Its been an extremely stressful few months at the day job, home is busier than ever. Weekends are caught up with random, unplanned jobs. I can't believe that we are mid-way through October and I've not got a thing sorted for Halloween apart from a some delivered invitations and a partly made costume, though no one elses! All in all, I've lost my Hallowmojo.
Last Friday ended on a dire note, awful news kept me late at work and the evening spiralled out of control from there. The weekend didn't progress any better. When the shit hits the fans, I clean and during the cleaning (when I wasn't smashing a hole in the toilet's cistern with a large decorative lump of quartz...) I decided to pack the dress away. Getting it finished for the party was becoming such an "must do" issue that it was a relief to just put it away. All very cathartic....
....for all of 48 hours! Call me fickle, but there is nothing like saying I'm not ("not, Not, NOT") going to do something to make me really rather want to do it. The downtime was invaluable in just clearing my head, letting go of the expectation (if it's not done, there's enough done to still make a good costume) and repriortising (if the dogs don't have pumpkins costumes for the party I really can't see them minding too much!) I also realised that the sheer size of the gown's pattern pieces felt daunting, they are just huge. The pattern piece for the sleeves is wider than, and half the length of, my dining table, which comfortably sits 12. As for the skirt/train pieces, I'm not entirely sure how to work with them! With everything sat on the table, patiently waiting for me to get sewing, there was just too much clutter to work properly. Clearing the space was also important in making it feel easier to manage these pieces... wearing it all though could be another matter entirely.
So, last night, the Elizabethan gown and I broke the ice. If I'd stopped to take any real photos I probably would have found an excuse to go slouch in front of the TV, but I took a quick one this morning.
I have cut out the bodice pieces in the wool top layer and a black cotton flatlining. I've also added a layer of interfacing to the plastron pieces, and the binding and plaited string needed to pipe it. In the instructions the plastron is made right at the end, but I will get that all sewn together now. One piece done will be a good start. It does, of course, mean that I need to unpack everything again (d'oh!) but I'll get the bodice ready for fitting before I do and go from there.
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