Smart phone post...

First update I'm trying from my new smart phone. I finally took a picture of the Overly Ambitious Embroidery Project of Doom. I have, in fact, finished one of the colors in it. The slate blue in the knotwork on the back of the neck is finished and there is just a little in the center front to bring the color around.

The elements are a combination of a couple different manuscripts, and I specifically blended a few images of the Eagle of Saint John to create a "hawk" because of Himself's arms. Much of the design us from various pages from the Book of Kells. I keep thinking that at some point I'll embroider some cuffs to go with it, but as the collar has taken two years and frequent lost motivation, we'll have to see.

The Toga wool has arrived!

I'm so excited.  The wool for The Boy's toga arrived yesterday.  I ordered it from a website I'd never seen before, and shipping took a little over a week, which feels slow thanks to the ridiculously speedy delivery from Fabric-store.com I'm used to, but the result is so worth it.  Fabric Mart Fabrics has a somewhat limited selection of fabrics (keeping in mind that I only want natural fibers), but the prices are ridiculously nice, and they take the time to describe not only the weight of the fabric, but how it drapes.  There are suggested ideas of what to use the fabric for, but I don't know that they really pay attention to what they're saying, as they suggest making scarves out of gabardine.

I ordered this ivory wool crepe.  It's gorgeous, lightweight and drapey, and extra wide which I didn't realize before.  I'm looking forward to cutting it into it to make the curved edge, but I'm not sure if I should wash it or not.  I'm worried about it shrinking and getting much thicker than it is now.  The only piece of crepe I've worked with in the past got thick and felted after repeated washing, and I definitely don't want that for this wool.

I suppose I could cut the extra off first, and try washing the extra pieces to see how it washes up before deciding to wash it in the future.  I need to test it, since I want to dye some of the fabric to make the stripe on  the edge.

At least I have the giddy thrill awaiting me tomorrow of having a washer and dryer being delivered!  For the first time since I moved to Oregon, I'll be able to do laundry in my own home!

On today's to-do list, aside from dishes, I need to figure out the classes I'll be teaching at Egils this year.  I have had people ask if I'd teach how to french braid, and, although it isn't period, braided hair is better than a modern style. I'm also trying to figure out what I'm going to say for my more accurate hair styling class.  I think it will be titled "Sewn Hairstyles, Yet Another Thing to Do with a Needle and Thread."  Also on the Egil's front, some friends of ours, and their friends, will be joining us, making our own little camping group this year.  We need to get land reservations in tomorrow, and get to figure out what equipment we have for cooking.  It'll be exciting.

Ah well, lots to do today.  At least last night I made a little progress on the Overly Ambitious Embroidery Project of DOOM! I finished the dark gold color last night.  I need to go buy more skeins of thread, I'm running out of nearly every color.

Keeping Busy,
L

Works in Progress...

In the last couple days, I've been sort of motivated to sew.  Of course, not on any projects that are already in progress.

Yesterday I started the fuzzy hat that I promised The Boy long ago when we first started dating.  Once upon a time, I purchased an electric blue silk dupioni pencil skirt that would in no way ever fit me.  I had always intended for it to be made into a hat for The Boy.  I have a Tried and True (TnT) six panel hat pattern that I love.  I cut out the silk, and flat lined them in some thick brown wool for extra warmth.  After assembling the panels, I dithered a bit about whether to embroider along the seams or to do something more complicated like a Norse animal or something.  I realized that the largest part of the panel would be folded up behind the fur band, and went ahead with a seam embellishment.  I used the last of my card of yellow silk from The Overly Ambitious Embroidery of Doom! to do a closed feather stitch.  It kind of looks like steel girders over each seam.

This afternoon I put together the lining.  I always line my hats in silver silk, because I like the little bit of amusement I get from having a silver lining.  The TnT pattern has a fold line on it where I trace out the lining that accommodates the band of fur.  I'm so proud of this fur.  I was determined to make a hat a few years ago, and to save myself some cash, I decided to purchase a fur coat at the thrift store.  I wanted black fur, but couldn't find anything I liked that didn't look cheap.  So I switched my desire to white fur.  I found a gorgeous coat for $25 that fit my needs.  It turned out to be more than I'd asked for.  The coat was Blue Fox fur, cut into thin strips, about a 1/4 inch wide.  These were separated by strips of soft leather about an inch wide.  I allow three strips of fur, and cut down the center of the leather strip to give myself a nice fur band.  The bands of fur around the head fold down for extra warmth.  This means that I'm making headway on Cold Weather gear for The Boy.

Eventually I'll get the lining attached to the shell, and I need to purchase more thread to make a tassel for the top.

Today, The Boy was working really late, so I decided to try out draping hose.  I love the way sewn hose look, and believe that I should have them, but I've never had much luck with the ankle part of the hose.  I've decided to just suck it up and try them in some crappy cotton broadcloth scraps I've had for years.  I pinned the seam, the pulled it off and did a quick running stitch down the seam to keep from stabbing myself with the pins.  I then futzed with the foot slit on either side.  I finally had to draw it on and hope.  I've got the patterns drawn out now on paper, and perhaps some day I'll actually make up the next mock up.