Costuming My Bliss

3/29/2011

So, yes it has been a looong time since I updated the site.  The problems are three fold. 

    1.My p.c. sucks.  It's slow and buggy and won't do anything properly the first time I ask.

     2.I use my smarty smart phone for most everything these days, including updating my lj.  I take my pics on it and post directly from the phone.  Why not just upload the pics to the p.c.?  because the phone is smarter than it is and so refuses to talk to it.

    3. Unti the mobile firefox app. is out of beta, my phone won't communicate with my web hosting service.  Once they get that app up and running, updates here will be more frequent.  Promise.

In the mean time, I have finished my corset, and the paletot, and started on a natural form dress.  See my lj for all the details on those.

Erm, yes.  I am alive.  I have absolutely no excuse for being away for so long, except that I am a slug.  I have done nothing, nadda, zilch, since the last time I checked in.

But, that has all changed!  I have turned over a new leaf!  (How long it will stay turned is anybody's guess).  After finishing the Annual Christmas Nighty for the L.P., (and slippers too!), I have been gifted with a little sewing inspiration. 

After many months of angst and despair over the corset, I have picked it up again, and am much happier.  I've also got a Victorian underbodice in the works.  Just doing the final tweaking of the mock up. I don't have all the details up here yet, but if you are at all interested, head on over to my lj, it's all there.  Along with a gratuitous shot of some very cute baby goats. 

Yes, I am a slug.  The Paletot is still not done.  Again, all it needs is the sleeves hemmed and a belt.  Lazy, lazy, lazy.... I really need to get this thing done.

Harry Potter birthday Bash

I've spent the last 2 weeks or so planning the L.P.'s 9th birthday party.  Like millions of kids before her, she discovered the Harry Potter books, and was captivated.  So, can you guess what theme we went with for this bash?  And because I'm an absolutely insane person, I decided that 2 weeks was enough time to get 8 (9 if you count mine) wizard robes made.  I also made magic wands to go with, and of course spell books, so the little wizards and witches could set about charming and cursing each other with confidence!  Oh, and let's not forget the invitations, each sealed with honest to goodness sealing wax, and a hand drawn  "Marauder's Map" showing the location of the party!  And it's just not a party without a pinata to whack, a pink and black witches hat, made by yours truly.  Just to be clear, I will never invest so much time into something meant to be beaten to death again!

Sadly, I ran out of time to make the giant squid to swim in the "lake" (read pool).  

cough, cough.... Yes, well it's been rather a long time hasn't it?  I've gone through a very non-productive period, and am just starting to get back on track.  Am finally on the finishing stages of the Victorian corset, i.e. cutting down the bones, applying binding and trimmings.  Still not finished with the paletot.  Not sure why, all I need to do is hem the sleeves and add the belt.  Sheer laziness it would seem.

Look for an update to the Victorian Corset page soon.  I need to get some pics uploaded.  In the mean time, you can check out my livejournal, I've been updating and posting progress there.

2 things of note here.  No, make that 3. 

The first thing is this.  A very talented costumer, not to mention a very lovely lady, has been hard at work, recreating the clothing of the family of the the first gov. of Queensland, Au.   She has very generously made the patterns available for personal use.  You can find them Here.  They will be adding more soon.

Second, I've updated  the 1868 Paletot page.  I've also been working on the *gasp* Victorian Corset.  I've added a few pics of where I'm at, but this page is in sore need of a revamp.  Hoping I'll have time to get to that sometime soon.   

Lastly, I've got a new Victorian outfit in the works for the L.P.  This will be something for her to wear to some upcoming events.  Hopefully, I'll get started on that this month.  If your interest in seeing what my thoughts are at this point, feel free to wander over to This post on my lj.

Ahem.  Well, yes, it has been rather a long time since I dropped in.  Everything was going along just swimmingly with the Watteau, and then came the sleeve.  I just wasn't happy, so had to start again.  Then the Winter Olympics happened, and I was useless.  (I'm an Olympics geek, and the winter are my favorite.  But, I'm back on track now, and hope to have this finished by the month's end.  Knocking on wood here.  There is an update on the Watteau page. 

I have been working, just not on the chemise.   Decided I needed a new jacket for every day wear, so am working on patterning a Watteau paletot from the April 25, 1868 edition of Harper's Bazar. (Sourced from Reconstruction Era Fashions.  Yet another Grimble book.)

So far, I've managed to get a rough pattern made.  I'm in the process of tracing out said pattern and adding s.a. so I can get a muslin stitched up.  

Will put up a page whin i've got somthing I can take pics of.

Well.  It's been a long time coming, but I've finally gotten some sewing done.  The Halloween costumes are long since done, but not going to be put here. 

What I have done though, is add a new page.  Victorian Underpinnings.  The Corset will eventually wind up here too, but for now, it's staying where it is.  What is currently residing there though are a pair of embroidered split drawers, and a simple chemise that is turning out to be not so simple after all.  

Still in the works is a massive links update.  I'm on a roll with the sewing right now, so don't want to tackle that just yet..  

Enjoy!

Well, still not much sewing action going on around here.  But, I promise that is about to change!  I've got the L.P.'s faerie costume planed out and is now at the cutting stage.  If ever I can find time to get the scissors out and get to work.  So, look for the Faerie page coming soon.  

I've also got my own Halloween costume in the works.  Mine will be a bit more historicaly inspired, if not historicaly accurate.  I'm planning on going with Nyx, the Greek goddess of night.  I'm excited about this one!  I've always loved Greek fashion, and this gives me an excuse to wear it.   While I'll be draping the chiton in an historicaly accurate way, the materials will be modern.  Unless of course there is some documentation out there for the Greeks using polyester! *wink, wink*  So, the Nyx page should be coming soon as well.

I've got exciting news for those of you interested in corsetry!  The creators of Your Wardrobe Unlock"d ,are launching a new online magazine focused on corsetry  and historically themed undergarments.  It's called Foundations Revealed, and promises to truly fantastic!  The site goes live Oct. 15th, but head over now to check out the free corset drafting tutorial.  Yes I said FREE!!!  It will teach you how to draft any style of corset to your measurments so it fits like a glove.  And if you share the site with a friend or two, you get a free bonus chapter on how to draft a pattern with gores, be they hip or bust.  All you have to do is send an e-mail with the link to Foundations Revealed.  It's that easy, and absolutly free!!

If you are interested in costume, and are not already a subscriber, I would urge you to sign up.  I've found my subscription to YWU to be invaluble, and if the corset drafting tutorial is anything to go by, FR will be just as amazing.  If you sign up for both, you get a break on the subscription price. 

End P.S.A.

Still not much going on in the way of sewing around here.  I did get tha L.P.'s faerie costume cut out, but the thought of all those french seams is scaring me away from the sewing machine.

I've started work on some embroidered pockets.  As I'm realatively new to the art, and self taught, pockets are the way for me to go.  I can make something functional, but be able to hideany mistakes I might make.  I promise to post pics of my progress as soon as I can make my computer read my SD card.  D*mn dinosaur of a computer.

I've also gained some inspireation to finish my Victorian corset in the form of 3  new Frances Grimble books!  Hopefully, I'll find some energy to get sewing soon!

Well, it's been a virtual dead zone around here lately.  For that, I do apologize.  But I do have several good reasons, which don't entirely excuse my lack of productivity, but at least I can blame it on something!                                                                                                                                                       Reason 1:  My best friend in all the world recently got married!  The L.P. was the flower girl, so of course I made her dress.  I also made the ring pillow. (page to come soon, with a review of the pattern I used)                                                                                                                                                    Reason 2:  We just bought a house.  Anyone who's ever gone through the process, Knows how much time and energy the hunt and escrow process can take.  Not to mention all the packing and unpacking, and painting, and repairs......  The list goes on.                                                                    Reason 3:  Crazy a** family drama!                                                                                                            Anywho, now that we are kind of settled, I'm hoping to have time to get some U.F.O.'s (unfinished objects) out of the way, as well as start on some new projects.  Halloween is quick approaching,  and the L.P. wants to be a fairy.                                                                                                                                                          

Sadly, the 1893 Empire gown has been put on hold.  I just couldn't get the sewing mojo to work with me.  Too much to do, to little time.   I did find some great lavender and white striped silk for it though.  I have no Idea when I'll be able to pick it up again.  The next thing on my list is a Regency frock for both myself and the L.P.  Hopefully the sewing bug will bite and I'll be able to get those done.

I also decided to make a pair of Victorian boots by recovering a pair of medern shoes.  The patterning is almost done, I just need to test it out before I cut the black velvet I'll be using.  I'll try to get a tutorial up for that soon.

2 new pages added.  Bubble Gum Dress and 1893 Empire Gown.  I've also updated the  Faire Frock page.  Finally!