I am a Mad Genius
Apr. 15th, 2007 07:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
threadwalker(I need a picture of the Mad Hatter, I think)...(voila!)
Wednesday night I hit the road late (like 10 pm), so I was pulling in to Redding at 1 am. What was on my mind? Corset-foo....
By 1:30 am I had the kids unloaded and tucked in bed, the car unloaded and the obligatory phone call to the spouse to let him know I was safely tucked into Motel-X (and he'd get the bill. lol)... Instead of going to bed, I pulled out the offending corset.
Umm.. yes, I was on a trip to visit Great Grandma in Oregon, not on a sewing holiday. What was I doing with the corset? and my sewing machine? and my sewing gadgets?.... I had a wild notion to pack them. No reason, just "madness"....I really had no expectations of having time to sew during the visit... or did I? (squinchy eyes...)
For the last hour of the drive, all I could think of was my project. It ate my brain. And since I was apparently possessed by some precognative force, I had packed my sewing machine as well as every scrap of fabric, trim, ribbon and braid I was thinking of possibly using for this project (except the hook and eye tape... grrr) The "project" gorp easily took up half the space in the back of my car when balanced against the stuff for the kids and I.
At 1:30 am I was hacking off 4 inches from the back of the corset. And the insanity began ... cut for your protection just in case it's contagious
At 5 am I had:
* One skirt and lining cut out and almost entirely assemlbled - I was missing (litteraly) 12 inches of lining to complete it. The cut is based on Eleonora's skirt in Moda - I have no need for elegant trains to be trampled, but other than that, the gores, etc, are from Moda.
* One corset which may or may not ever get finished. Definitely wearable, but not pretty to look at. (We're not exactly on speaking terms right now. I need to wear it a few times and we need to get reaquainted before I decide *this* corset is worth my efforts. humph!)
* one doublet. (for some insane or "mad" reason I packed the pattern I used to make my male farsetto last summer and this turned out to be a FANTASTIC body block over the corset. go figure!) It is constructed, although not yet finished. I'm currently applying trim by hand. But the hard part is done.
* pattern for fitted sleeves
* pattern for short sleeves
No sewing Thursday ... well, I slept from 5 am to 9 am at Motel-X, then packed up and drove from 10 to 5pm to get to Coos Bay, OR. Of course, I had to call D'Salie and share my insanity as soon as I was on the road. She totally gets it. I am NOT a fast seamstress and I got a ton done in 4 hours ... However, Thursday night I was asleep by 9pm while the kids were leaping around Grandma's place all wired up from being in the car. (more on the actual visit later... it was a great trip. I'm suffering internet withdrawl).
Friday night I made up the long sleeves. I patterned the fancy bits on the short sleeves. And I pinned it all on and preened for a bit. Woo-hoo. Then I added as much of the velvet ribbon as could and started hand sewing the trim to the doublet. I made myself stop at 3am.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my muse. Strange that she only shows up around 1 am.... but I'm not complaining.
Wednesday night I hit the road late (like 10 pm), so I was pulling in to Redding at 1 am. What was on my mind? Corset-foo....
By 1:30 am I had the kids unloaded and tucked in bed, the car unloaded and the obligatory phone call to the spouse to let him know I was safely tucked into Motel-X (and he'd get the bill. lol)... Instead of going to bed, I pulled out the offending corset.
Umm.. yes, I was on a trip to visit Great Grandma in Oregon, not on a sewing holiday. What was I doing with the corset? and my sewing machine? and my sewing gadgets?.... I had a wild notion to pack them. No reason, just "madness"....I really had no expectations of having time to sew during the visit... or did I? (squinchy eyes...)
For the last hour of the drive, all I could think of was my project. It ate my brain. And since I was apparently possessed by some precognative force, I had packed my sewing machine as well as every scrap of fabric, trim, ribbon and braid I was thinking of possibly using for this project (except the hook and eye tape... grrr) The "project" gorp easily took up half the space in the back of my car when balanced against the stuff for the kids and I.
At 1:30 am I was hacking off 4 inches from the back of the corset. And the insanity began ... cut for your protection just in case it's contagious
At 5 am I had:
* One skirt and lining cut out and almost entirely assemlbled - I was missing (litteraly) 12 inches of lining to complete it. The cut is based on Eleonora's skirt in Moda - I have no need for elegant trains to be trampled, but other than that, the gores, etc, are from Moda.
* One corset which may or may not ever get finished. Definitely wearable, but not pretty to look at. (We're not exactly on speaking terms right now. I need to wear it a few times and we need to get reaquainted before I decide *this* corset is worth my efforts. humph!)
* one doublet. (for some insane or "mad" reason I packed the pattern I used to make my male farsetto last summer and this turned out to be a FANTASTIC body block over the corset. go figure!) It is constructed, although not yet finished. I'm currently applying trim by hand. But the hard part is done.
* pattern for fitted sleeves
* pattern for short sleeves
No sewing Thursday ... well, I slept from 5 am to 9 am at Motel-X, then packed up and drove from 10 to 5pm to get to Coos Bay, OR. Of course, I had to call D'Salie and share my insanity as soon as I was on the road. She totally gets it. I am NOT a fast seamstress and I got a ton done in 4 hours ... However, Thursday night I was asleep by 9pm while the kids were leaping around Grandma's place all wired up from being in the car. (more on the actual visit later... it was a great trip. I'm suffering internet withdrawl).
Friday night I made up the long sleeves. I patterned the fancy bits on the short sleeves. And I pinned it all on and preened for a bit. Woo-hoo. Then I added as much of the velvet ribbon as could and started hand sewing the trim to the doublet. I made myself stop at 3am.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my muse. Strange that she only shows up around 1 am.... but I'm not complaining.
