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I finally had the chance to wear my new costume at an event. It wasn’t raining, in fact the sun was shining bright, but boy was it windy! As you can see, this isn’t exactly the best costume to wear on windy days — but it was worth it!

We had a blast at this event and it was fun to see what everyone made and wore. Christopher took photos for us, as usual, but we didn’t get as many as we probably should have, and Christopher is still a little shy about taking lots of photos of everyone. It can be hard to think of everything when you’re busy chatting and having fun! We almost forgot to take a group shot, in fact!

I also had the chance to finally finish putting makeup on the elf ear tips, as well as putting them on “for real.” I was very nervous I’d have trouble since I have so much hair and a lot of it tries to get in the way right where you’re gluing part of the ear down. I thought I would need Christopher’s help, but I managed to do it on my own thankfully. I was pleased they stayed on (in fact, I left them on for several hours after we got home so I could test how well and long they held up).

This was a fun costume, and I have to admit I wouldn’t mind having a few elven costumes of varying types. This one might be a little too annoying to wear at some events. I also updated the costume page with a few more photos, and some showing the better-blended ear tips a little more.

Follow the link below to see the photos we got at the picnic!

 

I mentioned recently that I’ll be making a few changes, cutting back on some of my historical costume To Do projects, and learning some new things — all for a project my husband wants. This will be great fun, even if it’s making me very nervous. We haven’t worked on anything together for a long time.

My husband actually isn’t a costumer and never had any interest in it. He’s been sucked into my costuming world a little, and now there is something he really wants. And boy, am I excited — no complaints from me! I actually think he’s a close enough match for the costume.

He was a HUGE fan of The Hobbit when he was a child. He also liked the character of Thorin.

We went to see the movie, and when the character Thorin showed up on screen, I was intrigued. After the movie, as we walked back to our car I said, “So, this… Thorin character.” He grinned a really huge grin, and thus it started.

He wants a Thorin costume.

We’re going to have to learn some new skills, dust off some old skills (we used to work in a casting shop, and he made molds), and we’re going to take our time. I know some people can whip out a costume like this, but I’ve made the mistake in the past of not giving proper attention to his costumes and he doesn’t like wearing them, understandably. That’s partially why he has no finished costume at the moment, of any sort.

Besides, he has to lose some weight (we’ve been needing to get back into shape anyway, so why not have a goal to help?), and grow his hair out. Shame he had to cut it last year when he thought he’d have in-person interviews. Turns out, he didn’t need to and it would have been that long by now. D’oh!

We’ll probably end up making most of the items, and we’ll see what we leave out for comfort, and there are other items we’ll just buy. Like the Key to Erebor, which arrived yesterday.

We purchased it from Weta, and we’re very pleased with the item. It’s affordable, and he almost bought two because he thought we’d fight over it. He’s just been going around telling everyone it’s mine (not his), and I say it’s “ours.” I’ll lay claim to Orcrist — I desperately want that sword heheheh. The key has a nice weight to it and it’s fun to turn it over in your hands and look at the detail. It comes with a stand and looks nice with two books from the movie we have that show concept art, makeup photos, etc. We have them displayed on a shelf in our living room, and hope to add a few more fun pieces to the display. That’s where the key and other accessories will be when he’s not in costume.

I thought I’d post some of the photos of us opening our package. It may be a long while before enough of a start happens with this project, but we’re very excited. It seems fitting to start with the Key to Erebor.

I know this won’t appeal to many who follow this blog, but don’t worry! I still have some of my old projects I need to work on — those will get my attention. I am, however, cutting back on events as well as keeping control over my To Do List so I’m not tempted to keep adding projects. The Thorin Project will take a while, and will be a budget-hog, so I don’t want to end up frustrated and confused over what my focus is. There will be long periods of time where nothing will be happening. I’m not even sure if the basics will be finished in time for the last movie to be honest!

It makes me very nervous, worrying that I will fail miserably, and I want my husband to LOVE this costume. I’m even contemplating adding a little more to my elven wardrobe, and expanding the Thorin costume pieces as the movies come out (I’ve already seen another garment that caught our eyes).

Anyway, thanks for checking the entry out. I know many of my friends and family have already heard me babbling enough about this character and the movie and I do apologize. We’re hooked. We’ve been having such fun sharing the fandom on this one, and he is SO happy that I love the movie as much as he does.

I was very surprised to see that I received a nomination for an award from A Frolic Through Time!

It makes me happy to know that I can help add back to the blogging world — after all, I used to be too  nervous to give things a try. With all the great information online, as well as such encouraging people, I’ve been able to push myself to try many things I never would have dreamed I could attempt.

To accept the award, one must:
1. Display the award and link back to the person who nominated you.
2. State 7 facts about yourself.
3. Nominate 15 bloggers for the award.
4. Notify the winners.

I’ll admit, most of the folks on my list have already won the award, so I’ll be skipping #4, but wanted to keep it with the rules list. I also will add some non-sewing things, and one non-blog… just ‘cuz.

Facts about myself:

1. I love birds. I used to have a parrot, as well as other smaller birds. I will make a fool out of myself doing cutesie-talk to a bird. My favorite (although it really is hard to pick just one) is the mockingbird.

2. I’ve mentioned it on one of my costume pages, but I can’t stand anything on my lower ears especially. Tried it once and had an ear double pierced, and couldn’t even bear to touch it or handle anything on it. It didn’t help that it didn’t want to heal properly, but I also get a little icked out by piercings of any kind. Not sure why that is, since it seems like most of the world has piercings.

3. I used to have an art contract with an NHL goalie (it was a blast going to practices and getting waved at by him when he’d recognize us watching — usually my husband, since you can’t miss him). I also planned to play hockey myself (goalie), but never finished getting the gear. I did have a custom mask made by the maker and painter. I’d tried on one of the NHL goalie’s old masks and the fit was close enough, so I had one made up for myself from my own design.

4. I have some phobias — such as claustrophobia, and I’m overly shy and tend to want to run from large gatherings and crowds, along with a few other phobias — but I absolutely hate spiders. Hate ‘em. Surefire way to get me to block or hide someone is if they randomly post a photo of one. I don’t want to hurl my laptop across the room when I suddenly see it. Ugh!

5. Similar to #2, I am overly protective of my eyes. It’s a little embarrassing to admit that my doctor had to practically pin me down and avoid getting kicked so he could check my eye once. I make a huge fuss over putting in eye drops, even if I’m miserable. My husband hopes to get contacts some day and I’ve asked him to please not mess with them in front of me.

6. I never played role playing games before I met my husband, but I’d always wanted to. We mostly used GURPS and it was usually superhero-related. Lately, thanks to the Hobbit coming out, my husband and I have been gaming again with fantasy characters (an elf for me, of course — he was always a dwarf fan). We’re still using GURPS, but we might try another system soon, and I finally have my own dice so I don’t keep borrowing his. It’s fun to play in groups, but we adore just playing by ourselves. I love how fun, over-the-top, and creative he can be. You almost don’t even care about rules at that point.

7. I’ll be changing things up on my costume list soon. There is a big project I want to make with my husband (for him) that is going to take a long time. I’m sure I’ll post about it on the blog in the near future. I just hope we’re able to do a decent job. This one makes me nervous, but it should be so much fun!

Blog Nominations:

1. Rockin’ the Rococo: I’ll admit, I’m guilty of forgetting to take a lot of step-by-step photos and writing information. Thing is, my page isn’t necessarily a how-to since I’m muddling through quickly so I have things to wear with friends. I adore blogs and websites that do have great photos and information, and this blog — although it hasn’t been updated in a while — has been one of the places I head first when I’m considering a new project and want to push myself to attempt new things.

2. Festive Attyre: Okay, so I think this is one of the blogs that show up frequently on these awards lists, but I have to admit she not only shares a lot of great information online, I’m lucky enough to know her in person and she’s just as encouraging and helpful. Another great blog that inspires me and I return to over and over to see if I can find help for new projects.

3. The Fashionable Past: Another well-known blog, but I have made SO many petticoats thanks to her tutorial. It’s awesome to not only be inspired by a blog, but to also be able to look at the information and feel more confident that “hey… I can do this!”

4. Before the Automobile: I think we all want to be able to do even a tiny fraction of the awesome she’s able to make. Such beautiful work!

5. Mistress of Disguise: An upcoming project of mine will be requiring new skills — I just may have to dig through past entries to look for more inspiration here. Lots of great costume variety here!

6. DFW Costumers Guild: I’m sure it sounds like a weird choice for an inspiring link, but this is the group in my area that puts on events for costumers, and I’ve had to force myself to slow down because everything looks like fun. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time and budget to do everything, so I have to stick to certain eras and themes. Nothing like the thought of a big fun gathering to inspire someone to get cranking with sewing!

7. Madame Isis’ Toilette: Lots of great information, and I could definitely see myself giving period makeup a try someday.

8. Kleidung um 1800: Wonderful garments, and I really enjoy the progress photos here as well!

9. Kitty Calash: Great information, and not just on sewing itself.

10. Three Dresses Project: She does a wide variety of clothing — costume and regular-wear. Lots of posts about fittings as well.

11. Needle ‘n Thread: Great website and blog, and not only are there photo/text tutorials, but there are lots of video tutorials. I loved that part, and the information was so clear and helpful it made me finally give embroidery a try.

12. The Replica Prop Forum: Okay, this isn’t a blog, but I’m going to cheat and list it anyway. Talk about inspiration (not to mention wanting to make so many things). I had to log off and not go back to it for a long time because I knew I’d lost my mind to so many projects. I’m logged back in there now for an upcoming project — I’ll definitely need inspiration (not to mention tips) from this place.

13. The Traveling Pear: This will make you want to pack your bags and see the world. Beautiful photos.

And as if I needed a reason to get inspired by food, two blogs with yummy recipes that I’ve been adding to my collection:

14. Chocolate Covered Katie.

and

15. FatFree Vegan Kitchen.

This was an incredibly hard list to come up with. I ended up repeating some of the blogs I’ve seen others post, but it probably can’t be helped (especially with a list that long). Keep up the great work sharing online, everyone!

I originally intended to wear this costume yesterday, but we weren’t sure if the event was going to be cancelled due to weather.

The theme is different than I usually do — Picnic with the Pixies. Anything fantasy-related. I decided to do a loosely inspired Lord of the Rings-type costume.

I was actually nervous I wouldn’t finish in time. I was trying something new with an accessory, and the gown itself ended up taking more time than I intended. It’s amusing that I finished two days before the event, but ended up not going.

I decided to go ahead and take some of my usual indoor photos for the blog, and since they’ve decided to have a second picnic (same theme) I hope to have more photos to add.

I might also go to my usual garden location early in the morning sometime for a few of them if we have time and good weather.

Anyway, please click the link below to see the outfit. Best Wishes!

No, it’s not mine (I wish I had the guts and time to figure out something to babble about weekly or even monthly), but it’s my husband’s and a writer-friend of his.

Christopher and his friend Shawn have a podcast. They’re already up to the 4th episode, but I haven’t had a chance to post about it here and include a link. You can find it here: Men in Gorilla Suits. I know you can find it in various places, and I’ve been assured that it should be available on iTunes at some point as well.

I’ll admit it. I’m not a big podcast listener. I don’t like listening to people talk (although I will have TV on in the background while I’m sewing, but it needs to be something I don’t need to pay attention to).

And I’m not just saying this because I’m biased, but I really am enjoying the subjects these guys are talking about. I find myself agreeing, totally getting what they’re talking about, or just laughing hysterically.

And another thing I’ll add… I’m not sure why they picked the name they did. Perhaps Christopher would be so kind to explain it here? Or maybe in a future podcast, they’ll say why? I’d like to think it’s based off the thought of bigfoot sightings being footage of people in gorilla suits, but that’s just me. Or maybe I’ve been watching way too many X Files episodes lately.

So please, give them a listen.

Best Wishes!

I finally have an update to share with you.

I originally intended to wear these items to a costuming event this weekend, but wasn’t feeling up to it. I did however want to get some photos and test how well they worked in cold weather.

I have to admit I had a little trouble with the new items. The first, is a Truly Victorian Talma Wrap. The pattern itself is just fine and was rather fun to work with. The problem came when the waist tape snapped off just before taking photos. The waist tape is a rather important piece, as it keeps the wrap against the back in a pleasing manner. I just have to sew it back on more securely. The rather amusing part of that is because I was only going a short distance for a few photos, I didn’t bother to bring my sewing kit. Doesn’t that just figure?

The other item is a small 1880s bonnet. I didn’t use any patterns, and figured things out as I went. I had a few frustrating moments trying to figure out how I should proceed, and almost gave up to make something else. It’s actually very comfortable to wear and quite fun! I did my hair a little differently than I should have though, and this made the bonnet sit back on my head instead of more forward. Ah well! You get the basic idea!

I also got a chance to use the muff with the new black cover! It was a cold morning and all these accessories worked just fine together to keep me warm. In fact, as the sun was coming up (it was a bright day as you can see from the photo on this page), I ended up a little too warm! I also carried a small black reticule with me.

I wore everything over the gray bustle gown, and I’m very happy that I fixed the puckering on the back hem! It’s a very simple skirt to wear, but it’s still rather fun when you layer accessories with it.

Please see the costume pages for more information and photos:

The Talma Wrap,

and

the Small 1880s Bonnet.

 

Finally!

I decided to take a break from sewing in December since the holiday decorations were making my already bad sewing space even worse. Unfortunately, it took a while for me to get around to sewing again, even though we took the decorations and tree down before the end of the year.

As a lot of you know, one of the best ways to get back to sewing is to work on something you’re either really excited about starting, or work on something really simple and quick. Since I don’t have the fabric I need for other projects yet, I decided to whip up a quick accessory.

You might remember the first muff cover I made. It really doesn’t go with too many outfits. I wanted something more neutral.

The great thing is I still had plenty of leftover black satin, so I used that for the base. I almost went to buy some lace and ribbon to decorate it, but decided to just go with what I already had. I am trying not to spend on projects unless I have to.

It was a fun and quick project. And I’ll be honest — I wish I had more excuses to dress up and use a muff for non-costuming as well. They are so cute and fun. Not to mention cozy!

Click the link below to read more about it and see a couple more photos (scroll down to the bottom since the new cover is added below the first/burgundy cover):

 

Sorry I’ve not been posting very much. I’ll admit, I’ve been feeling very out of it and haven’t had much to post about. I’m also feeling slightly lazy with updating the blog.

Since my work space is taken over by holiday decorations, I’ve realized I’m just not going to get much sewing done until they’re put away. Instead, I’m focusing on organizing and planning next year’s sewing and events. I’m hoping the break helps, and so far it seems to be working by making me excited about some of those projects.

I’ve been seeing costumers posting about what they made the past year. I must admit, seeing these amazing garments and long lists made me feel like I didn’t do anything in 2012. I feel behind on so many things and have a lot of in-progress projects gathering dust. I almost didn’t bother to make a list, because I thought it would not only make me feel sad, but also make me nervous about next year’s to do list.

I decided to give it a try anyway, and discovered I was pleasantly surprised. (although I will admit, my blogging laziness has made me not so keen on posting links or photos of every project, so please forgive me for not doing that to help illustrate the list.)

You see, ever since I started having trouble and discovered I had fibromyalgia, I can no longer work for long hours a day on sewing. Funny enough, I miss staying up until 2 in the morning sewing and trying to finish up a project, deadline or not. My slow progress then was mainly centered around tight budgets and trying to figure out what I was doing by testing on scraps and repinning things over and over to make sure I understood what I was doing. Now, I’ve added pain and fatigue to the list. So despite the fact I felt I had been sewing a lot, I didn’t remember finishing very much.

While I do agree, looking at my list, that I didn’t finish many *completed* outfits, I finished more articles than I originally remembered! I may have even missed a few small things, but these are what I could find from 2012:

• My yellow rose jacket, to go with the green petticoat over pockethoops.
• A muff form, and a cover that matches my burgundy bustle gown.
• A gray bodice, with a matching gray bustle skirt, and a plaid bustle skirt that can be worn with it.
• Narrow-sleeved shift.
• A false rump.
• Two petticoats to be worn over a false rump.
• The big project for the year, the chemise a la reine, and the hat with three plumes.
• Three reticules/work bags, one plaid, one black, and one white stiff-bottomed bag that I ended up re-doing.
• A gray waistcoat for my husband, new cravat and ruffle for his shirt, and a bagwig bourse for his hair.
• I also started on his breeches, and got a little over halfway done before stopping.

That’s really not so bad, all things considered. Sure, a lot of things were little accessories, but it’s nice to have accessories and they were fun to make.

I also attended fun events. A tea party where we all wore hats. I rode a train in costume. I attended my first stay-at-a-hotel costume retreat. We had our annual Georgian picnic. I’m sure I may have forgotten a few things. It was just nice to hang out with friends and make some fun memories while wearing things we worked hard to make.

So I guess making these lists really does help. At least, I’m just glad it did turn out I had finished enough things to make me feel like I really was sewing! I might really have been annoyed with myself if that list had been a lot shorter!

I’m looking forward to what 2013 will bring, and what new things I’ll make and see.

Happy New Year, and Best Wishes!

Last year’s video was such a fun success, my husband decided to put together another one. It’s such a great way to show more of what goes on at events. Photos do a fine job, don’t get me wrong, but there’s just something about video that really adds a little extra fun.

We didn’t have any good wind for the kite flying, but it was good weather for hats I guess! Still, as you can see, laughter filled the day and there was still plenty to do!

Here is the video:

I also want to thank my husband for taking photographs and video, and for working so hard to edit the video over the Thanksgiving holiday! Thank you, sweetie!

I’m trying to get caught up with a few things this week, so I figured now would be a good time to work on the costume section here.

I didn’t make a new outfit for the picnic, but I did work on some accessories.

First, I updated the False Rump. You can see the page here.

Next, I wanted a new hat. Here is the page about it.

Finally, I took apart a purse I made in time for this past summer’s DFWCG retreat. I finally have a version I’m happy enough with. Here is the page for that item.

I felt a little rushed today, and it didn’t help that our modem kept cutting my connection off. I need to get to a few other things, but I definitely wanted to update at least a few of the costume pages I’m behind updating or getting online!

Finally, I’ll leave you with a pretty photo my husband edited for me. I’m sure those of you who have seen it already are tired of it, but I figured I’d at least post it here.

It reminds me of a hand-tinted antique photo of an Edwardian actress. How fun!

Christopher is really having fun with editing things. It makes me want to take more photos so he can keep practicing!