the aftermath

Not a stitch in sight ! - sorry,

Friday - left work on Tuesday!!! - 20 years of got-to-keep clutter has come home with me- not least 4 mannequins plus Gwendoline the Stockman mini figure and Millicent the 1960s milliner's model. Plus countless bags of really interesting books, collections of bits, examples and resources. Can just about move.

 this is the tidy version...

Need to go back to work to earn enough to get a bigger house so that I can leave again...



alien cat invader- claims ownership of best spot in the garden

So what has been achieved – genuine domestic chaos, now on facebook (help!), had blood test, found the local breast cancer ward  would like some bags made (see The Sewing Forum), sent card and pressie, followed more crochet tutorials on youtube- I now know where I'm going wrong, designed and ordered promotional postcards, got very confused by HMRC, got insurance quotes. Add weeding, reading about Caroline of Brunswick and chasing bumble bees out of the house. Add weeding.

Doesn't look too bad a list, but can not compete with the to do one.

Desperate for magic words to undo the curse of marestails, to make my honeylocust tree happy and healthy again, to make all hills downhill when cycling, to stop my sis posting me about hot tubs, sunshine, leisure time.

I hope to be making again soon – first need to get organised  and will not start until the house is sorted, hedge done, understanding of HMRC advice is achieved and at least 2 more venues checked out – I'm intending to run some drawing classes in the Autumn – you are all invited- bit of a major round trip for some!

 Temporary storage, and look! Carpet!!

Thinking ahead -I'm still in love with the detailing on the pelisse or spencer sleeve heads – it makes some of the rouleau decoration on the 1820s dresses seem rather heavy. There are so many ideas out there to be explored. There is the full scale spencer to do of course -  I must book onto some sewing classes to freshen up the skills again. It may not directly help with these costumes but all experience of handling and working with fabric, techniques and approaches would be welcome. I hate making for me. I can blame the parents for not being taller but all the rest is down to happy self indulgence.

met museum

Sunday – I'm winning – still squeezing too much stuff into too little space but the making more mess before tidying away phase might be over. I can see carpet! The wool stash is stowed, the fabric stash is either waiting to be washed or sorted and away. All but a few of the Art bits are behaving, some defy organisation – the watercolour things keep breaking ranks and invade various rooms and cupboards, I think they breed. There is still a handful of bags to go through but the worst is over.

A lot of chucking out, hoovering, even dusting, and final putting away and I'll be back in control.

Next test is to remember where I put everything.

Potential to dos? Or would it be wise to shift garment and have a go at another dress? I will have to sit down to ponder this...... with a coffee.... and something to keep the coffee company.  Just don't find the dresses as exciting at the moment... but it would be a different challenge .... this may be a more than one coffee question.

 

ta dah! pink and dotty is done!!

 done! It has taken longer than I intended, but comparing it to the original and my initial drawings it isn't so far off.

Okay, this is me – there are things I would like to tweak and the fastenings aren't attached until I sort out the model or method to display it. ( Body-on-a-stick-2 was a bit of a disaster, useful if I want to do mutant zombie promenade dress or similar, the foam was rather feisty and escaped the mould in all directions.) 

Vile berry lining has been hemmed and top stitched in place, belt is complete and the stay stitching on the vandyke points has been taken out. It has been washed but some of the disappearing marker has yet to disappear fully. It will get the message soon.

 



Even the portrait has gone as far as I want to take it at the moment. On this I still like the feet the best. I gave the face too much of a tan so it has lost the translucence I was after but the coat seems fairly convincing.

So, was it successful?

Generally yes. It is a high waisted coat with vandyke details and couched decoration.

Problem areas still bug me – the lining methods don't feel right – the shapes could be more exaggerated- the waist tighter, sleeves narrower. These are nagging issues rather than hide in dark cupboard and cry crises, but they do nag. And I haven't done the bow on the back - have it made but it is hiding with my best scissors. Search parties are being organised but the house is in a state at present, ready for a major chuck and sort. It will be found at some point.

The mini version doesn't quite hang right, the fabric is just a little stiff at this scale so there are awkward corners and not so much gathering at the centre back - is it better to be true to the fabric types or  the look?

The making quality is improving and the decoration is better than expected. The learning curve is still being climbed. Research is fun and is stretching me to use the internet more rigorously. The responses and encouragement received still surprises me, thank you for that.

 

 Biggest bug is the time taken – so many other things became important. It is time to move these tasks closer to the centre stage and put other things aside to make way for them. I need to be making my own deadlines and not accept excuses.

 

This is the end of the "miniature 1823 pelisse to scale in inbetweeny-pinky-browny-slightly-purpley-maybe-with-a- hint-of-grey-kind-of-dusky-pink and dotty, with vile berry lining and tinkerbell pointy bits."

All thanks to images from the Museum of London!

 

 

Scissor status update - 2 on dining table, buried under stuff from work needing rehoming

                                   - 1 in work bag with crochet gear

                                    - 1 - somewhere on sofa ( might  get sat on) 

No real change then.

yarnbombing! Rowntree Park, York

Not done a stitch towards the pink and dotty. Rather annoyed at myself for that. Actually drove past a vile-berry-thread-shop, twice. Sat a10 mins stroll away from another shop all Saturday and still managed to forget. To make amends I have done a little to the portrait pastiche- the background is deeper, the skirt is richer. Quite like the feet. The task is to decide what else to do and when to stop. Usually get this wrong, but at least I can't make the same mistake as the last time with the purple spencer.

The rest of the time has been taken up with yarn bomb. The event was yesterday and today – a big birthday party for the park with all sorts on, the yarning was a side show.

• 
  
  
  
  The setting was so lovely and so big – a formal garden with ornamental water, flower beds, lawns, even a dovecote gate house. The temptation was to spread everything out – trying to do too much with what we had and end up getting lost in the space. We did fall into this to a certain extent,  but the group's focus was sharing our enthusiasm for making not really on creating an art installation – That's for next  time.
• 
  

The day was lovely, we set up, sat out, picnicked, chatted, carried on making.

Lots of people came into the garden, some with creations to add, some members of other groups, one man kept walking past carrying tables that were larger than he was ( new extreme sport or fashion statement?), others were aiming for the water or the pompom making tent.

But we carried on chatting and sitting. And picnicking.

Hopefully some of the people who stopped to ask will come and join us on our usual Saturdays when we ….. sit and chat and do and make, but have coffee and cakes instead of picnicking.

We already started planning for next year so I hope the organisers thought it was a successful day, we enjoyed it. And the creations – the squares will be made up into blankets for Oxfam to sell, the little flowers are going to be reused in an mini 'bombing' to inspire primary school children to get making and maybe next weekend we might try to attack our usual venue, the library, in honour of the Adam festival! Lots more fun to be had.

Apologies to those whose work I've photographed and haven't credited - get in touch and I'll update. There will be lots more about the day on Ravelry.com  (Acum group)  and on Hippystitch.

Will try to finish the pink and dotty for next week- promise, but it is my last full week at work so I may get distracted.....

 

 

 

pink and dotty continuing saga... plus painting

I am going to be done for cruelty to snowballs at this rate. Still not finished!

Tasks done – lining adjusted.

Belt – couched over narrow ribbon, folded, sewn, tacked in place.

Looked at the hem.

Found some small dark hooks and eyes.( in kitchen?)

Decided that I need more vile berry coloured thread and that the haberdash is just too far away. ( dramatic chapter in book to read, then Wimbledon final)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have only spent an hour and a half on it this week. - a lot that has been looking time, thinking time and losing things time. With one determined effort all could be complete, the sun would shine, and little fluffy bunnies would rejoice.

 

yarn bombing  stash - one bag of....

 So excuses this time – distraction therapy – working on a portrait with this pelisse – based on a Thomas Lawrence painting of Lady Templeton and son this time, getting carried away by the yarn bombing http://hippystitch.blogspot.co.uk/
 
 
 
next week end and sketching.

 Watching the tennis each evening has been crochet-land. I can do the basics without so much concentration now, and throwing the balls of wool when I get too excited has left no visible scars.
The portrait piece I began at the painting group but have added  a background layer since. Need to work into the dress, the shoes,   more depth to the background - and I lost the child ( not entirely deliberate - put the wash  in and completely forgot!) 

my interpretation so far - lots more to do to it

 The sketch is of one of the local back lanes - literally only 10 mins. I convince myself I'm going out sketching but spend 2 or 3 hours pedalling and maybe stop for 5 or six quick sketches at most. I always thought of this as going sketching on the bike, not going cycling with a sketch book.  Perhaps I should stop kidding myself and buy lycra?  NEVER........