sewloud

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Belvidere: Short version. SO FUN. LOVE MY FRIENDS. LOVE EVERYONE. HAD A BLAST.

Long version: Woke up suitably late on Saturday and dawdled getting my act together. But so did everyone else. When I rolled in Amanda was half dressed on the curb, Adrienne pulled in behind me and Jess and Alice were already on site visiting. I had planned to wear the yellow dress on Saturday day, new dinner gown Saturday night and Tea gown Sunday...but saturday was drizzly and Sunday was a predicted wash out. Amanda had to leave after breakfast for a paper and Jess had to leave after breakfast for family so I made a half dressed decision to swap and wear my tea gown on Saturday because I was so happy with it and wanted to be sure and get pictures. (spoiler alert: none of us managed to dress Sunday due to the cold wet weather and our sleeping in).



We did our quick sidewalk change (a Belvidere tradition) and then wandered off to find Mick and Shane and Alice and Jess. Found the boys first as the girls had gone off shopping. We said hello to a very crowded tent and then wandered off to do our own shopping. There were less vendors and tragically my very favorite jewelry vendor wasn't there this year. *sob* But Lara was vending as Lara Corsets so it was nice to see her and be tempted by her lovelies. Overall though there wasn't anything that blew me away. I think they tried to be selective and in the end they just didn't have much. So one lap around the square did that for us. Then we checked into the hotel (spartan and small but functional and couldn't beat the location. no complaints). And while we were waiting around for a tintype it started raining and was deemed too dark. That was the one real drag for me, we always get a tintype and this year we just couldn't.

My consolation for the lack of tintype was we finally took the carriage ride Amanda and I have been joking about taking for...seven? years?...and I have to say it was a lovely long ride in a comfy carriage. Would do again.




After the carriage ride we chilled in camp under the fly out of the drizzle. Then wandered to the hotel to change for dinner. I had a total moment of "omg they have all these lingering friends and we planned a formal mess for eight due to limits on china and when all the food shows up and us in dinner wear it's gonna be aaaawkward, but by the time we changed it had cleared out.







Despite fighting me the whole way and needing to be rescued by Adrienne I didn't end up hating the dinner dress. Although I tried REALLY HARD to drop a few pounds before and I had fitted those darts two weeks ago so I ended up being able to stick a finger up each side of my bodice. ah well I'd rather be wrinkly and feel svelte ;)



Everyone looked AMAZING. and I managed to get zero good photos of them.






"Quick. Alice look like you're mad at me"

And I have NO GOOD PHOTOS of Jess' STUNNER. I'm really mad at myself. I have nothing but blurry photos. I have to get a real camera one of these days.



For dinner Jess had taken care of a caterer (Jess gets an award for awesomeness) and the food was delicious. We had stuffed cornish hen, lamb, pasta, salad, rolls and cake for dessert...alfresco at a camp. I felt so very silly and victorian. And the really magical thing is once it's dark and the site is all alight with lamps you can't really see out of the island of light and all the modern park around you just fades to black. Much drink was had and mirth made. It was magical.




Jess changed into her tea gown for the relaxed portion of the evening. She was STUNNING.

On Sunday we slept till 8 (except Alice who woke up, did laps, walked the town, ate breakfast and found Jess) then wandered to breakfast. We had a chilly breakfast on the balcony as the tables downstairs were full. Amanda and Jess left. Alice, Adrienne and I wandered to camp. Adrienne left. Alice did dishes and I supervised. Alice and I hit up some antique stores, found nothing. and finally home. I had a delightful nap.

And now I'm attempting to sew 3/4 of a fop in two weeks...I SWORE I wasn't going to do this. I mean yes technically I started more than two weeks ago but I made very little real progress. wish me luck! 

The vintage buttons I ordered for my white shirt waist came today....apparently the seller couldn't locate the white ones they had listed (and btw STILL have listed) so they "sent a substitute" which while pretty are a grey natural MOP and I can't decide if they look massively dumb on my white shirtwaist. 

The generic rolled hem foot I ordered from Amazon also came today. And as I was pouting about the buttons instead of finishing the waist I dug out the giant cotton sateen ruffle I had started for the Belvidere Dinner Dress (BDD) two years ago. It took approximately too long but I finished rollhemming it. and I have to say the foot is delightful. Next step will be pleating. 700 yards of tiny pleats. shoot me. 

I also finished the shoulder seams of Rob's shirt. 

See I worked a little on all three events. 

OH also I emailed FFC on Friday to say "yo why haven't you shipped the fabric I ordered on TUESDAY" today I got an email that "oh we have it but the warehouse is behind. Thanks for your patience" um..excuse you? it's now been a week.. A WEEK. how long does it take a giant business to put something in the mail?! I'm going to end up going to Joann's and frantically looking for some shirting fabric to use. I'm so annoyed at them.

Also, I don't want to go to work tomorrow. why did I pick up a full 8 hour shift?! oh right, money.

 We're having a formal dinner this year after the public leaves (get out peasants!) and that requires a real dinner dress...Well mandie_rw  said it does and I just copy her in everything except eating habits. 

SO I've been doing a lot of poking. and of course all the ones I like are velvet and patterned and fabric I'll never afford....but I thiiiink I found something I like. 
My plan is buy mulberry poplin (it's probably going to be 120 degrees so I'm not wearing all silk. AND I'm poor). The sleeves will be some form of lace or net. The lace trim in black lace. Possibly this one? The bow will be velvet. I like the contrast in textures. I also won't make it QUITE such an over stated vagina point. I just don't like bodices with that much...poke.

Will I have time/skill for the embroidered motifs? Probably not. Will I try? sure why not. 

Also thoughts on the bottom pleats. Black something? silk, poplin, etc or self of the poplin. 

I've had my tintype taken maybe 6 or 7 times now...it never gets old!

I am in fact way behind on the dress for Belvidere. I barely touched it...you see I opened the fabric and "off white" was...yellow. a creamy butter cup yellow, but 100% yellow. So I very much needed to throw it in the naughty pile and stew about it. I don't want a yellow dress! I look jaundiced in yellow!

I tried to bleach a sample..turned a slightly lighter shade of yellow, but in order to get a cream I'd have to fully bleach it and probably over dye it with something bluer...*sigh*

In the end I've resigned myself to a yellow dress. Not what I wanted but maybe it'll be surprisingly nice? I'll just put on A LOT of blush or something...HELP jennylafleur how do I look not ill in yellow?! One plus I did think of, yellow sometimes shows up black in tintypes so hopefully the tintype man will be there this year.

I thought about doing yellow and black and making a bumble bee dress but when I looked at a swatch when buying my contrast it just looked too costumey and the yellow and brown felt more "right." Rob reinforced my decision.

So...Can I make a dress for Belvidere in two weeks? one thing I have going for me is that I get 4 days for labor day this weekend...I came home from work tonight and cut out my skirt pieces which was my goal for tonight. Tomorrow I'd like to get them assembled....

Okay for those taking a ride with Coccanga Transport we will be departing from my house at 10am sharp. I have NOT cleaned my sewing room so the living room/ bathroom is all the space available for spreading. I do plan to dress there, up to the rest of you what you want to do. 

My car has had a fress oil change and safety inspection so she's ready to go. If you wanted to chip in a few bucks for gas I wouldn't turn it down. 

Tomorrow I need to clean the bathroom, do my hair, iron all the things...

I cut out the TV208 apron in my delicious purple silk. (can I just say I loooove this fabric, both the quality, weight and color I loooove it) but I stalled out on the tails. I can't decide should they be purple on both sides, purple on top (outside) and cream on bottom (side facing skirt), all cream? I intend to trim the bottom edge with a cream silk stripe. [Poll #1864579]

Just to remind everyone this is what I'm going for. Tonight I began in on the actual fashion fabric. And boy I had forgotten how hard synthetics are to work with! I'm covered in little stringy bits that stick to every rough spot on my over washed hands.

I looked long and hard at that bottom ruffle and finally decided I thought it was probably un-ironed knife pleats. I got three widths of fabric sewn together, roll hemmed and pleated. I pinned them on and ta-da! Way too short to go all the way around. But I think I'm headed in the right direction? Thoughts? I did briefly consider switching to gathering as it would save yardage and I only started with 8. But I think with 1.5 for bodice, 3 for the over skirt that still leaves me with 3.5 for the under-skirt. Man ruffles eat yardage for lunch!

The last two weeks have been...hard. I don't know this feeling of panic and I cannot figure out WHY I'm so wound up. I've let the house go to hell, bordering on superfund site, and haven't started my dress for Belvidere. Today was my first day of classes, and it was nice to get back to a routine. But looking at my shiney new student planner I realized OH MARSHMELLOWS Belvidere is in 11 DAYS!..uh.

Today involved a rapid rollercoaster of three waits for the registrar, four class changes and $102 in new un-budgeted for fees. yay. Rob meanwhile tore the apt apart looking for his official articles of incorporation (kinda important to not lose right? must be a male filing system thing)...and as soon as he paid $43.00 for new ones I promptly found the old ones in yet another basket of hanging files. Apparently he used to have files..they're just sadly neglected. I've now added them to OUR files that I've kept for the last few years. We now have a shiney new business checking account. Very professional like. I actually really like being able to isolate his business from our personal. Before he never really made enough $ to need it, and while I wouldn't say he's there YET he's getting there.