TO WAR!!!

That sounded spirited and enthusiastic, right?  Good, because really I'm just stressed as hell and anxious about getting everything done and the packing and there's still stuff to buy and dogsitters and a guest room to get ready and OMG THERE'S ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT  *FAINT*


Mkay, I'm done.

Look, sleeves!

Just something quick to fill an hour that I had left while chained to my sewing machine after I finished the stuff on my to-do list tonight and still had a bit of time.

Just some old red polyester microfiber ("wool"? I think it's convincing, lol), lined with some white cotton eyelet-print I had lying around.  The buttons are left over from the blue velvet gown project.

Of which I still don't have good pictures.  But by now, I assume you expect this.  (Fail).

One of the sleeves' lining had to be pieced.

But hey, I used up all the white eyelet-print scraps! :D  Less junk taking up space in my nice, organized craft room shelves.

Speaking of which, I moved the sewing table in there, from the wall with the window on it to the adjacent wall on the left, so that I have a better place to set up my ironing board that's not out in the middle of the room. :D

Have I mentioned how much I heart these buttons?

Something else I did recently:  got my Singer machine fixed!!!  It wasn't broken, really, but the foot control had gone out, and a very nice man at a very nice shop very close to my house wired a new one onto the cord (of my 17 year old Singer) for me, for only $25.  Now I have functional two machines again!

And I'm teaching Vasilii to sew!  Tonight while I worked on these sleeves, Vasillii sat next to me and made himself a linen hood to wear under his helmet.  He's doing a fantastic job.  :)


News on the war preparations later this week...



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*GACK*

I will complete all my projects in time for War.
I will complete all my projects in time for War. 
I will complete all my projects in time for War. 
I will complete all my projects in time for War. 
I will complete all my projects in time for War. 
I will complete all my projects in time for War. 
I will complete all my projects in time for War. 
I will complete all my projects in time for War. 
I will complete all my projects in time for War. 
I will complete all my projects in time for War. 
I will complete all my projects in time for War. 
I will complete all my projects in time for War. 

It's Lady Me!

My Award of Arms, Candlemas 2012 (actually given at Queen's Champion in October, but I wasn't there - oops!)

Stuff and Things

Current Projects: 

(i.e. stuff I should be blogging about in-depth, but am not, currently)

 Another wooden box! 

 Lots more charters to paint!

 Pants, pants, and more pants. 

Shirts - ditto

 Chemises - ditto! 

 WAR IS IN ONE MONTH AND I MAY DIE. 

 Pretty little silver trinket box from the thrift store. 

A&S Gift Swap

And tons, tons more. Also more Candlemas pictures to post, when I can get them sorted out.  Busy! GACK!  

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*omg*

True to form, I f*d up and forgot to ask someone to take pics of Vasilii and I in our court gear (green opashen, blue velvet transitional gown), after realizing that my camera's battery was dead.  FAIL.

I do, however have this picture:

That would be Vasilii and I getting our AOAs together...at the event which marks our 1-year anniversary in the SCA, from a K&Q whom we both absolutely adore and admire!

If pics of either one of us in our outfits surface online today from the event, I'll share them here.



*

I found one!  Isn't he hot?  Nom nom.

Meanwhile, bardic was awesome, although I displayed without competing because I'd forgotten my spoken piece...except I found it later in the afternoon in my music folder. D'oh!  Guess it just wasn't meant to be.  The Candlemas Candle Dance performance went swimmingly, feast was amazing, I got my arms registered, I had tons of fun sitting gate in the morning, I made new friends, I dance my ass off in the evening before court, and I got to entourage for the B&B during court for the first time, which was really neat.  And then, you know...AOA.

Squee!!   :o) 

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Blue Velvet Gown

Success!  Drumroll, please...

Drrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrrdrrrrrr....

Clockwise from top left:  15th/early 16th "transitional";  "Miranda" by JE
Millais;  color scheme inspiration; excerpt from the Lady &  Unicorn tapestries

....drrdrrdrrrrrr....

Yay!    *SpArKLE*

I have no pics of me IN the dress yet, because I'm still getting together the rest of the outfit - hair, accessories, under-bits.  I have it all in my head, but I haven't done a major test-run yet.


I'll definitely have pics after Saturday though; and it's entirely likely I'll also have video of me performing for Bardic, and/or performing in the dance that opens the feast! EEP!

Front opening with hidden lacings behind a lightly-boned placket to keep the lines straight. The neckline cuts deep on the sides, and has a steep point up the center.  I opted to omit a lining in the bodice this time, since this fabric, though comfy, is still pretty sturdy and thick, and didn't require it for fit or for look.

The skirt of the dress is split on the right side, and drapes up to the left hip where it's secured there by a brooch...of which I have no pics. Yet.

The skirt I'm going to be wearing underneath this is an ocean-blue silk - it's actually something that I've had for years, that just happens to be perfect with this dress. Yay!

Back neckline, slightly V-shaped, embroidery enlarged and graduated just a bit to accentuate the dip.

One of my favorite things about this dress?  It was crazy cheap to make:

• 2 Ikea curtain panels, clearance $10/ea
• "silver" (plastic) and "pearl" buttons: $4/dozen
• green silk suit lining, clearance $2
• glittering and glowing in the candlelight at my favorite event: PRICELESS

Yup. The whole thing cost me about $26.  ^_^

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Blue Velvet Yay

Success!  

The blue velvet gown is going off without a hitch.  The body is done (as of Sunday), the lacings and eyelets are in, and the fit was perfect on the first try for once.

This is (or will be, when it's finished), a late 15th-century "transitional" gown - one of the many variations & evolutionary stepping-stone fashions that happened between standard 15thC kirtles/cotehardies and the Tudor styles we think of.  Split skirt to pull up and pin on one side (A), extra-long, slightly-flared sleeves that can be worn down or turned back (B) pointed neckline.  I experimented with boning the front opening to give it a smoother, flatter line (rather than wearing a corset underneath - which, technically, I should be doing, but this is a nice alternative for the time being (as I do not have time right now to start making corsets - maybe after War).  I have to say, I'm really pleased with the effect.

This week I'm working on the embroidery along the front opening and neckline, and the sleeve cuffs.  I'm actually almost done - only one sleeve to go.  Yay!   Also this week: working on headgear and/or hair configurations, sorting out jewelry...and working on my bardic pieces for Saturday.  EEK!!!

 To be continued...





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