Follow-up- not my strong suit

So if anyone is actually reading this blog, I realize it must look as though I never actually accomplish any of the projects I outline here. This is not entirely true- I mean, does my ambition sometimes get a little ahead of my energy and time? well, yes, but not entirely!

Case in point, I actually did accomplish many to most of the things on this list, as evidenced here

Seeeeee? I do things!

Photo by Toni Tumbusch

I made a whole dress, even. And stays, though you can't see them. And went out and found gloves. And Maggie did incredibly awesome things to my hair.


The stays were from the Sense and Sensibility pattern. Everyone warned me before I started that the gussets need to be bigger than the pattern tells you. I wasn't quite sure how to figure this out, so I just kind of eyeballed it on paper and held it up till it looked about right (this was the project of 'dear lord my life would be easier with a dress form')- in the end I think I just added about a 1/4 inch on each of the four and it fits well.

My super-scientific process;The first one seemed two big when held up to my boob, the second just right (did I mention I want a damn dress form?).

 The bigger change was actually in the back- Laura helped me fit it and we ended up chopping about four inches out . We also moved the straps a little.

(back originally one piece without a seam)

Once this was done it had enough tension to fit pretty well with just the boning channels down the middle, without adding all the other boning in the bust. I added some quilting seems underneath for a little extra support. Having worn it three times now, I am quite happy. I fully *intend* to make a slightly prettier pair someday, with like real eyelets and stuff.... (yeah, right :-p).

Notice the beer stain? yeah, cause I'm a lady like that. 

So there ya go- I do actually do things! I'm just terrible about actually blogging them.

Oh, and the incredibly handsome young man by my side? Well, in case you live under a rock or people who aren't on my facebook are actually reading this, which would be nice to think...well, there had to be some motivation for all this work, right? ;-)

Penmanship con'td

(Warning, detailed. This will probably only be interesting if you are actually considering pursuing this particular hobby. You have been warned. )

Many people have tried to convince me to improve my writing skills over the years... Maggie is the first one who actually found the right bate to make me do it. Plus she sent me a starter kit- a dip pen with tip, AND a how to guide. The book is a reproduction of an  18th century manual, and contains all kinds of delightful period aphorisms and the like to practice writing, in addition to the basic letters and other things. Since I didn't exactly happen to have any lose India ink lying around, I first started out tracing the book itself lightly with the pen, then copying onto paper with a ballpoint just for practice. One particularly amusing part to me was a 'List of Christian Names" from A-Z, starting with 'Arabella'. I had a particular bit of fun perfecting that signature :-D (and if you don't know why feel free to ask Therese and I...then get comfy while we prattle away....there's even a song!). 

In order to get some more supplies, I went to Michael's where I was able to get some ink and pen cleaning solution to get started. They actually do have a basic selection of stuff for this, so apparently we are not the only folks out there indulging in this delightful epistolary nonsense. Then followed my earlier posted scribbles, after which I penned out a draft of a letter for Miss Waterman. I wrote the last paragraph three times, and by the third time I had it almost half as small as the first. I also spent a bit of time practicing my Elizabeth Tattman signture so it would look natural. I'm pretty satisfied with it so far. There is definitely a muscle memory to it that will just take practice- including making sure you in no way accidentally flick or shake the pen, which results in a lovely rorschash  test where your letter used to be (side note: Clean & Clear makeup remover wipes are great for getting ink off your hands. Not sure what this means I've been putting on my face, don't really care).  I found myself cleaning the pen every so often as I went along- no idea of this is correct, or if I am just not doing something right to feel as though I need to.

In any event when I came back the next day, I found the pen had become bent around the slit down the front, so the two bits at the end were out of whack and the ink couldn't work its way down to the tip correctly. Tiny issues, but completely keeps it from working apparently. I was afraid it was broken but finally managed to bend it back so that it worked *mostly* as well, but it still seems scratchier. Not sure exactly what happened, but the good money is probably on my having pressed too hard while writing, jaw grinder that I am. Went back to Micahel's to look for another tip, and I was unimpressed with the selection. The only way to get the piece I needed there was to purchase a whole kit complete with pen and multiple other tips- the cheapest was $10, for a bunch of stuff I didn't need save for one teeny tiny pen nib. The company does have them for sale in one or two packs off their website. The two packs are $2.74- except the shipping is $8.95. At that point I might as well get the instant gratification of taking what I want home from the store. 

I also need to get some better paper. I have been practicing on an old sketchpad as well as that printer paper we use so much of at faire that's supposed to look all old timey and parchment-y (but looks like crap on toast next to the awesomeness that arrives in my mail from TN). Neither one held up so well as I would like against the pen tip, but then again, this could be an issue with my pressing too hard. I will have to work on it. Checked while I was at Michael's, but they didn't have any nice stationary stuff. So yeah, they will get you started, but don't count on them for everything. I forgot to check when I went back today if they have any basic seals and wax. I might be able to find the paper I want at Office Depot- I used to get nice stuff like that there for work. Who knows, maybe they will have a calligraphy section- seems like they sell everything else. Otherwise I will have to go find an actual nice stationary store. I think there is one in the Hillsdale Mall, or at least there was at one point.

However in the meantime Miss Waterman is just going to have to get a letter with a scratchy pen on fake parchment printer paper, 'cause that's what I've got and I wanna get this thing out the door. At least the penmanship will be significantly improved :-)

Penmanship 101

So since Miss Watterman informed me  I was no longer allowed to send her 'in character' emails, I started actually writing her letters. Which is when I remembered that my penmanship is terrible.The first letter I sent her looked like a fourth grader's history project, I swear. So then I got a package from TN, with an actual honest to god pen, and a book on penmanship. 

It's been awhile since I actually tried to write anything in cursive. I know that now they are dropping it from schools everyone who learned it gets to feel like we know this cool secret code. Of course it's not one I was ever particularly skilled at to begin with, but perhaps this exercise will improve me. It's certainly an entertaining use of time.

Early results are tentatively optimistic.

R's are hard, damnit!

(And yes, I did actually get some reading done last night.)

Must get back on track......

I need to get my ass in gear on all my summer projects. I have approximately two months before I go back to school, and six weeks before I head out to TN. Sooooo many things that I want to do, that sometimes it holds me back. because i am human. so I get overwhelmed and just stare at fb. THIS MUST STOP.

Books

My big summer project was IS supposed to be the reading lists for my MA exam next fall. Basically, instead of a thesis, I spend an entire semester with a ridiculously rigorous reading list assigned by a committee of three professors whom I meet with throughout the semester. Then the week after Thanksgiving, I take a four hour comprehensive exam answering questions they come up with. It's largely historiographical in nature- i.e., I need to know who said what in the field of European History in the last 50 years or so and why it's important. Of the three professors who are on my exam I managed to get a final list from one before we let out, a preliminary from another, and last year's unconfirmed list from someone who had had the third one on their committee this year. :-p And when school let out, I made this big whole stink about how I was gonna be *smart*, and get started during summer, and knock like half of those damn books out! HA! HOW I LAUGH AT MY OWN FOOLISH PRIDE.

 At the honors banquet at the end of this semester I was looking at the few folks who got the highest honors on the exam and talking to some friends, saying 'ok, that's the goal'....and then our professor was like 'oh, um, yeah...those were Americanists. You know, those folks with only 200 years of history in one country....Europeanists pretty much never get that...but hey, good luck!"   Soo... there's that :-p

I am just gonna set myself a goal of two books a week for the next 8 weeks. That is 16 books. And frankly, two books per week is not as quick as I will need to go once the semester starts.

Sewing

This popped up when I typed 'sewing' into google images......

this chick looks waaay too calm and put together ...just sayin' 

Here I give you my beginning of the summer, aren't I awesome and waaaay to enthusiastic and don't I want to do everything list, paired down to reality and priority.

• Andrew's Doublet- DONE!!!
• Xander's doublet- Edit: SHARON IS AWESOME!!!!
• Re-dye Nobles- need to touch base with Mackenzie, gonna go over to Vallejo at some point and try and breath some new life into the old jaquard. 
• My livery- probably gonna be put off again, though I do now have the fabric and the Tudor Tailor. Would be nice to at least get the kirtle and a coif done by the end of the season.
• Various blackwork projects- probably no time soon. 
• Regency outfit for TN, including stays- PRIORITY
• Extra livery cloak for St. George- not hard, just you know, another project. 
• New Victoria ballgown for PEERS Steampunktoberfest- PRIORITY after TN- will go fabric shopping when Laura and I hit the garment district at Costume College. 
• Fix hem on Mrs. Oakley's dress- will get done before Dickens.

So um, yeah.... maybe I should get off my blog, and like, get to it......

I'm not LARPing, I swear......

Since I clearly must find a suitable place for myself in Maggie's World (tm), I have created a character for myself to go out there. The last name came from my father's grandparents (Liebert was just tooo damn French I thought). I also borrowed kind of heavily from my research on Hannah Moore. I'm so glad my graduate work is coming in handy for something ;-)

Edit:  In addition to fitting nicely into some things I had already researched for school, The Bristol part is also a tribute to Surrey.

Biography of Miss Elizabeth Tattman

Born in Canterbury, my father took his young wife and daughter to Bristol shortly thereafter. Engaged in the shipping business, we were for a time quite successful. It was during this time I attended school with Miss Waterman in Bristol. When I was nearly 16, my father suffered several setbacks, and lost his business. I was forced to withdraw from school, and we only maintained a basic gentility through the help of mother’s generous relations. Eventually Father was able to attain a position working for another shipping firm, and we settled in a comfortable, if less impressive, sort of life.

 When I was nearly 20, I was able to attract the attentions of a man in his early 30’s, which at the time I confess to finding very romantic in my youth and foolishness. He proposed marriage soon after, but the event continued to be postponed and never came. Finally the engagement was broken off, with quite healthy settlement made upon a young woman of reduced circumstances who was no longer quite so young, and might have no other prospects.

With this affair- which had long since ceased to be a matter of love- finally settled, I resolved upon a most unusual next step in what was already a rather unusual sort of life. To visit my aunt and uncle- Mr. and Mrs. Downward - in America, and just as importantly, my dearest Emily, Miss Waterman.  Through his business my father had come into familiar acquaintanceship with the captain of a ship sailing for New York and his wife, who might serve as my chaperons for the voyage, and so he consented to the trip- upon the condition that I also agree to having my third cousin, who had settled their a year earlier, serve as my escort upon my arrival.

Miss Tattman peruses a letter from Miss Waterman

(Photo by Judy Potter)

Tennessee Regency Project

So for anyone who does not know, about a year and a half ago my beloved Maggie ran off to Tennessee to be with an ax murderer this awesome guy named Albert. You can read even more about her amazing adventures here. I miss her dearly, but have enjoyed watching her amazing creations for the Colonial and Regency events they do out there. I have been wanting to make it out there ever since she left, and we have now decided that this must happen this fall, when they are planning a regency masquerade ball.

This means, of course, that I must add a whole new project to the sewing pile. I have a couple regency dresses I have put together for PEERS events over the years, but nothing I a really proud of, and certainly nothing that can hold a candle to the standard Maggie has set for California girls out there. Therefore I will start from scratch (well, mostly). Here is the list so far as I can think of it, but we will see how it grows;

• Stays- Maggie found me a nice pattern online I need to order. 
• Petticoat?
•  Dress- I am looking at making one based off of this painting. Need to find fabric.Also the ability to drape. This would be much easier if I actually had a dressform....sigh......
•  Gloves- need to order a nice opera length pair anyway for when I play Victoria 
•  Fan- I have several, but we will see if these requires a new one :-)
•  Shoes- I don't think I have anything really right, especially for an indoor event. 
•  (Stockings- I have several that should do)
•  (Bloomers/chemise- same. Not sure quite what the proper differences between victorian and regency might be, but I ain't gonna sweat it)
•  Jewelry/other accessories
•  Hair- this is a big one. I have done several different regency things with my hair in the past. I've even figured out how to tame it into amazingly laquered ringlets. But I've never really been super satisfied with any of it. Will have to do some research and play around. I'm probably just going to need to give in and buy some fake stuff to make it do impossible things. 

And yes, I do still have oh so many other things to sew between now and then. But it has been far too long since I have seen my dear Emily, and I miss her so!