Progress! All the half-finished stuff

Warning: this post is text-intensive, and probably mind numbingly boring to pretty much everyone other than myself!

I have a whole pile of stuff that is started, but unfinished. I am hoping that by tonight, the green kirtle will move from this post to the ‘finished’ post……I only have to attach the skirt, and it’s all done. I’m not going to be wearing sleeves, but I’ll probably make them now just so they’re available when I wear it next.

The red velvet gown is still on hold, as I’m still waiting on my die stamp. Hopefully I’ll get that soon!

The beading on the Turkish loose gown is closing in on the finish line, and my friend Gypsy has taken it home to get it finished off. I’m hoping I can get the body done before Uprising so I can wile away the day attaching the trim.

I’m having a hard time remembering if there is anything that I need to start still, but unless I’m forgetting something, all I have to start on is my partlet……I still haven’t figured out what I want to do with that yet. My brain is saying “No more decisions! Noooooo!”

To be started stuff: (I forgot about needing a dedicated camacia for the red gown. That velvet crocks all over the place, and whatever I use for that dress will likely be used for ONLY that dress.)

• Partlet - decide what to do, and just freakin' do it. Gosh, Noelle! Also want to bring to Uprising and work on there if at all possible.
• Camacia for red gown - simple, simple, simple. If for some reason there is any time at all, I'll do a very simple band of blackwork at the neckline. "but thats it".
• Stockings - I keep remembering things that need to be on various lists. Stockings! Astrid is going to help me pattern them sometime after her wedding. They shouldn't take that long to make, so I'm not worried.

Here’s the full accounting of my half-finished projects, and what needs to be done to them:

• Shade fly – needs poles, ropes & stakes. Also need to sew rear casing after I figure out the cross-support pole size. If hubby remains as busy as he has been recently, I may be doing this myself.
• Red gown – needs sleeves & tuck to be wearable. I’m hoping to also do cutwork trim on shoulder treatments, bodice and hem trim.
• Green gown – only needs skirt pleated and attached to be wearable. Am also hoping to get the sleeves done so I actually do them. I’m notorious for finishing a gown, and never doing the sleeves. (Sorry, Holly!)
• Purple Turkish – the beading on the trim is started, and nearly completed. (handed off to Gypsy for finishing) I have the fabric for the gown, but just need to get it cut out and constructed. I’m hoping to work on attaching the trim during Uprising.

And mostly because I need to write this down somewhere, here are the projects that other people have volunteered for:

• Hand towel – Praksedys (I hope I spelled that right!) has graciously volunteered her embroidering talents to make a towel.
• Hubby’s shirt – Ashe’el and Michelle are on the shirt project…I sat down with Ash during court and picked out some blackwork patterns that I liked, but left the final decision up to her.
• Hubby’s outfit – The fabulous Johanne has taken on the task of the doublet, coat, venetians and bonnet for my hubby. We sat down yesterday and raided my stash for supplies and figured out some of the details. She left with two large garbage bags of fabric and some sketches, so I hope she’s set!
• Chairs – Johanne’s husband has taken my chair commission, so I’m really, really excited. I cannot wait! I need to get him the cash this week so he can go shopping for supplies. He’s going to be carving the back support with my fleur (hooray!), and we’re thinking that the body will be oak.
• Jewelry – As if it needed to be said, Holly/Aine will be working on my jewelry. She is retrofitting my favorite belt of all time for the red gown, and is making a new pearl & garnet necklace and earring set. She got off easy!
• Camacia - I forgot this one....I asked Elizabeth if she'd do a camacia for the green gown, but I still need to get the fabric to her.
• Garters - D'oh! I forgot the garters! The fabulous Marguerite (another that I'm terrible at spelling!) offered to make my garters! My forgetfulness reflects on no way on my gratitude for this work, I'm just distracted as all get out! The garters will be card woven red silk & gold, and I'm insanely excited for them!
• Shoes! - Astrid is making shoes to go with the green and gold gown. I am so excited!!!

Then, I have other stuff that I’d like to get done for Uprising: (crazyface, I know.)

• Since it’s my last Prize Tourney (sniff, sniff!!!) I want to enter some stuff….the PPoD just needs to be sewn into pillow form, though I may just bring the top to show off….depends on time. I’ll probably going to be entering my chopines and blackwork sampler as well. I’m wracking my brain for more entries but am drawing a blank. Argh! I was going to teach a few classes, but what with all that is going on, I am in a serious time crunch, and don’t have the time to put together kits and handouts.
• I’m a couple of outfits short of having a change of clothes for every day at Uprising, but I have nearly an entire linen “V” gown done, just need to finish the rings and get the skirt attached. I may just get everything cut out and bring the pieces to work on at Uprising and if it gets done, then voila, another dress. Woohoo.
• Not to mention all the mending, gathering, and cleaning of garb, bedclothes etc. and packing thereof. *ooof*

Then, there is the DNP (Double Noelle Project) stuff for Costume College, which is the weekend after Barons War. Seriously?! Argh! (After CoCo, I’m going to fall-down-go-boom.)

• wigs x2
• petticoat
• stays
• gown
• jewelry

Post of Many Things

When Other Noelle was here recently, she introduced me to two new things of win; silk sewing machine thread (omg, if you’ve never used it, go try it…..it’s a heavenly experience!!!), and a book called “Ribbon Trims” by Nancy Nehring.

I just received my copy in the mail a few days ago, and it is so fabulous!

Also, Holly and Gypsy spent an unexpected night this weekend, and I begged them to look at my stash and help me figure out the Turkish robe trim & jewelry; both of which was accomplished! We ordered supplies I didn’t already have in my stash and had them delivered to Holly’s address.

She’ll be doing my jewelry for the red velvet gown, and Gypsy will be beading the crap out of my trim with crystals and pearls. (Below: the crystals are the right size on the left, right shape on the right……I ordered crystals of the right dimensions, all the pearls will come from my enormous stash of pearls I got a year or so ago. I just KNEW I would need them some day!)

Unfortunately, the chapel I posted about earlier is prohibitively expensive, and I’ll be going back to my original ‘sun shade’ plan:

I drew in fixed Savonarola chairs (or “Dante chair” or “x-frame” chair, or whatever you want to call ‘em) because that was the style I found for sale that didn’t completely break the bank, but I found someone locally that I could commission to make what I really wanted, folding Savonarola chairs!

I spent the better part of today running from place to place gathering all the little odds and ends I’ll need for upcoming projects:

• small wooden stool to be stained and becushioned (potentially embroidered, but that’s TBD at the moment)
• padding for stool (Just regular old high-density foam)
• wool roving for PPoD….I AM going to finish this thing if it kills me!
• red wool felt for velvet gown bodice & hem
• red silk buttonhole twist for gown eyelets
• red silk sewing thread
• fleur-de-lys stamps for curtains
• gold/silver tone paint for stamping curtains

I think I’m more or less ready to start on things – I’m having a hard time deciding where to begin, though! (hence posting instead of working…..)

PPoD–cording

Now that I’ve finished with all the embroidery, now I have to fuss and fret over the finishing bits – namely the tassels and cord.


My first attempt was to make a simple twisted cord using cream and brown silk thread.  I’m not too happy with the bumpy ‘rope’ texture, and will attempt another method to get the smoother look of the original, but I’ll outline what I did here.
First, I anchored pins along the length of my pressing board, and wrapped each color separately to create strands of each color.  The cream color is a much thinner thread, and I had about twice as many individual strands as the brown.

For no other reason than it was easier on my hands, I twisted the strands clockwise.  In the picture to the right, I had only twisted the brown section.  You can see how much slack was taken up by twisting alone.  (Tip:  twist until kinks start to appear – much of the twist will be taken out in the next step)


The rest is a piece of cake – I let the ends of the two twisted strands go, and they twisted upon themselves to make a ‘rope’. 


While the effect is pretty, not quite what I’m going for.  My next experiment will be to wrap the two colors on a solid core, hopefully getting a smoother result.

PPoD–Finished Embroidery

.....ok, well the embroidery itself is done; I still need to do the 'pillow' portion of the PPoD.  But the long, grueling, torturous journey of 28 count full-coverage canvas work is over.  May I never pick up a needle again as long as I live!

It looks far more impressive IRL, I assure you!

And lastly......flowers!

I am officially finished with ALL the slips!  HOORAY!!! (!!!!!!!!)  I've ordered more of the background color, and I'm stuck until it comes in.  (Boo)  The background goes fairly quickly, so I'm hopeful that I can get this bad boy done within a few weeks of receiving my silk supply.  I am SO ecstatic!

PPoD - Moar Updates

I can see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel!  I've started the stem of the Very Last Slip.  :D  I'm not in love with the shape of this flower, so it's hard to keep focused.  ;)  But I will persevere, and finish!  Hurrah!  (I still need to go get some more background, tho.  D'oh!)

PPoD - Only ONE more slip!!!

 

I really like this little dude!  The flutterby is a fun little addition, methinks.

Starting to look more completed, no?

Picture update from yesterdays post - plus moar

 

Yep, here it is!  PPOD is coming together!  :)

On a slightly related note, I've been messing around with my machine embroidery software and eating up the classes I've been taking, and have 6 embroidery pattern slips to be stitched in cross stitch.  (Actually 5 right now.  The 6th is giving me fits for some reason, and I'm about to tear my hair out)  I think I'm going to make myself some pillows or something. 

I would never have the time to embroider the slips by hand, so I'm going to try it out, see what it looks like, and if it's anywhere near 'passable', I'll apply the slips to a velvet ground and make pillows somewhat similar to the one found at Hardwick Hall:

I'm hoping to get around to stitching out an example of each design this week.  I found the original designs here.

Also related to the embroidery software goodness.......I found out the other day that I can MAKE MY OWN LACE.  *dies*  Hah!  The end product is no different than the lace one would buy at JoAnns, BUT, it can be customized to be ANYTHING.  :D  I have fantasies of drawing out lace from portraits and getting my machine to do all the 'dirty work'.  I haven't experimented with the lace yet, but I'll let y'all know how it goes.

Here are some pics of the jewelry that Hollyness made for me......I am so full of squee it's not even funny!  Now I HAVE to finish that god-forsaken dress!

The PPoD...she progresses!

 

This is the first time I've actually felt like I can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.  Hurrah!  I'm nearly done with the third-to-last slip!!!  (Which is really good, because I need to move on to a new project.  I really didn't anticipate this taking nearly as long as it did.  Poo.)
Anyway, without further ado....

I do not like the bud on the right.  (Like, at all)  I'm not sure if I hate it quite enough to rip it out and do it over.  I'm really wanting this pillow to be finished and done with.

PPoD! I can haz!

 

I've started (and finished) the thistle.  I'm not terribly happy with how the shading (or lack thereof) turned out on the topmost flower, but, meh.  It'll do.  I've started on the background between the thistle and the foxglove while I ponder how to attack the lily.  The shape of the lily is pretty much exactly the way it looks in the original, but I'm just not that fond of it.  Hmmmmm.

Anyway, on to the pics!

I now have 5/8 of the slips done, and nearly that much of the background.  Hurrah!

PPoD - The Saga Continues...

Over the weekend, I finished 1/2 of the PPoD



Time to reposition!!!



Then start on the skeery birdie, who has now morphed into a Quail. I know quail are not period for Europe, but I care not! I laugh in the face of snarkers! I'm hoping that somewhere I can dig up a period picture of a quail. That would be so rad.


(I obviously still need to fill in her itty bitty beak.

Procrastinating Seamstress is Procrastinating....

.....A lot.

I worked some more on the PPoD. (Pin Pillow of Doom.) I finished up the fourth slip...and I quite like it! I got scared of the bird, so I decided to move on to the background instead. Within the next few weeks, it will be time to reposition! YAY!!!!!

Greenery done (front)


Greenery done (back) I'm actually quite pleased at myself that the backside doesn't look like a complete disaster area! It could stand to be a smidge cleaner, but this is *BY FAR* the best backside I've ever accomplished.


Flowers done....


See the skeery birdie?! I'm thinking of re-drawing him. He looks kind of squished up in that little corner. I'll see how I feel when I get all the background for this slip filled in. I love the mindlessness of the background....I don't have to worry about where to place stitches to get the correct curvature or anything....just keep stitchin'!

0% Motivation for Camp Dress...

....so I worked some more on my pin pillow. I'm giving myself one more afternoon of laziness, then it's down to some serious business. (If I feel up to it, I actually may even start tonight....)

I'm still struggling a bit with making curves nice and smooth, especially curves that go to the right, but it's coming right along. I am now officially 3/8 done, and I'm starting on the last section that will mark the 1/2 way mark! As soon as I'm done with this guy, I'll be moving the frame so I can easily access the other side. Yay! If I were to go back now, I would know how to handle the strawberries and columbines better. The first flower I actually *like* is the carnation....you can actually see the progression of my techinical skill from one flower to the next! (Not to say I'm skilled at all, but I've been learning a lot!)


This is how far I got after one episode of "Glee" and one episode of "Chuck". It doesn't look like much, but there is a *lot* of unpicking represented here!

I'm actually hopeful I will finish this embroidery project, so I splurged this morning and bought some silk for the tassels and cording. I need to find some good silver gilt, or just use some of the gold I have in my stash already. Hmmmmm. Well, miles to go before I get to that point!

Remember this little project?

I acutally worked on it a bit more! I finally got to the opposite corner......YAY!!!! I am now officially over 1/4 done.

Pin Pillow - Background Progress

I started in the top right hand corner of the background, and I'm liking the color I chose for the background more than I did a couple of days ago. (The colors and shading look a bit muddy in the pictures, it's not so in real life, I promise!) This feeling may change once I get to the poor little squillel, but right now, I'm happy. Also, the shading on the gilly flower is a funny thing - in some lights, it looks completely one shade of red, where in others, the different shading colors really *pop*. Huh. I am really enjoying the background filling work - very mindless and not too stressful. I've had one tiny snarl I only found rows and rows later, and I didn't have the heart to go back and fix it. I still haven't found a solution for the "divot every two lines" problem through. I have a feeling that if I broke the cardial rule of canvas work and alternated my half cross with a continental stitch, the problem would go away, but would that end up giving me more problems down the road than a faint horizontal striation? Anyway, on to the pictures -



Also of note, the "scroll" part of my scroll frame is failing epically. (If that is even a word) I spent so much time getting the tension *just right* on the lacing, and now it is looking like I am going to have to move to a different frame. I really don't want to use a slate frame, as it would be too large to haul around with me every where I go, and a good portion of this project is getting done while on my lunch break at work.

I'll see if I can fix the fail, but if not, I will need to find a different solution. Boo.

Embroidery Update

I am absolutely determined to finish this project. No, really. I will completely finish ONE embroidery project (says the gal who has 4-or was it 5? unfinished embroidery projects kicking around.)

I'm never picking up embroidery again, ever. (Or at least until I start on my slips project, that is....)

Ok, to the pictures.


I am really getting the bug to sew again, but I'm afraid if I put the embroidery down, I won't pick it back up again. But I don't want to wait months and months before I can make anything new. Argh. Not enough time in my little world right now. Where's my dang lotto money?!

Embroidery Progress - SLOW!

What with my new kindle, and a brand new game, I've barely touched my embroidery since last Thursday! I have been able to eke out a little bit of progress, though.

Previous progress:


Here's where I am right now - If I can tear myself away from all my other distractions long enough, I hope to be finished with the background on the purple dude, and at least be started on the foxgloves by Sunday.

More Pin Pillow

I think I'm starting to get more confident with my stitches. I think this little guy is pretty cute! I still need to work on my shading abillities (obviously, since this poor little guy is extremely two dimensional) but all in all, I'm still progressing.



Instead of working on the foxgloves (??) next, I decided to give my poor brain a break and start work on the background. I'm getting these silly ridges every second line that I'm not terribly pleased about, but I'm unsure of how to get rid of them, since it's the nature of the stitch. Hm. Ah well.

I'll post more about the background next time....

Pin Pillow; the beginnings

I found this pin pillow on the V&A website, and fell completely and madly in love with it:


I laid out the major outlines on some great tracing paper that bodice_goddess gave to me last time I was in CA (thank you!!!) I used a bit of creativity and artistic licence to stretch the portions of the design that curve down towards the seams - I also added an extra worm, butterly and acorn to fill in some extra blank space I had hanging out after it was all drawn in. Some areas are a bit more cramped than others, but all in all, I think it ended up fairly OK.


After much debate, I finally settled on lightboxing the design onto the fabric. I kind of wanted to try pricking, but for such a large and complex pattern, I finally decided that a lightbox would be a better option. After I got it all traced out in ink, I mounted the fabric to a scroll frame: (Only about 3/4 of the pattern shows at a time - I'll have to undo the lacing and move it all over to the right when I get to that point)


Yesterday, I showed you the strawbellies - the next thing I did was the borage (?), which I made more of a purple-y shade than the original. Because I like purple. And I can.


I'm really struggling to learn how to shade properly and use the angled nature of the tent stitch to my benefit - I'm not very happy how the stamens ended up on this dude.

Next up is the squillel - he's a lot darker than I had wanted him, and the shading is far, far too delicate to actually pick out - especially in a poor quality picture! Ah well, live and learn, I suppose. (The waste knot is still hanging out - that's what the sqiggle above his extra acorn is)


I'm all but finished with the gillyflowers next door - I just have the stem to do. Again, not terribly pleased with my level of skill in shading - half of it is my inexperience with the stitch, and half is poor choice of colors. *sigh*

All in all, I am actually really excited about this project - even though it looks so amateurish and hamfisted next to the original! Maybe that is part of it's charm........maybe.

I am absolutely terrible at tracking time for projects - I have NO idea how long it's taken me to get to this point. I do know that I can usually get about one 1"x1" area solidly filled in and shaded in about an hour and a half - and it takes about 4 days of embroidering on lunches and watching (listening!) to a couple of 1-hour shows in the evening while embroidering to finish one whole design element.

Just for the record - here's the back of my work: (This also kind of shows the method I've been using to do each piece - First I go through and do the outlines, then go back through with the shading and fill, as you can see in the lowermost gillyflower)