Cracking the whip - L

Wow, life keeps derailing my plans to be the totally under-appreciated talent in the costuming sphere that I just know I will be (when I grow up).  So I made myself cut out new metal bits for my bustle.  And I only cut myself once.  The metal is a heavier weight.  It won't age like the prior choice, but it also won't dent when I breath on it.  Frustrating.

No pictures, nothing genuinely exciting.  More to follow.

AND I did a rough fitting of my jacket muslin (a steampunk/military style jacket).  Not perfect, but good enough to cut the fabric.  Robin will help me get a better fit if we ever get a chance to sew together again....

Princess Lisa and the Kraken disaster- L

 Maybe I mentioned...?  After making a Lord of the Rings 'Evil Minion' outfit I still wanted to make a princess dress.  I don't think I will ever wear it in public because, like my Titanic dress, it makes me look like the dancing hippos in Fantasia.  But hey, a girl can still WANT a princess dress...and MAKE a princess dress.
The dark jade is the dress, the white(ish) is the sleeve lining and the trim will go around the narrow part of the arm and around the neck.  The dark green is rayon and has a terrible bias droop.  I'm going to have to do something about the sides of the neckline since they are growing daily EVEN THOUGH I STAY STITCHED.  Can you sense my frustration?  Also, putting the sleeves together when one fabric stretches and one does not is a right bitch.  Seriously.  Robin has already lived this pain so I cannot complain too much.  Full pictures soon!

Here are the boys having fun at Gallifrey One.  I got a chance to meet Alisa from Dragonfly Designs by Alisa.  Yes, we took a picture but it's a blurry mess.  I came away from the convention totally inspired to work on my metal bustle.  As soon as I got home, I got to work.  And wrecked it.  Seriously.  Ground zero.  Start over.  I don't want to talk about it right now.  My Kraken will emerge from the deep again, bigger and better (if slightly heavier).  Use caution when aging metal....

Gallifrey One - Allons-y!

Got last minute tickets to Gallifrey One in LA in a week.  I know what I'll wear (steampunk/Dr Who)
I'm going with friends and the boys are each going to be a Doctor.  Mine will be '10'.  I got the suit and the high tops, shirt and tie, and found some old cardboard 3D glasses.
Now for the hair (he is not used to product and clearly uncomfortable but he likes it)

The BIG problem is making the suit fit.  I opening the seams under the arms and took it in.  Next I need to remove the front pleats from the pants and take them in.  Can that even be done?  I don't know. There are pockets in my way.  I need to fold the fabric over the pockets and fake it down, or just remove them altogether.  Strange enough, folding the fabric seems to be the easier solution.

I'll be back with pictures!

In addition, I'll be making a muslin of the TV Equestrian Jacket so Robin can so a fitting on our sewing day Sunday.  With whatever time I have left, I will start working on a medieval dress for Costume College.

On top of everything else, I'm missing a Gull Identification Walk to sew!  That actually makes me sad.

Preview of Upcoming Attractions! - Lisa

Ahead of the New Year (what?  I'm from California and Chinese NY is just around the corner), I decided to post a look at what I would like to do in the year of the Snake.

But first, I also have a resolution.  When Robin and I started this blog, our plan was to post about project ideas and the process of creation.  Looking back over our recent posts I think we are failing.  Instead of a fun look at our creation process, we have mostly posted 'Look!  I made something neat!' with some pictures.  This is NOT my best effort at thoughtful posting.  It's more like an afterthought.  I CAN do better and I will attempt to do so going forward.

Now back to our program!

Outfits for specific events:
Haradrim - I've already posted this!  I made this to challenge myself to work without a pattern; I made this so I wouldn't be one among a slew of princess dresses; I made this to indulge my general bad-assedness.
All this was achieved.  I haven't worn it yet.  Knowing me, I will go to the event, stay a couple of hours and go home early.  This is one of those costumes that I enjoy making far more than wearing.  It was huge fun to make a corset bodice and do everything (intentionally) wrong and yet have it work.  I SHOULD have blogged about this.  I had fun making decorations, adding metallic rivets and painted plastic that look very different than the original materials.  It has also provided inspiration for a couple ideas creeping around the back of my head.  So... Success!

Steampunk Ass-Kraken - I want to make something out of metal; I want to make a 'structural' bustle that can be worn as an ornament on it's own; I want to incorporate light and/or movement in a costume.  I'm in waaay over my head, but having fun.

1920's - 30's for the Gatsby Picnic - Robin is going, and is making a dress.  I love the sound of it but I'm still waffling.  Let's face it, I'm fat and this era is brutal on fat chicks.  At my age I should be OVER it but I'm not.  That said, I have a 1911 pattern that I love.  If I made it shorter (mid calf) I think it would 'read' early 1930s.  That's my plan.  The pattern is the wrong size so I need to make and fit a muslin.  IF that works, I have two different lawn fabrics with contrasting trim that would make up wonderfully for this event.

Medieval - Robin and I are going to Costume College!  Part of the program is an 'ice cream social' in medieval garb.  So while I chose not to be a 'princess' for LOTR, that doesn't mean I don't want to actually make a princess dress.  I have a pattern for a bliaut and was going to try and make one.  But after thinking hard, I realize that using the same costume pattern that Robin used for her LOTR will result in a more flattering fit.  Basically, who doesn't want a princess dress?  Even if it's not so very flattering.

Also for Costume College - There is a Pajama Breakfast, and a Pirate Tea.  I will wear my princess slip and my polonaise, respectively, after some alterations.  Nothing major, but absolutely essential.  There is also a 'Fantasy' evening that is wide open to anything.  I will either wear the Haradrim or the Ass-Kraken.  Whichever I'm most fond of when I'm packing.

Renaissance Dress - I'm two thirds of the way through this.  We haven't picked a fair for this year, and I'm waiting for Robin to decide.  But I would dearly like to finish this monster just to clear the sewing room and my brain.

Outfits I WANT (that I don't have a specific place to wear) - 
Steampunk/Miliitary Jacket - I have had the fabric for two years.  I have looked at a variety of patterns.  I'm indecisive.
 
I have both of these patterns.  I think I'm going to use the Truly Victorian since I plan to wear this with a bustle skirt.  But I crave the asymmetry of the modern jacket.  Plus, I wanted to make the top work like reveres, pivoting from the lowest button.  Well, no one said I can't make two!

The jacket from True Grit - NOT 'her father's jacket' that she wears on the trail, but the simple jacket she wears at the beginning of the movie.  I have no pattern.  I will have to modify an existing pattern or drape it.  And draping it is my challenge.  A quick reminder picture:


1940's vintage swing coat - Pattern and fabric acquired.  I need to make the time.  And I want it to look classy and properly tailored so I need to NOT be in a hurry.  This will improve my skills. Plus, swing coat!

1912 Project Duster - I have the pattern, the fabric and the lining.  I need to re-size the pattern and make a muslin.  I also need to make a decision about the lining.  I bought a beautiful fabric - in fact, SO beautiful that I want to do something else with it.  Anything else, but resign it to lining a coat I may never wear. This is a 'skill builder' and it may turn out awesome.

Bustle Dresses - I want them all!  I have a smooth slightly shiny light grey wool and just bought a black, tan and white stripe fabric for accent.  I have ruby red silk and dark green silk on the way.  So many ideas!!!

I also want to do these things:

learn to use my drop spindle, 

weave a shawl  

knit at least 5 pairs of socks
knit a sweater that I actually wear

re-do the peplum on the 1912 Blouse 1000

make that old brown Steampunk skirt look a bit weathered and tattered and a lot shorter 

crotchet black fingerless gloves

So I'm vowing right now that I will post at LEAST weekly and plan on twice a week.  I will post by project with more detail.  I will update posts more often and then move them to the top of the blog so it isn't such a search to find things.  Wish me luck!

Battle for Middle Earth!

Sunday Sewing day - tracing patterns, finishing touches, fitting, ideas, and....
A BATTLE FOR MIDDLE EARTH!

Lisa and I have been working on our costumes for the PEERS Rivendell Revels, a costumed dance with costumes that would be worn in Lord of the Rings' world, the Middle Earth. My original thought was to be an elf (if you've ever seen my ears, you'd know why because I wouldn't even need a prosthetic!), but Lisa convinced me that everyone would be elves, so I chose to be a woman in the Rohan Court, serving Lady Eowyn. The dress is an homage to the green Eowyn dress, still missing the belt.

Lisa didn't see herself as either an ethereal elf, a Hobbit (the world's tallest Hobbit?) or a human on the side of good, but rather, a baddie.  But which one? She chose to make an rendition of a Haradrim Warrior.  In the movie, only males are shown, but Lisa chose to create what a female Haradrim Warrior would wear. I think she did an awesome job! She scares the heck out of me.
For the record - everyone wants to be the princess or the hero.  But the bad guys get all the great costumes!
And it's ironic that Valerie wanted to be a Rohirrim and ended up looking like an elf.  With two of our group already using the same pattern, I'm glad I 'stomped' out on a limb.



  For fun, we enacted a battle between Good and Evil.  and sneak a peek at Robin's collar... that is 'painted lace'.  She has a very deft and steady hand.

Evil won. (because Evil had weapons)

I spent our sewing Sunday tracing patterns for upcoming costumes ALL DAY LONG (Ugh). We fitted a muslin for Lisa's upcoming medieval gown and Lisa finished details of her Harradim costume. All in all, a productive and fun day.

Here's a quick peek at the elf dress - bad photo and not finished....

Telling Tails (the Kraken Bustle) - L

I am telling this 'tail' in reverse!  Start at the bottom to watch the evolution of this monster...

The Ass-Kraken is BACK!  After Halloween and other holiday distractions, with a break to make a Haradrim warrior costume, I realized I needed to get back to work on my metal bustle.

Just a quick reminder...  I have no idea how to work in metal.  I'm sort of thinking of it is very stiff fabric.  That can't be sewn.

Here is how I got from 5 tapered metal strips to this:

First I taped them together so I could have some sort of semi-stable form to work with.  There are several types of tape in use.  None of them work well, but medical adhesive tape worked the best.  I know this looks sort of small, but it's about 14 inches long and will be about 12 inches across (I think?) when it's done.

Once it was taped together I could sort of squish it into the final shape and start figuring out how to make the brass bands that will join the segments, and how to finish each end.

Here is the 'head'.  It was fun and exciting except for the part where I don't have enough rivets, and I don't know to curve the brass bands.  Meh.  This is the easy part.  Once this is done I have to make the segment with the eyes that will attach to my body. And all those tentacles...  I'm REALLY at a loss there.  Moving on...

For the 'butt' end (the end away from the tentacles) I made a circle from fairly heavy brass.  Then I bent it in half which hurt my hands.  I used the rivets I had to attach each body segment to the brass end.  They aren't a perfect fit but there will be brass strips covering the joins.

This was so amazing quick to type and yet it took me a really long time to do.

I also cut the inch wide brass bands and creased them vertically.

I can't do much more until I get more rivets.  (ordered and on the way!)

              ____________________________________________________________

I cut metal today.  For a kraken bustle.

I started by making a wire framework to represent the body on the kraken.  

Above the wire you can see the two 4 inch plasma balls I'm using for eyes.  I have NO IDEA how I will attach the eye part and the body.  And no idea how I will attach the tentacles.   (spell check kept trying to make tentacles into testicles - wow) But I will figure it out if it kills me.

After I had a wire shape, I measured it and made paper pieces to represent what I need to cut in metal.

Then I bought some cheap aluminum ducting, glued the paper to the ducting and cut it with tin snips.  

This from waaay back in the fall!

I also worked with my daughter on her striped polonaise.  Here's the bustle and sleeves.  She still has some black trim to add above the ruffles.

And I fit the lining of my tail bodice.  Today I can start sewing the top!

So much to get done and so little time...  OK, so little FREE time.

Weapons! - L

 No self-respecting nasty would go out without weapons.  Nor would they walk around with weapons unsheathed.  In an effort to avoid filing and preparing for taxes, I decided to make scabbards.  And, after all, the event is in a mere two weeks...

Isn't it silly to bring a sword and a knife to a dance?  And yet, how can I be a warrior without my tools?  It would be like an elf without ears!  So here they are.  I plan to tie a fragile red sting around them as 'peace-bonded' despite they're not being real.

All of this was made with scraps and remnants and bits set aside for other costumes.  (although I seriously need to quit raiding the renaissance or just finish the darned thing)

I created the shape by outlining the weapon on my scrap of choice. None were large enough for the sword so I added a tilted tip to the scabbard.  Quite evil looking!

 I used a short bit of my renaissance ribbon trim as decoration and sliced the faux leather to weave it in place.  Then I attached it with paper brads.  See the awl for punching holes and the brad...

Then I used Rub n'Buff on additional pieces for the top edge and the tip.  I used a combination of sewing and hot glue to hold it all together.  Then I tacked down a few large gold toned beads for decoration.

Finally I used gold crochet thread to blanket stitch the edge.  I made vertical slices in the back to attach the scabbard to a belt, or, in this case, to the back of my bodice.

Close up:

I also made a flimsy knife scabbard.  It's not as neat looking but it works.  It's just sewn together with a square of ribbon glued on.  I did reinforce the top edge so the knife can go in and out without catching, and added a glued on strap-y thing to attache to my side.

I have all my parts together except a couple of buckles and my turban.  I'll need to try it on to get the proper buckle placement.  So I may just take a quick picture.

The turban (like anything hat-related) has me stumped.

Back soon!