Needless to say, the frock didn't get finished for the Baronial Changeover, so it was the Ubiquitous Blue Linen Frock (UBLF) for me!

I'm not exactly on time for the Green Frock to be done for Midwinter (there will be machine sewing of the hem, I don't care what you say BT!) but this is primarily due to needing a second outfit for the Sunday festivities and a slight miscalcualtion over the length of time it would take me to do the sleeves. For the second outfit, a wool skirt and Jane Austen style jacket is the way I'm going to go. It's cheating, but it will look right and be much warmer than the UBLF, so I don't give a toss. That means, however, that the second outfit needs to be made over the course of this weekend and the Green Frock done by then.

Not such a tall order had the silk dupion not frayed like a fraying thing for the slits on the sleeves. Note to self: when lining slits in sleeves with silk, cut the wretched thing on the bias! It's probably taken me twice as long to get these sleeves finished as it should. Bloody silk, bloody bloody...

And I still need to do the smocking for the insert of the chemise, do something about the head wear, cut copious amounts of silk for guards on the Green Frock and sew them on, work out a pattern for the jacket but not before I wash the fabric... Why does work have to get in the way?

On another note, when did Hermione grow up?

Talk about a stunner! She's got style, that one. Either that or she can afford a much better stylist than the others in this photo. (Photo from The Leaky Cauldron)

It's official; after seeing Miss H in her T-bar shoes yesterday (with fishnets, was tres cute!) and now these on Emma Watson, I reckon I may need a pair. At the very least try a pair on - with my long, skinny feet they may look like shite! Wonder if they'll have any in NZ. Afterall, a girl's life isn't complete until she's bought a pair of shoes from every country she's been to...

Progress Report

Where am I at for the new frock? Suffice to say, I'm hoping to get it to 'lock up' stage by the Baronial Succession on Saturday. If not, it will definitely be ready for Midwinter, which was the main aim anyway.

What do I have to do? I'm still putting the rings on the bodice, I have to pleat and attach the skirt (at least it's sewn together, though) and I still have to attach the sleeves. The slashy goodness for the sleeves will have to wait until after Saturday, if I get that far, but at least they are cut out and I can just have them look like plain sleeves for the weekend if needs be.

Will I get it done? Maybe, but I'm not going to bust my gut over it. It's not my night, but a new dress would be nice. I can always wear the ubiquitous blue linen frock that I got from the wonderful Miss Droopy Drawers. You know, having only one frock that fits and is finished sucks a little, but at least I don't have to agonise over what to wear!

On another note, I have another hand-me-down from the lovely Spyder and... it fits! There's a bit of work required to finish it and I have to make attachable sleeves for it (think late 15th Century Flemish undergown), but it will be yet another dress. If I can pull my finger out this break, I can have essentially three dresses finished: Spyder's dress, the midwinter frock and the dress I kinda didn't finish for Festival (which, by the way, only needs more fabric added to the skirt and the guards attached).

Wish me luck! I was going to add a Cranach for inspiration, but I decided on this instead...


...for the gorgeous Miss Krin, since we were chatting about Paris last night. Vive la France!

BTW, I'm going to learn French if it kills me, which it probably will. I know Miss Honeydeath wants to learn as well and we need to get off our bums and practice together. Anyone else interested?

Teehee, my mum sent me this pic. This is why I like my mum.

Um, about that French Frock...

...which is now in the 'to make' basket for Rowany 25, maybe (I have volunteered to hang out with all the cool kids in the kitchen). I wanna make it, I really do, but I had an epiphany last week - I'm just not going to have the time to make it right, let alone finish it for Midwinter. I'm a little disappointed, but I'm not going to waste all that silk on a failed project. So, onto another dress that won't take me as long, hopefully, but I'll still end up with something nice and not have people think "No wonder Mina is being elevated first!"

The dress will be along the lines of the lovely Saint Katherine, today wearing a lovely brocaded low-necked number in gold.


It's not the best version of the painting on the planet, but it's the only one I have at work. The plan is to make it out of green wool from stash that's so dark it's almost black. Miss Honeydeath had kindly offered some gold dupion for the guards around the neck and wrists and I'll need to buy some gold bling to fancy it up a bit, but I think I'll need more so I can put guards on the skirt. That may have to come later. I don't know.

The sleeves will be different, though. They'll look more like this Catherine in the fancy pants gold dress.

For the hat, I'll just make a swanky veil by sewing some ribbon in stripes onto a plain white background. I want to use silk for this, but the only nice ribbon I'll be able to buy for the look I want will be polyester organza gift wrapping ribbon. From K-Mart. Hmm. I suppose if it gives me the look I want, I shouldn't be such a fiber snob! I'm going to utilise some silk organza I have for a over-veil thing that I'll make long to flow over my shoulder, like this fabbo number that's on the 'Want to make' list:

Since Miss Droopy Drawers and I are making the same dress (not by design, I assure you!) I figure with me making mine out of wool, she's making hers out of brocade and if I add the veil thingie, we'll be dissimilar enough to not look like the Bopsie Twins.

I haven't even considered neck bling yet. Sigh. I'll get there, I hope!

Fiora - sorry to not be able to catch you lately. We'll catch up eventually! As for progress photos...um, let's just say I really have to stop putting my camera into Tyg's basket for safe keeping. I'll get it back eventually, but I at least know where it is!

Miss Jimmy - yes, horray for French Frocks! I will make it. One day it will be mine... :D

The French Frock.

There's been an update to The French Frock (TM). I'm not going to use the brown velvet. It's just the wrong shade for anything else I have in stash. So it's the... take a deep breath now... blue silk velvet that Mr C bought in China about four years ago, lined with silk that I got from the lovely Fiora when she went to Thailand. The gold with black shot dupion I have will match it beautifully for the guards and white dupion sleeves and forepart will be rather striking. I've purchased some ribbon for an affect on the forepart, criss-crossed maybe with pearls at the interections. The ribbon-y bits may have to come later. I'll save them for last just in case I run out of time for the whole frock. I'll try to take some pics this weekend if I can tear myself away from assignments for long enough.

I'm going to cheat a bit with the French hood. Sarah Goodman makes a perfectly plausible French hood and I think I'm going to go with her way of doing it. It won't be picture perfect, but I'm making a blue reproduction of a red dress, so perfect picture accuracy is not really an issue. I'll see how I go for time (I feel like I'm in a Star Trek: Voyager episode, honestly). If I have plenty of time left over, i.e. a whole weekend free between now and the event, I might give Ninya Mikhaila's French hood a try.

As for anything practical for the dress... Well, that will come in a rush after I get the majority of this semesters assignments out of the way. Thank God I don't have any exams!