During the Holidays

I'm very fortunate indeed, to have a whole three weeks off for the holidays. For the last few years, I was only able to come to my hometown for a few days, then I had to go right back to Halifax for work.
Luckily, as my different little jobs are with the university this year, they ended when class ended, and will resume when classes do.

I don't recall the last time that I had three weeks of nothingness in front of me. Was it when I was still a teenager? I think so.

Anyhow, so far I've kept myself more or less busy. Definitely not at the infernal pace that I keep during school, but I'm not just sitting in the living room, though I will admit that I really like my spot on the couch.

What is there to do in Canada in Winter? Well, here are some suggestions:

1. Playing Monopoly, and not just any Monopoly. The Canadian edition, in French.

    

2. Building an insulation layer on my body for the upcoming months. Sounds gross, but I haven't stopped eating since getting here. It'll eventually get used up once I go back to Halifax and don't have time to eat.

3. Pulling out the Winter gear and going to the Ski Station for a day. First time in about five years, I did surprisingly well.

4. Thoroughly enjoying my time off. Even if it's just day-dreaming, watching the Food Network, or that series called Ancient Aliens.

5. Hanging out with my siblings. It's the first time in three years that the four of us are home at the same time.  

6. Napping on the couch. By myself, or with Stella.

                                             

7. Unwrapping Christmas presents.

8. Listening to all sorts of music. Mum likes to listen to Christmas music on the radio, and my brother recommended the new Stromae album. My sister listens to terrible things, but then she's 16...

9. Decorating the fridge.

10. Helping out with the Christmas baking. That includes preparing, baking, plating, and eating. These are two huge plates of sweets. And the containers behind them? Still half full. 

11. Enjoying the company of extended family. Playing chess, battleship and chase the puppy with them. The girl in pink is the only cousin my age. She studies in Alaska, so for the Holidays she came south... To Canada and norther Maine. Ha!

12. Catching up with friends that I haven't seen in a long time.

13. Knitting.

14. Mum decided to give Christmas dinner this year, we had twenty-something people in the house. Thank God, that's only about half of my mum's side of the family...

15. Following Christmas dinner, we have a lot of turkey leftovers. Guess who'll be eating turkey leftover in every meal for a few days? Turkey soup, turkey à la King, turkey sandwich...

16. Saying goodbye to this year's tree. After being in the house for over three weeks, it's really dry and shedding pine needles every time you look at it. We removed all of the ornaments, and put it outside on the front porch. We still have a plethora of Christmas ornaments around the house though. It's my mum's favourite time of the year.

17. Sitting by the window and watching the snow falling. It's been a fairytale holiday season so far, a truly white Christmas. It's been snowing almost every day, and we've had a few snow storms in the last two weeks.

18. Reading books, doing research for school. Can't be completely on vacation...

19. Running errands by, uhm, tad-bit chilly temperatures. Solution to fight the early morning cold? A second pair of socks.

20. Finishing a really cute rag doll.

21. Making a pillow from a piece of a quilt, and making a fluffy hair-bow. Yes fluffy!

It's the end of the term.

I handed in my last final project today, it's a light blue-grey silk boned bodice for show class. I had a lot of fun doing it, which sounds insane after making the 18th century stays.. more on that further down.

It's basically a bodice which is stiffened with boning, and I based my design on Norah Waugh's 1650-1660 bodice. I have her book about underwear and about women's wear, so I used both books to combine the stays and the outer bodice into one garment.
I built in about 2 inches of waist reduction, which isn't uncomfortable, since I'm not a stranger to tight-lacing.

It's so fun! The original due date was last Friday, but our prof was suuuuper nice and gave the whole class an extension until tomorrow. With the extra time, I was able to make sleeves, and achieve the look I was going for. Obviously, I could have gone for something more modern, or I could have invented something, but I really have a knack for historical stuff it seems. My inspiration came from the film Molière, which I believe to be a masterpiece. It's a wonderful story about Jean-Baptiste Poquelin dit Molière, who is a famous French playwright from the 17th century, and incorporates Molière himself into a number of the plays that he wrote. All the ladies in the film wear this wonderful off-the-shoulder look, and my favourite is Madame Jourdain's dark blue gown.

This week, I also passed-in my first tailored jacket ever. When I started it, I thought: Oh! I like men's wear. I think I've changed my mind, I like the precision of it, but I'm not positive I would want to have a career in it.

It's a wonderful teal colour, which is apparently easier to work with than black. For a first jacker, it seems like a good decision. I wonder though, if anyone would actually wear it in public. If I were a size 40 man, I probably would, alas, I'm a woman, and I'm definitely not fond of women's suit.

Before these two projects were due, I had two other final projects for two other sewing classes. (Have I done anything else than sewing this term? I'm trying to recall, and aside from stressing a lot, I don't think I have.)

Anyhow, I had to make a dress to represent Tokyo for my draping class - let me explain a bit about draping here, no I don't mean drapes as in curtain, and I don't mean drapey-looking ugly tops made of polyester knits. Draping is the art of pattern making by draping fabric on the stand, what is the stand? It's a mannequin. How do you make a dress for yourself with a size 8 mannequin? You pad the mannequin until it looks like you. Yep, I had to give my mannequin a more human shape by creating a tummy, a butt, and adding 5 inches to the original waist circumference. If there's a girl with an eating disorder in costume studies, don't take that class. Back to the project, Tokyo dress, yes!

Everyone in the class was assigned a different city, and had to come up with a design for it. I was thrilled when I opened my little envelope and found "Tokyo" written in it. The first thing that came to mind was the Shibuya crosswalk by night. I could easily picture the business of the intersection, the neon lights, the dark blue sky, the myriad of people everywhere. I went to my mannequin and played around with an old bedsheet and draped the bodice of the dress first, which is structured with a cotton-twill lining. The skirt is flow-y, and has a blue satin ruffle at the back. It also had pockets, because pockets are great! I have lightly beaded the right shoulder from the mid back to the waist point with oil-slick iridescent coloured beads, and the effect is subtle and quite nice, though I took this picture before applying the beads. This project was also finished two days before the due date because I was attending a reception after the opening night of Pericles, and I wanted to wear a nice little black dress.

The prize for most intensive end of term project goes to my 18th century stays. I got stuck in a bad situation when my fabric took three weeks to arrive, instead of the two weeks that I had planned on. It left me with exactly one week to make a pair of stays. Seven days, and during those seven days was Tech weekend, so I had to be at the theatre, and I also made that LBD. Damn it was a busy time.

These are a pair of stays with stomacher from 1730-40 in a gorgeous peachy silk taffeta. The pattern is taken directly from Norah Waugh's book, and altered to fit our bodies.... and a few other changes too, introduced by the Lynn Sorge-English method. The shift (or chemise) that I'm wearing underneath is also for this class, and is the one I'm wearing under the blue silk bodice. The stays are "half-boned" which means that we put in only every other bone from a fully boned pattern. Sounds right, but when you actually do the math, it's closer to 3/4 boned, and thus it feels like armor. We're not using whalebone (for obvious reasons) or reeds, or other natural matierial, but rather 1/4" wide steel bones... It took about 14 hours just to get all of the bones cut and prepped to be inserted in the channels. I have only one inch of waist reduction built into these, I thought I had more, but somewhere during the construction process it disappeared. Oh well, no biggy, I still get the right shape through the torso, and that's what matters.

I'm happy that I finished everything, and on time too! Actually, I was done everything early except for the stays, which I finished an hour before the class in which they were due.
I know it's really vacation time when I start building a doll. A friend of mine saw my Molly pincushion, and asked me if I could make a doll of myself for her. I started it today, and it's already almost done. It's also dressed like I am today!

I know, this is an awful mirror selfie... BUT, it's the only one that really shows the clothes I'm wearing and the doll's too. I made the purple skirt a few years ago, and apparently still had some of the fabric left over in a bin, so I made a skirt for the doll with it. I'll paint either a heart or a ribcage on her torso, and I'll have a creepy stitched shut mouth across her face. I also still need to add more yarn for the hair, but other than that, she looks a lot like me. I'll be done tomorrow.

I'm going home to New Brunswick on Friday, I'm really looking forward to it. My plan for the break: research, PAD application and hanging out with my family, 'cause you know, family is important.

On that note, Happy Holidays!!

You say its November already?

It feels like I'm just waking up now, from a really long sleep that started in September... No, wait... It's not a dream, it's just life. My world turned upside down, and it's finally starting to straighten out.

Apparently the early twenties is the best time in a person's life for big changes, because at that time we're still fairly malleable and can easily bend this way and that to adapt ourselves to new situations, or stressful ones, or downright crazy ones.

It's insane to look back at the last two months, and wonder what the hell happened.
At the end of August, I quit a job that had since long stopped being rewarding, only to find myself with 3 part-time jobs two weeks later. Those three don't feel like jobs at all, and they are woven through my class schedule in such a way that I have (most) evenings and weekends off. And by off, I mean that I can be at the studio doing homework...
At the same time, I left a longtime partner, whom I thought to be "the one". Now I believe that the concept of "the one" doesn't even exist. In this state of me, myself and I, I'm learning how to be dependent on no one else for my own happiness.
Two weeks ago, I also suddenly found myself living alone for the first time in my life. That certainly caused a lot of anxiety.. I have to say, the thing I like the least about this situation is sleeping alone. I'm getting used to the other aspects of living in my own apartment (playing my music out loud at 1 am, leaving my stuff a little everywhere, organizing the kitchen my own way, putting up my posters wherever I feel...) but I just don't like being by myself at night. Why? Because I'm prone to nightmares and have an overactive imagination, and I watch too many horror movies. I'm sure that eventually I'll get more comfortable and won't have to sleep with the lights on, hopefully.

Two days ago I also moved into my new apartment. Let's just start afresh. New life, new place, new things to do. I like that idea.
In all sincerity, my apartment is still half-unpacked, an it will never be quite pristine. I can't stand the lack of mess, it feels sterile and lifeless for some reason. It might look like a giant pile of disorganized stuff, but I can tell you that I know where everything is, in every single pile that springs from the floor. I always need a little bit of chaos in my life, it spices things up and makes it more interesting.

 Let's say goodbye to the old place (which was actually really easy to move out of, aside from that couch. That very, very heavy couch.)

Okay! Let's put on some music and get to work getting this new place set up.

Unpacking is going to be fuuuuuuuun. Not.At least I have an almost wide path to weave my way through the apartment now. And some cool lights in front of the window. Also, high slanted ceiling, because I'm on the top floor, right under the roof. It's actually super nice.

And what better to feel at home than some favourite posters? I put my calendar on the wall, and stared at it for a while. Starting to get anxious now. Exactly 15 school days left before the end of the term. SO MUCH TO DO STILL. I won't get much sleep in the weeks leading to December, that's for sure.

On the topic of December, can't wait to take the Christmas tree out of its box! I'll wait until the 1st, I promise.

This place does have one inconvenient: Carpets. Everywhere.

Since my level of clumsiness is well beyond 9000, I'll need to come up with a system to absorb possible spills. There's no point in trying to avoid them, I've only been here two days and I've already spilled macaroni on the beige carpet... Therefore, it is highly improbable that I won't drop more food on the floor by the end of the month.
Luckily, in December I'll be done classes by the 3rd, last assignments are due on the 6th, and I'm staying in Halifax until at least the 13th. I'll have about a week of free time (woaww! free time, such a foreign concept at this point) to make a rag rug. I have a laundry basket full of the fabrics that I dyed last summer in my dyeing class, and they've been dying to become something more than a random collection of samples. Let's put them to use! And they're all natural fibres, mostly cotton. Yay for environmentally friendly! Then, if I feel the urge to clumsily spill my lunch on the floor, I'll be able to do so on something else than that beige carpet.

For now, I'll go back to my crazy schedule, and hope for the best.

Doctor Who Obsession

I get a little obsessed sometimes, about different things.. Like Game of Thrones and Doctor Who. They literally have cults following them, so I don't think I'm being weird, just really, really dragged in.

After I finished my big LotR scarf, I decided I wanted a big scarf for myself. The easiest and most obvious place to look is to the 4th Doctor. So here I am, knitting along again.

Now, I'm doing the original scarf, the one from season 12, because between season 12 and 18, there are a number of different scarves. Most of them are similar, length changes here and there amongst them, some are shorter, some are wayyyyy longer. I went for the original. Straightforward, not too wide nor too long. Good.

I'm already more than a quarter of the way, it's really knitting itself. :P
Garter stitch from start to finish, I barely have to look at it, I just watch episodes of Doctor Who. Classic episodes with Tom Baker, the original wearer of this scarf, or the new series with David Tennant, because he's a cutie! Matt Smith is not bad either, but David Tennant is a big nerd crush.

Depending on the light, it looks more or less saturated. I'm using fairly bright colours. It's so snuggly!!! RAAAAAAAHHH snuggles!

Tom Baker as the Doctor is really great. He was the doctor from 1974 until 1981, He's the actor who incarnated the doctor for the longest time. Seven seasons in total, any Doctor Who fan ought to watch him, he's really great. Did I mention special effects from the 70's? Those are hilarious, they make me super happy!

Now look at this beauty! The scarf at midway point! Soon enough it will be finished, and then I'll wear it proudly all the time. And I'll dress up as the 4th Doctor for Halloween. :)

Crunch Time?

Time Left: 2 weeks and a half.

*Self-face-palm*
Soooo, I guess I didn't get around to everything yet. I'm going to blame it on that scarf I was working on, and to that second scarf I just started. *rolls eyes*
Nah really, I wasn't expecting to get everything done, it was on a limb of Leibnizian enthusiasm, and was more of a reach for the stars and you'll land on the moon.
I'm really happy with what I've done so far.
No I haven't started my cosplay costume, nor the coat I saw in June at the fair, nor did I even start researching my thesis...
But that's okay, because I finished stuff that had been on my list for MONTHS! In my book, that's an accomplishment.

For the ones that I did start and that are still on the unfinished side though, I'll have to cram it in a little bit. I absolutely want to finish the corset. The fabric pieces are cut, all that's missing is my next day off, and the courage to clear my table, so that I can set my sewing machine on it. Thursday, it's a date, sewing machine ;).
The 3D puzzle, I haven't touched at all in a while, I'll tackle it eventually, probably as a means of procrastination. Oh bad me.

The "re-decorate the living room" actually entails more than that. In my world, it stands for re-organize the room, throw stuff out, put other stuff away neatly, put the books properly back into the bookcases.... and so on. It's more of a "tidy up and make it look acceptable." I've kinda started, a little. Not much.

Though I still technically have two weeks and a half until September, I only have 13 days to complete this. Why? Because I'm going to New-Brunswick for about a week before University starts on the 5th. Last week of vacation, and I get to annoy my little sister, and see some old friends. That sounds wonderful to me.

Let's go, let's try to get as much done as possible.

Till then!

A Corset in 20 Steps

Time left: 4 weeks.

Almost halfway through this challenge, time really flies. I've been working mostly on my scarf, so I postponed any un-started project, and halted any half started one.. Oh bad me. That scarf is just driving me crazy, it's so huge (that's what she said), I just want to finish knitting it, and start another one. That's my motivation. I want to make another giant scarf, and matching socks. Thigh high knitted socks.

My Mucha art has been sitting on my table, the Neuschwanstein Schloss is sitting on another table, the posters look wonderful in the living room..

I will be starting the corset soon, I have the pattern and the fabric, and the corset supplies are on their way. Straight from Farthingales, which is a Canadian company. Now I understand why corsets are so damn expensive. Well made corsets, such as those on Fairy Goth Mother cost a fortune, and now I know why. I don't mean silly little things with plastic boning, in thin shiny polyester satin, I'm talking about the real stuff. The heavy brocade, steel boned, waist-reducing corsets. And that's what I'm making. So excited!

I've had this pattern sitting in a drawer with a pile of other patterns for at least 2-3 years. I'm finally going to use it. I'm not convinced of its authenticity, but that's what I have, and it's a good starting point for a first corset. Yes, I could take some other corset patterns I have here, scale them up and use them, but this one comes with confusing instructions, like Swedish furniture. I like puzzles, let's turn this into a puzzle as well as sewing, twice the fun, just one doze of frustration. :)

Update August 15

I spent a good part of the day hanging with Molly (my creepy pincushion) and my sewing machine. I started my corset, oh yes I did!

The instructions say that there are only 20 steps in the whole process to get from start to finish. THAT'S A LIE! It would be 20 steps IF and only IF step zero is this: gather materials, cut fabric, read instructions 17 times.

Don't believe me? Maybe reading them five times is sufficient, but 17 is just to be on the safe side. And don't rely just on the images, sometimes they don't correspond...

I got as far as step five, so that's a quarter of the way already. :)

Basically, this morning I had oddly shaped pieces of fabric, and now I have two distinct halves of a corset-to-be, with the channeling for the boning in place.

Maybe on my next day off I'll get as far as step 10. Who knows.

Laters!

Update August 21
Woo! I'm kinda-almost-done! I've assembled the two halves, and they hook unto each other nicely and all.. Now it only needs the grommets. Many, many, many grommets. I reeeeeeeally wanted to finish it before school starts, but in the sewing studios we have that nifty little press that just installs grommets for you. That's way more convenient (and does a better job) than trying to use the tiny metal piece and a hammer. (It might also save a few of my fingers... hehe)

Front and back view of the corset :3 !!
I can't wait until I put the grommets in and lace it up (on myself), with black laces.... It's going to be sooooo pretty. It's not perfect (far from it...) but for a first corset, I'm proud of myself. :)

Corset: DONE

Mucha, my new love

Time Remaining: 5 weeks.

Ah Mucha....How happy you make me.

I discovered the works of Alphonse Mucha when I was in Prague, at an art exhibition. I had seen some of his work before, but it had never struck me quite in the way it did at that exhibition. I have become entirely obsessed with his style. Whimsical women, line work, flowing hair, pastel colours... What's not to love? Such a brilliant example of Art Nouveau. I have decided that I want to learn how to recreate those images.

It's really funny, but I already had an example of his artwork in my apartment and had no idea. Last Christmas, my mum got a box of chocolates as a present, the box is in tin, with an illustration on the lid. I saw it and told her I thought it was beautiful. End of story.... until April, when she gave it to me because she remembered I had found it pretty. Fast forward to about three weeks ago, I was talking to a friend about Mucha, and she saw the box on my dresser, and remarked that the image on it was by him.

Coincidence? Yes, most definitely, and a fortunate one at that. :)

The first time I tried my hand at re-create the Mucha style, I used my little tin box as a reference. Of course, it's not an exact copy. I have nowhere near as many details, I've changed things, and I used completely different colours too.

I'm using just four colours of inks in this one. Black, red, blue and yellow. I like to mix my own colours, and I find that inks are more vibrant than watercolour. Above is the image in progress, on my very cluttered table, and below is the finished image, though I still need to un-wrinkle it.

I'm still in the sketching process for my second image, I'm working from a small reference image, that is, a lighter that has the image on it.... It's tiny. I've drawn it a couple of times already, but I'm still not satisfied, so I'll rework the big one until I like it, or start from scratch. I'm planning on doing this one in acrylic, just because I feel like it.

Ahhhh, and here is the finished version of this one. I do rather like it. I won't pretend to have any of the finesse of the artist, or even come close to it, but that's alright with me.

This last one, I don't like at all at this stage, but I'm going to redo it again, until it becomes better. It's very random how I decided to draw that one. The music was playing on my laptop, on shuffle, and the song Mein Herr sung by Ute Lemper came on. Now, that song is from the movie Cabaret, and I happened to have seen it produced this year by the KTS (King's Theatrical Society, it's the sister university of the one that I attend, we share the same campus.) and I loved it! It was fabulously amazing! So I found an image from the movie that I liked, printed it out and used it as a reference. (I also like how my printer started running out of ink, and it looks a bit like the German flag, how fitting.)

Such are my artistic ambitions. I don't claim to be good, I just draw for fun, weil es mir gefaellt.