| (no subject) |
[26th. December, 2009|10:58 am] |
I had one of the lovliest Christmas's in a while :)
On the eve A. had a bbq which was lovely and relaxed and we han nommy foods and watched Big Bang Theory (falalalala-lalalala)
On the day there was a lovely picnic with Z. and N. (and muppet) then family dinner which was relaxed and full of salad ;)
Today may be braving sales but there shall be no stampeeding for goods as I am broke ;)
And I watched Hogfather last night :) All the bits I keep missing. My favourite scene in the book translated well to the small screen. It is of course when Susan receives a card from her grandfather. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[22nd. December, 2009|06:44 pm] |
I have four way stretch matt black vinyl!!!!!!! Wooot!!!!!!!
Templar and possibly Hush Catwoman and Mara make over here I come ;)
I will have some left over so if anyone is interested let me know :) It looks about 120cm wide. And has a good heavy hand. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[18th. December, 2009|12:40 pm] |
Hairography. Just something I have been thinking about. Nice to see we are not so far behind Glee here. We won't talk about the other shows...
So some nifty costuming news. I hope.
I bought some rare earth magnets :) I am just waiting to get them sent here andto hear back from the seller. I am going to rip out the velcro in my Mara shin guards and put magnets in instead. The velcro just shreds my hands trying to put the darmed things on. Didn't know what type to use so I got two sizes ;) Both are nice and thin so they should work well for this. Also I may put some in my Catwoman cowl to hold it to the catsuit :) I've been thinking of different traditional options but I am concerned for my hair as it tangles very quickly with hooks and eyes and buttons and snaps right at the nape.
I also found all the reference material for another project I would like to work on :) I shall be making a big reference file and sketches to work out what to do.
And I am about to pick up an article from my library I got via ILL. I ordered two so I don't know which one it is. I'm hoping the earlier article as I need it to track down some texts. The later one though is interesting.
And I found another scrap of my red silk. I can make more leaves from that and save the rest of the cabbage for another project. I hope.
I also decided I would just use my red sateen for the skirt lining of the Mina underskirt. It will be strong enough as the silk is very light. All 16m packs down into a shoebox! Just deciding if I want to turn the hem or use the pinking shears :D I think i will save them for the taffeta francaise as i am not sure of where to get them sharpened. they do seem of reasonable quality though. I htink they were just cheap as they were from an emporium :)
I have been thinking about transporting it to Geedon next year but I think I can use a garment bag on my flight so I'll probably use that. I will have access to an iron I am sure when I get there :) I did the same for my Ever After dress both times I traveled with it. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[16th. December, 2009|10:19 pm] |
 
Just pinned and put on the stand. And the cat helping.
i really think I'll have enough silk left over to do something interesting.
Oh did you knwo if you pleat a solid red fabric for long enough you start to see stripes on the fabric? Well I did.. it was the light reflecting off the fabric and leaving those "sun" marks on my eye ;) The clue was when the "sub bleached" marks moved about. I was fairly freaked that the silk I used had faded over time... |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[16th. December, 2009|07:40 pm] |
Hooray! Cunning skirt plan is working really well. Having some interesting pleat discoveries as well. I am more convinced than ever that the pleats are mounted to a supportive layer because of this :)
Hmmm, I keep changing my mind on what to use as I would like it to be hidden but strong. So my cotton sateen is out ;) But it will make for a very pretty set of underwear for it :) And with my pinking shears I will have lots of pretty ruffles :)
I think a firm calico will work. I might have to hunt out some black, the original may have a pale colour as there are a few peeks of something light in the afore linked photos.
I will need it asap as I want to sew the pleats up sooner rather than later so I can use all those pins again :) |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[16th. December, 2009|12:49 pm] |
Recent movies I loved. Zombieland and Julie & Julia.
I just saw J&J today and was completely inpired by it and connected a great deal with both women. Especially Julia at the Cordon Bleau.
Zombieland was just good fun with just the level of inappropriate humour to be funny without being too crass. Yeah, in a zombie movie ;) Agreed it is not quite up there with Saun of the Dead but it really was a lot of fun. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[15th. December, 2009|05:01 pm] |
So it takes an hour to pleat each panel because I am being anal and measuring the height I am pinning at as well as the depth of each pleat. Basically this is so that when I come to hand sew each pleat in place (oy!) I can just sew where there is a pin.
I have two panels so far, four or five to go. I want to do another panel but my back is not going to let me so better stop now rather than do something permanent ;) Oh and I haven't ironed the pleats down yet either. Saving that all up for one go. I'll probably pin the hem at the same time. It looks like the hem was hand sewn, so hooray ;) Oh man and I wind up with only 17 pleats per 150cm wide panel. There would have been more except I decided the 3cm wide pleats looked better than 1". It winds up the same width though.
But now that I am pleating I need to decide on how to do the supportive layer that acts as a lining and support for the handsewing. I suspect the thread between each stitch runs between support layer and silk as well so that there is no chance of snag. I just need to decide on fabric type and colour to use ;) And how to actually sew the layers together. It may just be spread over the table and packed away each day rather than work out some way to pin it all to my large frame.
I took a screen cap ages ago that shows the lining/support layer. I need to find it again. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[15th. December, 2009|12:31 pm] |
So far today I have managed to pattern a fairly difficult bit of a costume for next year, find all the parts for pressies for two friends and pleat a panel of silk.
Very happy wth the silk it looks super pretty and now to hunt out my old petticoat and get that pleated up as it will save me a lot of work with cutting fabric ;) I mean I don't have to cut into the 11m and risk making a mistake ;) |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[15th. December, 2009|12:50 am] |
I figured some of you all ouldn't mind being kept abreast of the latest happenings in sickie land ;)
I have been taken off my disease modifying drug. This has upsides and downsides:
No more immunospuression for a while so no more massive infectiosn of the sort that have been so rampant this year. No more having to avoid contact with people for worry of getting sick.
Well acually still a little of both as my immunes system is effed up and too busy trying to kill off those really nasty self tissues ;)
I can drink again! Woot! Six years or more of having to teetotale or near enough to keep my liver happy is over! Not that I was ever a big drinker but now I can make my way through that list of cocktailes I want to try sooner :)
Maybe no more hair loss?
Hopefully my skin will heal again and I won't have to worry about more scars :)
But the down side is I will have less control ove my RA. I can already feel it affecting my large joints and ribs again. So I may have to go back on it again if I have a real big flare.
Given I was put on Leflunomide because methotrexate wasn't working and only had side effects this is pretty much to be expected.
I am also having my adrenal and renal systems checked over some more- more tests and another specialist. My long term prednisone use has made my cortisol levels go way down. Tthis means low ability to cope with stress, amongst other issues.
I do have a bit of cortisone in my body from the steroids I take but it is a matter of finding out if the various levels wind up making up for that or not. I suspect not. Also to see if other adrenal fuctions are ok.
While I would love to get some more projects out of the way I won't. I had high hopes of getting my 1837, 906 and reinette dresses sorted before the end of the year but that seems really unlikely. I need to recover. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[13th. December, 2009|07:30 pm] |
Great big honking hugs to all my friends both here, other side fot he country and other side of the world :)
I wish I could spend more (or any) time with all of you. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[13th. December, 2009|04:10 pm] |
I finally cut the silk for my gown. It used 7m of fabric because of the huge sleeves ;) And this means that I finally settled on a sleeve pattern. I'm happy enough with it but it is not as pretty as my older one.
I am so glad to have found this silk. It is perfect as I keep finding similar shades of maroon from this area on men and women.
Now I need some lining and interlining ;) But first to tidy and make things easier to get to work on. Also I need to finish a project forsomeone else so I can finally get that out of the way. It is the single trickiest item I have ever made and that includes the Leia with all that casting! OK so it's more tricky and fiddly and annoying than hard. And totally fabric too. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[13th. December, 2009|01:30 pm] |
Now for the end of year list ;)
It's not wuite the end of the year but I am stuck at home not at a lovely SCA picnic as I have blisters on the bottom, top and sides of my feet. yes, it was self inflicted. I wore shoes. I mean I should have seen it coming ;) A foot bath full of Dettol is about to commence.
Anyway I updated my site as you know and in doing so I went back the last three years and added them. Oops, I did not realise it was so long since I updated that part of the site ;)
In doing so I realised how much I actually have done this year. I tend to focus on what I didn't succeed with rather than what I did. And considering how really sick I was most of the year (might be seeing yet another specialist or two about it *headdesk*) it's quite a lot.
Finished:
Slave Leia, recreation, fibreglass and resin costume
Heuke, historical, 1560s regional cloak for women (also added all the guards to the wool Cleves dress to finish it)
Surcoat and kirtle, 1560s Cologne inspired
Catwoman, recreation, Batman Returns, Mark II
Mara Jade, recreation,
Jem, recreation, cartoon classic
Admiral Daala, recreation, grey uniform
Austen girls, historic, inspired regency dresses
Lizzy dress, inspired historical, striped regency dress
Unfinished, planned to finish next year:
Mystique
Reinette
1837 cotton dress
1860s velveteen dress
Spanish 1600 ensemble
Mina red dress (I got to the point of crap not enough fabric then holy crap yes I do! So yes I can)
Light blue francaise (yay for pinking sheers, now to mark up the smocking...
c1500 Cologne wool dress
c1520s Swiss dress in wool.
Hannibal dress, working on the beading again. Mwhaha, now that could be a fun twist ;) The base costume is a slave girl costume...
Padme fireside ensemble.
1906 day dress
So those are the plans for costumes to finish. Though I'[m sure I have mo |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[13th. December, 2009|11:15 am] |
A few talks and online ponderings recently have clarified a few things.
I am a freak.
No really. Aside from the obvious ;)
I used to be a fan. I'm not any more. Not of anything. I also don't collect. I used to but I don't now. This is going somewhere to do with costuming ;)
My fandoms are now likes and loves. I love Wicked but I did not use my savings this year on a trip to Melbourne to see it. Once I would have- and have, for Phantom. Though once I would have had the funds to do so and be able to make them up in a month or so. So I'll wait until it comes here.
So likewise I don't collect costumes I make them. I don't make them so I can have them I make them for the making. Even if my life were different and I could buy the parts I need for a costume I wouldn't. I have asked for help when I physically could not (or should not) do part of a costume and I am very thankful for those who have been able to do so :) For all of them.
But I have noticed that the recreation costuming side trends towards a collecting mindset. It's fine! But it's very different.
I think it's pretty obvious I don't go out there in my costumes for people to go Ooh and ahh look at the sexy. That would be patently ridiculous *looks at icon*. I go out there because costume is not meant to be static. It comes alive when worn, it's supposed to be on the human body.
Costume museums have this same trouble. How to display historic garments that allow us to glimpse the past. The added issue of not destroying the garments in the process just makes it that much harder.
If I had a local friend who could take photos of my costumes I might be more inclined to finish a few other projects and not take them out into public as they so cause offense.
But then my deadly sin is pride. Oh yeah the more people try to knock me down the more likely I am to get up and do again. My competition is within myself. I have enough insecurities to keep myself down, and they are a lot worse than anything anyone can dish out at me- perhaps less crude more cruel. If I can get over mine I can get over theirs.
I suspect though my self reliance has made things difficult. I suspect people think I don't want to work with others. It's not true. It's just difficult because those same circumstances that have lead me to be self reliant lead it to being difficult to work with someone else's time line/get to and from their place. And anyone who knows me, really knows me, also understands that I do not ask if I think I am going to be a burden and make people work around my schedule.
So yeah. Freak. I do stuff for quite the most uncommon reason (go me and my weird ass Cleves gear when I could be in pretty dresses) and then to actually make it as well?
Oh and just because I know subtext is everything and can be really misapplied: no I do not think it makes me a better person! It makes me a costumer who wants to do everything and anything. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[12th. December, 2009|11:16 pm] |
Zombie Galinda. It has to be done.
That is all. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[12th. December, 2009|12:39 am] |
http://costumes.glittersweet.com/
At last... new layout complete.
Sigh, I forgot a few files, but they be old costumes so they are not so vital ;) Will fix them tomorrow, but it was such a biatch to upload this evening for no apparent reason. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[11th. December, 2009|07:59 pm] |
|
Woot! I have scalloped pinking shears :) So very cool. My blue francaise just got that little bit more tempting ;) |
|
|
| Kitchen experiments |
[8th. December, 2009|06:39 pm] |
Mediteranian inspired.. thing
I suppose it could be called a bake or grill or something.
Into one pot put:
1 can drained chickpeas (or equivalent of soaked dried)
1 1/2 cans diced tomatoes in juice
1T or a squirt tomato sauce
1T or a splash of Worstershire sauce
1T or a splash of Korean bulgogi sauce
And set on high.
Over the top steam some chopped cabbage. I used about 1/4 head of savoy.
Once the cabbage has softened add it to the pot and add
1 ribboned or sliced courgette
2 medium carrots sliced
stir and allow to start to boil.
Over the top steam a head of spinach, preferally ripped into smallish pieces.
While that is wilting thick slice three capsicum and put into a tray with some olive oil and marinated garlic. Grill until capsicums are soft and preferably a bit charred. Mine didn't quite get charred.
Put the wilted spinach in a pan and dry fry with some dried garlic and a sprinkle of Aromat.
Finally if the chickpea stew is not thick add some flour and stir and then spread in the bottom of a heat proof dish.
Layer the spinach over it.
Layer the garlic and capsicum over that.
Grate some cheese I think I wound up grating a 1cm thick slice from the block and spread over the dish.
Take half an avocado and slice or dice or otherwise remove the filling and top the dish.
Set under the grill until the cheese is melted and starting to go golden where it touches the dish.
Serve and nom.
I see button mushrooms doing well in this as well. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[7th. December, 2009|01:07 am] |
I have decided the artist was on crack.
There is now way the gown works as it is depicted.
http://www.bildindex.de/bilder/koeln_ar01007b.jpg
Köln, Bildnis einer Frau, um 1555/1560, Bild, Köln, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum
Spotted it yet? Not the weird v at the neck that make sit look like the brustfleck is sitting over the top and has a pointed bottom. Though that too.
Not the weird additional skirt guard on our right (the one on the left can be explained as the underwrap skirt front) as that could be explained as being like the Anne of Cleves other portrait guard weirdness.
No it's the mismatch of the sleeve on our right. See the big white curve of the lining? See where it hits the wrist? See how it in no way matches up with the sleeve on the top side of her wrist?
I suspect this was actually by an artist from another region, probably the Netherlands/Flanders as the undersleeves are also very much that of further west into the Netherlands. The opening underneath with ties to puff the chemise through I mean.
The oversleeves also look way too much like the artist was using turn back sleeves to work from. Maybe thinging the lining (which wraps to the top creating a narrow border) was another sleeve and the darker reddich pink velvet was a turnback.
I think there has been some retouching as well. Her Sticksell is too wingnutty but there is a shadow that follows a smoother line down from the crown over the wingnuts.
So I am using the maroon silk as it reminds me a lot of this dress:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bartholom%C3%A4us_Bruyn_d._%C3%84._004.jpg |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
