Sunday, October 31, 2010

On the costume-building front...

Snuck into JoAnn's today, wanting a piece from their very limited selection of 100% linens.  Unfortunately, their selection of linens has shrunk drastically from where it was back in June.  No luck there.  Headed over to the suitings.  What a mess.  I wish that they would separate the 100% wools from all the rest.  Almost missed some 100% wool gabardines - not perfect for costume purposes, but on sale for even more than the 40% off of the rest of the suitings - $10.00 per yard.  A rich red and a soft brown should be useful for something, as should the red wool - non-gabardine and feels like a regular wool. 

Still wish I could have gotten some linen though.  My linen stash is so limited.  Will have to shop online.

UFO Alert! They're in my sewing room!

If there is such a thing as anyone of you out there having a UFO-free sewing space, I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT!

UFOs abound in my studio and I suspect that they always will.  However, motivated by the coming of cooler weather and the desire to sleep under a bed cover that actually fits the bed, I pulled a UFO out this weekend and blasted through as much as I could, given the fact that weekends mean family at home!  And of course there was the whole "let's see how late we can do costumes this year" thing.

Anyway, probably around 5 years ago, give-or-take, I found a pattern that gave me a really big AH-HAH moment.  Vogue had developed a pattern, indeed an entire decorating scheme just for our master bedroom.  It was 2908, and was already discontinued when I found it, but they had some in their discontinued stock and I got one of the last.  The pattern contains everything a room could need in the way of textile decor.  Several trips to SAS (local fabric store - manufacturer's overstocks, etc.) and I was able to come up with fabrics to fill in for every fabric in the picture on the pattern cover, which is here:


This picture isn't very good, but I'll replace it when I get a chance.  Still, I think you can see the details well enough.

I have the floral for the spread, or something amazingly similar, a nice plaid - pink and tan on cream - for the bedskirt and tablecloth, a jacquard weave for the 26" french square pillows, and several other pieces for all of the other pillows and such.  I have all the trims too, miles of fancy fringes, chunky pipings and more.  And it's all been sitting in the studio, waiting quietly, waiting forever.

I had started the bedspread, to the point of having the top layer pieced.  Of course, it took two attempts as the first time I cut too small for the kind of covering that I wanted.  I was able to salvage that as the backing layer for the top layer.  I also added a layer of polar fleece, pieced to the spread size, just to complicate things...I mean...to make it more quilt-like and warmer for our frigid AZ winters...yeah - right.  It will be plenty warm anyway.  It will also be large enough, the first time I've had a large enough cover for this bed since we got rid of the waterbed several years ago.

I was really so inspired by this pattern.  Back when I first found it, I found a headboard at a local thrift store, awful pink and white thing, but several cans of spray paint turned it to a wonderful piece in dark, dark green.  It doesn't have the scrollwork like the one in the picture, but it turned out pretty cool.

I'm still looking for tables like the small one in the corner next to the bed (nightstand position).  They're not visible in this picture, but there is a slightly different view on the actual envelope.  The tables are tall enough for the mattress, round with a lovely edge detail.  Someday....

I wanted the crown mouldings and the crown moulding shelf, but for now the budget is saying no.  I will have the creamy white walls, Vanilla Delight from Home Depot.  In lieu of the crown molding shelf, I've just lucked onto 3 5'-long shelves, similar to the long crown molding shelf, but very light weight, probably a molded product, brand-new, in their wrappers, at the thrift store.  They won't be quite the same as the elegant shelf in the picture, but I think they'll do just fine.

So eventually I'll have my version of the room in the picture - and a lot of left-over fabrics too!  I'm thinking that there is enough of the floral for either pinch-pleated draperies in the place of the white sheers, or a summer-weight bedspread with a fringe finish.  I already have the fringe...urgh.

The window toppers are cut as are the French square pillow pieces.  If I can get the spread done this week, maybe the rest will follow.

P.S.  Here's the back view of the pattern, in case anyone is curious.

It helps to put the bobbin in the machine....

Or, why was I making Halloween costumes 2 hours before trick-or-treating, especially given that the wearers are 13 and 15 (for a few more days/weeks) and really don't do the trick-or-treat thing anymore?

And yes, I tried to sew without the bobbin in the machine - can't really recommend it as a sewing technique....lol.

The old Scream robe was too short everywhere and too tight, too.  Luckily, the stash yielded some costume-type faux suede, similar to the robe's original fabric.  Added a 6" wide strip in each side seam, from robe hem to sleeve hem - plenty big and then some.  Lengthened the sleeves 6" and the robe 11".  That was perfect, as long as I didn't want to sew any hems.  Good since I was short on time anyway.

Of course, both guys had been planning on wearing the Scream robe...but had forgotten to tell each other or me.  It was 90 minutes too late for an emergency run to the neighborhood costume shop, so one kid got the robe and the other said, "I'll just go hang out at the party - no costume needed", follow about 15 minutes later by, "Could you make me a red shirt that says 'Thing One'?"  Duhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

But I'm a sucker...so, whip out a chunk of red cotton knit, free-hand cut a t-shirt, front and back identical except for the necklines, and a couple of sleeves.  Well, the sleeves were ok, but the armholes were rather tight, which I figured out after I'd altered the sleeves to fit the armholes.  It worked ok though.  Just had to scramble to get 'Thing One' painted on the front, graffiti-style, and dried in time to wear.  It hasn't exactly been heat-set, but it got worn!

So Halloween came and went, with costumes salvaged and created at the last possible moment...not how I intended to end the weekend, but what the heck...

Monday, October 25, 2010

Back from the weekend at Defenders...

It was a lovely weekend, nice weather, great people.  The day-time temps were a little warm for multi-layered garb, but still not bad.  The nights were wonderful for snuggling under a mountain of covers - oh how I've missed sleeping under covers.

I had been working on herringbone stitch embroidery on my dark blue apron dress.  Once both sides were symmetrical, I called it wearable, but I am going to add some more stitching to it.  The rust colored apron dress needs a bit of final assembly and some embellishment.  I've ordered some tablet-woven pieces from an Etsy vendor.  I think that one of those will be about right for the new apron dress.  I may need to do a bit of embroidery on the peach gown - not sure yet.

I really need to focus on accessories for those two outfits.  I started hemming the first of two veils - one oval, one rectangular.  Both are of IL030 linen from Fabrics-store.com.  At 2.8oz. it is their lightest linen, but I'm not thrilled with it.  I guess I'm a little spoiled by the fineness of the silks that I've used.  For a veil, this linen seems rather stiff, but hopefully it will soften with washing and time.  I'm going to add beads to the edge of the oval, after it's hemmed.  I'd like to do another one to be edged with the kumihimo-like trim that I'm making on my Diva Cord-maker.  It's rather an imitation kumihimo gadget, but fun.  I also need to finish a belt and make a bag to wear with those two outfits.

I've just figured out where the cameras are, so maybe tomorrow I can get some pictures taken and posted.

Going in another direction, I think that it's high time that I finish one of the two bedspreads that I started for my bedroom about 3 years ago, give or take.  I just don't like working on humongous objects like bedspreads or wedding gowns, but I have a goal for my bedroom and if I don't get back to sewing, my room will never get done.   More to post one of these days...

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

I did it again....

Yes, I let months go by.

Back in July, I was having such fun with the things that I hoped to have ready for Costume College, right up to the moment when I hit that mental brick wall.  I think that it was partially a response to the bio-physical issues that tend to hit us all at some point in life, and partially frustration at the way some things just were not going right.

The hat project stalled when I finally had to face the fact that it was going to end up too small.  A word of advice - if using a straw hat as a base for a turban or other style, make sure it is a little bit too big at the start.  That way, when you wrap layers of fabric around the edge and decrease the size, it will still fit!

The stays for the white gown are on hold...maybe later this winter.  Likewise the shoes to go with the white gown and the green gown.

What AM I working on?  Well, when school started back up, things got quite busy and my studio and I saw little of each other.  Even if I made it out there, I usually looked around and left.  Sheesh.  Right now though, in order to spark my interests and creativity, I'm indulging myself with things that have nothing to do with my teaching, things that I just WANT to do.

I started a 1514 chemise from a Tiziano Veccellio painting titled Woman with a Mirror.  I first saw the chemise when someone posted a link to the picture on one of the costuming list-serves.  They wanted help with interpreting the gown.  I fell for the chemise.  After waiting probably a little less than a year, I just couldn't wait any longer.  I have the chemise assembled and am working on the 4 rows of 1/8" running stitches around the 150+" neckline.  These stitches will pull up to form the lovely, very small, cartridge pleating around the very open neckline.  It can be worn almost off-shoulder, with an almost straight-across neckline, or on-shoulder with a more scooped neckline.  So far, I'm really liking how it is turning out and will post pictures, probably next week.

We're camping, SCA-style, this weekend and I'm rushing through a second Viking outfit.  Gotta love Viking, even if it is debatable as to period accuracy and proper construction techniques.  It's just so fast and easy and it looks good ON!  I'm buzzing up a peach colored gown - probably not period, but I'm trying really hard to use things that I already have on hand.  The apron gown is a 2-piece version - supposedly maybe more period-correct, with a wide back panel and a narrow front panel.  It's in a rust-colored woolen and will go over the peach gown.

I took time to make myself a couple of strands of bead-work to wear on the apron gown, fastened to the brooches at the base of the straps in front.  Again, made do with beads that I already had, but I think that they turned out pretty good.

I'm also making a Viking caftan-like coat.  Period accuracy of this garment is also somewhat debated, but I like it.  My fabric is seriously not period, or so I believe.  It is wool, but it is a woven stripe in shades of soft brown/rust with some gold/yellow and black.  I just like it so much that I don't care if it's not period!  I'm going to line it in the same peach linen that I am using for the gown.  Not trying to over-coordinate, but I have plenty of the peach and am happy not to be spending anything on fabric right now.  I own enough!

I'm also trying to decide on a better, more period-looking camping arrangement.  I'm tired of the old dome tent and want more room, more easily accessed.  Debating lots of options right now and will post about it here when I actually have more of an idea of what I'm doing.

Photos will follow, hopefully quite soon, I promise!