Finishing All the Things

One of the best things about my job is that I get to see people’s reactions as they finally “get” history. Being able to explain things simple can be very difficult, especially when someone isn’t familiar with American history. When they understand events and connect them to today’s events? That is the best. (So are the high fives from kids, those are great).

One of the worst things about my job is that I work for the government so I am technically out of work right now. A week ago yesterday, we put up closed signs, set up our “out of office” messages, and said goodbye to each other until the New Year. We have been through this 3 times this year, 5 times since I’ve started working for the government. Last time it went passed a day, I was angry and frustrated…this time, I’ve tried to stay busy.

So far, I’ve finished four different projects that have been languishing around my house (some for over a year).  I have at least two quilts to put together and maybe one to dismantle and put back together in a different way. Since there is no end in sight, it might all get taken care of.

War of 1812 Dress…

So, I’m not entirely happy with how it came out, but I loved the fabric. It is brown with a raised line pattern going throughout and is subtle, but pretty. While making this dress, I had to really futz around with the scoop in the front since I had cut it too big and didn’t realize that until too late.

I believe I have enough fabric to make another attempt, which I might start today. I’m home sick so I need something to do with myself AND there are more 1812 events to go to this year. I definitely need to make a new hat. The one I have has blue ribbons and is a bit too big in the brim for my tiny head 🙂

Blah

So, I had planned on getting this blog back up and running with my entries in the Historical Sew Fortnightly. And then I got sick. I couldn’t even make chocolate chip cookies properly last night and my typing right now is horrific!

However, I have planned out a few things that I will be doing for all the different challenges:

1. Bi/Tri/Quadri...: I will be remaking the dress I did this summer so that it actually comes out properly for the War of 1812. Will have to change it a smidge to fit 1813, but not much.
2. UFO: I actually do not have a UFO, so I think I might try to make a little something like an 18th century pocket.
3. Under it all: Already finished my stays, so I think bloomers are next! Or a chemise.
4. Embellish: I will embroider my pocket that I made in challenge 2!
5. Peasants & Pioneers: Maybe the beginnings of my Abolition dress?
6. Stripes: No idea yet…stripes are hard!
7. Accessorize: maybe bags for my outfits to hide my camera in? Hmm…

So authentic

It was cold at the Destruction of the Tea (aka The Boston Tea Party) this year!

Twarted!

So, try as I might…I cannot read a pattern to save my life. I generally end up tap dancing my way through the pattern pieces because they aren’t as explicit as I would like them.  The photos/drawings usually suck, too.  I have most of the Regency dress finished. HOWEVER, that does not mean that I did it correctly! haha.

 

So this is supposed to be my bodice. I cut it about two sizes too big, because the pattern said to do so! haha…so I had to get my mom to help me and show me how to put in darts.  The darts are now up at the shoulders so they aren’t too obvious. There is also supposed to be a cord going through the bodice where it meets the skirt, but I totally didn’t get that and didn’t do it. I think the back will be held together with hook and eyes.

The skirt is easier…just have to figure out how to attach them to each other and then to the bodice. Hmm…and then its onto my hat!

Toiling away

Not really, but still working on the 1812 dress. I have everything (I think) cut out and the two skirts (the outer and the lining) are sewn up. Now I have to start the scary part…putting the skirts together properly.

This is usually where I start getting mixed up and annoyed because I don’t think pattern makers have any idea how to communicate with beginner or novice sewers.

Pictures will be posted tomorrow. I need to figure out how to do the bodice. Attaching the side bodice to the back bodice is not easily displayed in the instructions.

The War of 1812

So, being that it is 2012…it is the bicentennial of the War of 1812. And being that I work in a place intimately related to that war, I need a new dress for this year. Unfortunately, our budget being what it is, there was no money for me to use to buy a dress. So I’ve decided to make my own regency style/Jane Austen dress. Now, I’m trying to do this on the cheap and so far have spent under $40 for fabric, my pattern, and part of my hat. I would like it to stay that way.

Pattern I’m using, I’m doing the dress on the right:

Simplicity Pattern 4055, bought for $1.00

Fabric I’m using

Linen-Look fabric "Potting Soil", on sale

The hat…hats have always been problematic because they are expensive. So I am attempting to make one myself.

It looks slightly like this, but has black decoration on the brim, $7.00

 

I’m also using some simple muslin to line the skirt so that it is not see-through and will be wearing my American Revolution shoes or a pair of simple shoes from DSW if they don’t cost a lot.

The pattern pieces have all been cut out, now I just have to work up the courage to start sewing them together. But that will wait until tomorrow. I have been told that nothing good comes from sewing after 8:00 pm and I am beginning to believe that!

 

 

Work in Progress

I decided that I was going to try and create a quilt last year…and I knew it would take me a while. I didn’t think it would be this slow, though! 🙂

Cutting took the most work…but once that was over, it was just a matter of piecing together the top and adding the border.

Now, I am just waiting for my batting to arrive so that I can put the top, batting, and backing together and get this done! Its going to go on the full bed but I think my next quilt will be smaller…this seems so much bigger than it actually is.

Brewing Beer

The boy has decided to get a bit more serious about this whole brewing beer thing, so much so that we are now the proud owners of two very large buckets and a hydrometer. It is all very exciting.

Last night, we capped 42 bottles of a Boston Ale Clone that has been stewing under my sink for the last week and a half or so. It was quite a process.

The beer smelt a lot more like the real thing this time, as opposed to when we made a Pale Ale with a Mr. Beer kit. It also looked a lot more like the beer I’m used to seeing. Darker, smellier…and the yeast at the bottom was even grosser. Green, yuck.

Now, we wait at least 2 weeks if not 4 and hope that we didn’t add any ugly contamination into the process. I doubt we did, but apparently yeasts are tricky things.  Next on the list of things to brew is hard cider! I don’t drink beer, prefer the sweetness of cider…so we just have to find someplace that has cider since we have all the rest of the important ingredients already.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!