrating secondary straps. I'm going to try the dress on tonight to see if I attached them in the right places and make adjustments if necessary. Putting the corset on reminded me that the corset is too long, so yesterday, I cut it down a couple of inches (not as easy as it sounds since I also have to cut bones and melt them down, not difficult, but it is work). Venetian To Do: This week I would like to repleat the front of the dress. If I have the time I would also like to reattach the whole skirt because there is a fabric wrinkle where the skirt and bodice meet which means too much fabric. I should be able to get it done, but I have to be sure to give myself enough time. I really like the look of the trim that I'm using as a secondary strap, so I'm thinking it would look more intentional (these straps are necessary because I didn't know what I was doing when I made the bodice pattern and it's easier to add them than to make a new bodice) if I trimmed the bodice with it. Then I could add some fun beading! I was also toying with the idea of paned sleeves using this trim, though I'm not sure there's enough of it for both (there should be). Finally, I need to do a mending job on the camicia shoulder. Pantaloons: I did add a yoke to the pantaloon...mmm...no! The yokes makes the pants really puffy around my waist, so I'm thinking of adding a waistband or making a different pair of pantloons completely. I might scrap this idea for this year if it gets too involved. Brad's Breeches: I pressed his linen, as mentioned above, and cut all the pieces for his real breeches. Unfortunately, I forgot that this fabric needs to be lined *headdesk* so I need to cut more fabric! I'm hoping to get this done tonight. Also, today I should be finishing up Brad's "mock-up" breeches. Doublet: I got the doublet mock-up sewn up last night. A few things need to be changed, the armhole was too small and the collar too high. I may need to add some length to the waistline as well, but we'll have to double check it tonight. I also need to trace the sleeve pattern in Brad's size so I can get those cut too. Getting thse done isn't necessary to the doublet, but then I guess it woudl be referred to as a Jerkin. I sewed up the pantaloons yesterday, and it went rather well except for the fact that the waist is too short, so now I'll have to add a yoke (I think that's what it's called) to make up where they are lacking. Hopefully this will also make them a little longer because I did sort of want them either less full and below the knee or puffy and above the knee.
Eitherway, I think I should have thought about the fact that the plan is too show off my legs (unintentially, I really only want to show off the shorts) because I feel very silly. Hmm... So, I'm not sure these are going to work...right now anyway. They may just be too small for my thick thighs, so I'll try fiddling with them to see if I can get them how I'd like them with my current body, and if it doesn't work, come up with a plan B. Today I'm planning on working on some graphics for my blog, and if I get to them, some advertisments for the upcoming VSA Masquerade Ball and a possible corsetry workshop we're hoping would raise some funds to help us survive. Yeah, I'm sorry that I haven't gotten any pictural evidence that I have actually be doing stuff on this end, but I will!
To follow up, the button placement is fine, but I am needing to make take the waist in a little. I can probably finish this stuff up today, but because I'm so close to being done with them, may just procrastinate and work on something else, like I'm known to do. *smirk* Also, I fiddled with the pants I had from the salwar kameez set, and think they should work for pants...I believe these have been worn by another person, who must have been very oddly shaped because the waist is pretty big in these pants while the legs are SO skinny! I did want to add a litte extra pattern from the top into the pantaloons because I love the patterns and colors so much, so to add some extra puffiness to the pantaloon, I'm adding about a 4 inch strip on each side of the leg. I also wanted to line these, so I'll need to locate the fabric I bought for that. Besides the extras I'm doing, these were fairly easy to make, even though I'm reusing/recycling previously cut fabric. Crystal told me there was a really easy way to make simple "drawers", and I found this website with instructions and illustrations! (I'm a very visual person) http://www.geocities.com/sheikhani_troupe/costume1.html I used Brad's breeches pattern to trace the crotch, and what do you know!? I have pants! So...looks like I at least have a plan and can get these done soon. Tonight I have a VSA meeting, but I am getting off of work at 3, so I hope I can get some stuff done before I have to leave for the meeting. |
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