Christmas Carol Costumes Part 2

Sewing has taken over my life. I spent more than 20 hours sewing this past weekend. Unfortunately, most of it was spent on shortening dance costumes for an entire performance company. These were, bar none, the hardest alterations I've ever done. The fabric was a thin, slippery satin, which would not crease, no matter how much you pressed it. After much experimentation, I figured out how to use the rolled hem foot on my machine to make a narrow turned hem. I am so glad to have those off my "to do" list.

In my "spare" time, I managed to finish Bubba's dress for A Christmas Carol. I still have a zipper to install on Peeps dress, then petticoats, bloomers, capes and bonnets to make for each of them. All in all, I'm very pleased with the progress I've made, even though I still have a lot to sew.

Well, the grindstone is still spinning and my nose needs to get back on it. Ta-ta from costume central.

Progress Report

Another Victorian accessory to check off the list. Here is a crocheted bit of lace I am using to embellish Bubba's costume with.

Again, I found this simple lace pattern in an old McCall's Needlework and Crafts magazine. However, I have done some Internet searches and found some interesting websites online.

One of the more fascinating is The Antique Pattern Library. What a wonderful resource for old patterns. Of course, deciphering the old patterns take a bit of know how . . . or just guts to guess and make it up as you go. I've only scratched the surface of the patterns available here but, believe me, I'm going to be spending much more time browsing through this resource, after Christmas Carol.

As for this weekend's agenda, I'm assembly line sewing the two little girl dresses at the moment. Both bodices are done and I'm busy assembling the skirts. I'm hoping to polish off these two dresses today. I have a little work to do for the dance studio as well (17 costumes to shorten and hem - ugggh), then I will be off and running on my own costume pieces.

As for my Not-So-Mini-Me, I still haven't figured out how to get it onto a stand but I haven't given up on her. More to follow . . .

The Great Costuming Experiement

Trust me, this really isn't a Halloween post. Especially since we don't actually celebrate Halloween in our home. However, the kids had a hey day yesterday, suggesting that I stay in this crazy get-up and hand out candy in my new "mummy" get-up.

That would be somewhat problematic, since I couldn't sit down or use the bathroom in this get up.

No, this was actually a grand experiment to see if I could make my own "Not-So-Mini-Me" duct tape dressmakers dummy.

One of the handicaps I've labored under for years is the lack of a dressmakers dummy to use in my costume construction endeavors. Being a short, full-figured gal, traditional patterns never fit properly without extensive redrafting. And with the publication of the cast list and knowledge that I'd soon be making Early Victorian costumes for myself, I decided that this obstacles had to be addressed and remedied, if I was to have any success designing and constructing a Lorraine Original Victorian Masterpiece.

Hence, in the early morning hours yesterday, I began to wrap myself in white duct tape. It was not long before I realized that this was not a solo job and I enlisted the help of Hockeyman and Bubba to help mummify me. After a couple hours, we were finally able to remove the full body wrapping and I now have a partially completed dummy in my basement. Once I pick up a little more batting (I completely underestimated how much stuffing NSMM actually hold - guess a diet isn't such a bad idea) and find a way to mount NSMM on a stand, I will actually be able to do some draping and fitting.

That is, I hope . . .

Life will never be the same . . .

Well, it is official . . . there is now a teen driver in the house. Hockeyman just took and passed his test and now has a learner's permit.

Gah! I'm just not old enough to have a teenager with a permit.

And to add to the maternal distress around here, my "baby" turned 8 this week. Somehow, the idea that my little Snicklefritz (also known as Peeps) is now in second grade and growing up WAAAAYYY too fast hit me a bit hard this week. It would not be an understatement to say that I've spent a significant amount of time this week feeling a bit farklempt.

In brighter news, the beaded wristlets are done and blocking as I type. I knit these from black sock yarn I had in my stash, on size 0 needles. The pattern was from the February 1988 McCall's Needlework & Crafts magazine.

I've also designed and am knitting a coordinating drawstring bag. I'm leaving the beads off but plan to line it with a bright satin fabric, so that the color will be revealed through the lace pattern. I'm very excited about the bag but you'll have to wait until it's finished and blocking before I'll photograph it.

I can never get the details to show up when I photograph black yarn. I hope you can get an idea how cute these really are without a stunning photo.

Otherwise, you'll just have to come to the show and look at them in person during the meet & greet after the performance.

Yes, that was a blatant plug for the show. Go to cvft dotorg for ticket info.

Christmas Carol Costumes Part 1

Because of bad timing, I was not able to use my four day weekend last week for sewing costumes. CVFT's intrepid costumer had not had her meeting with the production staff and, thus, could not provide me with details for period, color or social standing for any of my family's characters.

Not one to be put off, though, I did take some time to research and search for Victorian accessories. Fortunately, I have an extensive library of old McCall's Needlework and Crafts magazines for the 80's and early 90's. It was my favorite craft magazine of all time and I literally wept when they ceased publication. I treasure my collection and enjoyed my weekend skimming through them to find the perfect accessories for my costume.

As a result, I found a pattern for and was able to make the pictured snood over the weekend. Here it is, blocked in all its lacy glory. I am in the process of threading the elastic through the double crocheted border. Once I get my hair piece put together, I'll hopefully be able to provide a in situ snapshot.

In the meantime, I'm deep in the process of making beaded, knitted mitts. Stay tuned for more from Costume Central.

Hey, Teach revealed

As promised, here is a photo of Hey, Teach! in all it's wearable glory. I found some simple teal buttons to finish it off and wore it all day Monday.

I have to say this is my new favorite sweater. Having short sleeves, it is a little less warm than Samus, my other favorite sweater. It is going to be ideal for this in between fall weather.

(Edited to add: Guinifer, I used the Rowan Yorkshire Tweed I bought at Knit Wits when they were closing)

For those who are keeping track of my dramatic pursuits, the cast list for A Christmas Carol - The Broadway Musical is out and all the ladies here at Chez Dramatique were cast. I am a chorus member and will appear in numerous scenes. The two little girls are both in the Angel Chorus and the "Christmas Show" audience. And Dancing Diva was cast as a tap-dancing soldier. Needless to say, we're all thrilled and excited to get started on yet another wonderful CVFT show.

Stay tuned for costuming updates.

FO Friday

It just goes to show that occasionally I can make a deadline, even a self-imposed one.

I just finished the ribbing on Hey, Teach this morning and just need to go shopping for some special buttons to make this cute little number even more delightful. I have to say that I managed to get this sweater to fit like a dream. But not without some thought.

I knew I needed to add additional length to the upper bodice of the sweater, considering my rather ample bustline would require a few extra inches to make the empire waist shaping actually sit where it should sit. This made it necessary to lengthen the lower half as well, to keep the proportion between the two halves correct. I added an extra inch to the sleeve length as well, just to make sure it hit my arm in the right spot.

All in all, it turned out so lovely, I can't wait to add the buttons and wear it. Alas, I have to work all weekend long at the ice cream shop, so the trip for new buttons will have to wait a few days. Thus, you all will have to wait for a shot of it on moi for a few more days as well.

I hope you can stand the strain of waiting . . .

An FO (sort of)

Well, Quilters closed on Sunday after a very successful run. I brought home all the costumes and managed to get everything cleaned on Monday and will return the costumes to the storage facilities on Wednesday.

Not that we're going to have a moment to breathe around here, though. Auditions started last night for the CVFT production of A Christmas Carol - The Broadway Musical. Once the cast is set, I'll be back on costume duty as I go back to just being a helper to the regular costumer.


Due to an unforeseen complication, I never did get out front to photograph the costumes. Because of my natural tendency to step in where ever help might be needed, I ended up working back stage. While I didn't think much of it at the time, I actually ended up being listed in the program as "Assistant Stage Manager" and was given a (gasp) head set.

I guess in theater circles, being given a head set is a high honor, reserved only for those intrepid souls who are willing to work behind the scenes for years, without fanfare or kudos, before being rewarded with the ultimate sign of trustworthiness - the illustrious head set.

Trust me, I am not mocking the vaunted traditions of theater but I was completely kerflummoxed when people started explaining what an honor I'd been accorded. Frankly, I was just available in a crunch and came by the head set by default. However, once I realized the enormity of the position, I rose to the challenge and did my utmost to live up to the noble auspices of the head set.

That being said, I was only able to photograph costumes from the wings. Most of the shots were too poorly lit or at bad angles, so these two will have to suffice to show the blogging world I was indeed busy costuming (and assistant stage managing) over the past weeks, instead of maintaining any sort of regular blogging schedule.

In knitting news, the sweater I started recently is progressing nicely. I chose Hey Teach from knitty.com as the pattern and am using the green tweed yarn I picked up on clearance this summer. I've finished the back and both fronts and have started both sleeves. Since the pattern has very short sleeves, I'm still hoping to finish knitting it this week - before the cast list for A Christmas Carol comes out and the whole costume whirlwind starts again.

While I remain optimistic, I don't suggest anyone hold their breath because you know my history of wishful thinking.

Finish line in sight

Well, I delivered the rest of the costumes last night. I only have one more pinafore to make and elastic to put in the last pair of bloomers and I'm done with the costumes for the latest Chaska Valley Family Theater show, Quilters - The Musical.

Hopefully, with the dress rehearsal tomorrow, I'll have some photos to show. Not that all the work I've done over the past few weeks will show, since I had to make about 10 pairs of bloomers and 9 petticoats. Why all the effort for undergarments? Well, these ladies tend to be dancing, jumping rope, flopping down on the stage and generally flashing glimpses of dainties from time to time. Not intentionally but you know how stuff happens sometimes. Fortunately, our director was savvy enough to recognize the potential for disaster and all the ladies are well protected from embarrassment during the show, not to mention adding to the the historical accuracy of the costumes with the said garments. Guess I should take pride in a job well-done, although the audience may not realize how much it took to keep the "Family" part of the CVFT name intact.

On the knitting front, well, I have a new sweater on the needles and it's going quickly but you'll just have to wait a little longer for a glimpse. After all, life is still racketing along at a breath-taking pace around here.

Oh, and I caught a cold. Figures . . .

Life Interrupted

Can life interrupt itself? Because I feel like I have no life of my own but the reason is LIFE.

Too confusing? Well, let me explain. The past two weeks have been a nightmare of scheduling "issues" that have had me breathless and exhausted beyond normal.

During the day, I homeschool 4 kids. Not horrifically difficult but I do have a 7 year old with some attention issues. Ergo, I have to sit in the room where she watches her videos and does her work text pages to frequently remind her to stay focused. She is a very bright student but she lacks focus for mundane things like grammar, phonics, math, spelling and Heritage studies.

Fortunately, I get lots of knitting or reading time in during those times when she needs me to sit with her.

The other three kids are pretty independent, requiring only minimal supervision during the day. A few questions, correcting a few papers, etc. are the most interaction they require to fulfill their daily school work.

Unfortunately, with two teenagers in the house, there is a bit of drama that tends to unfold on a daily basis. This includes battles over who gets the shower first, which shower whom gets and figuring out why on earth we're out of shampoo AGAIN when I just bought some a few days ago. (Shampoo hoarding is an undiagnosed syndrome that seems to be reaching epidemic proportions in my home). Then my expertise in the negotiations/peace-making realm are put to the test as two teen-agers battle over who gets which t.v./DVD player today. Although they have each been assigned their own, permanent a.v. system for use, there seems to be the feeling that this should be re-negotiated on a daily basis.

I could go on and on about the epic battles that take place between two strong-willed teenagers but I won't. Needless to say, these power struggles are never ending but a quick phone call to DH usually results in a clear winner - DAD.

The rest of my school day is spent checking up on everyone's work, household chores, bills, projects and other necessary activities that keep a roof over our head (albeit not always that clean), food on the table (okay, so I use a lot of pre-packaged stuff) and the creditors at bay.

Now, that's the normal stuff.

For the not so normal stuff: I'm currently costume mistress for a local production of "Quilters - The Musical." Guess all that work for Beauty and the Beast last winter set me up for more calls on my talents as a costumer. Not that I mind but I guess I didn't take into account WHEN the bulk of the work would happen and have been a bit unprepared for the added stress of the beginning of the school year and costuming a show at the same time.

Add to that a serious case of tendonitis in my right elbow from scooping ice cream all summer. Makes normal activities just a bit more painful than usual.

To top it all off, our first homeschool academy classes are tomorrow and I'm not quite as prepared for "Embellishing Ready-to-Wear" as I hoped to be. While I have the first lesson sort of planned out in my head, that's as far as I've gotten in my preparations for the class. Oh well, since these kids are supposed to be designing their own one-of-a-kind fashions, we can all just wing it together.

And of course, we have dance, hockey, swimming, Awana, Quilter's rehearsals, and occasional homeschool meetings in the evenings. Just to round off the insane schedule I managed to create this year.

So, if the posts continue to be a bit scarce, hang in there. I haven't forgotten. I've probably just been flattened by the steamroller of LIFE - again.

Another drive-by FO post

Home just in time for bed (after a very busy day, of course) but I couldn't resist popping in to show off today's FO.

The Tweedy vest was a web only pattern from the fall/winter 2005 issue of Knitscene Magazine. Alas, the pattern is no longer available online. Mine was made with Malabrigo Seleccion Privada K, which I picked up on sale at Coldwater this summer. The colors just happen to be the local school colors and I plan on wearing this vest to hockey games. Woot!

I love how the pattern worked up. The neckline was a mental challenge because it used short-rows to make the front of the ribbing deeper than the back of the ribbing. Unusual but I think I like it. I'm considering making another one out of the green tweed yarn I recently added to the stash.

BTW, this isn't the only FO of the week. Dancing Diva's ballet shrug is also finished but I haven't managed to snag a photo of her wearing it yet. Stay tuned for an update. Soon, I hope.

Drive-by Posting

Just a quick update, since I'm still doing the crazy, headless chicken dance around here.

Tropical Punch socks are done, done, done! LOVE them, mostly because I mastered the whole spiral knitting thing. Although there are a couple errors, so I cannot say the socks are completely jogless, I'm very pleased with the whole technique.

Well, off to the pool with the little girls. Time for P.E., doncha' know.

Homeschool Co-op class prep

With autumn rapidly approaching, I've been doing some planning for the fall classes at our homeschool co-op. This term, I've been tapped to teach a class on embellishing ready-to-wear.

Just to test some of the patterns in this book, I put Dancing Diva to work transforming some men's t-shirts I picked up on the clearance racks at the local Target. On the seat, you can see the t-shirt as it originally looked. Across the back of the chair is the new look created by Dancing Diva. She used 2 t-shirts to make this camisole with braided straps.

Pretty cute, if you ask me.

In kitty news, we've noticed a new Harley behavior that has us rolling on the floor, laughing.

I'm not quite sure what the appeal is under there, but the kids sure get a kick out of watching him crawl around under the rug.

In knitting news, I've cast on a new pair of socks.

Just for a portable project . . . really. I am going to finish more UFO's, honest. I just had to have something I could do while waiting for kids. Truly, that's the real reason.

I am using the leftovers of the 3 yarns I hand-dyed a few years ago to make a striped pair of socks. What is really exciting about this is I figured out how to spiral knit in the round, so that there are no jogs between stripes.

It is utterly fascinating to me how someone figured this one out. For a very detailed description of how this works, check out Grumperina's great tutorial.
It did take me 3 tries to get it going and I do have one mistake in them but they are so colorful and vibrant, I doubt anyone but me will ever notice the goof.
I am doing a simple 1x1 ribbing for the sock, with plain stockinette on the sole.

Between the extra knitting time at various appointments and kids' activities, not to mention the heavier yarn, this project is going fast.

Oh, and I'll get right on those UFO's, too. Maybe . . .

Olympic challenge

Being a bit of a non-conformist, instead of joining the Ravelry challenge or any of the other Olympic challenges that happen to be going, I made the decision to challenge myself to finish as many UFO's and WIP's during the games as possible.

Perhaps it was a little less rebellion and a bit more guilt about the state of my UFO pile but, nevertheless, I just couldn't cast on something new without feeling like a flibbertygibbet or a gad-about.

In that quest, I've managed to finish two pairs of socks since the Olympics have started. Both were part of the Year In Socks challenge and now I am only 2 months behind in socks. While I'm on a UFO finishing quest for the duration of the Olympics, I have already selected yarn and am going through patterns so that I can cast on the July challenge as soon as the Olympics are over. I'm also mulling over the August and September rules and making some plans. The idea of finishing 7 pairs of socks in 5 months is certainly intimidating but doable.

Kinda like the women's gymnastics all around competition last night. While Nastia and Shawn seemed to be getting the short end of the scoring stick in the first two rounds (what the h*** was up with that???), they still managed to stay focused and win the gold and silver. WTG, girls!

Anyway, I'm well on my way to finishing Dancing Diva's ballet shrug and my new hockey vest, so stay tuned for updates on more UFO elimination rounds in the week to come.

Go, USA!!!

Sick computers and other complications

It's been a long week - a very long week. I've had a very sick computer with multiple viruses, no ability to upload photos due to increased security measures I can't alter at the moment, and an sudden increase in activities children require transportation to and from, which has kept me out of the house and away from my poor, languishing PC.

Needless to say, I have lots to blog about but no TIME or PHOTOS.

Bear with me, friends, while we work out our technical difficulties.

Bittersweet

It's a sad day. I just got news about Knit Wits in Chanhassen closing this past week. While out and about this afternoon, I popped in for a look-see.

It was very pitiful to see the empty windows and the half-empty shelves. It's just another sign of a faltering economy, I'm sure, but one that hits me a bit more personally. I'm going to miss Mary and her shop, without a doubt.

On the nicer side of things, I did snag 12 skeins of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran yarn in the most delicious shade of blue-green at 40% off. I have more than enough for a twin sweater set. I also picked up a couple magazines I missed getting in the spring and a new book at a discount as well.

Now, I just need some free time and cooler weather so I can get back to a more regular knitting schedule. Which I have a feeling might be sooner than I realize.

Can you believe July is almost over already???

What a week!

It has been a whirlwind this week. Dancing Diva had her intensive dance camp and auditions for the performance companies this week, as well a performance at River City Days this weekend.

Hockeyman had a scrimmage and 3 tournament hockey games with the high school players this week, as well as a shooting camp, Rock 'n Roll camp and Music Technology classes.

Bubba and Peeps both had swimming lessons.

And I have had to transport all of the above to all their activities, as well as working at the ice cream shop and helping hubby finish the Garage. The first photo shows how everything was before we started.

This is where we are this morning. I've spent several days putting 2 coats of paint on the walls and ceiling. Today, hubby is planning on installing peg board and rearranging the shelves and workbench.

We've been on a deadline on the painting and such because we are trying to arrange for delivery of some free cabinets that a friend is giving to my Mom. As you might remember, her home in Cedar Rapids was flooded and she is in the process of trying to rebuild. A very special friend had a kitchen's worth of barely used cabinets and an electric stove she has donated to the rebuilding process for my mother. They are in a time crunch because of contractors coming in to start work tomorrow, meaning the cabinets need to be out of the way today, which has put us in a time crunch to finish the garage and make room for them.

All that to say that I am still here, just running around like the proverbial headless chicken. As much as I was looking forward to summer and some time off the "normal routine", I'm now just as eagerly looking forward to school starting and the return to a "normal routine."

At least I had time for fiber arts during the school year. Meh!

Still here

I'm still around and kicking . . . or scooping, as the case may be. This is the busiest season for the ice cream shop, so I'm working lots and lots of extra hours. The positive, saving lots of $$$ for expenses this fall (including a little yarn shopping, I hope). The negative, little crafting time.

I have been plugging away at a pair of socks as an anniversary gift for hubby. We celebrated 21 years of marriage this week but the increased work schedule prevented me from finishing the socks before the big day. I'm turning the heels right now and am heading into the cuffs, so hopefully, hubby will have a new pair of socks by Monday or Tuesday.

In the meantime, I hope everyone is having a beautiful summer.

Snug Rug Bugs

Yup, I think I'm going to have some extra door stops hanging out in front of the door when I finally finish the new rug. They can't even wait until it's finished to sleep on it.

Not much new around here. I've been working lots of hours at the ice cream shop and still battling some soreness and swelling in both hands. Ergo, little progress on fiber arts.

On the plus side, I've been reading lots of light novels this summer. It's been years since I spent balmy hours with my nose buried in books and I'm thoroughly enjoying my summer as a bum. When I'm not scooping ice cream, that is.

Slow but steady

I've decided to focus my "HOME" craft time to finishing up the rug for the entry way. This has become a high priority because the rug I have been using has finally disintegrated in the wash.

We've struggled with finding a rug for this area because the bottom of the stairs impinges on the area that a normal sized rug would cover. So for the past 8 years, I've been using a rug that is far too small for the space while hunting for the "perfect" replacement.

Alas, I have not been able to find anything that we like that will actually fit in the space.

To compound the problem, cash is a bit low at the moment. So, I came up with the brilliant solution of making a custom sized rug, using fabric from my stash, costing me next to nothing to create. Anyway, as you can see, I am making slow but steady progress on the rug.

The first picture is the size of the rug as of early Monday morning. Fortunately, this is a no-brainer type project. Since it is my first toothbrush rug, there are a few flaws. Initially, I didn't have the whole increasing thing down very well, so the middle is a bit denser than the subsequent rows. That makes the center pooch out a bit but I'm hoping with a good washing and stern blocking, the finished rug will be smooth enough for the front door to pass over without snagging and catching.

The second photo is of the rug progress as of this morning. Not bad for 24 hours, I'd say.

Of course, both cats are utterly fascinated by the new rug. Koda is constantly trying to curl up on it while I'm working on it. I've had to get a bit stern with her, which has led to an injured sense of martyrdom on her part and significant guilt on mine. She was less that pleased when I shooed her away during the photo shoot, as you can see by the flash of floofy tail in the second photo. Trust me, there was a definite cold shoulder being presented to me as I attempted to get a decent shot of the rug.

To exacerbate matters, now that Harley has discovered the joys of this rug as a scratch pad/sleep mat, I have an epic battle of the sexes going on over possession of the rug when I'm not working on it. As you can see in the third photo, Harley obviously won this round, as Koda is relegated to the corner. I doubt that is going to improve her mood today.

It is clear to me that I'll need to make two toothbrush cat mats as soon as the rug is done. That is, unless I make this one so large, they can manage to share it later.

Of course, being able to open the front door with two cats sprawling all over the new rug may create a whole new problem . . . not to mention the whole cat hair on the rug thing, too.

How come seemingly brilliant solutions come with so many problems?

(BTW, to answer Guinifer's question, pointe shoes are not as expensive as skates, generally under $100. But they do require specialized fitting and need to be replaced at least once a year, so this annual trip to St. Paul can definitely be added to the overall expense of dance. Ugggh!)