Plugging away

Well, the weekend went pretty well. Dickens opened, I modeled in the corset window, and nothing broke or fell off or had a major malfunction. Overall, it was very sucessfull.

I've got the whole week off work to get ready for the SASS convention. I've gotten a whole lot done already! As long as I don't get too relaxed about it I should be a great shape on Thursday when I fly out of here.

My one big fear at this point is that I'm getting a cold or something. It's absolutly freezing in my house, so this could just be a reaction to the cold, but I don't feel that great and I've been running myself pretty well in to the ground. As long as the cold waits until Sunday, that's all I ask.

Don't panic, don't panic...

There is something to be said for being the first person in the office in the morning. I'm not all together sure what it is, but there must be something.

I've been here since 7:45. At least I didn't have to compete with anyone for the espresso machine. And we'll be able to leave by 5 which means I should be able to get some decent work in tonight.

I'm still feeling somewhat despondent about poverty and my current state of affairs, but getting to see the boy, however briefly, last night rather helped. I don't quite know why he has this power to make me feel better about life but he does.

Anyway, today is my last day at work before my Vegas trip. I have a huge amount of sewing to get done in the next week, but I should be able to get everything finished. At least the work for other people will get done, my own dress can wait if need be. I can always wear my pink and black ball gown if it comes to that.

I also have a huge amount of work to get done here, but it just seems sort of pointless and I'm having a very hard time focusing on anything. I need sleep! Hopefully I will do some of this tonight and Thursday night. Of course, I really do need to get up at a somewhat reasonable hour tomorrow, get some exercise in before I start sewing, and get some sewing in before I head my friends for dinner. Friday will be dedicated to sewing and a long post-turkey walk. Hopefully I will also have time to update my blog and post pictures of things as they get completed.

The good news is that I'm modeling corsets on Saturday at Dickens. I don't know why I'm so excited about this, but there it is. I have a fabulous window worked out involving guns, a cowboy, and a wanted poster. We just haven't worked out who is arresting who yet.

Ever so tired

I'm tired of being poor, tired of being cold, tired of being alone and confused, and mostly just tired. I wish I didn't have to do all of this sewing. I supposedly have this great job, and yet I am still broke and have to sew dresses to make ends meet. How is that right? Of course, after being unemployed for so long, the bills racked up, so it's kind of too be expected that there would be a catch-up period, it's just highly frustrating that that period has to be around the holidays. I want to buy presents for people! I want shoes! Really, groceries would be nice too, but that's not so important given that we have free lunch and tons of food at work.

And I hate that I'm only contracting here. I try so hard not to worry about it, and to tell myself that I'm doing great work and they like me, and they won't shuck me at any moment, but after the last few years of this sort of thing it's hard to believe that. I just can't help waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I don't really get why I'm so exhausted. It makes things so much harder to deal with. For example, the boy. I want to run into arms and bury myself there and pour out everything I'm feeling and beg him to love me, or at least see if he can. Sometimes he starts to say these things that give me such hope, but then we've both been reading too much Dickens et. al. and probably not getting enough sleep, so reality is a bit skewed. It just makes me so sad, yet so hopeful. These novels really are filled with nothing but Very Bad Role Models and I should stop reading them when I'm vulnerable and sleepy and kind of panicky.

If stomping my foot and pouting would help any, I'd be doing it.

Pictures!

Ok, I didn't take enough pictures at the tea. I think I'm still adjusting to the realities of a digital camera. Being able to take all the pictures I want without fear of running out of film is kind of strange.
Here's what I did get!

I accomplished absolutly nothing yesterday after work. Oh well. By the time I got home all I was able to do was re-pack my stuff for Dickens this weekend and watch Stargate before passing out. At least I'm feeling more rested today, I should be able to get some stuff done tonight.

The good news is that the crazy blue dress is almost done. I did a fitting on Saturday and things looked pretty good. I have a couple of small aterations to make on the bust darts, and a bunch of finish work, and I can put this one aside and get going on everything else. My plan for Wednesday is to make the alterations I need to make, and finish the bodice edges. That will leave me with buttons, draping the train puffs, and making the inset peice for the bodice, plus a few hooks and eyes and last minute hand work things. I should be able to do all that Thursday before I head over to a friends for Thanksgiving dinner. Tonight I won't get anything much done, as I'm taking the boy to the airport after work.

I don't feel matronly

Very successful weekend! The installation went off beautifully, breakfast with my parents was lovely, the tea was lovely, and dress rehearsals are over! Yay! I got very little sleep, but had a grand time so it was ok. I haven't got my camera so I can't upload pictures today, but here are my remarks from Friday night. Maybe it'll make some kind of sense to someone else...

"I am often asked, when running out of the office with a formal in one hand my ritual in the other, what exactly I get out of this organization, apart from a staggering collection of formals and old wedding gowns. I usually respond with something along the line of 'many opportunities to work for different charities, and about 50 extra mom's and a few deputy aunts and uncles.'

What we come here for is really family. A family we have chosen for ourselves, but that will love and support us no less than that we were born to. Here, we have dozens of sisters and brothers to look after us when we need it, to share our triumphs with, and reach out to in times of need or sorrow.

We come from many different backgrounds, but our traditions and rituals give us common ground and a place to share and celebrate our differences. The obligation that we all took at our alter binds us together as surely as bonds of birth and blood. Wherever we go in the world, we have but to find a chapter and we will be in the arms of family, surrounded by love.

That is what I come for here, and what I hope I can share with all of you, my sisters and brothers, in the coming year. Through any crisis that I have faced in the last few years, I have known that all would be well, for help and comfort were to be found here. Just as my parents would not let me fail, neither would any of you, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Our motto for this year is 'Find something good in each day, then give it to others.' I hope that, in the next year, we can all take these words to heart and make a real difference in each others lives. Take every opportunity to share the love, friendship, and joy that we find here with everyone you meet."

Ugh

I fell asleep at 9:30 last night. How sad is that? At least I got some work done on one of the SASS dresses. Check out my progress!

My Worthy Matron dress finally showed up on Tuesday afternoon. It's very simple, but elegant, and I actually like it. It's a very very pale pink color, so I think I'm going to get a sash or something to brighten it up a bit. Maybe in a smoky lavender color or something, it kind of depends on what I can find at Britex tomorrow morning. It even fits well. A bit snug, but it should be fine and I shouldn't have to take it in any when I lose these last few pounds.

I'm trying to avoid freaking out about tomorrow. Everything seems to be under control, strangely enough, so it's just a matter of keeping focused, breathing, and having a good time. I have a list of things I have to do before I get to the lodge, it's all very manageable, and my family and the boy will be there to cheer me on so it should be good. As long as I remember to write my remarks I'll be fine. Maybe I can do that this morning while I'm feeling fairly calm and centered.

On the knitting front, for some stupid reason I took the Hope sleeve out of my work bag so I have made very little progress on that in the last week. It's back though, and I'm almost done with the first sleeve. Sleeves usually go pretty quickly. I am really looking forward to this being finished. It's cold and I need a sweater. Especially once Dickens starts and I'm running around mornings in my corset and drawers.

Trudging onward...

I seem to be making progress! Last night I got all the buttonholes and buttons on to my underthings (drawers, chemise, combinations, and undersleeves), cut out the blue dress train lining, and made and attached the dust-ruffle for the blue SASS dress. All I have left to do on the underskirt is to hand sew the hem facing down, attach it to waistband, and drape the lace overlay. Which is an easy bit of work and will hopefully get done tonight.

If I can just keep head down and keep plowing through stuff, I'll be fine. It's when I look around myself at the massive heap of things to do that I kind of flip out. I must focus on what has been done, not what remained to be done, and all will be well.

As if the pile of things to do wasn't big enough as it is, I found out yesterday that my newest housemate is going to be moving out at the end of December. This is highly annoying, especially since I passed up a different applicant for this guy who would probably not have 1 - becomes a recluse, and 2 - decided to move out in 2 months. But oh well. I was planning on moving at the end of January or so anyway, this just kind of steps up the whole thing for me. I'm now aiming to go in mid-January. I can swing extra rent for a couple of weeks if I need to and getting out and moved sooner rather than latter is always a good thing. I just don't relish the idea of apartment hunting right now.

It's a big stinky pain in the ass, is all.

Stupid link for today:

The Wu-Tang name generator

I'm either "Embryonic Crusadah" or "Flailing Fanatical Killer." Huh.

I freely admit this is an old site, but it's still amusing.

Ready for Fair! I think...

Overall, I had a very productive weekend. My costumes for Dickens Fair are completely done, except for some buttons holes on the underwear and my undersleeves.

I accomplished the following this weekend:

• One set of combination underwear
  
• One pair of drawers
  
• One chemise
  
• One set of undersleeves and matching collar
  
• Alterations on wool dress for Bella Wilfer
  
• New bodice for Mrs. G.
  
• Red flannel petticoat to wear under hoops
  
• Reduced circumference of hoops to fit under wool dress (and also to avoid sucking up small children and other detritus)
  
• rehearsal for Installation
  
• Carry-in and corsage assembly for Installation
  
• Semi-audition and rehearsal for Bella Wilfer part
  

Oy. I did get a lot done. Of course, I got nothing done at all on any of my SASS projects, but now that I have all the little Dickens things out of the way I can focus on that without panicking about costume approval and dress rehearsal this coming weekend. The only thing I need to do for Dickens this week is the buttonholes on the underthings, and find some lace to make a collar for Mrs. G. She can live without for a weekend if she has too, so that's not a huge crisis.

My main goals for this week are:

1. Hem and finish the blue dress skirt
2. Line and assemble the blue dress bodice
3. Cut out the white underskirt
4. Assemble the Madame X underskirt
5. Fix up my Installation dress, if it ever gets here

This should leave me in good shape for the weekend. Friday will be a total wash, since that's my Installation, but I have four nights to get these things done. Hopefully this is manageable. I figure each task will be an evening's worth of work, and I can always deal with my Installation dress on Friday (sounds like a guaranteed panic attack to me, but what else can you do?). Saturday is the Buccaneers Tea, and Sunday is dress rehearsal, but I hold out hope for getting some work done this weekend as well.

In non-fabric related areas of life (yes, there are some, it's a miracle!), the boy has pneumonia and I've been having major panic attacks. Between the two of us we barely make one functional person. It's sort of pathetic. Actually, I'm worried about him. He won't let me go down there and help him this week because I'm overwhelmed as it is, which is very sweet and all but for crap sake, what good am I if I'm not there in his hour of need or whatever? At least he's getting better and taking it easy so he can recover. Sleep seems to solve a whole number of problems.

I must have gone mad

Why am I so conflicted about taking this part? I'm not at all unhappy with my role as Mrs. G, in fact, I really like it, which is probably part of the problem, but being able to play young and pretty just once would be awfully nice. Of course, young and pretty and a bit of a money grubbing bitch presents it's own issues. Some people at these events don't make a very clear distinction between what you do as a character and what you do as an actual person.

I think I'm just too overwhelmed to make clear and rational decisions at the moment. Oh well. I should be able to get some sleep tonight, so maybe that will help.

Of course, what I really want to do is talk to the boy about it all and bounce ideas off him. I probably won't get to do that this weekend though, which is a whole other set of frustrations and confusion.

Anyhow, here are the pictures of my 1869 corset. The pattern is Ageless Patterns #1033. It's quite comfortable actually, and not any more difficult to make than any other corset. The bust and hip gores are massive for the modern figure though, so if you decide to tackle this be aware that these gores will require some serious adjustment.





Last night, I got the blue tail bodice cut out (check out my project page for more information and the sketch), ran into a snag with the muslin I was going to use to line the tail part, and cut out new combinations, drawers, and a chemise for myself. All in all, I'm not doing too badly with my goals for the week, but I'm not feeling exactly good about them either. I'll just have to buckle down and blow through some things tonight.

A dilemma or two...

I have been offered a role, other than Mrs. Gaskell, at Dickens that I have wanted to play for years (Bella Wilfer from Our Mutual Friend). It's actually rather exciting to get the chance to do this part, but I am torn. Part of me is reticent because I feel like I'm being asked to do this only because I have lost all that weight, but that seems like a really stupid reason to turn down an opportunity to do something I've wanted to do for a long time. I won't be able to play one of Dickens's sweet young things (ok, Bella Wilfer is hardly sweet, but she is young and pretty and turns out well in the end), for very much longer, and I can do Mrs. G until I'm 73 if I want too, but I don't want to abandon the cast I've been working with either. Ack. What to do?

Tuesday was a total sewing waste, but I did get the corset finished last night. It is, sadly, a bit small. I think I figured out how to make it bigger around the waist next time, but I really don't want to make a 3rd corset right now. Of course, it's brand new and has to get broken in a bit, so it'll probably be fine once I wear it for awhile. It should be ok, and I can always wear the other corset that I have if this one is too unbearable. At least it's pretty. I'm going to try to photograph it tonight.

Tonight I'm going to tackle the blue tail bodice and at least get it cut out. I should be able to do the hem on the skirt and sew the bodice together tomorrow, which will leave me in pretty good shape coming in to the weekend.

The weekend. Eep. If I decide to take this part, I'm going to have to go to workshops Saturday afternoon which kind of sucks, as it will cut dramatically in to my sewing time. At least I'll get to the see the boy if I do that. I'm feeling very uneasy there actually, this whole undefined thing is just not something I can cope with all that well, especially just at the moment. I can't decide if I'm afraid to trust him because of my own issues or because of his past behavior. It's probably a combination of both, but I still don't really know what to do about it. Part of me feels like he's ashamed of me or doesn't want his friends to know there's something going on here, and I'm not really the sort of person to deal well with being relegated to the shadows, but maybe I'm just being paranoid? Or insane as a result of lack of sleep? Or having really bad PMS? God knows. The whole situation is a little absurd. It all feels so good and right when we're together, it's just the times when we're not that drive me nuts. I hate being all insecure and confused.

Tea and a spinning wheel

Suddenly finding myself needing to re-do my corset is very annoying. At least it's almost done. I need to do the eyelets down the back, insert boning, sew down the gusstets, and put on the hem bindings and I'm done. I should be able to get it finished tonight. God willing it will still fit. It's not like I've made any new changes to the pattern, so it should be ok, it just looks freakishly small around the waist. So much the better I suppose, it will keep fitting me once I drop these last 10 pounds.

It's gotten cold and damp rather quickly this year. This sort of weather always makes me yearn for my spinning wheel and a nice pot of tea. Sadly, this is not to be just now. I can't sit and spin for hours and hours until I get some of these projects done.

My goals for this week are:
1 -Finish the replacement corset
2 - Cut out and sew blue ball gown bodice
3 - Finish Mrs. Gaskell's new bodice for the old dress

If I manage all that, which isn't that much, my plan for the weekend is to:
1 - Make alternations on new Mrs. G dress
2 - Finish off blue ball gown
3 - Go on underwear making bender
4 - Cut out blue and yellow reception/day dress
5 - Dress up the WM dress I found on eBay if it shows up in time

Still, I just want to curl up with a book, my cat, the boy, and some tea. That would do more to sooth my frayed nerves than anything else I can think of. Of course, I wouldn't be getting anything done so maybe it's just as well not to think about that...

Vampire Ball!

I had a very strange weekend. Dickens workshops started, I had a pointless trip to the Jessica McClintok outlet in search of a Worthy Matron's dress, and got very stressed out and bitchy for no apparent reason. Sometimes I wonder about myself. I freely admit that I have too much on my plate just now, but it's really no worse than most Novembers. So what's my problem? Maybe it's just that I have no idea which way life will go after the New Year. That, on to of everything else, is just a bit too much. Lack of control is not something I cope well with.

Anyway, I did pick up a rather lovely dress at workshops! It was made by one of the other seamstresses who judges the costume contest, and fits almost perfectly. Yay! It's tight through the bustline, but I figured out a brilliant way to fix it on the way to work this morning. I'm going to make a placket and set in a double row of buttons. Now I just need new buttons and something to use as a placket, and I'm all set. Mrs. Gaskell really should have more than one outfit to run around in. And this one will fit nicely over my hoops. So much the better! I need new undersleeves for this one, but those are fairly easy to put together, and I can sew them in the car if it comes to that.

I did have a rather major corset malfunction at the ball. The 1869 corset that I made was done as an experiment, so I wasn't really expecting it to be without issues, but I didn't count on the fabric I used stretching as much as it did. This in and of itself is not such a problem, but when the corset stretches and your skirt and bodice do not, well, you end up in pain. So I have to re-make the corset a little sooner than I had anticipated. It's all for the good, I can do it up the right way this time (with the twill tape at the waist for one thing!), and smaller (the first version was too big even without the stretching). Luckily it's a pretty fast corset to make, so this shouldn't derail my other projects too badly. And I found a good dress on eBay to use for my Worthy Matron's dress, so things are looking up. I'm less panicked than I was this morning.

Pictures from the ball

Shoe lust!

I'm a shoe-whore. I can't help myself.

I must have these lovely boots, and also the ones with the buttons.

Maybe after I have all my applications paid for...

I really should find myself a nice foot fetishist.

Is it nap time yet?

Last night was not a total wash, though I didn't get as much done as I wanted to. I had forgotten that I needed to pick up some cards and get myself together for an Eastern Star meeting tonight, but still managed to get my Dickens bodice cut out and assembled and make the alterations for one of the ball gown patterns. Once you factor in the panicked card shopping at rite aid and the bleeding all over the place (why do I keep trying to slice my finger off with my shears?), it was a reasonably productive evening.

This weekend I'll get some help fitting the Dickens bodice, and should be able to finish it off Sunday night after workshops. With some luck, I'll also be able to get the ball gown bodice cut out. I'm hoping to get that dress done next week so I can move on to the second client dress and start in on my own gown. As long as I remember to go to crappy joanns for hem tape (black, ecru, and pale blue), I should be in good shape.

Fun link for today:


Which OS are You?

I'm very glad I didn't end up being Windows ME. That would have been embarrassing.

Making progress!

I feel like I'm making some good progress with all of my projects for Vegas. Having to get my dress altered/re-done in time for Dickens just makes staying on track that much more critical, but if I keep it up like I did last night I should be in good shape.

So, last night I fixed my 1869 corset (the bust gores needed to be taken in so that I didn't pop out the top of the corset, who would have ever thought I would be taking in the bust of anything?), re-set my Dickens skirt on a new waist-band, and did the pleated ruffle for one of the 3 bustle gowns. That underskirt is basically done, I just need to get some hem tape and then I can finish the skirt off altogether.

Tonight I am going to cut out my new Dickens bodice and the combined bodice and train for the ball gown. That should leave me in good shape for the weekend. With any luck, I'll manage to get over to joanns crap and alleged fabrics to pick up large quantities of hem tape. I really need to start making shopping lists for the fabric store. Making all of these extra trips is just a huge waste of time, and time is not something I can waste just now.

My commute project du jour is a tweedy sweater from Rowan #29 (Hope, on page 25). The original was done in a cotton yarn, but something about doing cables and ribs in cotton just seems stupid to me. Nothing like a cabled cotton sweater if you want a stretched out shapeless mess after one wash (I'm an opinionated knitter, what can I say?). Anyway, I had some angora and wool tweed-like yarn in my stash that I'd been planning on making a cabled sweater out of, and luckily I liked this design and the yarn is at the same gauge. Yay! Of course, I now have twice as much yarn as I really need, partly because I bought it when I was larger, and partly because this sweater is a little cropped. I'll have plenty of left over yarn to make a hat, gloves, and maybe some socks to go with it.

Anyway, I really like the design of the sweater, but I am not that impressed with the pattern itself. I am highly annoyed with the shoulders. If you follow their directions, you end up with 5 fewer stitches on the front shoulder then you have on the back, the diagonal ribs have no hope of lining up into neat chevrons at the seam, and they have you pick up different numbers of stitches on each side of the neck opening for the collar (which they have you work flat for some stupid reason). So much for my attempts to follow directions. I've been trying to work with patterns more so I will have a better idea of what my students are struggling with and so that I won't duplicate the stupider errors in my own designs. It's a noble goal, buy my god can it ever be frustrating! As far as my wool version of Hope goes, there is no hope for the rib pattern at the shoulders but I fixed the collar directions, and should be starting on the sleeves tomorrow. Yay! I really want to get this done before Thanksgiving. It's getting cold and I've only got one proper sweater that really fits right.

Scary link for the day (be sure to watch the video!): Gangsta Knitter

One of Four

The first of my four winter dress projects is done! This will be worn to the GBACG's Buccaneers Tea at which I will be playing Nan. This is one of my favorite books, and Nan is probably my favorite of Edith Wharton's heroines, so I'm very excited about this.

I now have to really focus and get through two ball gowns and a reception dress for the SASS event in Las Vegas, as well as alterations for mt Dickens Fair costume. We can't have Mrs. Gaskell running around in a dress 3 sizes too big. At least I have the corset finished. It's an Ageless Patterns corset from 1869, which worked up brillantly but was turned out rather large through the bust and hips. I've decided that when trying out a new corset pattern it's much easier to just make a real corset and wear it for awhile before adjusting the fit and shape. Things seems to shift around quite a bit once you are all laced in.