Jenny La Fleur

I've been spending more time lately on Pinterest - what a great resource! I've been trying to limit myself to sewing and costuming (although I'm finding myself slipping into food and crafts too) but I'm been pleasantly surprised at how much good (cited and documented!) stuff there is. What has really surprised me is how many tutorials, how-tos and general info can be found there. And I thought it was just for inspiration boards and pretty pictures.

Through all this I just realized that my website is totally unfriendly to Pinterest. All those lovely thumbnails that are the foundation to my spiffy and fast-loading site? Un-pinable. So some revamping is needed to bring my site into the new age of linking and tutorial resource finding. I've already started on the précises, the dress diaries will be next then the study pages.

Maybe it's time to do a complete overhaul of the site, which as painful as it is for me to admit is a bit of a dinosaur. I've even considered switching it to a blogger or wordpress platform. 'Cause I have so much time on my hands right now. *rolls eyes* Perhaps I will just continue to patch thing and wait for the next big change in internet interaction to re-package my content.

*ponders*

What do you think - do you find my website un-wieldy or un-pleasant to troll through? Should my blog and site be more interlinked or is it okay the way it is? For those of you who have switched from a static website to blog format, do you like it, was it worth the effort? (I'm looking at you Jen and Sarah)

My website hosting plan switched over today (away from the evil Powweb) - of course there are hiccups with my email and site so please excuse the broken links everywhere. I’m getting it sorted out but the internet moves slower than I like sometimes... For the time being if you need to get a hold of me post here, on Google+, email me at one of my chateauwhite emails or text me. :>

Things that made me happy yesterday: - Dec 3
1. Getting all dolled up in my new favorite 18th century outfit and having a delightful tea with costuming friends in Annapolis.
2. Buying a Baby Lit Pride & Prejudice book for Monkey for Christmas. Is it bad that I got one for me too? :>
3. Seeing Mom's anniversary gift of a 1916 singer treadle sewing machine. They found it antiquing in Williamsburg today, a lovely thing in great condition (it had been fully restored/refurbished in 2006) for a great price. So jealous!


I don't know that it belongs in the "happy" category since it was a bit of a pain and I'm finding it less user friendly than I wanted but I did get a Pinterest account.

I decided to get over the fact that they require you to sign up thru either Twitter or Facebook. I've never had a Twitter and recently deleted my FB so I created a Twitter account which I immediately unconnected from my Pinterest. Take that Pinterest! Really the whole thing is so silly.

Also under the less-than-thrilled-with category is the fact that when you sign up for Pinterest they automatically give you random boards in your "following" section and make it super confusing to get rid of them. (You have to click on the user, then click the "follow" button, which un-follows you - seriously what idiot designed that!)

You'll find my Pinterest here if you want to follow. I've really enjoyed how Jen has been using hers to document historical garments and plan to use mine likewise. I'm also really bad about documenting where I got images from so I'm hoping this will help. I may end up with some random things there too, we'll see.

Jennylafleur.com is back up. I had to pay an exorbitant amount of money (that I didn't really have *sigh*) to fix it but it is back up. I don't feel like going into it now but let's just say Powweb went from a very happy customer to an extremely unhappy soon-to-be-former customer.

In brighter news we are finally getting some spring weather, which apart from making me a little homesick for my beloved San Diego is so nice! I love sunshine I really do.

I'm still haunting the mailbox awaiting my Shipwreck Bead order. Finished up my sketches for the Gala dress though and will post about the project later today. In the meantime I have some errands to run and some commissions that need attention...

My website is back up - now I just need to fix the billing issues. I HATE auto-renew! Moo.

Worked a little on my anglaise toile tonight. My first try on looked okay, really just had to re-cut the too short should straps. After attaching some new straps it was just a matter of tweaking little things here and there. I figured since I had time I could be a little more anal than normal.

I also cut out a sleeve toile, and had Mom help me pin in place on. It needs a little work, mostly adding to the back so I can have some little pleats back there and move my arms. I don't think I'm going to bother with any more toiling, I can make all the little tweaks when I trace out the master pattern... which I'm going to go do right now. :>

I love a project without a deadline - this is fun!


Oh and also today I updated my website with all the recent projects and event pics... man was I behind!

Ahh... I remember the days when I enjoyed working on my website... those days are so over! I love the results but find the process so amazing tedious now. I was reminiscing with Casey the other day about those "good old days" when I would design and code websites for weeks on end. Now I'd rather be sewing or almost anything really. Not that I have that kind of time these days either...

Anyway the site is all updated with diaries, galleries and event photo albums. Most of which you, my faithful LJ readers, have already seen of course.

I do like having my site though. sadievale and her mom are creating scrapbooks of their costuming projects, with scraps of fabric and photos and pics of patterns etc. They are lovely and becoming very fun to flip through. I was beginning to lament I didn't have one too and then realized I do, it's just virtual. My website is my scrapbook and my portfolio.

I need to look at it more, more than just the quick reference when I'm working on a project. You have to know where you have been before you can appreciate where you are, and in turn realize where you want to go. I'm so glad Dad got me that original program and domain name and made me learn to code. My life is so rich because of it.



It was also a good feeling to discover this pic. I am now lacing my stays with half that gap, more at the waist. Very cool! Losing weight slow and steady has always worked best for me but sometimes it's so slow I don't see a difference. Perhaps it's time to take some new stay pics... :>

I've actually updated my website (don't faint!). Diaries for the current bustle madness are now up plus a proper page for the wedding headdress Bridget and I made recently:

The Headdress

My body clock is super messed up right now so I've decided to make it a full 2 week vacation and not worry about real life (more than I can help) until Wednesday. In the meantime I've been trying to get over the fuzzy-brain-jet-lag-thing by catching up on my friend's pages, un-packing and updating my very neglected website.

First up is the Pimpernel dress, which I apparently didn't even start a page for. It was a bit last minute of course. Anyway the page is up here, the gallery (thanks to all for sharing your pics) here. Still need to make the fonts pretty but other than that the pages are presentable...

Also posted is the series of pics I took for jennil on how to make a petticoat. Turned out to be more of how to pleat, sorry about that. Not sure if it will be any help but there you are. I seem to have lost the pics of the hemming part so I'll have to re-create that for ya, with the first bit is there for now. Petticoat by Jenny-Rose!"

In other news I'm now declaring the pimpernel finished for the time being. I had every intention of doing the orange shark-tooth trim but haven't been able to find the exact shade silk taffeta I want. There are also several things that need work on the frock as well. The lining peeks through the center front, somehow both the sleeves and the front skirt panels ended up too short. I'm also not thrilled with the fit that I see in the pics but that is my perfectionist side rearing it's ugly head.

All can be fixed with piecing and/or fitting but without an event to motivate me I really don't care at the moment. Maybe someday when there is a point to the hassle...

I've moved! Yes I've finally taken the plunge and bought my own domain name! *happy butt wiggle* You will now find me at jennylafleur.com. I am still working on transferring everything over so please ignore my dust and broken links for now. Hopefully everything will be up and complete within the next week...

What does this mean for you?

1. The basic site and paths are the same but the URLS for MANY of the pages have changed. If you have bookmark or a link to something here, please go find the new version of the page and update the URL. This move has given me the perfect excuse to reorganize some of the behind the scenes. My site has grown organically over the last 6 years and some of my earlier organizing/naming systems have been driving me crazy for ages. I'm sorry for the hassle but really it's for the best I promise!!

2. I will be changing links in my LJ entries slowly but surely. In other words don't trust the links earlier than this date. I'm keeping some pics and things on the old family site so this LJ won't be bare but links to actual pages will be wrong for some time.

3. All my chateauwhite emails are valid for now but look for those to change in the next month or so, once I get myself organized. I’ll make an announcement here of course…

Yay! I'm really ridiculously excited about all this!! *kermit arms*