helblonde: (Default)
With the job meme posts and all the friends in transition, I'm inspired to write about my dream company.

I want to start the modern equivalent of the House of Worth, which would make it the House of Good (tee hee). I want to have a sewing business where people come to me and say I need a 1860s morning dress or a 1520s German nobleman's outfit. I would ask a few questions to clarify what they're thinking and then decide whether it is interesting enough to take the job. I would want near-complete design control and to be paid what the work is actually worth.

Then, I would love to hire my friends who are tired of being wage slaves to work for me at decent wages to do interesting and fun work. (Yes, I'm thinking of you [profile] g0atface, [personal profile] callistotoni, and [personal profile] sarahbellem.)

I have had people tell me that I should sew professionally full time. That sounds great except for one detail: most (not all!) of the projects that are requested of me are boring. They have no design challenges, the materials are dull, the embellishments lacking. This is because people come to me with a vision of their own.  To do this full time, I would want to own the vision. 

The reason that this will remain a dream is that most people are not willing to pay the hundreds or thousands of dollars that it would really cost to make the interesting outfits. The grander and more interesting the clothing, the more expensive they are.
helblonde: (Default)

I've had no posts of note, since I haven't done much this week. Mostly I've been working at home, which means that I'm at the kitchen table with my work and personal laptops up and running. Not commuting was my way of sparing the air. Really (I have this bridge I could sell, you, too). Today I'm in the office to take advantage of the free AC.

So, my accomplishments this week:
- sent email for work
- updated the budget
- attended three conference calls
- caught up with email to family (so, now I have two cousins in Iraq)
- washed the dusty wine glasses on our rack (inspired by putting the clean champagne flutes away after the strawberry wobblers)
- cut out new dresses for the neices
- fixed Opa, Bunny, and Bjorn. Gave Bjorn extra stuffing
- loved on the kitty who has adopted me. Poor hot kitty
- gave hat suggestions to A, who emailed me with questions about what to wear with her 12th night dress
- embroidered a bit on the trim of all trimliness

Let's just say I've spent a lot of the rest of my time websurfing. 

Tomorrow I'm home again. This time it's to watch over the handyman while he fixes the problems the old one left. If he shows up.  This guy we've had in before. The landlord likes him. He does a good job, when he shows up.

helblonde: (Default)

In cleaning up my sewing room yesterday, I came across a bunch of projects that were put aside when I agreed to help with stuff for the reign. I'm not sure where I want to start again with these. And, of course, there's all sorts of new fabric. What would you do?

- The stripy germans: I know moriven really wants his done, and mine isn't all that far off, either. I think these are to the stage where I just need to pleat on the skirts. Mine might need the sleeves attached, too.

- The faboo blue houppeland: I need to find fur to line the sleeves. By preference this would be in a golden color. (The dress is primarily blue, with a black and gold design. I don't really want to enphasize the black.) Then I need to make the hat <3

- The embriodered tunic: moriven is making the tunic, the embroidery is still in progress, no rush on this one.

- Anne of Cleves. I got new fabric to remake the underdress - I tried a dickie, since that's all of the fabric I had around, but I wasn't happy with it. I have since purchased enough to do a full dress. I am also unhappy with the fake pearls I'm using, which is disappointing since I have most of a sleve done. I may have to go with real pearls (cha-ching), or with gold beads, either of which require taking off the work I've done already. The hat shape is mocked up, but that needs making, too. 

- We just got a yummy black wool for a cote for moriven, which sounds like fun.

- I have to get around to making an embroidered tunic for Geoffrey Scot - that was my agreement for them making the new Herald's sunshade.

- Blue velvet skirt, to go with the blue velvet 1560s doublet. The interim skirt that I wore to the Crosston ball two years ago was a silk that was just too light weight. I have the velvet now, and once I get the skirt done the outfit'll be wearable again. Since the doublet is super-comfy, that's very tempting.

- Corset repair - I've got a loose stay. Ouch.

- Alexia asked me to make Germans for Allen McMillan two years ago. He's finally gotten back to me about getting them made. We have a design from Durer (the same as for moriven's black and brown ones - that Maximillian was a sexy guy), and a slightly modified sloper (A has been working out), but no fabric yet.

- Baby clothes: I need to make tiny garb for my nieces for when we visit at Estrella. Plus, I want to make a couple more mundane dresses for Christmas. I have heard from my SIL that the ones I made last year have become favorites, "I want to wear uncle dress". (She knows it was made by her auntie, which makes it the uncle dress. This is kid logic.) At least those are fast. 

- I promised to make my nephew a black cloak for Christmas. He's 16. It's just one of those things. 

- New persian armbands for moriven, painted with words in arabic and stuff.

Of course those are just the sewing projects. I'm really having fun with making 12th night gifts right now (yes, I am the person who has everything bought and wrapped by Oct 31). And we still haven't finished with the new camp boxes.  

Hmmm... calistotoni, I see why you told me not to take on any new projects.

Moving on

Jul. 30th, 2007 12:44 pm
helblonde: (Default)
I'm so tired of being sick. This one is just lingering. Bleh.

I didn't make it to A&S this weekend, which really disappointed me. I missed all of my lovely friends :(

I did, however, manage to finish the last of the handwork on a comission while reading Harry Potter, so I do have a tiny sense of accomplishment for the weekend. 

helblonde: (Default)

There weren't a lot of people at sewing night, so I got a lot done. I'm nearly done with the German hat for the silent auction. The shot silk that

[profile] ysabella_dolfingave me for accents is super-sexy with the black velvet.

I also got a start on the new persian undershirt for myself, with [profile] moriven's help. I cut, pin, and iron, he runs the machine. We've gotten quite efficient at this. [personal profile] misagilliangot a little farther on her dress. I'm looking forward to seeing that finished soon, since it looks a lot like clothing now.

The peach pie I brought was yummy. The leftover strawberry pie was a hit, too. I was hoping for more people to help eat them. I was happy with the crumb upper crust on the peach pie, which came from a crumb cake recipe. For these, I tried out the TJ's pre-made pie crusts. I usually make my own, but I do like to have options. I would use these again, as they were not dry nor too thin - like many I've used - and so were easy to work with. 

Marguerite gave me a new cake recipe to try. It will be the first time I've tried meringue with the new mixer. I'm hoping it'll do well, since I love meringue and haven't been able to make it in ages.

 

helblonde: (Knut)
The truck is all fixed and I'm so happy. The hesitation is gone. The power has increased. Happy, happy, happy.

shutt3rg33k and I revised her ballgown last night. Mark 2 is not fancified, but it fits and that's something. I'm sure I worried g33k with my sighs and headshaking as I was pulling stuff apart (grumble, grumble, clip your curves, grumble grumble, 4" wide bias strips don't work as facing on square necklines). The basic structure is sound, but the finishing left much to be desired, as did the strange thing that the original seamstress did for fitting the back. 

Mark 3 will see more fitting in the back. To do it right, we'd have to pull the back off and redo it. We'll see if it's something we want to spend time doing. We do need to do some structural work on the bodice - at least some light weight boning in front, and probably some in the back. The front facing needs to be redone. The decorative lattice needs to be recreated in silk ribbon instead of chenille yarn, and the beading needs to be redone. Then we make the hat!

Opinions

May. 25th, 2007 10:19 am
helblonde: (Default)
I have decided that I am finished arguing with my serger. It had a tune up a year ago and is back to its old thread-breaking tricks. To be fair, it is a decade old, but since much of that time has been spent waiting for it to be repaired, I can't say I've gotten a great deal of work out of it.

So, does you have any opinions about sergers you've used, good or bad, that they would share with me? 

Things I'm looking for:
- easy to thread (I don't have to be able to thread it with my eyes closed, but also I don't want a machine that I have to be double-jointed to thread, either)
- can switch from 3 to 4 threads and 1 to 2 needles easily (my current machine requires that I find a tiny hex screwdriver to change the needle)
- can do a rolled hem
- reliable and sturdy
- holds tension 

Strangely, Consumer Reports does not have a serger review.
helblonde: (Default)

I had a lovely email from the Oerthan lady that I loaned my Germans to at Beltane. She asked whether I had a pattern for them. I  don't. (Yes, yes, I know, but I just don't need them and when do I make a dress more than once? OK, the cotehardie, but I did break down and make a pattern for that.) But I'm so flattered, I might just have to make one up to send to her. 

Allen came over last night to figure out what he wanted for the German I'm making him. Turns out, after looking through all sorts of books, he likes the Maxmillian on Durer's Triumpal Arch style that I made for moriven a few years ago. Sweet. Those're easy. I sent him off with some suggestions for fabric and yardage. I'm hoping that he doesn't hurry back with anything. I originally agreed to do the outfit for him two years ago, when I had a bit more free time. He has just gotten active again, but I have gotten more so.

helblonde: (Default)
The weekend was very busy with sewingness.
A review of the new JoAnn's:

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