Hints of upcoming projects - L

I have a couple new projects I'm starting to work on.  'Starting' as in 'thinking about and gathering materials'.  One is the promised Renaissance gown and the other is a new take on Steampunk.  I am sort of excited about my Steampunk thing.  Here is a small part of the fun:

And then, for our Renaissance stuff, Rob and I thought we would like to have 'flea furs' or zibellinos.  So I have taken upon myself to craft them.  I bought some very cheap kid's clay at Target (It dries without heat) and molded a ferret-face.  Now I let it dry, while I'm off exploring Portland Oregon.  It's a little bumpy but it says it can be carved and sanded after it dries.  I plan to paint it gold and add jewels and decorations.  Rob has some faux fur that will work well for the body and tail.  If the face works, I'll make another, and paws for both.

Next week my final shipment of parts should arrive and I can finish the polonaise.  We have a sewing day coming up and I will model it for proper photos.  May even wear my hat.  Oh crap, I totally forgot I have to decorate my hat.  Grrr. 
I love a hat, but struggle with decorating.  I need supervision.  I have a very strong urge to hot glue all sorts of neat stuff to it.  Random, inappropriate, often not very pretty, stuff.     I can't be the only person who likes gull feathers....and marine mammal vertebrae.

The Turtle Seamstress Progresses - R

After a lovely trip to the Denver area (where I could not sew and had no hand sewing I could bring with me), I came home to a jam-packed schedule for the next two weeks.  I'm going to be sneaking in bits and pieces of sewing where I can.  Last night I sewed the knobby part of the busk into the corset.  It always scares me to punch holes in perfectly good fabric hoping I've marked it properly.  This time, I marked, checked, checked again and finally punched the holes, inserted the knob busk and sewed it up.  It looks pretty good.

On a side note, I ordered some Victorian boots, had to send them back for a larger size, and just got the new ones today, and entire size larger than I normally wear. I'll be wearing them around the house to mold the leather to my feet for the next couple of months.  Cute, huh? They'll be hidden under the 1860's outfit but will look fabulous with Steampunk.

Where was I? - L

I never stop being surprised by the sheer number of little things...tiny little things...that need to be done on my projects.  And separately, how long they take (vs my expectations).  Yesterday I had set aside the morning to clear a number of little things I had left to do.  And found myself throwing in the towel at around 6pm.  Everything on my polonaise and skirt is done except adjusting the bustle tape, and attaching the front closure.  And I'm waiting for hook tape to do that. 

My daughter's project is coming along nicely.  She did, in fact, sew her sleeves unevenly and they need to be re-done.  The skirt is finished except for trim.  I pinned the first line of ivory ribbon around the hem.  I'm planning on three stripes.  The hem is mostly done on the front and ready for trim.  We need to cut and add the fake button closure (to hide the front zip), and finish and trim the neckline.  Finally we need to fix down the pleats on the apron and bustle and attach them.   It is difficult to see in the picture, but I added a D-ring vest-style adjustment in the back of the bodice in case she chooses to wear this with a corset or cincher. 
My knitted jacket is coming along.  I have half a sleeve and the right front left to do.  And sewing it all together.  The armholes are frighteningly large.  Should be interesting.  And everything else is on hold for supplies, or waiting to be cut.  I'm going to take a break here and catch up on mundane and tedious things like paying bills and laundry. 

(the list of 'done':  take apart and re-do a drawstring petticoat, shorten and add a waistband, remove bones, re-do darts, replace boning, sew in peplum, sew in D-ring vest closure, sew more darts, hem bodice, finish skirt waistband, pin trim...just a lot of little things, right?  ALL DAY)