Venice - Carnevale, just a few weeks away!
Life has been very interesting lately. I won't go into details other than that I am now completely unemployed, and I can't seriously start looking for work until we return from Venice (although if you know of something, let me know). And since I hadn't posted for a while, I thought I'd start providing some progress reports.
I had hoped to make myself something new to wear, even bought the fabric to make something fairly simple, but I don't think that's going to happen. Fortunately, I have in my wardrobe two outfits that just needed some tweaking, so I'm working on those.
First is the 'harlequin' dress that's on my homepage. I originally made it for a Somewhere In Time, Unlimited event with a Carnival in Venice theme; don't recall the year but it was probably about twelve years ago. The dress was made from serged-together diamonds cut mostly from scraps and remnants, many of those from the Map Dress that's in The Costume-Maker's Art. I haven't worn it that many times, and it's still in good shape although I need to re-block the hat, make a new mask, and find a new wig. And there are other changes to be made, described below.
The other is the dress I wore in our Carnevale on Mars presentation at Millennium Philcon in 2001. I'm second from the left, and yes, that bodice was based on the harlequin one. I need to find a different wig and make a new headdress. The original, seen in one of my alternate avatar photos, was duct-taped together at the last minute. I may add some additional trim to the bodice and skirt. I also need to open some pocket slits on the skirt; I've already made a set of pockets.
The second dress was made to fit over a large oval hoop skirt; the first over a smaller set of panniers. I tried the large dress on over the small hoops, and it looked very sad and limp - it really needs the larger hoop. So, in order to avoid packing two sets of hoops, I'm re-making the skirt of the harlequin dress so it will fit over the larger hoop! I had saved all the leftover diamonds I had cut, and bought some additional fabric to match some of the other colors. I've serged nearly enough together to do the remodel so that should be finished this week.
I've also made a fur muff with pockets inside, and plan to make a short reversible water-repellent cape.
Greg will also be packing two outfits. The first one is his Eric of Amber costume from the Trumps of Amber presentation we were part of at Torcon. We're going to shorten the cape so it doesn't drag, and make a hat (we're thinking something "Q-like" with a high cap and a drape, but we're still working on it. He won't have the sword, wig or beard/mustache this time, but he will have a mask, one of the real Venetian ones I got for the Carnevale on Mars group, but with a new paint job. I've been gessoing and sanding it all week so I think it's ready to paint.
He's also going to have a new 18th century outfit, modest but elegant, made up from the Simplicity "Captain Jack Sparrow" pattern, with the pants and vest in brown wool and the jacket in a burgundy/rose/brown narrow striped wool. I'm using my embroidery machine to embellish the vest and jacket. The vest is done except for hand work, and I've fitted a muslin for the jacket so that's ready to get underway. I bought him a brown tricorn hat for our anniversary last month, and a pretty burgundy/rose ostrich plume.
And, since we just got a new camera a couple of days ago, so when I learn how to use it I'll try to take and post some progress photos. We'll certainly be taking plenty when we get to Italy!
And now, back to sewing.
I had hoped to make myself something new to wear, even bought the fabric to make something fairly simple, but I don't think that's going to happen. Fortunately, I have in my wardrobe two outfits that just needed some tweaking, so I'm working on those.
First is the 'harlequin' dress that's on my homepage. I originally made it for a Somewhere In Time, Unlimited event with a Carnival in Venice theme; don't recall the year but it was probably about twelve years ago. The dress was made from serged-together diamonds cut mostly from scraps and remnants, many of those from the Map Dress that's in The Costume-Maker's Art. I haven't worn it that many times, and it's still in good shape although I need to re-block the hat, make a new mask, and find a new wig. And there are other changes to be made, described below.
The other is the dress I wore in our Carnevale on Mars presentation at Millennium Philcon in 2001. I'm second from the left, and yes, that bodice was based on the harlequin one. I need to find a different wig and make a new headdress. The original, seen in one of my alternate avatar photos, was duct-taped together at the last minute. I may add some additional trim to the bodice and skirt. I also need to open some pocket slits on the skirt; I've already made a set of pockets.
The second dress was made to fit over a large oval hoop skirt; the first over a smaller set of panniers. I tried the large dress on over the small hoops, and it looked very sad and limp - it really needs the larger hoop. So, in order to avoid packing two sets of hoops, I'm re-making the skirt of the harlequin dress so it will fit over the larger hoop! I had saved all the leftover diamonds I had cut, and bought some additional fabric to match some of the other colors. I've serged nearly enough together to do the remodel so that should be finished this week.
I've also made a fur muff with pockets inside, and plan to make a short reversible water-repellent cape.
Greg will also be packing two outfits. The first one is his Eric of Amber costume from the Trumps of Amber presentation we were part of at Torcon. We're going to shorten the cape so it doesn't drag, and make a hat (we're thinking something "Q-like" with a high cap and a drape, but we're still working on it. He won't have the sword, wig or beard/mustache this time, but he will have a mask, one of the real Venetian ones I got for the Carnevale on Mars group, but with a new paint job. I've been gessoing and sanding it all week so I think it's ready to paint.
He's also going to have a new 18th century outfit, modest but elegant, made up from the Simplicity "Captain Jack Sparrow" pattern, with the pants and vest in brown wool and the jacket in a burgundy/rose/brown narrow striped wool. I'm using my embroidery machine to embellish the vest and jacket. The vest is done except for hand work, and I've fitted a muslin for the jacket so that's ready to get underway. I bought him a brown tricorn hat for our anniversary last month, and a pretty burgundy/rose ostrich plume.
And, since we just got a new camera a couple of days ago, so when I learn how to use it I'll try to take and post some progress photos. We'll certainly be taking plenty when we get to Italy!
And now, back to sewing.