Moving the Parents, Juicing Grapes, Starting School and Planning Galore!!!

Oh my goodness gracious!  Where did August go?  I'll tell you were it went!  GONE!!!  I got back from Coco and it took me about a week to recover.  Pretty sad huh?  Well, it doesn't help that I never ever ever ever NEVER wear heals unless it is for a costuming event and I wore heals at Coco 3 out of the 4 days I was there.  Needless to say, my feet were seriously irritated with me.  Then there was the issue of the horrid humidity that was there and of course the not sleeping well cause I was having too much fun!!  Oh yes, and let us mention that I am getting older and am not a party queen anymore (ok, I was never a party queen...).  I'm just a wimp I guess.  I'm not at all complaining, I had an absolute blast...it just takes me longer to recover than in the past.....

So, after the week of recovery, I was thrown into helping my parents move from their 5 acre farm to a 1 acre place.
There was packing and cleaning and moving and driving and packing and cleaning.  I have decided that I never ever want to move from my house again and that if I do, I will only take my costuming stuff with me!  I am a pro at moving, but this one was pretty intensive!  So, that took up about 3 weeks.

Now we have the first few weeks of school for my boys.  They attend the Homeschool Co-Op at my church so I get them on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Things have been going pretty well, which is good since this is Colton's first year at home.  

Thhhhhhheeennnnn....this week was the grape juicing saga.  On Monday Greg and I went to our friends' vineyard and picked grapes.  Holy Monkey.  I have never seen so many grapes in my life!!!  They were delicious.  Not concord grapes like I usually get, but delicious juice grapes none the less.  Spent two days de-stemming and juicing and two days canning and processing.  Let's just say I'm about done in.  BUT!!!  I have 54 quarts of grape juice!!  Awesome! 

54 Quarts of grape juice from grapes picked at a wonderful friend's vineyard.  Thank you Ken and Suzanne Comontofski!!  Your Dancin' Hill Vineyard is beyond lovely!!

During this time of work and more work, I have been dreaming about and plotting my next costuming endeavors.  I have decided on some projects that have been in the "to do" file for a while.  I hope to complete these during the rest of this year and the beginning of next year.  First I need to bead the wheat motif that my friend Josie Smith has made onto the black court gown...a little bit fearful of that project, but I have every confidence that it will get done...

Here are the projects I have planned for myself and I will stick to this plan!!!!!

Oh yes, these are in no particular order of preference...

The Ruth DeWitt Bukater Boarding Suit

Ruth DeWitt Bukater's fabulous boarding suit

Source:  Movie Screencaps

This beauty has been all alone and lonely all summer.  I had to put it away when the furor over Costume College took root in my creative brain.  Back to the suit we go!

Regency Era Half Mourning Dress

"Afternoon dress, half mourning, The Gallery of Fashion, May issue 1798

Source:  Locutus Regency Mourning Page

Horrible picture, I apologize...the black check is a lovely raw silk found at...a thrift store!!  I got a lot too.  The white is a cotton voile that I discovered in the incredible LA fabric district!!

This outfit will hopefully be a two piece thingy.  The image looks like it is a one piece thingy...but I will make mine like this:  The white will be an 1790s round gown and the black will be a sleeveless, cross over pelisse of sorts...should prove to be interesting!

Kyoto Museum Red Wool Redingote

Image taken from my Kyoto book

The Kyoto Museum Institute

Pinterest Page

Oh ya.  I am going to make this baby.  I fell in love with it years ago when I purchased the Kyoto book at Barnes and Noble.  I wasn't even interested in making Regency anything, as I was still obsessively in love with the late Victorian era.  But, my tastes have...broadened into other eras and now is the time to make this lovely!  And hello!!!  Soutache trim!!  Or something that looks like it.  

I already have purchased a vintage white rabbit coat for the tippet and muff.  I read in the book after I purchased the coat that the tippet and muff are swan's down.  Well, where the heck do you find swan's down anyways, so I'm ok with recycling the coat!

Ack!!  Horrible coloring!  The real color is a much deeper, lovely shade than this.  This is WOW in your face lipstick red.  The real wool is very much like the color of the original.  The verdict is still out on this project anyways.  I only have a little bit over 3 yards of this 60" wool, so may not have enough.  I have laid out the pattern pieces and things look positive as of right now....keep your fingers crossed!

Romantic Era Archery Dress

"Archery Dress, 1831 United Kingdom, La Belle Assemblee

Source:  Old Rags Tumblr

Oh my holy goodhonks!!!  Would you look at that loveliness!!!  Again, waaaaaay back when I wasn't even interested in anything Romantic Era, I fell in love with the white and periwinkle dress.  The color is just so fabulous and of course the ridiculousness of the 30s is just too fun!  My only concern with this project is where to find periwinkle 30s shoes....hhhhmmmmmm......  Oh and did you see that fabulous hat?  Yaaaaa...this will be a fun project!!

Horrible color again, but the periwinkle is pretty spot on.  The silks came from the LA Fabric District!  Thank you Emily and Josie Smith and Tracy Gomez for helping me judge the blue with the fashon plate!  You ladies rock!!!

Romantic Era Fluffy Dress

Picture from my Kyoto book

The Kyoto Costume Institute

Another example of a fabulous floral dress from the FIDM Facebook group

More floral dresses from Revisiting the Romantic Era blog

I also love this dress from the V&A Museum

Ever since I watched Cranford a couple of years ago, I have loved the sweet, fluffy, ethereal looking dresses of the Romantic Era.  The sweet prints on the fabrics, the lace caps and huge pereline collars.  I just never had a place to wear it.  Well, I have kind of grown up in that particular area and have decided that I don't need a place to wear a dress that I really long to make.  I am just going to make it and wear it where I wish!!!

Fabulous cotton print found at...of all places...Walmart!  I love it!  The colors are soooo me!  I know it isn't 100% era correct, but from studying extant dresses, it's pretty darned close!  I can't wait to get started on this project!!  Fluffy dress and silly hat here I come!

1840s Morning Dress

1840-1845 Morning Dress

Source:  The MET

I have grown to love the dresses from the 1840s thanks to the various Jane Eyre movies I have watched (2011,1996, and 2006).  I love the dresses Jane wears.  They look so clean, crisp and simply elegant.  And of course, I got great inspiration from Natalie of Frolicking Frocks.  Take a look at her so fabulous brown wool dress!  I LOVE it!!! 

Oh, and did I mention that I will "have" to make a set of 1840s stays and new corded petticoat to go with this outfit!?  Well, yes I will....there I just mentioned it!  hahahahahahahaha!!!!

Wonderful stripe and floral cotton fabric.  I was on the look out for a squiggley red and ivory fabric and came across this print and fell in love!  I think this will make a really lovely 1840s dress!

1850s or Edwardian Wool Mourning Dress

(Gaaaaaah!!!  I HATE decision making!!!)

Old Rage Tumblr from The Mode Museum

Now here is the tough part...trying to decide what to do with some great black wool I have.  Do I make an 1850s mouring dress or an Edwardian dress?  I just don't know.  When the time comes, I may do a poll of the followers of this blog.  I've never done a thing such as this, but it may prove to be fun!

This is the fabulous Edwaridan Era mouring dress from Present Posse....I just cannot decide

Black wool acquired on a trip to Vancouver, BC. It is really nice and thin and not at all uber thick.  

Teens Era Hat and Coat

Source:  Art Freebies

I WILL make this wonerfully ridiculour, silly, over the top hat.  It is what drew me to the image in the first place.  Still working out how it will be made...

Grrrrrr-ness once again on the inability of my camera to capture the true color of my fabrics.  The burgundy/plum color of the velvet looks very much like the image.  The pale blue linen and that faaaaaabulous ribbon tape trim was found once again at the LA fabric district...I think I need a worm hole to that place...then again, I would financially ruin my family if there were one.

First Bustle Era Spring Lawn Party Gown

The Ornamented Being Tumblr

Stunning first bustle era dress.  I love the look and feel of this whole dress!  I "need" a first era bustle dress because there is a huge gap in my dress collection...from 1863 to the NFE era.  This next year will see this issue solved!  But then I will also have to make a new bustle for this era as well.  Grrrrrrr.....

Delicious silks for the bustle dress.  I have had the embroidered dupioni for about 2 years and found the solid silk online for stupid inexpensive!  Yay for sales on silk!!!! 

Ok, well, there is my list of things that are on the "to be made" table.  It's like if I "say" it outloud on this blog, I will have to make the things because someone out there read it.  Right???!!!! I am hoping that this will help me to stick with what I want to make now and help me not be tempted in the future...I may have to give up Pinterest for a couple of months.  Never mind.  My heart was starting to palpitate and my head start to pound at the mere thought of it.

I guess I will just have to....

STICK WITH THE THINGS ON THIS PAGE!!!!

Well, this does not in any way affect what will be made for Coco next year.....BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Be blessed my friends!

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