leia and eleven

Didn’t anyone ever tell you, there’s one thing you never put in a trap if you’re smart? If you value your continued existence. If you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there’s one thing you never, ever put in a trap.
Me.

 

 

still no photos

Also today was spent mainly reorganising. I have a bee in my bonnet to make a particular frock and I realised I have tossed the very helpful strip of saree border that would have helped.

Anyway. I am dedicated to this project!

But I have also made huge headway elsewhere- the Ahsoka cast is not cured, but my cunning plan has allowed it to take another day to cast and not warp! To not pull out of the mold.

I mean yes, I did the obvious of soaking the mold in water until it remained damp- this helps slow the draw of water out of the latex on that surface. So it allows a much more even cure from kin to inside.

Still need to actually get the darn thing out and on a good firm support 🙂 I may want to cut up a pool noodle again for the upper- well I actually used a thinner insulation type for Shaak Ti. Worked really well as I could carve the ends to fit in the top of the horns 🙂

But my Elsa shoes have been put back and are curing on my shop mannequin legs. I’m only sharing progress once they actually work! I may need to get a bit cunning and put the old sole in place with the new one under that.

But I also found another pair of Kumffs that I can remove colour from and put a new sole on 🙂

Also I am right now debating between going for another walk or doing some beading. I know I need to do a little more text editing so maybe walk. Yep phone is fully charged 🙂

I can decide between beads or text after that 🙂

A very good day

Today was actually quite magnificent really.

Found another big pink storage container- slowly getting a few as my bucket system is great for trims etc but most projects atm are BIG!

So after that I picked up two pairs of shoes from savemart as well as a sofa cover in faux suede, but the satinbacked stuff so is really  a peachskin. Frays like heck but sits so nicely. So that will be for Ahsoka

The shoes are for my elsa shoe makeover 🙂 Three pairs made into one perfect pair 🙂

I also decided to turn another three sets of shoes into two.

I also got Ahsoka’s montral cast. And they should cure overnight as opposed to a month for Shaak Ti 🙂 So if this works I may be able to help out some others by at least have an assemble your own kit.

But on top of this all…

Yesterday I managed the first walk I have been able to in over 6 months. I haven’t really spoken much about that as it really was just too hard to think about.

But today? I jogged. Not far, in short bursts. But I did it.

I hurt a bit. But most of that is muscular from not really moving much and some is still inflammation. The infusions are the best chance I have but they are still limited by my immune system just being so determined that it is right!

 

Photos of shoes and Ahsoka tomorrow as I am not really up to fighting WP media uploads right now!

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form and function

Over the years I have come to the conclusion I have a very distinct style, even across multiple eras and genres. There is a very obvious pattern to what appeals when one is a maker first, fan second.

I am a fan of when function meets form. So working out a puzzle of construction is incredibly satisfying. If it has to be draped on the stand all the better. Fabric manipulation for fit especially.

 

Contrast. Big colour and texture blocks. But that can sometimes be subtle, like the seam details on the backs of late 18thC bodices.

I keep flicking between eras/genres and it’s because I want to understand how the very different constructions affect fit and perceptions of ideal body types. The 1920s velvet gowns I’m making superficially look like the bias cut gowns of a decade later but really rely on different fabric use to achieve it.

Right now I’d love to do an essay on how extant items can tell us more about how clothes were made than first appearance. But it is a bit reliant on getting some of my own gear finished. So that is the aim this year. Finish the historic projects to really highlight what I want to say.

Got a lot of writing and sewing to do to actually get there though!

Bizarre jetpack issue resolved

Lj went down (502 error) and Jetpack’s “Publicize” went weird. Kept telling me to refresh connections. Seems to be okay now.

My PC also crashed the other day. I think it’s my UEFI setting- has legacy bios compatability mode for some boot types and given I get the classic BIOS screen and text type I think that’s what is being fired up when I crash. So I think I just need to make sure I have a standard boot after a crash rather than fast and to make sure everything is set to boot into UEFI.

Looking at online documentation, the year my PC was built, the OS installed and I think this is the issue.

I rarely crash now but I had the panel off the side of the case and was playing SWTOR. After a full day of it being on. And no screen saver. Might set sleep/hibernation mode on again I just mistrust it as that was what caused my netbook(s) to fry.

Just bought 2kg of Napisan! Yes!!!! Time to soak Elsa so she is ready for any more charity requests 🙂

Also need to get people to follow up on picking up stuff they have asked me to put aside. And then I can start figuring out how to get some pigment across the ocean. Contacted one courier company, a few more to go 🙂

Meanwhile time to go and work on Marie Antoinette.

Also, I finally worked out the pattern for the Freya cloak 🙂

Man, I had it right my first go, but then I doubted and tried all kinds of ways. Nope I was right the first time. Good news is I can perfectly work out how much leather I’ll need. And because I’d quite like to travel with this I can use double sided vinyl instead. It may wind up a little super shiny but hey. My stash of cheapie leather would have been great had I kept it all. Soaking the plastic coating off would have been okay. Darnit!

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this year, the reproductions

It’s at LACMA. It was being restored for display in a travelling exhibit but I’ve not been able to figure out where/when. But LACMA is a place I’ve wanted to go for a long time. The blue satin mantua is one reason 🙂

Anyway, lots of room for interpretation based on patterning in the 1930s, Adrian and his desire to be historic, and the really not at all 1930s or 1770s patterning. The bodice is glorious. It’s ideal for my figure as it has delves into late 19thC darting. This will have to be patterned on my calico covered stand as the bust is closer to what I need than my other forms. Also the stand is able to be made as tall as me (neither dressmaker stands do and I ask myself how on earth my friends in the US deal as I’m pretty short at 5’6″!

 

Oh look, another Shearer gown. There *maaay* be a folder just for her 😉 Thi s is the Upstage gown. But well the front is not exactly flattering* so I’m also taking from The Magic Flame and using the front of Vilma Bankey’s gown- to the right. If there is enough velvet who knows…

Actually there should be. The velvet was going to be for the maleficent battle robe but I have the main gown nearly finished again 🙂

But this gown is more achievable for my hands than the Sunburst so I’m moving my Feelz to this to make it work. There are challenges in this that will push but not punish. So say hello to the newest/last embroidery project 🙂

(Suddenly WP won’t let me upload an image- it’s the insert media window- I can upload via the upload page- wanted to add Maleficent here..)

My work on the horns is nearly done. The 3D scanning app works, and I may be able to get sculptris to work on adding nice texture. Okay hand warming day then sculpting tomorrow.)

Cunning plan for the epic hoops is to use plumbers coil, tapes, and felt as a brushbraid type deal. Okay, time to rescue the felt that was tossed…

And finally:

This one is really doing my head in but I have a test in foam that looks really good. It’s translating what works nicely on my cutting board into what looks good in reality! Also I’m not sure I can afford 50lbs of leather, that is many many many skins. But boy is this pretty!

And finally tidy the Mina. Just made the few extra leaves to hide the hook and eye closure of the bodice but it was rough so just need to get some more ribbon. Lots of firm cotton twill tape has been purchased to bind the seams and reduce the stretch of the cotton while being worn. There will be a waist stay as well. The rip stop cotton is very firm and so far is holding shape 🙂

New petticoat or skirt lining, not sure what to do. But the pleats are sewn in so many rows that the stitching can get caught so they need to be protected.

Oh yes! Ahsoka!

Cunning plan for casting the montral has worked!!! In fact so well that the few wonky bits are frustratingly there and not worth fixing. But I have latex to do this in the next few days 🙂

Spent far too long on the pc today to actually do anything. Time to get a hot water bottle for my hands and rest.

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elsa cape dye success!

ELSA CAPE DYE SUCCESS!

by admin, January 30, 2015

 

Confession, the old colour looked way too deep in shadow so I removed the colour. But the fabric went a blotchy silver with a few blue patches. So to the shame pile it went.
I finally used a tiny tiny tiny amount of turquoise iDye poly on the dress (to brighten the hem mainly) and that went well so I topped up with enough blue to dye the cape and basically use the turquoise and green (released from the hem) to knock the purple out of the dye.
Voila! The wind also kicked up beautifully.
Just never ask me to iron crystalline tulle ever again. Ever.
Ever.

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madame vastra side two

MADAME VASTRA SIDE TWO

by admin, January 29, 2015

Yep, masking tape to help measure 🙂 The tape is now gone. The lines are balanced but definitely individual on each side 🙂 hoping to get this back half done this week. But I am permanently fatigues and this is making time management difficult.

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