(This is a mirror site of my webpage karenjcarlisle.com)

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

And now for something completely different...

What do I do when I realise I have only got two weeks until the Costumers’ Guild Ball and have not started my costume yet? I prepare for some late nights. Somehow I have to finish two short stories and an outfit for the Ball. I have most of the material I require. This is a huge relief as finding the correct materials is sometimes a nightmare (especially as money is a little tight at the moment).


In truth, I did start making my hat, a week ago. I have a cheap cardboard base covered but have to attach the cover; then I have to make some additions to decorate it. This will require some creative sewing… and I must find those buttons… that are somewhere in one of the cupboards. Then it all stalled, as I have still been battling that sinus infection.


Every time I start a costume, there is reluctance; there is the reluctance to start making the pattern (the least favourite part for me), reluctance to commit to a specific outfit (what if I stuff it up and have not time to make something else). Most of all is the reluctance to actually start cutting the material that I have which is often that is not available anymore (as is the case here).


There is a lot of ‘What ifs’ there.


On Sunday I finally got the gumption to cut the main material for the skirt. Then I sewed and sewed. Once the first cut has been made and the outfit begun, it makes everything else just that little bit easier. I now have the main skirt base and the underskirt base completed. Now I have to cut over 24m of material strips to edge, hem and gather to become ruffles (one for the underskirt and two for the overskirt)… I then need to find a pattern I made for a corset…


Some hints on the seekrit Ball Costume project : the first is the skirt being hemmed. The second is some material I bought about 17 years ago. I knew it would be useful for a costume eventually.
corset materialoverskirthem



And now for something completely different...

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