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| I promise I'm nearly done with this JPG |
Another Pennsic survived, and indeed enjoyed (unlike last year's Bataan Death March). The weather was, on the whole, nearly perfect; we had a marked decrease in camp drama; our small co-prosperity sub-sphere worked together to correct some problems[1]; and I wasn't killing myself trying to get things done to a deadline...which may be why I actually got some things done. Mind you, it is still rather a drain to be den mother, hall monitor, and assistant principal to 70 variably-situated people, and I am nearly ready to be done with it so I can enjoy my vacation as a free agent, so I'm hoping to train up a padawan to take over in a couple years. But let's get to the arty stuff.
Stuff worked on/finished/set on fire:
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| On Wednesdays, we wear pink. |
- Partlet: Much to my joy, I found that Past Me had actually cut one out already. I sewed it together and hemmed it in the field, and it was ready for my class Saturday morning, along with--
- Elizabethan working kirtle: you know, the one I cut out last year and finally finished last month? Was miles too big around my torso, and also the neckline is kind of verkachte. Fortunately the partlet covered the latter, and my posse pinned the back seams more tightly so I didn't look like a complete goober. So, there's some fix work to be done in the fall sewing. (I have more thoughts about the cut for a later post.)
- Linen Gothic Fitted Dress: I finished it before leaving! other than the eyelets and hemming, which I also did in the field. I'm particularly smug about it because I did the pattern adjustments on my own & on the fly, which is not at all easy, but my eye is clearly getting better at this. It too is rather too big, but I'm not 100% sure that's wrong for a working dress; something else I shall expand on in a future post.
- The Pourpoint: I got the new lower sleeves quilted & pinned before leaving, and I showed the beast in the A&S display, in pieces, as a work in progress (wherein I also got to work on it, at least a bit). Now it's just $*@&# buttonholes all the way down.
- Linen Trousers Mk. 2: the first time my dashing consort wore them, he split the seam at the back of the crotch gusset. I hate pants. Pants are stupid.
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| learn and fear these arms! |
I also finally got to hang the banner I painted a couple months ago, which is another nice smug feeling. It is rather a bodge job (I tacked some of the messy edging I'd cut away onto the top as fast-and-dirty ties), and it should really have a pole and all; but this worked for the moment (as it was, I only got it hung up on 2nd Monday) and I can improve it later.
Speaking of improvements, I now have a list of them for our pavilion; most involve textile printing of some kind. I missed the series of classes that The Subject Matter Expert was holding--not only was I up to my ass in camp foo, but you needed to bring some materials that I didn't have a prayer of getting together in time--but the Printed Textiles in the Middle Ages FB group is full of info and I am hoping to start with something small and not particularly important; namely covers for our camp coolers, because ugh. When I have some confidence in the technique, I want to print a canvas floor for the pavilion[2], ideally to look like the tiled floors you see in all the 14th c. illuminations. And on the non-textile front, we're planning to paint the pavilion poles (not in designs, just colors); and I picked up a plain white folding shelf unit to keep the tent's inside a little less of a rubbish tip, and I want to do some designs on that. Maybe acanthus leaves, maybe armorial bits, we'll see.
For the fall schedule, I'm keeping some flex in case I'm needed to help with a wedding dress that's set to launch next month; but the general prioritization looks like this:
1) FINISH. THE. POURPOINT. AAAAAAAA.
1a) and the test version, too. oh god more quilting
2) Do the small bits of mending required post-Pennsic.
3) Knock together a new pouch, as the one I made, guh, ten years ago? more? is crappy and falling apart and was only a kludge to begin with.
4) *deep breath* Make myself a set of high fashion Gothic fitted dresses; the under-dress of the blue silk I got at Birka a few years ago, and the over-dress out of the silk and gold lampas l I just ordered from Sartor. I need to make something for myself that isn't an experiment or a kludge job. ...There might end up being pearls on it. I'm just sayin'.
I'm not going to look past that point for now, but hovering in the parking lot is the bunch of really nice linen we also ordered from Sartor, because for next Pennsic my dashing consort is getting a full kit of Field Gothic. Currently figuring a blue tunic and ochre hose, and once those are done I'll see what will go well as a hood (maybe a dark red). And I do want to make him a full-on Modern Maker fancy 16th c. suit, too.
That'll do for awhile.
[1] HEY KIDS INTROVERT SPACE
[2] You might think that the next step after that is painting the pavilion itself, but I don't have a strong feeling of what exactly I'd want to do, so Imma let that marinade for awhile
