Unseasonal Productivity Or: False Sprints

Well, hello there! I really hope these late updates don’t become a trend for me again. I had every intention of putting out a February blog post about bewbs (GASP), but I opted for 28 Days of Black Cosplay story updates on IG instead…because priorities. Obviously, I’ll get that sweet, sweet decolletage content out, but it’s picture heavy (titter) and taking slightly longer than I’d hoped. For this round, let’s try an early 2021 review and try to get me on track for…I dunno…something. 

According to Google Photos, I finished our Jingle Jangle set. Good job, Me! We have a family photo to prove it. I’m now mildly obsessed with late Victorian walking skirts and I’m crazy proud of myself for stitching the trim on by hand. I could do without the planning that it took, but it was time well spent. 

Still in the throws of the Bridgerton craze, I finally managed to make my Redthreaded Regency long stays, two petticoats, a chemisette, a gown, and a capelette for The Joseph Teel House Virtual Retreat. Playing at Regency for the first time was an absolute delight, and I have a mild, newfound interest in Jane Austen. My original start to 2021 was going to be Regency Sailor Mercury anyway, but I’d been waffling on the gown design after making the first mock-up. At this point, I have to do all of the art, digitizing, and rendering for the fabric, embroidery, and accessories before I can move on. I already pre-washed my Burnley & Trowbridge linen for the petticoat, but I’m going to hold off on starting until I nail down the gown fabric. Speaking of Regency, the Hamilton Spencer sew-along starts this month. I’m feeling like I need a geeky theme to get motivated, but we’ll see. Oh, and I finally bought my hand press/grommet setter/doohickey, which saved me LOADS of time on eyelets for the stays.

I whipped up a quick top for a Rat Queens product shoot. The Mage University version of Dee that I did in 2016 was requested, but resizing the original wasn’t successful with the deadline I’d set. I used some remnants from my last commission (I don’t do commissions) and made a comfy option for future adventuring. The Dee inspired pendant from Axira Creationz is adorable, and I look forward to wearing it often after we’re released from global timeout. 

And because I missed Con Crunch so badly, I took two nights to finally make King Merinor’s blacksmith gear from LadyCastle. In preparation for 28DoBC, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite comics, but Merinor required red hair wax. Due to a scheduled medical situation, I had to get the costume made and photographed in three days. And because I’m THAT person, I did it. Of course. And then I spent the next two weeks with red hair because I couldn’t wash it out safely. The sacrifices we make, am I right? 

I completed the next piece of 1790s Princess Tiana: the petticoat. As a refresher, this is the last of the four gowns in the American Duchess dressmaking book, which I absolutely love. The project will be based on an embroidered evening gown in the DAR collection, so I’ll need to make a few changes to the pattern. Like Regency Mercury, I need to design and digitize the embroidery, but I still don’t have the new embroidery machine since it’s being refurbished and waiting on a part. I want that machine, and I’ve got enough prep work to keep me distracted in the meantime. AD just opened a pre-order that includes new Dunmore colors for May-ish delivery. I ordered them in green, and the Universe replied, “Great! Now get on that mock-up!” So I went and ordered jewelry from Dames a la Mode and Lady Detalle to add a little excitement in the interim. The [hopefully] wearable mock-up will likely be in whatever polyester yardage I have in the stash. Since I really only need the bodice and sleeves to fit, I can fudge on length and fullness in the skirts.

In what was really just a ploy to put on makeup for once, I took photos in my completed Medieval Link–hair and all. I didn’t get a ton of pics thanks to the light sleet that started as soon as I setup the tripod, but I’m pleased with what I was able to take. Princess Zelda is on hold for, like everything else, the embroidery, but I haven’t digitized what I need for that either, so it’s fine. Maybe I’ll add Ganon to the list and really let this project go on forever.

And then there was the Lady Buster resizing project, based upon a mashup concept from a dear friend. In the Before Time, I made Elizabethan Ghostbuster ensembles for myself, Hench Hubby, and the babies…in what was basically a week. The kids’ stuff fit pretty well, with some room for growth, but my fitted English gown was a few sizes too big and unhemmed (unless you count the safety pins I used on the way to the faire). We got through a super fun day and even participated in the costume contest, but I never went back to make the necessary adjustments to my pieces. Over three weeks in February, I fixed the kirtle, stitched up a new shirt by hand, bound the hem on an old petticoat to wear underneath, resized the gown, and made new undersleeves. Then, I took some John Dee inspired photos to close out the month.

Looking slightly ahead, the Margo Andersen gamurra pattern is in pre-order and scheduled to ship at the end of the month. I’d already been working on an embroidered camicia for Lady Poppy from Sleepless, so this is well-timed, if I can find the right gown fabric. I’m going through some necessary health-related life changes, so any pieces I work on in the coming months will be a triumph. 

Coming up on the one year anniversary of collectively being sent to our rooms, people are still acting foolish online. And it is because of that, Dear Reader, that I beseech you to remember…we will have in-person events again, and we will remember who was naughty and who was nice.