Jenny La Fleur

I'm back! Dallas and Seminar were amazing, despite the lack of sleep!! I'll be posting my pics later today.

Now it's time to switch gears back to CC and re-pack my bags for another trip. :> I'm caught up on my friends list, which thanks to the LJ black hiccup was less overwhelming than it might have been. I call that good timing. :>

So... yes Jenni I will help with hair (love your new gala!), Kendra I got your e-mail and will be replying shortly but no problem, Katherine I hate you for being finished already and Trystan I think my patronus would be a bee. Unless insects don't count then a phoenix. Definitely. :>

B has done amazing things with my Fire while I was away - you guys are going to die when you see it. I also had some inspiration strike on the way home and will be re-working a few things on it. Ooooh! :>

Wow. Thank you so much for all the great feedback on my Fire costume, I'm just blown away! I guess I’ve been looking at it too long, I was feeling pretty "eh" about it to be honest. :>

As always you guys are fabulous! And good for you. those of you who didn't peek - I love you too! :>

No sewing was done this weekend, blah! I've got some free time in my schedule this week though so I'm not despairing. That CC deadline is coming up way too fast though!! *not panicking, not panicking*

The Victorian corset is finished - yay! I've replaced the boning and lacing so it's all comfy now. The gaps in the back seem to have shrunk since I last tried it on. Normally that would make me happy but I do want this to fit when I get to CC! Umm...

While I had the corset on I tried on the Fire and it all looks good. Or will if I can leave off the potato chips between now and CC. :> B and I have finalized the beading schemes so that is now in her court. We also decided it needed a belt so I have some painting and gluing to do now. No big.

I think I have finally figured out what I'm wearing, a good thing no? I've officially dropped the bustle outfit. This makes me incredibly sad as I had my heart set on it (particularly after POTO) and have practically all the bits and pieces. But to try and pull it off this month, from the underwear up and in a style I've never done before no less, was madness. Not normal Jenny-Rose costuming madness but over-the-top, padded-cell madness. That will be the first thing I work on when I get back though as I'm determined to have it finished in 2007. I'll find an event to wear it to someday. :>

I have decided that I need another new-to-me costume though and am quite taken with the idea of a new 1780s outfit. You know, something a little over the top for normal RCHS events. At most I will have to teak a pattern so it's just a matter of construction, not toileing. :>

I have tons of pink taffeta left over from the Cynthia gown that would be perfect for the zone front I adore from the Scarlet Pimpernel musical. I may not get to the shark-tooth trim before CC but I can always add that later, perhaps in green. *grin* I'm trying to decide if I want a fancy zone-front ruffled jacket or to recreate the full zone-front dress. It's pretty much the same pattern wise, just a longer skirt. Any thoughts? :>

( CC costume line-up )

So that is 3 different corsets, one bum roll and 4 pairs of shoes - not bad considering my original plan was much more! :> Dropping the bustle does make cramming into the 2 allotted suitcases an easier proposition.

I had planned on doing a 1940s something for Thursday (found the cutest dress at Ross that just needs the right accessories) but Dad messed up my flight so that I'm flying into SD Thursday morning. I'm probably not going to be up to doing a 1940s hair style that morning, it would only look like crap by the time I got to LA anyway. The Federal is at least an easy hair style and super comfy and cool. Plus you guys haven't seen it. :> I'm thinking it might be nice to wear later on Sunday too, if I get tired of the chemise gown (not sure how I will like wearing that). Yay – I have a plan!

Lookie - actual sewing content. With piccies and everything! My muse must have found her way back from Philly... :>

I was getting read to post last night when our power went out. *grinds teeth* Anyway B was beading away on the Fire when I looked around for something to do so I turned my attention to the chemise gown. I haven't been able to wrap my head around how all you people have put a drawstring round the neck while still gathering along the bottom of the sleeve strap. I need to see how you've done it because the descriptions are not doing it for me. mean people living so far away! I was getting all whigged out about it when it occurred to me that I will be adding a lace ruffle to the neck line so no one will see if I cheat. *looks at calendar and thinks. "cheating is good"* I'll just paw Katherine's at CC and figure it out for next time. :>

So I put it together the same way I did my Federal gown, which is less full but the same basic cut. Another cheat to save time and aggravation was to just line the blessed thing. I solved the problem of not really wanting a solid white lining by using the same thin voile as my lining. I ironed on lots of layers of heavy sizing until it was almost stiff so that it has some body while I'm working. I love spray sizing I really do!

It seems to be working well. If I had to do it over again I think I would have made the gathers along the sleeve strap a little less full. I may also take out the top-stitching along the strap. It depends on how much it shows under the ruffle. It looks a bit funky at the moment but I thought stitching down the gathers a bit would help the ruffle lay better.

I'm off to dance with RCHS at a local 4th of July event today so I can attach the ruffle and maybe do the waist casing while I'm there. Yay for period appropriate CC hand work projects! :>


Oh yes and a little seek peek at the Fire. B is doing such an amazing job. - Bless her little pea-pickin' heart!! Every time I talk to her she's finished a section and wants to add beading to more of the frock. The trip to King Tut is paying off - lots of inspiration for the beading. I SO have the best sistah evah!!

The red glitter spray arrived earlier this week and I tested it out today. I didn’t get the results I was hoping for – moo. My poly/whatever didn't take the spray very well and when dry it looked more like dark orange flames than red. So I handed the dress over to Bridget to bead. I may add flames to the bottom in the end but I'm going to get everything else done first.

B has only been working on it for a few hours but the embellishment is already looking cool! I wish I had the time to do it myself (I love beading) but B always does such a nice job and this leaves me free to work on other things. My scrapbooking crop was canceled tonight and I wasn't feeling like moving around much so I pulled out the red print English gown and finished attaching lace flounces to the sleeves. I want to add some more trim to the neckline too so it looks all spiffy for the 4th of July event in a few weeks.

Tomorrow the family and I are off to Philadelphia for the weekend. We are going primarily to see the King Tut exhibit but I think we may stop in at Independence Hall and that stuff too. We’ve been talking about going for months but it was an on-again, off-again venture until a few days ago. Nothing like a last minute mini-vacation! I haven't been to Philly since I was 13 so I'm looking forward to it, despite the ultimate result of no CC sewing this weekend. *rolls eyes*

Progress on the Fire - yay! I went over to dancinseamstre house yesterday to barrow her serger. What with being sick last week I only had the inner sleeves cut out so Brooke kindly serged while I cut out the skirt, both chiffon & lining. She even let me chatter away and fed me Squirt and cookies. *throws kisses* Brooke you are fabulous!

So I need to sew the skirt so the hem is all ready to be serged when we get together again in a few weeks. The sleeves can be sewn now too and then all that is left is the hem. Oh yes and the extra stenciling and embellishing. :P

I took my camera yesterday but was too busy talking to take pics. Maybe I should not take pics on purpose, like koshka_the_cat, and keep it a surprise until Gala night instead of just being lame! :>

It's official - I have a cold. Bah! I didn't feel like doing much this evening so I pulled out the Fire and worked on it. Wow, two days in a row, I am on a roll! :> So all of the petty handwork is done. Everything is tied off, basting stitches removed, hook and eye on, zipper tacked down, slits reinforced etc.

A hem, some sleeves and the jewelry/beading and the main dress is done! Providing the bustle outfit doesn’t get me too many fits I'm thinking I might actually get all my "must have this" list done, without losing my sanity, after all. It's a happy thought.

I'm not sure I'll be up to cutting out the underskirt & sleeves tomorrow so maybe I'll pull out the chemise gown and work on that... or the Victorian corset. Those are sitting, not too much brain-function required type things. Brain-function is not to be relied on when sickly. :P

No progress on the costuming front (time hasn't allowed) so I thought I would update you on the infamous Fire stenciling project. You know the one that took over my Memorial Day weekend.

This started out as an idea, inspired by Michaela's Padme Watergown, to jazz up some plain fabric from the stash for the underskirt and inner sleeves. I loved the effect and thought it would be fun for the fire theme.

( the nitty gritty details )

So the lesson learned is that it's probably cheaper to just by nicer fabric than to create your own finishes out of cheaper fabric and paints. Especially factoring in the time of testing, working & clean up (about 6 hours in my case).

Having said that, my Harley lining does look cool. It's the kind of detail that needs the right lighting and that I won't see much (it will peak through as I walk and as my train gets flipped over) but that adds depth to the costume. My homage to my favorite costuming flick, LOTR, and all the details that were never seen onscreen I guess. So far it's the only thing that specifically says "Fire" too.

You'all will have to tell me if it's been worth the effort on Gala night. :>

It's very strange the way this costume has morphed as I've worked on it. It went from an inspired copy of Eowyn's Green Dress, to Eowyn's Funeral Dress, to bits and pieces I've always loved from fellow costumer's frocks and now it's starting to resemble Arwen's Mourning Dress. Weird! Of course I never claimed my designs were original. I pinch every idea or element I use. My only claim to creativity is in the combinations. And of course actually finishing an outfit. :>

I got very sidetracked with sleeves this morning. I went to cut mine out and decided I really didn't like the ones I'd drafted. They were nice but skimpy. If I'm going to have a train of doom I need BIG sleeves, right? So I started wondering around. The first sleeves I found that I loved were the petal McCalls 4491 sleeves that Kendra used on her Elf Dress. Mom, who has no restraint when it comes to pattern sales, had the pattern so I got it out to take a look. Still really liked the sleeve but was daunted by modifying my sleeve to a two piece affair and dealing with my narrower fabric. *mreh*

Then I pulled out my Art of the Two Towers for help and remembered Arwen's Mourning dress. I wondered over to Alleycat's pages and really liked what I saw. The gown was designed for an Elvish Queen of Gondor, so it has combined elements from the elvish and human styles. Bigger sleeves than the typical Eoywn frock but smaller than Arwen's typical Elvish ones. In short just what I was looking for. I also realized that my neckline ended up similar to the Mourning. Really. I didn't do that on purpose!

In addition to Alleycat I found Maggie's pic of her sleeve pattern was very helpful. *wink* I was also super inspired by Kay Dee's repro. Can anyone say wow? She mentioned her modified sleeve pattern turned out similar to McCalls 4491. When I looked at it I realized it was really similar to my original sleeve - I was so close! I just need to round out the shape a little and it was pretty much the same. I’m trying to keep my sleeve all one piece so it probally won't be as long as Kay Dee's but I'm much happier with it now.

*hugs computer* I love the internet and the online costuming community I really do!