green_martha

I was completely wiped yesterday (still am today, but it's easier to concentrate, despite the fuzzy brain and runny nose, without the kids around) and was unable to scan and post those ones. I figured I'd show them here, as they are vaguely costume related. The whole concept of the series is not working out as I first thought, but there have been some happy experiments like these ones, with a combination or drypoint and monotype.

I finished the first pair of curtains, I don’t see a point in finishing the second pair before I'm sure of how we're going to hang them, so I'm at a loss at what to sew newt. I could start on the 1890s project, or I could make some quickie thing for the kids for Vizille. Heileen, is it still on for you ?

I had striked them out of the agenda, but it seems the Revolution feasts in Vizille in July could be doable. as in : they start on Thursday, and we'd be leaving Grenoble on Saturday only. The HG is on vacation at that date anyway, so kids would not be a problem - Heimlich could probably come along fine anyway. The only possible issue would be having a costume I fit into by that date. I'm not so sure about wearing the quilted ensemble in summer (but who knows, it might be exceptionnally cold) - this one would certainly fit and be ready. The Pierrot I mrobably wouldn't fit back into, as it's a little tight, and 5 weeks is not a lot to get back to your usual shape. The Plummy Jacket could probably fit with minimal tweaking. The redingote could certainly work too, probably with a new or altered stomacher. Redoing the hat would be a good idea as well.
Hmmm Heileen, I guess you'll be babysitting at that time ? *sad panda face*
Or I could do something new... wait, no. Strike that. Not by the end of July. Buuuut I still need a new empire gown for August. I have the fabric. Yup, I scanned it - with the magazine underneath to give you an idea of the scale.

I love the fabric, it's light and summery, I grabbed it as it was cheap and it "spoke" to me, but now I'm a bit at a loss at what to do with it. Something like this ? Or a late 1790s cross-over front dress (haven't seen those in darker print, though) ? Or a late 1810s/early 1820s dress with puffy sleeves (I have the right undies for one of those, AND the chemisette) ? I just can't decide, so please, LJ-hive mind, if you have any suggestion, shoot ahead !
I also have ten millions meters of white fabric for a more classical empire look, but I don't feel the love for a white dress right now. As for Heimlich, the skeleton suit would be pretty much okay-ish for both the revolution and the empire outing.

I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately - I suspect I was really, really tired and needed the vacation. Now I have regained some energy and I give you the obligatory "yearly costume review" post.

Back in January 2010, I tried to push myself to finish one project a month for a year. It worked quite well for the first half of the year, then as I went back to work my productivity went downward and I stoped keeping track. Most of all, this year has been bad for pictures - I forgot to snap some of half of the things I made, and I still haven't gone through the Vaux one. Boooo ! I'll try to catch up now that I'm home, but first, what did I make ?( click )

That'd be 10 or 11 projects in a year. Not quite 12-12, but considering I had a baby on my hands and how exhausted I spent the last months of the year, that's really not bad.
Oh wait ! I made a 12th thing ! I made a maternity t-shirt with th serger, it was so quick I forgot it ! *ticks the last box off*

Now for the coming year, what do I want to make ?
- finish the 1887 red maternity bustle dress
- make an 18th century quilted maternity ensemble
- make an adorable baby
- work on the super sekrit eyebrow project with heileen
Nothing else is set yet, but I suspect this will change after we have the programm of the Ministère des Modes in January...

Now for the mundane stuff ( click )

The answer, I had it all along... I DO have some pretty pretty fine lace I can use for the 1890s Paquin dress, see ? It's pretty and really finer than whatever I've found online or in a shop yet. I have quite a lot of it - I seem to recall 7 meters, but looking at the bolt I'm not sure there isn't a bit more. I haven't found a better way to display it's yumminess yet. Now I just need to find fabric for it.
Okay, now the bad thing ? Searching my stash has let another yummy-pretty piece of lace emerge, it's a little more dead-dinosaury and bulky, but still very pretty, and yesterday I stumbled upon THE perfect dress to display it, yet another 1890s, though a little earlier than the previously mentioned Paquin dress. So that means after I'm done with the casaque, the cradle dress, the possible new outfit or outfit revamping for Vaux, I have two dresses on my To-Sew-List that I badly badly badly want to make without any fabric nor occasion to wear it yet. Ewwww...
I must sew faster.
And post pictures but that requires lurching a big heavy book up from the living room, that'll wait.
Okay, I'm back to working on the stomacher, I think I'll attack the shoes tomorrow only.

Since I have to admit I won't be done with the wedding dress, I can post this already...

What I planned to do :
- finish beaded flapper, also known as the Pillowflower - not quite finished, I'd really love to add more beads someday, esp. to the back to balance the weihgt of the front. But it was wearable. Good pics still missing, though
- finish 1880s Avant-Garde dress
- finish short mantle to go with said dress
- add hat
- finish petticoats for said dress - no pictures but done except for closures. Yes, I wore them TWICE with a safety pin...
- and petticoat for wedding dress - plans changed, but it got done !
- make wedding dress - more than halfway done
- at least mock up pirate justeaucorps for my brother - mock-up done, fabric found
- Very Silly Project #3 - done, pictures when I get back in touch with customer
- Tournesols/Chaos socks
- Highkand Stockings - not even started
- find a new home, bought it, and moved in, and started some renovation, and not willing to part with it for anything in the world !
- plan a wedding - coming along nicely
- hold some public fire twirling performances - no fire on the 21st of June because of drought + hay. No fire later because of exhaustion. No fire since, either. I scared myself badly with a poi chain wrapped around my arm and am not very cofident about fire right now.


PEOPLE, there's like just ONE item on this list that I didn't at least start ? And most of them got completed ? I'm wowed ! *adapts icon*


Adding to the list, what was not planned :
- pinky sweater. Pictures of the finished sweater still to come
- late 18th century vest for my brother
- pirate shirt for the Home Geek
- Kid in Yellow totoro bonnet - forgot to take pictures of the blocked bonnet before sending it away...


And then, what's on the plate for next year !
- finish wedding dress
- if time allows, make pelisse to go with it
- finish mother-of-the-bride tailored ensemble
- I really, really should work on my brother's justeaucorps, second waistcoat and shirts, long overdue !
- new rococo outfit for Vaux
- possibly middle or lower class rococosomething for my brother's girlfriend (what d'ya think, brother ? wouldn't she look cute ?)


Then... I don't know what comes next ! Tell me, local costume peeps, what are the plans for this year ? Poe ? Vaux ? Anything bustley-else ? Or mmmmh... should we plan a 1890s/1900s something ? Oh woe is me, I'm out of evil plans !

I present you Nick (as he has a stomp of wood as a beginning of a head). Poor guy is starting to have some sewual identity problems already.


See ? Petticoat progress ! It hangs better on someone with hips, though there IS some weirdness in the back. I don't know yet how I'll fix it. I'm tired of petticoat sewing, and since this one is in almost wearable state I'll focus on more pressing matters, aka the dress itself.

Since I took the picture, I've added a red and orange fuzzy knitted purse. Poor guy ! But as soon as I get back to work on my brother's justeaucorps, he'll feel much more manly, I promise !

... at least to me. Perhaps some other french costumers (esp. you heileen, since you have one just around the corner) have found it already, but I only discovered today that Tati had quite a wide range of feathers, artificial flowers and ribbons in their wedding department. I'm now the proud owner of a bunch of green fake arums (teeny tiny ones, not lifesize, don't worry) and cream feathers.
And of a new pair of shoes. But how can you resist to a cute pair of twenties-reminiscent shoes with a very reasonable heel and under 15 euros ? Click and click. (Stupid makefile won't generate thumbnails and such, bleh...)

Yay #1 - the kitty bustle only needs a button to close it. It looks a bit weird and 'm not sure I like it, but I've tried draping a scrap of fabric over it and it seems I get the right shape. And it's pink.

Yay #2 - I did some twirling tonight ! IT's been a long time since I last trained, thanks to costume rush and sickness, and it's raining, so no fire tonight, just some random training with kiwidos and glow-in-the-dark-pois in the living-room.

Yay #3 - While looking for some music to train to, I stumbled upon my Celtas Cortos CDs. I had compeltely forgotten about them and 'lo, they are GOOD !

Yay #4 - I start to be able to wrap my brain around the shape and draping possibilities of a natural form dress. I even have a possible color scheme picked up - must go check how much of the various fabrics I have in my stash and how they harmonize (or not) together. If all goes as planned, I'm gonna visit Orsay in red. Yay for red !

Yay #5 - my own Mike (not so)Slackernerny (he's no way like THAT, he just has a Slackernerny mug ^^) just finished his last thesis chapter ! Only the intro and conclusion left, it really looks like he'll be able to defend in september !!! Yay YAY YAY !

Okay, it's late, I work tomorrow, so I'm off to bed... with a costume book to keep hunting for NF inspiration.

This is esp. for heileen, since it's mor eor less the same answer I wanted to make to two of her comments.

We've already figured out there aren't many costume folks around here, and that those few ones don't bother much with authenticity. Point is, we don't have many events, or much available literature in french. It's kind of a vicious circle, don't you think ? Since the costuming hobby has so little visibility arount here, the ones who are interested in it will only get in touch with the surface of it.
As you said, I want to remain optimistic, too, and think that maybe, it's due to a lack of information that there didn't seem to be a single period authentic rococo costume around there.
So, maybe we could do a bit of historically-accuracy-proselytism at the castle, too ;)

And I take note that there are to few costume books in french. If I ever get to make a costume book, I'll try to make it in french ;)

PS : my caraco is on hold for now, I should go back to it by the end of the day though