Winding down

As far as creative crafty matters go, the year has been rather busy. Numerous mitts and caps were completed, along with another pair of socks for gift giving. I do believe I've mastered heels and gussets at last, and have a goal of learning to do cables and bobbles, among other interesting things, to make the leg portion more interesting for myself. I have just put down my needles after playing with a scrap of yarn and realizing that I can manage a candle flame design as well. I've got enough different colors from Knit Picks sampler packs that I've ordered over the past couple of years, that I may just use all that lace yarn to make multiple scarves for NEXT year's holiday gifts (or birthday gifts) as the case may be.

I am rather proud of myself for making a mans 1820 tail coat, alterations and all, to fit. Knocked out a Regency waistcoat in a day, and will knock out another one before the next Jane Austen Ball, scheduled for January 22nd. Speaking of which, I have ordered an additional two yards of the beautiful sea blue silk taffeta, and will start on my new ballgown soon. I want to have it finished well before the week of the ball, unlike last year, where I was sewing hooks on the bodice back about the time we were supposed to be leaving. So we were an hour late to the afternoon tea and entertainment before the ball. We still got to eat anyway. Not doing it again this next time around.

I brainstormed while sitting on the museum terrace yesterday on my lunch break. I noticed a couple of different visitors were wearing 3/4 length coats that closely resembled Spencer jackets as they had higher waistlines. If I were to make a 3/4 length pelisse with the Spencer waist, it just wouldn't look right. But if I were to make a Spencer and find a way to attach a separate full length skirt to the waistband - say an arrangement of hidden buttons and velcro - I might have a two in one solution to the need for a coat. I've been looking at past ball photos, along with thinking about what some of the other ladies have worn, and while it might be nice to have a full length pelisse in something scrumptious like a silk dupioni, or an evening cape in black velvet, neither would be really practical. This year I carried a paisley shawl made of wool, which was period correct, albeit for daytime. I may have to resort to my black pashmina for the sake of coordinating with my new dress. However, if I could find a nice navy wool gabardine, I think it might work for the 2/1 coat. I could go the other route and make a black velvet Spencer, but considering how cold it is late on a January night in Pasadena, I want something warm and practical.

I had a request for a dupioni rose pin, much like Winky's Christmas Rose, which I made last year for the Immy Homemade Craft Exchange. I haven't had time to knock it out yet - will get it done next week before my next museum shift, and after I'm feeling better. I think I may have picked something up at the last Regency dance practice evening. All that taking partners and neighbors by the hand as we're doing the various figures - someone was bound to have the Winter cold.

I made money doing custom sewing this year; however those jobs were not coming often enough. I took a fashion illustration course, and the instructor suggested that I find a way to sell my artwork on notecards, or some other such thing. She also thinks that I should be illustrating pattern envelopes, so if my hands hold out, it could be something to look into. With all the holiday knitting and baking, my carpal tunnel was really irritated, and I was in pain in a way that I haven't been in years. I have to find my splint that immobilizes my hand/wrist/forearm just in case. I had to produce so many drawings this past term, that I was starting to feel the wrist irritation, and on top of that, my hands were cramping up. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't sew/knit/draw/paint/embroider. I'd be lost. Aside from leading tours at the museum, it's about the only pleasure I really get these days.

I doubt that anyone will miss them, so I did not get photos of a lot of my most recent knitting projects. I had too much to do, and they were all made on deadlines. I think I shall photograph the candle flame once that gets going - it's a 24 row repeat, and I figure I can break at rows 12 or 24 if I'm smart - those would be the natural breaks. The pattern seems logical enough, with nothing but y/o's, ssk's, k2tog's, and the old k's or p's, so I shouldn't get too bamboozled. Number 4 needles seem awfully big for lace yarn, but I suppose they're make the thing grow faster.

That is all...

Sewing photos

Eva Dress pattern #6611, front (without button or snaps), collar and strap holding collar finally in place. This is so flattering to the face - it just frames the wearer beautifully. Absolutely worth all the work.

Finished coat with the fur all attached.

Dianna's underdress.

Back of Dianna's dress.

Yep, I made these...


My pink dress for the Jane Austen evening.

I really need a dress form for hanging my finished pieces on before I photograph them. A hanger doesn't do it for me - they need to be molded over the body...

Now - I'll refrain from sewing or crafting for two weeks, then plow back in at the beginning of March. Well, I might sneak some knitting in next week...

Busy, busy

Safe to say that I have been sewing non-stop since January 2nd. I will eventually get photos posted of costumes from the Jane Austen Ball, as well as the coat I'm working on now for a play that's about to open. I'm getting paid $10 per hour for the thing, and I'm up to $400 in invoicing - it's been that much of a devil. Having said that, now that the lining is tacked in and the front facings are on, it's looking pretty good. This is the first time I've made an overcoat, let alone worked with fur. I found someone's review of the project (Eva Dress 6611 - 1929 Coat) on PatternReview.com, and she had the same sort of challenges I've been experiencing. Fortunately for me, she posted more complete information about how she made and attached the collar, which rather reminds me of a Flintstones version of Elvis (standing fur). The other problem I had was my cutters. They were first year theater students, and I happened to be in the costume shop, working with the designer on another dress, while the kids were cutting, and they were more interested in their conversation than mindful of what they were doing. This coat has a lot of long seams, curved pintucks, matching curves for an intricate effect - it's really precision sewing, and because they weren't cautious, some of the seam allowances were off, and so I had to take portions of the seams apart and abut them by hand in order to have proper spacing between the curved seam, and the echo in the pintuck. The girl also cut the lining wrong, but in this case, it's an error that worked out in my favor, because in the pattern review, the other seamstress mentioned that when cutting the lining as shown on the pattern piece, it's about 1" too narrow to fit with the front facing, so I may actually be able to turn this inside out and close that part up by machine later this morning. This project has been a real challenge, but it's pushed me hard, and I've learned so much. I know the designer wouldn't have given it to me if she didn't think I could handle it, and I've been slllllloooooooowwwww (which is working just fine for my budget), but I'm seeing what I'm capable of doing, and despite my grumbles, the fur really makes the coat look beautiful. Hope to finish by 3:00 in the afternoon, or before it starts raining - whichever comes first. I've just done a last press of the interior seams before I close up the innards, and I don't want to go to all the trouble of pressing it and making it look just so, then have to go and wad it up in a plastic bag to prevent it from being ruined so I can go the three blocks to the company costume shop.

Off and running

I have started a new cap in Knit Picks Main Line yarn (now discontinued) - about halfway there now, and also going to attempt making mitts with partial fingers. I figured thumbs are no problem, so fingers should be more of the same. In the meantime, I am happy with my new yarn ball winder and swift, my favorite Yule gifts. I'm a fiber geek, I admit it.

Now, I won't be checking in for at least three weeks, because I have two ballgowns and a man's evening suit to make, circa 1800, for the Jane Austen Evening. Took my friend fabric shopping tonight, and she spent $125 on fabric so that I can have fun sewing. I will post photos of completed outfits at the ball (is my Darcy fangirl geek showing?) so that I can share the Regency love. Her dress is going to be ecru eyelet that has rayon embroidery on it, giving the fabric a slightly more dressy sheen than typical eyelet. The underdress is aqua cotton lawn. The sash is a turquoise shot dupioni that has gold/taupe cross threads in the weave. I'll use that fabric for the trim around the neckline as well as the reticule. I have a changent silk taffeta in navy/sea green, but I'm not sure I want to cut it and make it up into a dress, since I've been losing weight. Maybe next year. In the meantime, I have a pink cotton that has a stripe weave with teeny faggoting bordering the stripes. I have white lawn to use as an underdress, and that may just be my ballgown. The plan is to make false sleeves so that I can wear it as a day dress some other time. I brought the costume tiaras down off the storage shelves tonight. The ball is on the 23rd - can't wait. I plan on having a lot of fun sewing, even if I've only got a week and a half free before the Spring semester starts on January 19th. It usually only takes me about eight hours to make a dress, so I'm not stressing too much. It's the men's outfit that I've got to be more careful with. "Puffy shirt," no problem, waistcoat, no problem. Fall front breeches - never made them before, but they don't look too tricky. Regency dresscoat? It's been awhile since I've done any serious tailoring. Black is good. Black is forgiving of any bobbles that might happen, but truth be told, I'm sure that if I am just cautious and carefully follow the directions in my book of men's costume tailoring, I should be o.k. I figure I can pretty much make anything I want to make. I'm that experienced that I don't get freaked out about trying something out for the first time. I can sew a straight line, I can sew curves. I think I shall do more basting than I normally do when I get to the jacket. That should make my life much easier...

Catching up

The Immeritus SPEW knit along project was finished about the 9th. Happy to say that I can now do cables with very little trouble. I did like the hat pattern enough to consider it for gifts later this year.

Am back to the socks. Managed to make the flap and get the heel turned, but I don't think it's terribly pretty at this time. I am seriously considering frogging the silly thing for the sake of making a slightly smaller sock among other things. I also don't much care for the yarn now that it's working up - it's a 75%/25% wool/acrylic blend, but it's really itchy and I'm wondering how comfy this yarn could possibly be on the feet! I'm going to have to look at softer versions of some sort of wool or cotton blend. Cashmere would be divine, but I don't know if I could justify that sort of expense.

The Tilli Tomas beaded yarn project is going along alright. It really should have been done by now, but I'm finding the yarn rather annoying to work with, although it looks exceptionally beautiful in daylight, with the variations in the strands as well as the glimmer of the glass beads lending a different dimension to the texture.

Have some ideas for accessories to sell on Etsy. I don't think I can go back to my day job - I just don't. So I would have to be on the ball and sew at least six hours a day. We'll see - possible samples to come later ;)