Last night I fit a friend for a c15 Venetian gamurra bodice. This was my first solo fitting and I think it went fairly well all things considered. Her shoulders aren't at all even and, due to some back issues, one actually points forward. Thank goodness draping is my strong suit ( Read more... )

The purple dress I wore on Saturday was made of a light wool gabardine lined with a light cotton broadcloth (I know, I know... I didn't have enough of the correct fabric). However, my dress was extremely heavy due to the volume of fabric in the skirt. My shoulders and back ached after wearing the ensemble for only six hours. I am, obviously, unused ( Read more... )

I wore my purple, yellow, and green ensemble to Ponte Alto's Baronial Investiture event yesterday. The dress received many oohs and aahs, which completely made my day. The ensemble isn't complete, but it will be for Kingdom Arts & Sciences Festival in two weeks. Two weeks! What a luxury of time ( Read more... )

I'm so happy with how my green under dress is turning out. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it has the correct look for 1495 Venice. I've decided not to cut the excess length off the skirt and instead roll it into the hem. That way the skirt will be long enough for chopines whenever I get around to making a pair of those. At ( Read more... )

Whoo! It took about three hours of trial and error and drafting and draping and I have finally developed a bodice pattern for a Venetian overdress, circa 1495. I'm mostly happy with it. Tuesday's choir practice is canceled and I will use the newly freed-up time to pleat the skirt into the bodice and see if my pattern works ( Read more... )

I have yet to do anything with that lightweight linen which is still hanging in my closet to keep the wrinkles at bay. Monday, I was too pooped to want to slave away in the craft room. Tuesday was an impromptu visit from courtney_d_h and choir practice. Wednesday was my bi-weekly project call with the Aussie team. Tonight there will copious amounts of tequila ( Read more... )

That's what Margie's doing. When she and Oreo aren't chasing each other around the house like crazed weasels, that is. I don't like how still and heavy the air is, and the pressure is hurting my ears. I'm ready for the storm to break (which should be any minute now if the Weather Channel is to be believed ( Read more... )

My copy of the exhibit catalog for On a Pedestal: From Renaissance Chopines to Baroque Heels is en route. I cannot WAIT to get my grubby paws on it!

Hey! Not only am I upright, I am also in the office. Whoa. That hasn't happened for two weeks. Not only am I in the office, I was in early because I suspected there might be a call with the engineering team in India (there was). I won't say that I'm bursting with energy, but I am happy to be out of the house and wearing something other than PJs or ( Read more... )

Hubbyfink's playing Assassin's Creed 2 which is set in 1480s Florence and Venice, and I'm critiquing the clothes of the NPCs in the background. There have been some decent outfits, but I've spotted an Elizabethan-era tall hat and the Florentine whores are wearing the 16th century pointy Venetian hairstyle (did they wear that style in Florence?). ( Read more... )