anachrony

Rats of Various Descriptions

Getting dressed on Saturday morning for our family outing took longer than usual. Luke shuffled back and forth through the box we pulled down for him, modeling different outfits and mismatching pieces before he finally decided on a Peter Pan shirt under the long tunic with the wooden sword. While he filled a pouch with coins from his piggy bank, Shawn and I took turns doing each other’s hair. Shawn hunted down various peripherals while I decided what basics I could manage to carry in a costume with no pockets what-so-ever. This is why I generally dress as a peasant.

Engineering Creativity

It’s getting to be that time of year again, so I’m back at the sewing machine. This year I’m going for sort of a wood sprite kind of thing, with the main piece being a corset/cincher made in tunisian crochet. The pattern calls for rigilene boning, which always sends a quiver down my spine, and I decided I was overdue for a rant on why people should never ever use that stuff to make a corset.

Good Morning World

Good morning, world. Is it raining where you are? It’s been raining here, and every ant in the tri-county area is taking refuge in my house, little six-legged bastards. And while they’re here, they’re helping themselves to anything they want in the kitchen. They launched a stunning siege last night for the remains left on one plate in the sink and I countered. They returned three hours later for the batter drippings on the underside on a mixing bowl left from the baking of Luke’s birthday cupcakes. We beat them back.

Just Like Old Times

On a Saturday night, I found myself in the living room in front of a fire with friends. Shawn was playing Hotel California on his guitar, trying to lull our toddler to sleep. Ana sang along while holding a skein of yarn apart on her hands. Cheryl stood before her carefully winding the yarn into a ball. I sat on the floor watching my crochet hook catch the firelight as I moved along on a project. The coffee table had four glasses of wine on it.

Just like old times, I thought.

More Inefficient Uses of my Time

Can you tell my work load has been light lately? So be it. Here are few more recently finished projects. Yet again, I’m all dressed up with no place to go.

My Bad-Ass Spiderweb Gauntlets

Tadpole

When you were a tadpole and I was fish
And the whole world had barely begun
I saw you swim by with a smile in your eye
And I loved you from that moment on

Saturday night. Luke is cradled in my arms as we pace around a gazebo. He’s tired. Across the garden, light spills from the windows with the muffled sound of music and chatter. Silhouettes of waltzing couples dance across the windows.

New Kick

So I’m kind of on a Regency era kick. My friend Jenny has a collection of films made from Jane Austen’s books, and upon hearing that I’d never seen Pride and Prejudice set out to correct this grievous oversight. Well, you know me; I’m a sucker for anything with pretty costumes and I ate it up, all 5 hours of it. Now I’ve seen all the movies in her collection several times over and I’m working on the books.

Rats, Raffles, and Root Beer

You would think that folks in the Davis area would know not to plan events on Picnic Day. You would think.

A Bit of Drama

Jenny and I volunteered to help our dance teacher with a benefit she was putting on for a local private school this past weekend. She was doing a dinner and silent auction with a Victorian Christmas theme and had seen my Victorian day gown on my dress form a few months back. I told her about our Thimbelina Sewing Guild with an affinity for historical and fantasy costumes, and she asked if Jenny and I would be willing to come in our Victorian gear and be greeters, interact with the guests a little.

Midnight Ramble

I pulled a late night last night and finished up my pirate bodice. Done. Fits me well too. I'm pleased with it. Now I can stop scaring the neighbors. Let me explain. I made this bodice with a tried and true method known to many a renaissance fair seamstress...duct tape. Yep, duct tape. You put on an old t-shirt (preferably one you're not fond of) and take a deep breath and have a good friend bind you up in duct tape starting at the waist and looping around and around up the chest.

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