Welcome winter
Wanting a hot beverage, I broke out the "Cocoa Spice" tea (contains no actual tea). It's quite tasty -- milder and less sweet than the Bengal Spice, the most obvious thing I've tried to compare it to, but chocolate it's not. Not unlike the masala milk chocolate bar jencallisto gave me a while back, it's a tasty with a nicely balanced spicy flavor in which the chocolate is playing at most a supporting role. Being an 85% bittersweet kind of girl, I'm accustomed to a more assertive chocolate flavor in something that gives it a title role. I suppose it's unusual enough in a tisane that it distinguishes the brew. Being in a surprisingly un-decadent mood, I did not try it with the suggested cream and sugar. I theorize that some fat content would bring up the cocoa flavor.
I broke out some of the sewing that I've been neglecting since the fall. I was less displeased with its current state than I remembered. The cloak collar was deemed not to require replacement, and topstitching improved its crispness immensely. It's far from perfect, but it will suffice and I have learned useful lessons. I made a little progress on the surcote, decided that the shoulders were not going to be improved by re-doing them again, finished said seams, and started on the hemming. I attempted to buy a level of 'french seams' up to a level of 'finished seams' by working on 'flat felled' and 'graded' seams. I don't think I've sold the GM on that yet, but if I throw in 'taped' and the practice I'll get on all three finishing this, I might make it. The hood does need a redesign, as the heavy hems that work for me on the cloak I don't like at all on the mantle. I may line it, which would also make it move more easily over other layers, but I'm not sure that's the right answer. I still love the fabric.
The fake fur has been sent back to its original assignment of a later barbarian costume, as I remembered that I own a fur stole (found ages ago at dollar a pound and never used) that is, if not just exactly the thing, at least a whole lot closer than anything else that's crossed my mind, and much closer to the right tone even if the hue isn't quite perfect.
I broke out some of the sewing that I've been neglecting since the fall. I was less displeased with its current state than I remembered. The cloak collar was deemed not to require replacement, and topstitching improved its crispness immensely. It's far from perfect, but it will suffice and I have learned useful lessons. I made a little progress on the surcote, decided that the shoulders were not going to be improved by re-doing them again, finished said seams, and started on the hemming. I attempted to buy a level of 'french seams' up to a level of 'finished seams' by working on 'flat felled' and 'graded' seams. I don't think I've sold the GM on that yet, but if I throw in 'taped' and the practice I'll get on all three finishing this, I might make it. The hood does need a redesign, as the heavy hems that work for me on the cloak I don't like at all on the mantle. I may line it, which would also make it move more easily over other layers, but I'm not sure that's the right answer. I still love the fabric.
The fake fur has been sent back to its original assignment of a later barbarian costume, as I remembered that I own a fur stole (found ages ago at dollar a pound and never used) that is, if not just exactly the thing, at least a whole lot closer than anything else that's crossed my mind, and much closer to the right tone even if the hue isn't quite perfect.