The effect of judiciously applied insanity...
...is the Mad As A Box of Frogs Field. Everything outside this field is nominally normal (well, for certain values of 'normal'. This is sewing, after all). Everything inside starts to look a little eccentric...
Today started well, had a bit of a dip in the middle, and ended madly.
The lovelyqueenortartandravenrigancame over, and we planned some costume for Kings Musketeers in February. queenortartwants something totally yummy made (yay!), so I get to do some lovely drawing again this week, and something altered slightly (it's something we made, so doesn't count as 'we don't do any alterations'). pengshui_masterpopped in to join us for coffe and a reminder that he needs to think about what he wants for KM too: he hadn't thought about it much, with house stuff on his mind.
After queenortart and he had departed in different directions, the raven and I needed to sort out a bit of business. This is where the dip happened. Not so much dip as dippy! Another of those potential customers who want more and more for less and less, and keep trying it on until you put your foot down with a firm hand, and they either get real or go away! Luckily this one got real and decided what, out of all the things she wanted for HER customer, the budget would cover, and it looks like the deposit will land tomporrow and we can get on. Phew! I hall have a rant about the insanity of dippy young bints elsewhere.
After the fervent exchange of emails, I felt the need to get on with something soothing, so I did some more work on the silver doublet.
Right. Soothing...
O...K...
Well, this stuff is not difficult to sew - just awkward.
For a start, there are several layers. The shoulder wings and the collar have three layers.
Layers mean sliding about - especially with slippery silver stuff!
The collar and the wings went together reasonably well, however. Mind you, they are simple shapes...
The body is a bit more... Interesting...
OK, I know that the seam lines on the front and the back are exactly the same length as the corresponding seamlines on the side panel, because I drafted them that way. But somehow adding seam allowances has.meant that EASE has magically appeared along that seam. Now there is no give at all in the silver foil, and the brocade has no stretch, but can be smooshed in a bit with care and plenty of pins.
And i doesn't matter how experienced a sewist you are, or how careful, the Bacofoil fabric is going to pucker... Care keeps that to a minimum, but don't expect to be able to press out those tiny ruckles... Live with them: it's part of the charm! Like slubs in dupion!
Then I put braid over the seams!
I also put braid along the edges of the sleeve wings... The sleeves themselves were fairly easy to put together, being a layer of the brocade and a layer of cotton sateen lining. All that Lurex in the brocade makes for interesting stitchery at times.
Not to shabby... At least those flaming crosses in circles are fairly well matched!
A little careful pressing with a dry iron and a cloth sorted some of the puckers on the front and back, but they will always look worse in a static photo on a hanger than in the round on a moving target!
OK, so eventually there will be braid down the front and round the waist. There will be a peplum. Trying to see that in my mind's eye, and I can't quite visualise it. This is one reason I haven't drafted it yet. I keep getting a mental interrupt of tabs in the brocade with that flaming braid all round them! I may just have to let the blessed thing dictate to me rather than me dictating to it!
Oh, well...
The Son & Heir to the Fambly Debts is of the opinion that I shall look like a renaissance cyborg. Sounds just fine to me!
Today started well, had a bit of a dip in the middle, and ended madly.
The lovelyqueenortartandravenrigancame over, and we planned some costume for Kings Musketeers in February. queenortartwants something totally yummy made (yay!), so I get to do some lovely drawing again this week, and something altered slightly (it's something we made, so doesn't count as 'we don't do any alterations'). pengshui_masterpopped in to join us for coffe and a reminder that he needs to think about what he wants for KM too: he hadn't thought about it much, with house stuff on his mind.
After queenortart and he had departed in different directions, the raven and I needed to sort out a bit of business. This is where the dip happened. Not so much dip as dippy! Another of those potential customers who want more and more for less and less, and keep trying it on until you put your foot down with a firm hand, and they either get real or go away! Luckily this one got real and decided what, out of all the things she wanted for HER customer, the budget would cover, and it looks like the deposit will land tomporrow and we can get on. Phew! I hall have a rant about the insanity of dippy young bints elsewhere.
After the fervent exchange of emails, I felt the need to get on with something soothing, so I did some more work on the silver doublet.
Right. Soothing...
O...K...
Well, this stuff is not difficult to sew - just awkward.
For a start, there are several layers. The shoulder wings and the collar have three layers.
Layers mean sliding about - especially with slippery silver stuff!
The collar and the wings went together reasonably well, however. Mind you, they are simple shapes...
The body is a bit more... Interesting...
OK, I know that the seam lines on the front and the back are exactly the same length as the corresponding seamlines on the side panel, because I drafted them that way. But somehow adding seam allowances has.meant that EASE has magically appeared along that seam. Now there is no give at all in the silver foil, and the brocade has no stretch, but can be smooshed in a bit with care and plenty of pins.
And i doesn't matter how experienced a sewist you are, or how careful, the Bacofoil fabric is going to pucker... Care keeps that to a minimum, but don't expect to be able to press out those tiny ruckles... Live with them: it's part of the charm! Like slubs in dupion!
Then I put braid over the seams!
I also put braid along the edges of the sleeve wings... The sleeves themselves were fairly easy to put together, being a layer of the brocade and a layer of cotton sateen lining. All that Lurex in the brocade makes for interesting stitchery at times.
Not to shabby... At least those flaming crosses in circles are fairly well matched!
A little careful pressing with a dry iron and a cloth sorted some of the puckers on the front and back, but they will always look worse in a static photo on a hanger than in the round on a moving target!
OK, so eventually there will be braid down the front and round the waist. There will be a peplum. Trying to see that in my mind's eye, and I can't quite visualise it. This is one reason I haven't drafted it yet. I keep getting a mental interrupt of tabs in the brocade with that flaming braid all round them! I may just have to let the blessed thing dictate to me rather than me dictating to it!
Oh, well...
The Son & Heir to the Fambly Debts is of the opinion that I shall look like a renaissance cyborg. Sounds just fine to me!