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Thank you!

I just put in basically the nicest-looking centered zipper I've ever done, by using 1/2" sticky tape as basting on the inside and a stitching guide on the outside. No more off-center zipper stitching and no more worrying about lumpy pins! How cool is that? (The correct answer to this question is "Very cool, Maura!" Incorrect answers include but are not limited to "lol u just lerned about teh tape trick lol noob.")



It may not look that impressive to you guys, but let me tell you, I have in the past been Queen of Crappy Centered Zippers.

Meanwhile, here is what the skirt back looks like on the inside, fully interlined with silk organza (pink was what I happened to have lying around). The back vent/facing goes all the way up to the waist to help keep it from sagging; it will be stitched to the interlining once I'm done here. It also tapers from 2" most of the way down to 1.5" at the hem to help keep the slit closed when I'm standing. I'm undecided but may add weights if it needs them. As you can see, all I need to do at this point is sew front and back together, add the waistband, and finish the hem, and I am off to do that right now. Cheers.



ETA: Sewed together, bound and mitered the hem, and will hand-sew in front of the TV. I really feel like I have taken a level in skirts with this one. I'm really happy I decided to try to make the extra effort and improve my skills instead of falling back on "well, it's just a costume."

I didn't write much about my vacation, did I? Then I was posting some reviews to Yelp and realized some of them would actually make decent little snapshots of my trip. So here they are.

( Napoleon House )

( St. Charles Streetcar Line )

( Mid-City Lanes Rock 'n Bowl )

I'm sure when this weekend is over and this skirt is finished, I'll be just beyond thrilled that I decided to use silk organza to underline the poly satin. But for now, I'm questioning why I've decided to combine the two slipperiest, slidiest, creepiest fabrics I have ever worked with into one garment. If anything ends up actually on grain, it'll be a miracle.

I made up a pattern today; it's a simple enough pencil skirt, just below knee and pegged in at the hem. I'm using a couture underlining technique from one of Sandra Betzina's books. Essentially what ends up happening is that you line each of the pieces separately, enclosing the raw edges on the long seams, before you do your construction. So your seams are finished before you even start, which is nice, but it's labor intensive. I'm planning to do a Hong Kong finish on the hem and miter it properly at the sides of the back vent, but we'll see how lazy I feel by the time it comes time to do that tomorrow. Fortunately, this underlining method will really only work on a straight skirt or fitted pants, so I don't need to deal with it when I move on to the jacket (at which time I will remember that the skirt is the EASY part).

For some reason I'm re-watching the entire series of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. I can't take my eyes off it. It is mesmerizing.

You know, I haven't actually completed a new costume all year? There was the jellyfish, but I only FINISH-finished the ridiculous hat, which I can't bear to throw out, and most of the skirts. The skirt without all the rhinestones I can at least cut off at the knee and wear by itself.

So I'd really like to have something new and non-sucky for Dragon*Con, which despite my total lassitude, is COMING RIGHT UP. I have all of the accessories and materials for my Rita Skeeter outfit, but it involves pattern drafting, which I hate with a fiery passion, so I've been dragging my feet on actually pulling out the scrap fabric and starting to drape. My goal is to have at least the skirt done or mostly done this weekend. It's a below-knee pencil skirt, which is pretty straightforward, but I want to try some advanced construction techniques on it that I've never used before. Likewise, the jacket is simple enough in concept, but does have welt pockets and, unless a miracle happens and my machine is suddenly able to sew buttonholes, bound buttonholes. These aren't difficult in theory, but if you screw them up, they remain screwed. This will probably also involve some drafting; the original doesn't appear to have any shaping in the front except maybe a bust dart, but I am not shaped like Miranda Richardson.

I probably won't have my Dark Jedi Atris outfit done, since the odds of me getting a lightsaber between now and then are minimal, and there's just no point in even showing up if you're going to be a Jedi without a lightsaber. There are rules.

Still have one space in my room, though it may go to _rosiel_ whether she wants it or not.

DC-area people: go to Lunar Massage on M Street near the convention center. Ask for Malik. You will not be sorry.

I think "putting a wig up in a high ponytail" has just surpassed "trying to clip Stupidhead's claws" as my least favorite way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

ETA: This character has a STUPID hairdo, so I am going to fake it by putting it in a French twist and perching a bun at the top of it. Which is way, way easier.

I don't have any pictures from Costume-Con, unfortunately, which is because I managed to lose my camera. Yes, my brand new camera. I'm pretty annoyed with myself, but there isn't much to do about it except adopt a philosophical attitude and buy another one.

I will say this-- the con hotel staff was by far the nicest and most accommodating bunch I've ever encountered. They even let the restaurant staff dress up while we were there. And that was seriously the nicest bed I've ever slept in, to the extent that I am seriously considering buying a mattress topper from the hotel website. Considering I was, and am, still dealing with the World's Worst Cold, I'm still glad I had my own room this time though!

One thing I will say for the jellyfish gown-- I'm so anxious to not work on it that I've either mostly or completely finished three other projects in the effort to procrastinate. I haven't been so productive in ages.

No liveblog tonight. papermint has finals. :)

Serger is in the shop for 2 to 3 weeks. !#(*@&$^@#^$%.

The tension problems on my serger are out of control. I can't fix them by adjusting, and until they're fixed I can't use the damn thing because the looper threads are behaving in completely nonsensical ways and the seams, rather than being trimmed and finished neatly, look like utter crap. I'm taking it in to be serviced this afternoon, and in the meantime I will have to work on things unrelated to the Costume-Con dress-- it really needs the @(*$&*@ serger.