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Does anyone want a copy of the Japanese Suikoden V Character Guide? I bought one without realizing I already had the same one.

The stays I ordered over a year ago finally arrived! Unfortunately I've gained 20 pounds since then, so all the more reason to try to lose them again, I guess. At least I can finally work on Georgian stuff, even if my stays don't quiiiiiite fit. Now the question is what to do with the pile of white duchess satin in my closet. I was planning to do the Piano Dress from "Marie Antoinette," but there's the white dress from Lia's full-length portrait in the Russian palace in "Chevalier d'Eon," too. Both are polonaises with blue trim IIRC.

Also I desperately want to buy a pair of fingerless leather gloves with chains on them. I suspect it is because I would like to be the sort of person who has a reason to wear fingerless leather gloves with chains on them, namely, a rock star. Or encroaching midlife crisis. One or the other. :)

I have a small extra cash infusion, so after paying off Stupidhead's vet bill I am quickly laying in supplies for my Katsu costume(s). I've ordered a pile of light pink twill from FFC- nothing fancy, but it doesn't need to be, I don't think- for Josephine, and a huge order of paints, dyes, and crystals from Dharma. Painting all those stripes is going to be a royal pain, but I think with the right combination of tapes I should be able to make 1/4" stripes 1" apart, and hopefully that will give the right look. So I have a darker pink paint for that, and Lumiere Pearlescent White for the swirly side (with a little Pearlescent Magenta to mix in if I don't like straight white). Satin for the stupid shoulder cape and a cover for the hat. *deep breath* I wish I didn't have to order from four different shops to get the stuff for one outfit.

Here's what I'm thinking of for Urania. I'm a dyer, not an embroiderer or anything else, so my original thought of doing some kind of wrap edged with stars is unlikely. I'll be doing a later-style Greek dress, the kind with the button sleeves, so I think what I will start with is a double layer, with the bottom layer being a lightweight solid royal/navy blue, and the top layer silk georgette that's first dyed using arashi shibori in shades of deep grays, blues and blacks, and then ombre dyed on top of that so that it deepens into a darker but still mottled blue from the hips down, with heat set crystals toward the hem for some bling, and then the whole mess will be broomstick pleated for a little texture. Some kind of silvery flat trim to use as a girdle to tie the thing down. Then on top of that I can have a sheer blue/black wrap with crystals set into constellations. Silver bangles, some dangly crystal earrings, and a dark wig in an updo with some ringlets hanging down, more crystals glued in, and maybe a tiara with silver or crystal stars if I can find one.

None of which helps me figure out where I am going to get a celestial globe in this day and age.

Since I've been away for 3 out of 4 weeks of December and am running short on time, I'm giving up the search for Just The Right Pink Stripe. If I get a ton of baby pink... something... for the overdress, then I can do stripes with raspberry fabric paint for one side, and curlicues with very pale pink paint for the other. And dots for the parasol if I can find one I want to cover. Slightly more labor intensive but less of a headache, and I can be sure the pinks will coordinate. I might even use my favorite old duchess satin for this mess- Josephine's the Narcissist, right? She can be a little shiny. Or Fashion Fabrics looks to have some light pink poplins that might work better. The skirt is plain enough, thank goodness, and I'll probably cheat on the shoes.

The wig is a towering monstrosity of pseudo-Georgian ringlets. Easy enough; I'll get a white wig with bangs, build a mesh or foam base, comb the hair up onto it, and cover with ringlets wrapped around foam bases or something. Then there's a little mini tricorn hat.

I hope I have time to do any of this.

New costumes for Katsu:

-Josephine, "Suikoden V"
-Emma, "Victorian Romance Emma" (maybe, and mostly cause it would be easy)

See, it's working already!

If you have a moment, please vote for me in ACP's Chevalier d'Eon Contest. (Actually, I think you should vote for Aurora's Pompadour as it is awesome, and truthfully all the entries are good, but either way, vote for somebody!)

I believe you must be an ACP/ACE member to vote.

You have convinced me to go to Katsucon, mostly by virtue of "EVERYBODY WHO IS ANYBODY WILL BE THERE." So like everybody else, I'm now putting out feelers for anyone who might have crash space in a corner of their room (one night only, most likely!) as logistics of getting back and forth across the river at odd hours when I don't own a car are iffy. Let me know if you think you might have space. I have money and will pay in advance.

A note, though: word has it that the restaurants at National Harbor are universally awful. Lucky for you, we have a number over here in Alexandria that are not! Let me know if anyone would like to do lunch over here (dinner Thursday maybe?) and I will make appropriate arrangements.

This is largely to motivate me to sew something, since I seem to be incapable of doing anything in my current setup unless I have a deadline. If I make something new, it will probably be something relatively simple. Maybe one of the ones for ACP's Umineko group if they ask me to, or otherwise something really plain like Emma the maid or similar. Do not think I will bring Marie Antoinette even if she is done by then (which she should be).

Guys? Is there any reason I should go to Katsucon?

Winding down.

( Monday and Tuesday )

Next year! I have a few costumes planned. I want to go to the Rock Star party, plus Lizzy is having an 80s themed birthday party, so I really want to finally do the Boy George “Colour by Numbers” outfit. This should work as we are both pudgy and Irish. For my next Harry Potter trick, I’m thinking of doing the Grey Lady, or maybe I will wait and see what they do with Narcissa in Deathly Hallows. Or maybe I will find some pink angora and go as Dolores Umbridge. Decisions, decisions. And I will finally pick up a lightsaber and make that Jedi outfit I’ve been wanting, too. And the muse Urania for Natalie's pantheon.

Getting on to the days I actually remember.

( Saturday )

( Sunday )

Heck with it, I'm never going to remember any more than I do right now.

One general note on this year’s Dragon*Con: I never want to see another steampunk anything, ever again. Also, I have no idea what I did for large chunks of time, which is a little disquieting, so if it seems like I didn’t do much on one day or another, that’s probably why. Mentally fill in that I was watching panels or changing costumes or something. Next year I will take notes while I am there, so I don’t have to be all "Friday I did… some stuff. It was probably fun."

( Thursday and Friday )

The Shakespeare Theatre here in DC had its semi-annual costume sale today. I didn't pick up any of the fancy gowns, because unless they start growing actresses bigger, there wasn't much there for me. So I did not get the black pleather Tudor-style gown, but you damn bet I could make a copy of it if I wanted to. I did get a bunch of smaller items, many/most for fabric. Here is what $130 gets you:

-2 pairs 18th-century-ish shoes, one ivory and one gold. Ivory pair is badly stained but could be coverable.
-1 pair 1920s-30s style strappy pumps.
-Plain white generic "rustic" gown, worn by Fran Dorn as Maria in "Twelfth Night."
-Olive drab infantry cap, worn by Ralph Cosham as Titus Lartius in "Coriolanus."
-Taupe pleated chiffon tiered cloak, worn by Tana Hicken as the Pythia in "Ion."
-Original paper pattern for same in hopes it will help me figure out how to put it on, because there are just snaps all over this thing and I don't even know.
-Child's wrap skirt worn by Young Ismene in "Oedipus Rex."
-Disguise which resembles the world's most festive burqa, made of red sari fabric with beaded trim, no label
-Wrap skirt worn by Charles Turner as Chorus #3 in "Oedipus Rex."
-Voluminous black sheer... thing. Not a garment apparently, but the two layers have been tacked together, so it's not just yardage. Maybe.
-Long, seamed black cloak made out of stuff that could be perfect for Sabe's Decoy dress
-1 pair short leather lace-on sleeves with brass studs.
-Printed chiffon and brocade overskirt
-Cat purchased separately



Next week, the Washington National Opera is doing the same thing. And opera singers tend not to be as teeny as Moliere actresses. Mwahah!

D*C 2009 is behind us, D*C 2010 is less than a year away!

Likely costumes for the next year:
-Narcissa Malfoy
-The Grey Lady
-Marie Antoinette, white "piano" gown
-Dark Jedi Master Atris
-Duchess of Parma, 1787 Labille-Guiard portrait

I really want a stormtrooper outfit, but I don't really have the space to do all the work needed to make them wearable. Still, stormtroopers always seem to have friends.

I should be moving when my lease is up in June, and I'm planning to move into my own place again and will have room to leave sewing stuff set up. That should help my productivity. Also some potentially interesting developments coming up in the next few months, but I can't talk about them yet. Exciting!

D*C friends: The Hilton, Hyatt, and Sheraton are already taking room reservations for D*C 2010. The Marriott will begin taking reservations October 1.

I already booked. I usually get excellent airfares around March 1.

(The patch is straight. Trick of the camera.)

Everything is on track to be together for D*C. Though I will need to go back and revise my spreadsheets with all the schedule changes.

Rita is basically done, which I consider "done to the point where a few pins would render it wearable." All I need to do is sew down the jacket lining at the bottom, and replace the buttons, because I sewed on the buttons I liked without remembering I only had six of them for 7 buttonholes. I have some backup buttons- I like them less, but I have 8 of them. I curled the wig anew today and will stitch some pre-made curls into it tomorrow which should make it much less disasterrific.

My Lost coveralls are done. I took a few inches out of the torso and had them embroidered, so I just need to find some appropriate sneakers (anybody got some Converse shoes in a women's 8-9 that I could borrow?) or work boots and that is good to go. I have some Dharma mints to carry around.

I may or may not have time to do zombie makeup before Thriller, but I have the makeup ready to go.

I don't know; I feel like I ought to be spazzing out about something right about now, but I actually feel pretty prepared for once.

I'm not going to be able to concentrate on work all week, I tell you what.

I am not quiiiite at the "good is good, done is better" (tm orca_girl) point with the jacket yet, but if it isn't done by the weekend I probably will be.

Decided to go with fake pocket flaps instead of making a whole pocket. Because of the triangular shape of the flap on the original, it isn't actually wide enough to cover a vent opening for a real pocket. Which is good, because that is wayyy less work. That's tomorrow's project. Today I basted the body pieces together to figure out where said faux pockets should go. Tomorrow I'll stitch the flaps on, assemble the body for real, and hopefully attach the lining, at which point the only thing left will be sleeves, hem, and buttons, and the sleeves and sleeve linings are already assembled separately. So, all in all, good, and then I'll have the weekend to flip out about the wig.

Or to "wig out," as kaisilverwolf could not resist.

I doubt I will have the Lost coveralls done in time, but eh. It's always the simple no-brainer costumes that end up being the biggest pains. I might throw a Bleach costume in the bag to compensate or something. Bleach: when making an effort is just too much to ask.

Speaking of Bleach, I realized I have once again ended up with Ishida's haircut.

And I'm preparing a V:tM mu* app for the first time in like ten years. It's... getting long.

Somehow I've managed to sew garments for 18 years without ever making a bound buttonhole.

Until today.

I'm encouraged by my test buttonhole. Vogue Sewing has like five different methods for making them; the one I picked involves a lot of basting and careful measuring, but seems reasonably foolproof. So tomorrow I will figure out the button spacing and get going on them for real. Then pockets, which are basically just big buttonholes really, and then I can assemble and then I can worry about my wig.

Too bad the princess seams throw the jacket to hell, construction-wise, cause there's a lot of detail work I've never attempted before in this suit. Oh well, the skirt lining/mitering/binding is still really impressive-looking.

I've started putting together my preliminary schedule for the con. It's on an Excel spreadsheet, and it's color coded. I love Dragon*con.

Preview of my contact cards (ignore the weird spots which are not actually on there):



Meanwhile, I need new glasses.