green_martha

I've been going through my books for my 1890s research... project... thingie. All in the name of going back to basics and looking for what's really typical in terms of shape and trim for 1890s lingerie. Turns out colored lingerie seems to be all the rage. I can't find a single fashion column between 1893 and 1898 that would mention lingerie and NOT mention color. Pale pink, pale blue, and pale pink, blue or purple flowers on a white ground. I need to look into what the patterns might have looked like now.
I'm enjoying some free time as the kids are with my parents and I'm home alone. I "only" have to make about 10 pounds of plum jam this afternoon. The plum tree is full of ripe fruit. We've have various cakes already. Tonight I'm going to try duck with a plum sauce, and this afternoon jam. And most of the fruit is still ON the tree. I've picked over 30 pounds of plums already. Does anybody want some ?

No Heimlich dear, it's just the pitcher. Not every liquid is a variation of tea. ^^
Ah kids ! Keeping you up all day (and some nights as well), burping and barfing onto your favorite pair of jeans... and growing two inches in three months, making every thought of rewearing last year's skeleton suit absurd. maybe I can pretend Toad is a boy and stick her into the old suit ? Her own costume was already two small by its first outing, and she now needs something she can (attempt to) walk in...)
The plan for now is to make new outfits for both kids (machine-sewing everything and cutting some corners with authenticity) to make a 1790s visit to 1792 Vizille in July. I'd rewear my blue printed two-piece. If everything goes according to plan, Heimlich will have a new skeleton suit with cream pants, red jacket, possible cream cuffs, and a dickey that's almost done. And Toad should have white dress over a green slip. And a pudding cap if I manage to not sleep for one month straight. I suspect my plan will be a little TOO ambitious, I'll spend half of June on the beach and I'll have to scale down, but at least, I'll try.

I made some !
The caraco is all mocked-up, including sleeves. I'm back to working on the chemise - I started with the more pressing and complex item and am now relaxing and sewing something I know well and love to make. I'm close to being ready for the fitting, early, yay !
I love love love this commission, it's almost historical costuming, but of the easy kind, while still challenging me by being for a totally different figure from what I usually make. And the client is adorable, which makes it even better.

About the icon, after being insulted four or five times over the past three days in lieu of a reasonable discussion, this is the only appropriate answer I have. *shrugs*

First, having BOTH candidates for the second row of presidential elections try to appeal to the xenophobic, reactionary far right by saying "oh yes, actually we think along the same lines" is more than a little disturbing. What the frack ? I know the Leader Minimo and his pals totally ARE on the same page as the far right on a lot of topics*, but I thought better of the socialists. Or at least, of some of them.

*Just for the record, he's been re-actualizing things we haven't heard for the last 70 years and making constant references to our dear old Pétain - since years, but in full force since Sunday. Classy.

Then, I've been barfed onto three times today, I had to keep the kids quiet for two hours because we had an appointment with an ophthalmologist and the only time we could get one was during nap time, so we survived without nap in a very not kid-friendly zone. Add one hour in the car (where only the younger one slept, for, like, fifteen minutes). I'm one tired maman. But I won't let that put me down, because I have awesome friends, because the kids didn't explode in flight despite the lack of nap, and because I was really good today and finally took pictures of the maternity corset ! Which implies I almost have a working photography setting !!!!
I have the pictures, they're on my site, but have yet to be made accessible, and that involves working with galleries and editing, and I've already made one dumb mistake tonight, so I figure it's a Bad Idea(tm) to try that now. You'll have to wait a little longer !
This is something else entirely - wedding dress sample ! I've found a way to make it work, it's going to be awesome ! I have other lengths of sparkly embroidered net in different colors and patterns, I'm not sure I'll have the willpower to avoid turning one into an early teens evening gown.

I just tucked the youngest into bed for (hopefully) a short morning nap, the oldest is in Paris with the InLaws, so I have a little time to work. The backlog is... aaargh !
I'm putting the justaucrps up on Nick, hoping to be ale to get some pictures later today. I'm only seeing the things I've done wrong. Ack ! Tailoring mistakes, bad ironing... It's not bad, it's just... I could do sooooo much better if I restarted it now ! Especially when I compare it to the skirt I just finished, where I really took the time to prep and think before I cut and work with the fabric. (not that the skirt is perfect either, but it's reasonably good) It drives me nuts. I want to take the thing apart and just redo it. except I neither have time nor fabric for that.
Learning curve, heh ?

You know those little electronic games shaped like little computers for kids ? Heimlich has been gifted one of those by Lord Darkstone. It has the shape of an R2D2 and has C3PO asking the kid to help him find letters. With bad midi music. *snorts* Totally adorable to see the kid play with his own "o'dinateu'", all serious,having seated himself next to his father (who's coding on his laptop).
It's one of those "I'm doing a little bit of everything" days. Finished uploading my prints to the site. Toyed with my FB page. Sewed some on my commission. Started another lino block (that's not real lino but this eraser-like thing, much gentler on my joints). Inked small parts on the new Pharos design. Now thinking about slipping into bed with a book. Focusing ? What's that ? It's hard to focus anyway while only working in small spurts. Which is probably the reason why I'm so stalled on my writing when it's the one thing I really need to push on right now. Oh yes, and there was some bathroom remodel planning as well.
I finished the day rewatching some BSG with the Home Geek and knitting some. I'm on the first sleeve on my cardi that was supposed to be a pregnancy cardi for Toad. Well, at least I spared some wool as I didn't need to make the body so wide !
I'm trying to post alittle more regularly, regardless of whether or not I have some good pictures. It's a good motivation to not just veg out on the Interweb...

... I think it's what being productive feels like. I did take a real week-end break from sewing - helped by the fact that I was in too much pain yesterday to do anything besides lying in bed and reading The Hobbit for most of the day yesterday. Sometimes I wish I could be rid of the damn monhtly dose of feminity for good. I have my kids, I don't intend to ever get pregnant again, I don't need my reproductive cycle anymore, thankyouverymuch... But at least I've read some.
But I did cook quite a bit on Saturday, and blogged</a< about it. I'm having waaay too much fun with this cooking blog. I came home from my vacation all motivated to cook some yummy stuff ad it keeps me going. So : yay ! Today I was a good girl and went back to work on the skirt. All seams are neatly finished, I'm working towards a waistband now. Well,after lunch, because for now I have one big cuddly boy sitting on my lap and trying to decipher the letters I'm typing. It feels amazing to be moving forward !

I should be about to jump into my car and go to the nude drawing class. Except... no. It's a mixture of being tired, not having slept well (thanks little Toad...), creative burnout on one side and too many project sinthe works in the other. Ont he whole, I feel like I might have bitten off more than I can chew this year with two courses at the art school. It takes away from the time I can focus on more directly work-oriented thing,s like creating product samples for my site. I'm probably going to keep coming now and then, but for today, I'm staying home and painting. with a little trip to a bio farmer's market when I'm finished with the white paint.
Yesterday's printmaking session was a disaster, very frustrating. The teacher is not really available and the group isn't working so great together - this is a brief sum up for a huge rant. I need to reconsider how I'll work on that next year. I might end up signing up for a course but only using the workshop outside the course hours.
I'm compensating by doing some graphic stuff, painting cubes for Heimlich. I don't think I'll finish something today but I'll have a good chunk done, that's already something.