New Project...

So I've been "commissioned" to start a new project, which is always exciting, though the reason for this specific commission is a sad one.  My wifey has asked me to make her a black pillbox hat to wear for her grandmother's funeral.  Her grandmother hasn't passed yet, but has been given only a few weeks.  So tonight I'm making the buckram frame, and she'll have to send me the silk velvet she wants to cover it.

After I get the frame done, then I get to work on drafting sleeve patterns for The Boy's gambeson.  He's specifically requested that I complete all the mock ups before moving onto the real fabrics because of how important fit is in this project.  I can handle the request I suppose.  So I'll have to pull out the drafting skillz.

My friend and her boy are hanging out with me and The Boy today, so she and I are working on sewing while The Boy is making lasagna.

Off to work...

Personal Progress...

I finally got off my duff enough to mock up The Boy's Gambeson, in hideous floral print, and have made progress on the seams, though I haven't drafted any sleeve patterns yet.  The new waist seam has been included and the skirt flaps have been draped.  The next step, hopefully I'll get to it soon, is to trace the pieces and make the changes to the body pattern and make the new skirt pattern pieces.  Then I can either go along the sleeve route or build the body route.  Sleeves will mean taking measurements and drafting a pattern before mocking it up, building the body means I get to cut into the pretty blue linen and start on the quilting!  The sleeves are going to be the more complex thought process, the body is going to be the more time consuming, but since both need to be done we'll see which I'm in the mood for when next I sew.

I've decided to test the merchanting waters at events with a rather new idea.  I braid hair.  I braid lots of hair.  I sometimes then arrange the braids into fancy (or not so fancy) hairstyles.  I've decided I'd like to get paid for this.  Thus I've decided to try merchanting at Egils in May to see if this might be a viable way to earn a little extra cash here and there.  I don't have any more set up than a chair and a small table for my stuff, and I don't really want to have to stay with my chair for all the hours merchants are scheduled for, so we'll see how scheduling works.

Below are a few photos of braiding I've done on different occasions, just cause I can...

I miss being employed...

I haven't bought fabric in what feels like ages. (It was like last month really)  I want to buy some linen or wool to work on a 15th c german dress to go with my cute red fringe hat.  Not a huge number of people do 15th c german, though you can find it on several peoples websites.  And yes, I do realize that I'm not capitalizing german, it's conscious.  Germany didn't exist as a country until well after SCA's period, but germanic groups existed then.  So I'm trying to be more accurate.

And more unique.  I like the idea of doing something different from most people.  The group I've moved into already has someone who is "The Roman Lady,"  and although I do it better, (full of modesty I am, or full of something) it's not going to get me the little bit of notoriety that I want.  For some reason, I want to be known for something.  I'm usually a pretty quiet person, rather self-conscious for the most part, but I want to have a little local famous.  Or maybe a little internet famous.

But I don't have any fabric to do a new dress out of.  I also need to buy the fabric to do the guards and lining for my trossfrau.  I could just use something cheap from Jo-ann, but I don't have the money for that right now either.  I'd like a good wool flannel for the guards in a rusty/dusty orange and a blueish red.  They'll be fantastic with the greyed blue wool of the dress.  I've had this color combination in my head for years.  While my wifey and I were shopping at High Fashion Home in Houston, I came across a piece of trim that had those colors in it.  The trim wasn't really anything worth buying, a brocaded something that didn't really look like anything period, but it was a gorgeous color combo and it has stuck with me for years.

I'd like a blue linen for my bodice lining.  I could use the leftovers from The Boy's gambeson, if I ever get my ass in gear on that project.  I can't decide if I'm going to line the sleeves or not.  I don't think so, mostly because of the slashes in the sleeves.  I'm hoping that I'll have a job soon so I can buy some fabric when the opportunity arises.  If I can't find the time in April, I think I'll see about shopping in Portland when we go up to pick up Himself's parents when they come for a visit.  That means I have plenty of time to research where to go buy what I'm looking for.

The gambeson needs another mock up, since I didn't draft in a waist seam before.  I should really work on that sometime this week and get the patterns finished so I can move on.  The thing I never noticed before about dress diaries is the long amount of time it takes to finish something.  It's not really taking me any longer to do these projects than anything else, but because I'm trying to keep track of it, it feels like I'm taking FOREVER between steps.  Must chill.  It will be done when it will be done.

Updates to the to-do list...

The Boy has told me that he has nothing in the way of cold weather clothing.  Yay?   So we're trying to figure out what Himself actually wants, and I feel like I'm doing dentistry on a reluctant donkey.

He tells me that he needs something that fills void A.  I ask what time/culture/garment would he like that would fill void A.  He says he doesn't know.  Eventually he will find out that I won't sew things he wants/needs unless he tells me what they are!

I have gotten out of him that he wants a fuzzy hat of some kind... but that was as far as I could get out of him.  He likes my fringed hat, and he likes the square hoods Mistress Kaitlyn does for Mongolian stuff, and he likes the six panel fur trimmed hats that I've made for a number of people, but he doesn't seem to want one more than any of the others.  I think I'll make him a square Mongolian hood because it's simple, and he already has a chupa to wear with it.

I've got to limit the amount of randomness in Himself's garb.  Not for any specific request on his behalf, but because I think that he'll find he has more to wear if he can mix and match the pieces, instead of them being a single outfit.  I've found that having four or five pieces in a given genre allows me to mix them up a bit, but I also have a large enough wardrobe that I can make decisions based on when I want to be, instead of choosing the only thing that will work with the weather/activity/etc.

Well, cold weather gear must be added to the To-Do List, we certainly have plenty of cold weather up here.

Big projects:
Trossfrau
Gambeson
Cold weather garb for The Boy (whatever that means)
Figuring out what The Boy wants for new garb

Little projects:
Purple Roman
More New Habib Stuff
Stuff to fill out the Etsy shop. (http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilverLined)  (you know, just in case someone wanted to see what's up there)

Must get something done today, other than putzing around on the internets.  Dishes and a little sewing sounds good, I think I was planning to get The Boy's gambeson transfered over to a new mock up so I can refit the waist area.  Time to get to work.

Gambeson D'oh moment...

So when I woke up this morning, (yes it's still technically morning here)  I realized that to put a seam line at the waist of the gambeson.  I think I might have considered it yesterday and dismissed it, but I really need to do it.
1) It'll help with the fitting over Himself's backside (I didn't realize he had that much!) and 2) it will give me a place to insert lacing strips without torquing the the body.

We're still discussing where or not he gets cuisses or not, he's not sure he needs them, but I think they'd make him look good.  The lacing strip in the waist isn't really necessary for his current armor needs, but he wants to make the move toward improving his kit, and this is a good way to do that without spending too terribly much money.  Eventually he'll get a nice suit of chain, when we can afford it.

So, I'll have to cut a new mock up of the body.  I usually move from the fitting to a paper pattern, but since I goofed, I think I'll try cutting from crap fabric to crap fabric.  I'm always leery of doing so, since it can twist, but I think I'll be okay in this instance, since I'll be refitting, and will have to leave huge seam allowances anyway.

Well, that's on my tomorrow pile, since today requires cleaning the kitchen and the first cooking meeting, and Himself has to run off to the lab and work with the fishes.  Well cuttlefish, but playing with squid doesn't have the same ring.

Fitting for The Boy's Gambeson...

Went okay.  I'm alway nervous about men's clothing, especially as most guys can't handle stuff that's very form fitting.  The armholes on this gambeson are going to be HUGE, but I think it's necessary for him to be able to fight in it.

So... progress is being made on Himself's Christmas present.  Since we were moving at the end of December/early January, we decided to do Christmas in February.  So I'm only a month late so far.  The goal is to get my part of his fighting kit all pretty before he decides to participate in any Coronette tourneys.

I need to get the pattern drafted, a mock up cut out and basted, and try it on again.  Eventually, crazy shaped sleeves will have to be patterned, but till then....

So the list of projects grows ever longer.  I'm going to have to write things down here so I can remember what's on the list.

Big projects:
Trossfrau
Gambeson
Figuring out what The Boy wants for new garb

Little projects:
Purple Roman
New Habib Stuff

Emmm.... I'll figure out more projects to add to the list later.  We all know this can't be the entirety of my project list.