Popculture and Kilted Bustles

Try thouigh I might, I'm not going to achieve anything more tonight.  I don't feel bad about that, because I'm not as far along as I hoped... BUT!  I have made definite progress, and I've not rushed it.  So yay me!

First though, today I went to the 21st dressed as Tauriel.  A couple of things:

God Damn it was hot!
I really want some silver hair wraps to do the hair "correctly"
The ear tips I got sucked - will have to replace... STAT!

Otherwise, we had a great time.  We pretty much were the only ones dressed up, which is pretty sad for the birthday girl, but that's why you invite a bunch of costumers to your themed party.. :D

 

Pretty happy with the way it turned out, I got a "Wowsers" from one of my male friends, so that's a good thing right? Interestingly, I don't think I look terrible with red hair. Good to know!

Here's some more photos from the party...




Anyway, so here's where we're at with the kilted bustle.  Damn it's heavy.  And I'm probably going to handsew the pleats onto the foundation skirt, I'm not sure I can successfully get the wool through the machine!

A cherry print skirt

In between pop culture costumes and victorian and regency, I've finished something from the UFO pile.  It was made last year for a trip to the Jazz Club with the hubby for our anniversary, but didn't have a waistband and was massively big.

So I'm calling it finished in 2014 since I only finished it a couple of nights ago...



And some photos from a night out at the vintage fair...



Today I start the 1888s woollen tartan bustle.  Exciting, but a little daunting.

When the creativity strikes...

It's sometimes a hard thing for me when the creativity strikes.

I have many friends who sketch their ideas so they don't lose them, so they can work out details, play with the style more etc etc etc.

I have NEVER been able to do that.  I can't draw to save myself.  But I can write.  I can descriptively write - so that's what I do.  I snag line drawings for patterns and write notes next to it that describe how I want to change the pattern... "Longer here"..... "sleeve from *X pattern* instead", sometimes some weird shorthand that makes no sense to anyone..... Usually it works, because it keeps the image in my head.  I once tried to start a costume sketch book.  But it became more of a scrapbook, including pictures of actual costumes, some scribbled on, some pattern company line drawings with pattern numbers on them, some fabric samples even.  It occured to me that this is what pinterest is really for, although I don't really use it for that... haha... It's more a catalogue of my historical wish dresses.  Which is fine.  It makes it easy if I want to show someone what I'm planning to make.  So these days I either get it down in an email in words, sometimes attaching a photo, and send it to myself.

More often than not, this process happens while I'm at work.... Especially when I'm doing things that are very analytical - numbers, dates, facts. The image of the outfit, and the words that describe it swirl around in my mind while I tap away at the keyboard at work.

This happened today, and although I didn't really know why this idea was budding in my mind, it grew, and couldn't be ignored.  Now I get philosophical.  Clicking on random things on facebook is interesting.  By doing this, I came across something so very cool, that would fit in with this idea so very well that I just couldn't ignore it.  It's "meant to be".

Then I realised - I have been puzzling for a couple of months what I wanted to do for the Gothic Ball this year, since I can go again this year (BIG cheer!)... But thanks to the design swirling around in my head, and what I found today, I puzzle no longer.

But, all will be revealed in the fullness of time.  I have much to do before then!

Phew. I'm pooped!

I've changed my mind about my JAFA plans again.  I'm fast running out of time and energy.  So some changes need to be made.

Thursday night: I'm going to go with my existing cream dress, and I'll possibly make myself an overbodice and a showercap turban to snazz it up a bit.  This was an existing "backup" plan, and I think that's a sound idea.

 

Friday: I'm still going to be french!  I have unpicked the sleeves so that I can insert a gusset into them.  I want to be able to bend my arms.. ;)



Friday night: I have a short-sleeved white dress cut out, so I'll make that up for evening.  I'm going to mend my blue open robe, which I put my foot through last time I wore it.. :(... 



Saturday: I'm making up a piece out of the stash, which was originally earmarked for Regency but got shelved since I'm about a mt shorter than I usually like for a regency dress.  I'm going to cut the bodice, probably as tiny a bodice as possible, and it won't be self-lined.  Then we'll see how much skirt I can get out.  Ideally I like a 3-panel skirt, I find it more flattering on me.  If I can get a shorter 3-panel skirt, I'm thinking I'll do a white/ivory underskirt, which will make this look a bit different than the average regency dress. :D  I already have a spencer and a bonnet to match, all I need is a reticule... They really don't take long!  And I still have some of the silk left over from my bonnet to make it out of.



Saturday Night, I'm going to wear my red ball gown that I wore to JAFA last time.  It is beautiful, and doesn't get worn enough.



Sunday is still the same "in-coohoots" plan.

This is far more achievable in my mind. It's not whole outfits to make, like I was originally planning.  I don't have the energy to make a whole new ball gown, since they require so much more fancy.  And I already have some lovely dresses and spencers.  I also need to make one more chemise.  Which is EASY!

Other than that, today I'm going to finish Tauriel.  I need that for next weekend! 
The weekend after is when I need the tartan.  I need to get moving on that, including fixing a petticoat, preshrinking wool (which I'll do today) and drafting a collar/pockets for myself and my partner-in-tartan.
Then it's back to Gruzinkerbell.  Bodice, wings and tiara.  Sounds like very little left.  HA!

Then I can finish all off my regency.. :\

I'm exhausted already.

Wooo! Progress!

So I had a busy day today, and all things considered, I'm feeling better about my JAFA sewng.  Realistically, I'm already ahead of the mark on last time I went - I only had one chemise (I borrowed one), 4 dresses and a spencer.  Given I have all of those dresses still (and can fit into them) and a few other bits and pieces, I'm not doing that bad at all.  I do need a massage though, and I'll take care of that tomorrow.. :)

Today though, we made UNDERWEAR! This makes 2 chemises that I have now.



Yes, I have a second chemise.. Yay!

Tonight while I get my dancing fix (So you think you can dance - Australia) I'll cut out a new white dress FINALLY.... I might also cut out the bodice for Gruzinkerbell.. :D...  Feeling stupidly motivated now that I have finished with the freaking ruffles, and am happy that they have worked out the way they should.

Anyway, enough talk, more cutting!

Getting it done!

Nothing finished to post at the moment, everything seems to be midway through!

I have a number of weekend-long events during April, and a couple before April to be ready for as well.

On the 23rd March I have a Tolkien themed 21st to go to.  Of course I never had a big interest in doing anything LOTR/Hobbit related.  Ironically, I'm doing a character from the latest Hobbit film that doesn't even exist in the books, Tauriel.  She seemed fairly quick to do, and comfy to wear.   Not much left on her to do thankfully!

On the 30th I have an event with 19th Century Queensland, and of course that was the day we were going to debut our "uniforms".  So I have a wool kilted bustle skirt and bodice to make before then.

The following weekend is Supanova. And I'm midway through doing Gruzinkerbell.  All the ruffles are done, next big challenge is the wings, and how I'll attach them!

The second weekend in April is the Jane Austen Festival and of course I want 3 new chemises, at least two dresses, and a coat.  Is it going to happen?  Remains to be seen.  Working on chemises and maybe one of the dresses today as a respite from satin and ruffles, so heres hoping!

Then, there's the Victorian Picnic on easter weekend.  But that's all there is on that weekend, so YAY! Time with hubby!

Finally, on Anzac weekend, I'll be going to Ironfest down near Sydney for the first time.  I'm probably taking the kilted bustle for that and something else, that I haven't decided yet!

Listing it all out like that freaks me out a little, but I'm sure it's doable, especially if I work on this stuff every day.  Thankfully I don't reenact the regency period, so I'm not especially worried about the fact that my dresses will be machine sewn.  You probably won't SEE any machine stitching, but it'll be there!

Time for breakfast, then to work.  This list won't make itself shorter!