It's been a while - But I'm SEWING!

Well folks, it has been a Loooong time since I've been over here. But I am finally here to show you what I've been working on!

SO Miss Charlie, Miss Marina, Miss Mel and I (ok and some others probably) have tickets to The Burlesque Ball which is next Saturday night. The dress code is Black, Red or Burlesque. We all had a million ideas about what to wear - some being very expensive, and some being reasonably easy. We made a couple of visits to Gallery Serpentine and got ideas, but couldn't really afford to buy any new pretties.

I did some searching on eBay and google and came up with some cool ideas. I have some fabric left over from another project which is really cool, and I've wanted to make a rockabilly style dress with ever since. Burlesque is a close second and a worthy runner up!

I wanted to make a 'frou frou' skirt - y'know ruffles and such. Miss Charlie found a 'Ra-Ra' skirt dead cheap somewhere and grabbed it for me. I had some left over fabric to use, and I went out and bought 50 buttons.

I already have an underbust corset I have borrowd from a friend (thanks Kath! I <3 You) So I came back home and proceeded to add the majority of the 10m of red lace to the skirt. I still had some of the button fabric left over so I decided to make a bit of a bustle to add a bit of pizaz. I lined the left over button fabric with the new red satin. I also had left over sating so that became a second bustle layer to try and break up the button pattern a little. I added the bustle tonight and it worked quite well (like I surprised myself!) I did take some of the button fabric to put on the singlet on the boobies! y'know, tie it all together.

Now I just need to make some straps for the singlet. I had a really cool idea to thread buttons on to ribbon as fake straps. I tried it on the train to Newcastle the other weekend and I like it, I think it will work out well.





I put it all on tonight and I quite like it. I am looking forward to finishing it all off and wearing it out next weekend.

OK, sure, I'd like to win the best dressed competition, but I don't expect to.

It is nice to be enjoying sewing, probably for the first time ever. There hasn't been any swearing, no manic sewing the night before (though there's still a week for me to suddenly realise something...) and I'm making it all up as I go along and it's usually working well and matching what's in my head.

Projects

Man I'm slack.

I'm nearly finished the last set of 'from scratch' shirts and will take and post photos probably on the weekend once they have left the building!

Tonight I started a banner which I need to finish by Friday, again I'll take photos and post after the weekend when my brain has returned. 

I forsee a lot of late nights - if only the gutta would dry quick!

I was going to say more but I'm tired and may still go sew more buttons on before heading to bed.

More after the weekend.

Sewing on the bus

Well i did it. I finished the 6 gold shirts early this morning. I cleaned up the house because my housemate is having friends over tonight. Them on the bus to work i took up the whole cal seat and but all the thread ends off. Sure i got a few looks but it was after rush hour so i wasn't depriving anyone of a seat! Shirts should be collected today. Pity i do still have more to do. Might try and knock them over this weekend.

Beds should be for sex and sleep, not sewing!

Well i'm burning the candle at both ends. I've conceded defeat in that i can't get 12 shirts done for saturday, but by god i'll try and get 6 done! Now i'm down to hems, button holes and buttons. I'm in bed pinning the hems now. I'm out tomorrow night and my housemate has guests friday night. Not sure how i'll manage it, i guess there will be early morning and late night sewing to get them done. Thank goodness i have a new sewing machine that has auto buttons and button holes!

Mobile blogging

New phone, new camera in the phone. Add a bus trip to work and voila!

Photographic Evidence!

This is the Howard Collins Band at their Gig on NYE 07/08. I made the shirts.

This is Michael the pianist

And this is Kurt on the left playing Lead Guitar and Daniel on the Right playing Bass.

They're all really lovely guys who are quite appreciative of my work!

On other things

Not much has been happening here for quite some time. Not surprising really... But in the last month and a bit I have undertaken some Non-SCA sewing. Long story short, was introduced to a guy who runs a number of bands and was asked to make some shirts for the band.

This was actually harder than I really thought and expected, but I managed to complete 6 shirts from scratch for their New Years Eve gig. I also whipped up some collar and cuff/facing detail on some existing shirts in time for the gig too. Hopefully I'll get some photos up here soon.

I still have another two sets of 6 shirts to complete before March so I really need to do all of that first seeing as I'm being paid for it (which is helping fund my trip to NZ).

On the SCA list of things to do with the thousand dollars* worth of fabric I have under my bed:
1. Hollandish
2. Venetian
3. Silk painted banner for Andre (which I promised by this Festival)
* I guesstimated the price and I did not spend that much on the fabric

Also I need to finish the armholes on the Blue Dress of Disasters, which I ended up making oversleeves for.

I'm sure there's other things I'll need to sort out but the paying job is first.