Stasis...creatively speaking.

I haven't really worked on anything lately. I did venture down to Queen St, and picked up some odds and sodds from Sussman's for the fascinators I have on comission, but I haven't really had the chance to work on them. I do look forward to using those peacock sword feathers though.

I actually have been busy though. I recently took on another tutoring job that requires prep work, so that's taken up some time, since I'm trying to create an actual lesson plan than just verbalizing random stuff. Plus any excuse to talk about the sensitive plants is reason enough for me.

Mimosa pudica. Look at it go!!!!!

Yes, I am easily amused.

Anyway, so yeah. Busy life.

I also started watching Supernatural THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

That was going to be it, until I found out through Dramatic Threads, one of the blogs I follow, that there were pattern updates. So I looked.

Hello, Snow White's awesome McAwesome battle jacket. I have no idea how close it is to the original but that gives a reallllly nice start point. Like I need another project......

What? Even more progress?

Yep. Petticoat is officially complete. And as adorably ruffly as I predicted. Plus, it sits a few centimetres higher than the over skirt, as I had tried for.

100% success all around!

Now, I am sitting with a bowl of half chocolate peanut butter cup half mint chocolate cup ice cream, mentally patting myself on the back.

Not bad for a Thursday night.

Tomorrow is the big day for Operation Get-a-table, so I best ready my email draft.

Oh, and my sonic screwdriver came in. <3 So, I set myself to building 10th's, and then since I hadn't remember to do so, 11th's that came with the DVD gift set.

Fun Fact 1! You need a screwdriver to load the batteries into the screwdriver. Derp Herp.

Fun Fact 2! I couldn't get the sealing tape off the package of 11th's, and instinctively grabbed 10th's and fired it at the package in hopes that it would open it. It didn't work. I can only assume it was deadlock sealed. It did, however, renew my geek membership to gold status, incase I had any doubt. (Which, really, I didn't.)

Now then, on to that draft.

Petticoat Junction

Mmmmph. Much needed coffee break. Been chugging away at it for a few hours on Red's petticoat, though I'm rather pleased with how it's going.

(Save for the rather spectacular three finger pin attack that cause a halt until the bleeding stopped. Ivory fabric is much less forgiving than red....)

I find it somewhat amusing that this petticoat is turning out prettier than the overskirt. Not that there's anything wrong with the velvet skirt, mind you. But adding in that extra panel and pleating the waist made it hang so nicely. Just have the trimming to do, which is going to take a while since I need to hand baste the two seperate ruffles together, but nothing difficult about it.

The last step after that is sewing on its own hook and eye for the uptack point and it will be good to go. It's a bit sheer to wear on its own, seeing as it is, techincally an underskirt but it's kinda tempting. Either way, should be able to get it finished by the end of the week. Then it's bodice time.

Ah well. Mug's empty. Back to it.

Newsflash: Irons are hot.

Gobsmacking, no? And completed unrelated to that previous thought, "gobsmack" is frankly a delightful term, and I shall make a note to fuller integrate it into my already mishmashed vocabulary of jargon and whismical colloquialisms.

I also really should stop with the shameless Bristish terms before I further offend a good third of my genetic code. Being slapped by your own stop codons would be quite embarassing.

UGA!!! *slap*

</terrible terrible biology humour.>

....

Biology. We've got a lot of humors.

</really stopping. Seriously.>

.... I have no idea what I was going to write about before.

RIGHT. Irons. They're hot.

Despite the snowny nature outside, the temperature of the living room is quite high. However, I've finished flatfelling the seams of Red's petticoat, and pinned the upper edge of the waist band, ready to begin the myraid of pleating that will soon follow. Should be able to get most of it done this weekend..... which is a long weekend 'cause of Family day, as I have just remembered. Maybe all of it will be done? Not sure if I will get to the trimming stage, but it's quite possible. Might do a little more tonight, we'll see.

It's nice to know that this will be finished well before I need to wear it. Time management, go me. Of course, next friday begins to fight to get a table at Animenorth. *crosses fingers*

That accomplished feeling.

Alright! I feel I accomplished stuff this weekend. Random things, but accomplished none the less.

Red's skirt, is basically done. The hemming went pretty okay. It did take a few hours, but things like reality does interupt things. Like brownies. Best kind of reality, really.

I might need to adjust the waist a little, after it all comes together since it might be a little large, but that's really just involves moving a snap or two. I'll be able to tell better once the underskirt and overbodice is all done and I can check the layering. Just need to sew on the tack point, which I'll do tomorrow when daylight has returned to me.

...even though it will be dark when I get home from work.

Whatever.

I rewarded myself with the Game of Thrones S2 preorder. And then rewarded my pricing research prowress with  ordering 10th's sonic screwdriver. ...which I only waited this long, since I needed something else to make it qualify for free shipping.

;D

I also am developing a slight obsession with acquring the perfect plaid shirt. Plaid is a very personal pattern, and frankily all the women's shirts out there, as well as the fabric in the fabric stores is terrible. The plaid should be victorious, not froo froo or ugly. It has to speak to you. The only thing the ones in store are say to me is: "Dust Rag!" Having said that, in wandering around the men's wear section helping (without avail) my mother trackdown a jacket for my father, I discovered the plethora of plaid. Seriously? So unfair. Ergo, if I find my forever plaid, I shall merely acquire it, and introduce it to my dear friends, the stitch ripper and pincushion and taper that badboy. Genius.

Onwards to Monday.

Blood has been spilled this...afternoon.

Totally just stabbed meself in me bleedin' thigh with the sewing needle. That's a new one.

The blood price has been paid....again. So far running two for two on this costume. At least it's been on both red fabrics. Again.

Skirt is.....almost done. The only thing left besides the tack point, is the hemming. Which, as much as I am going to be complaining about it for next...several hours, I've decided to do by hand. As much as I dislike hemming, I dislike having to stitch rip a bad hem even more. And as I have said before, velvet is a shifty creature. So, we shall do a proper skirt hem! Last (and first) used on Lulu's dress in the summer. Way to use my recently acquired skill set! Yay!

So, I shall take the slow road and do it right. That's what they created iPods for.

Screw the budget, I have....fabric.

So much for keeping Red's petticoat cheap.

Instead of cheap cotton with a basic hem, I ended up with ivory eyelet and two matching eyelet pregathered trims of two different widths to go on the hem because frankily having an untrimmed hem is appauling in my mind.

*sigh*

However, I feel like if the petticoat does work out the way it will in my mind, (Dear gods, I hope so...) it might work as a pettcoat for underneath a natural form skirt. I might be able to modify it in such a way that all the fullness of the skirt can be shifted to the back. In theory at any rate.

Getting there with Red's actual skirt. The waistband has been hand basted to the main skirt sections, (since velvet is a shift shift fabric) after being pleated ferociously to get some of the fullness under control. Machine stitch that tomorrow and what not and then I can start on hemming it.

Yay. I hate hemming. It always puckers.

Anyway.

Also got the brown ribbon casing and the closures for Red's bodice. Which I think is almost everything I need. I don't have the lacing ribbon for the back yet, but seeing as I don't have any idea how much I need, that can wait. Those fiesty mauve shoelaces I have on my dresser will work in the meanwhile.

Velvet fluff. EVERYWHERE.

I've never used crushed velvet before. It's another tick mark to add to fabric tally. It's a lovely rich material, with such a sumptuous texture to it. In the red colour I'm using? Gorgeous.

But by the Gods of Cosplay, does it ever fluff. I was overlocking the edges of the skirt gores before I stitched them together, and fluff everywhere. I swear I have it in my sinuses, to which I will forget about it, and start sneezing out textiles tomorrow; much to my own confusion. I then take one look at my poor machine and realize how much more fluff covered the surface and insides of my baby.

Turn to page 126 of manual. "Cleaning your machine."

Cue the tender vacuuming of my baby after the delicate removal of the bobbin casing, needle plate, race etc. Could have woven a second skirt out of it. At least it's better now.

Overlocking is finished at any rate. Now I can sew the skirt together. Shouldn't take long, since it's just three panels and a waist band. Modifiying said waistband though since I don't want all the extra material that a drawsting waist would give, so I'll do the standerd gathering into waistband method I've done for...everything.

I think I need some sort of petticoat though. Not too sure how to make it per say, since I don't really want crinoline, just a second skirt in cotton to give it body, and to keep it clean. I could make the skirt again, but in cotton, though I might add an extra panel to it. Little ruffle on the end. Could work. Means another trip to fabricland, for hopefully highly discounted cotton since at worse I'd need 4ms or so. Love to keep it under $20 but who knows.

...I wonder if Zellers and their closing madness has sheets on sale. That would totally work....

Costume Update - Red (OUAT)

What the....? An actual progress report? With a completed garment pieces?
Madness.
Sheer madness.

Awwww yeah! Cloak's done! It's....heavy. Like everything else I end up making, so that's nothing new.

Made of Corduroy with a faint floral embroidery, and lined with satin - though the hood is self lined. It will be worn with the ties around the back, but CoCo (the dressform) doesn't have arm and it kept falling off. I'm fairly satisfied with the end product, seeing as I've never made a cloak before.
Next piece; the skirt.

Not winter inside.

Ironing makes me really warm.

(No duh.)

Now I know why I own few garments other than extremely practical victorian gowns that require it. Red's cloak requires much, because that stupid halloween satin I'm using for lining is being stupidface. Well, not really more stupidface that I was expecting. It's really only useful for lining material. Nothing more. The texture of the wrong side is weird. I am turning into a fabric snob.

Anyway. But at the yardage I'm using it at is making it stretch oddly. Nothing that an hour of my life and the iron can't fix but still. Thus, I am warm. Warmer than I could be considering the snow. I also sound like a petulant child. Such is life.

Now, to topstitching.

The mind.

I don't really understand why I enjoy steampunk so much. I mean, what is it about it, that I personally find it fascinating? Flashback to my preteen self and tell her she would enjoy wearing bodices and long ruffled skirts, and she would give you the most offended look. Not that I was a tomboy, rather I prefered, and still do on most days, jeans and t-shirt. Throw costuming into the equation, and really the question becomes how many layers of ruffles are too many.

Not that I've really made that many steampunk outfits, but it seems to be the first idea that pops into my head when adapting something.

1. Idea unrelated to steampunk
2. Make steampunk version.
3. ??????
4. Profit!

Case in point. The TARDIS. That stupid friggin' wooden blue box. It's a box. A completely inanimate(actually, no) object, that has no feminitiy at all. (Also, not true. Re: Season 6). And yet, I want to dress like it. Flashback to a few weeks ago, when helping Kashunga brainstorm ideas for a Lolita TARDIS. No desire to also cosplay as TARDIS. Rather, was much more excited about cosplaying as a Femme Ten. And while I still want to try do make that one, (sometime, no idea when just....add it the queue, okay?) now I also want to go as the whismical police box. And I want a hat with it. I am incline to sulk, except I can't justify why a good sulk would be order for a situation like this.

Also, just to add another idea into the pool:

River Song, "A Good Man Goes to War"

Really? Let's offer a Victorian gown into the mix why don't you? With another specific fabric likely impossible to find. I'd punch BBC for ruining my fandom life, but I think they own a good share of my fangirl soul, I lost somewhere between season 3 and 4, or on the steps of 221B Baker Street. Baah!

Anyway. Tomorrow, I must continue on with Red's cloak. Get that huge thing sewn together. Might stave off the crazies for a while. ....Likely not, but maybe.

Also; Hyrule Historia. It's coming... I know it's coming... I can feel it through Canada Post. But why not now, Canada Post? I need to read that new Akira Himegawa manga, like yesterday.

...Anyway. That's enough ranting for the moment, I suppose.

I want cookies.

Tools of the Trade

This should go without saying, but having the right tools for the job makes things so much easier.

Case in point. Red's cloak needs ties to....tie. on. Y'know, make a strip of fabric, stitch, fold and then swear by every god known to mankind to invert the blasted thing. Some people like the chopstick method, others, the wooden spoon. I, have discovered greatness.

Bought 'em a few months ago when I was in the States. Went to JoAnn's and found fabric turner tubes. Three sizes. Comes with a tube and a dowel. In theory, one inserts the tube into the aforementioned fabric tube, then with a victorious war cry, jams the dowel through said tube and gracefully yanks on the fabric to invert it. And y'know...it worked. Like....quickly. To the point where I sat in the chair staring at the now lovely proper fabric ties wondering why in the hell I haven't opened the package until now. Genius.

As such, I have made progress today. Outside of cape and lining sewn, hood pieces sewn, ties made, and now I just have to make like the Avengers and assemble it all together, in one glorious round of pinning and matching seams. Should be able to get it done this week then.

In Progress - Red - Patterns

Gods, that's a lot of pictures.... anyway. I'm planning on using skirt B for Red, but after studying the pattern, I'm making it at the A/C length and then tacking it up. It's only a skirt hook and eye, something I used in abundance in my last costuming foray. I found a lovely crushed velvet at Designer fabrics, that just a perfect shade of red. The instructions on first run through were odd for the waistband, but I suppose it's trying to make it a gathered drawstring waist or something. I might change that to a simpler band to cut down the bulk, and fix the gathers in place so I don't have to constantly work about it spinning and shifting.

 Hey! It's a cloak! And the future destiny of the 7 metre bolt of red corduroy in the basement. Red's cape fabric is a paaaaaaaaaaaaain. Her embossed velvet cape is next to impossible to find precisely without paying through the nose for it, while her plainer cloak is clearly wool. The idea of wearing a huge woolen cloak makes me itch just thinking about it. So I found a corduroy, with a faint floral threading through it, and decided that Red would approve of this choice. My wallet also approved of the price. It's going to be lined in some costume satin which has more weight than just acetate, save for the hood which I'm going to selfline in the corduroy. And did you know that to prevent yourself from choking on your cape, you pull the ties under your armpits and tie them around your back? 'cause I only figured that out after staring at the character's armpits for a long time. I actually tested it when my friend went as Lady Loki at FanEx and we were making her own cape.

What is it with Red and her complex fabrics? I have a brocade for this, which I'm...okay with. It's not....

...suddenly, Gangnam style blasted through the house. Groovy.

Anyway. It's not perfect. It will do. But ehh....we'll see. I have cut the neckline of the pattern into more scooped shape, which will be easily enough, and change the lacing in the front to clasps. The back is fitted with lacings at the lower back so it should be able to retain the fittest shape.

The only thing I don't have a pattern for is the overskirt featured in the season two promo pic.

I really like that overskirt. The underskirt is where I got the idea for the tacked up skirt that isn't present on the other costume. But that sort of....midbust corset would NOT work for my chest. Hence the mishmash. But once again, that fabric. Where does Ed and his design team get his fabric? I wanna go there....with a magical Visa card that doesn't ever run out....Ah, C'est la vie.

In Progress: Red Riding Hood (Once Upon a Time)

Estimated Completion Date: Animenorth 2013

Having completely fallen in love with the show and the sheer amounts of wonderous costumes, I knew I had to tackle something from it. I chose Red to start with since I really wanted an awesome cloak to wear. This seemed like the perfect excuse. Also; Red rocks.

The costume is going to be a bit of a mix between this version and the promo image of season two, since there are elements from both I like. I'm not going to 100% accuracy with this one, but everything I'd wear would match her look. So far, I haven't progressed beyond the material gathering stage since there are many involved with this. At least I can use my own peasant shirt and brown boots for this. I think I've finalized most of what pieces I will be making. Unless she get another wardrobe change this season. Then, well, it will be back to the drawing board.