Upcoming Pennsic rush

As per usual I have a pile of Pennsic sewing to do in a short period of time.  We'll see how many commissions actually come through.  I just finished working out details with an online customer and I'll be delivering that one at Pennsic so save on shipping and time (and my sanity).  There are people that have told me they want stuff for Pennsic but I haven't received specifics for them.  It could be a pretty comfy Pennsic if it all comes through, but pretty hectic pre-Pennsic.  I started prepping for the pile of sewing I do have already to get that out of the way, and of course I'm working on the bridesmaid dress.  The bodice is together with the lining and surprise, surprise I need to tweak it again.  I did find the shoes and belt to go with the outfit today.  Good.  I hate shopping for shoes. :-P

sewing adventures

Well, for those who know me will see this as obvious:  I don't use commercial patterns.  I design my own.  By the time I adjust and correct what's off on a commercial pattern to fit me, I might have as well just looked on the pattern cover picture and done it from scratch.  This time there is no option.  I'm a bridesmaid in a wedding and I'm making my own dress.  It's a 1952 vintage vogue pattern and if they made their dresses like this in 1952 I think they would have lost the war.  There is so much wasted fabric in this pattern it's ridiculous.

It's also built for a barbie doll apparently...I size 16 will not have a 30" waist. Period.  After seam allowance that's what the paper pattern measured.  I'm serious.  On the other hand it had a 40" chest.  Even with a corset I can't imagine fitting into that waist.  A 10" difference?  What is that a J cup?  Anyway everything is cut out except for the skirt lining.  We will commence the sewing portion of the program momentarily.  Please stand by...

this year's garden

This year I'm focusing a bit more on the garden.  Giving it some more structure you might say.  I'm still going to have "the three sisters" (that's beans, corn and squash), tomatoes, lettuce, kale, leeks, brussel sprouts, hot peppers, strawberries and a bunch of herbs.  I'm blocking out the gardens with bricks and plan to lay down some pea gravel on the pathways to reduce mud and weeds.  Sheet mulching is my friend, and free newspapers for me to do it make even more friends ;-)  I may put some amaranth again because it was so pretty at the back fence but it didn't yield as much as I had hoped.  I'd need a field of it to feed me for more than a couple of meals, darn it.  Same with the quinoa

Now that's the back garden.  My flowers are slowly expanding.  The Echinacea came back nicely and I should be getting some daisies from my mom, herbs from Diane, and peppermint from David.  Now if I can just get the water collection system up and running.  Why do most things have to cost money?  No fair :-P

warp weighted loom project

I just finished taking my lozenge twill/ broken diamond twill off of my warp weighted loom.  It's being washed gently after taking thorough measurements for warp and weft density, width and length of the fabric and amount of shrinkage.  Not as perfect as I would have liked but I learned a LOT on this project which makes me very happy.  I still have a nice size piece of weaving to use for its original purpose.  A front apron for my viking age costumes.  That'll be a cool demo/teaching piece.
I'm in the right range for threads per inch of that time although on the lower end of course.  My next plan is to do a simpler weave with my hand spun, which should give me a finer fabric than using commercial yarn.

cosplay outfits

Well, the cosplay outfits for Full metal alchemist are finally complete.  It took me four and half days in working hours to complete the two outfits of Mustang and Hawkeye.  I would have liked nicer stars for on the epilets but sometimes you have to go with what you can find.

Hopefully I won't have to make any adjustments to the outfits and they'll be off my plate.  On to the next project! *whooshes away with the super cape flapping in the wind!*

New blog, new beginning

I'm beginning this blog to specifically chart my projects in sewing, weaving, dying, spinning and the like.  Most of the projects will relate to the medieval re-creation but not all.  I hope you enjoy watching the progress of some of my more ridiculously sized projects.  If you're going to do something you might as well go all the way and make it big, right?
At the moment I'm working on some cosplay outfits from commission and I'll post pics when that's done.  I'm still weaving away a broken diamond twill on my warp weighted loom and that will be for an arts and science competition at the beginning of May.  I have a woolen A-Frame tent that I'm hand stitching that I need to pick back up.  My knitted Eleanora di Toledo stockings are slowly making progress.  I just got my hands on a four-shaft floor loom and as soon as the twill is done on my warp-weighted, I'm going to try setting up the floor loom.  I have a couple of techniques of tablet weaving that I've set up but haven't tried yet.  Hand stitching an early Irish leinne that I will be embroidering.  There are quite a few more projects in the brain but that's a good starter for now.