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Sooooooooo. It has been a while since I have gotten on here and posted something. Quite a few things have been happening since i was last on. Most important of them is that I am now married. Yippieeeeeee! Hold on.............. had to do the happy happy joy joy dance around my computer.
I will upload some picture as soon as I get them from the photographer.

In other news I last posted that I was trying to enter the iron dress contest. Well, I put in my bid about 1 day to late so I was unable to enter. All the more time for me to plan about next year. Since you have to use what is in your stash I can completely root through all my fabrics and see what all is there instead of grabbing something off the top layer. I have to clean my stuff out of mom's garage for me to officially move so there will be much rooting.

I did discover something that I think I will be taking on though. It seems like something I would like to do since I am at home most of the time. This was the part of the email I copied.

Lady Albreda Aylese of the Mountain Freehold in the East Kingdom has issued forth this challenge to all Knowne World Artisans. She has challenged us to undertake the making of 50 things by the Society’s 50th Anniversary (2015 by current reckoning). She has made knownthree approaches the Depth Challenge, which is to simply make 50 things from your favorite art or science. The Breadth Challenge tocomplete 50 things from a variety of arts and sciences. Finally, the Persona Challenge to undertake 50 things that your Persona wouldhave done/made. There is also an option for a group to complete the challenge together. If we wanted the guild could participatetogether, or we can participate individually. Any Guild specific challenge projects can be completed for this challenge as well!

50 may seem like a daunting number, but can definitely be accomplished in the time allowed. Your challenge items must be madebetween 1 May 2007 and 1 May 2015, that’s 8 years! Surely we all complete 6-7 projects each year. If you are looking to push yourself in a particular area or to learn new arts this is a way to accomplish that goal!

Those who are interested in more information may consult the A&S Challenge home page. I would encourage everyone who will be participating in the challenge to join the Blog community and make yourselves known!

So I have to join that blog community and work my little behind off. I will enter the planning stages and post what i intend to do soon.

Packing

So I am yet again making a trek to the states for wedding stuff. Almost everything is done. YEAH!!!! My mom rocks and she has been a huge help with everything. Just have to finish up a coupe of odds and ends..oh and yep my dress. Got the correct binding last night (this was take 3) so I will have it whipped up in no time. I really don't think the corset with be 100% accurate, but it will fit and stay on. That is what matters. I have also dug out a bunch of fabrics to make banners out of. They are going to look so cool. Most are the 1-2 yard pieces of brocade that I have no clue of what to do with, I just had to own it. So that is enough rambling for now. Another update on thursday of next week.

Grrrrrr

So, I got my reply today. I didn't send my message in soon enough to take part in the Iron dress contest. I can sen them pictures to oooohhhh and ahhhhh over. But I can't take part in the actual contest. So I will make my dress and wow them BIG time.

What has begun already, I picked through my stuff and found my wood blanks for buttons and small beads to top them off with. SO the will be wrapped in steel grey pearl cotton and topped with a small white pearl bead. The trim will be braid, the same grey pearl cotton braided into a cord and whipped stitched down.

I still plan on doing blackworked sleeves, or I should say redworked sleeves. I plan on plotting out the embroidery when I get to my moms house. But I have a picture of the portrait I will try to replicate. This is a portrait of Bess of Hardwick. I will try to copy this dress as far as the general shape and sleeves go. I am not very big on the fur accents. I might end up doing that... someday. But for right now I will trim everything with grey braid.

Costume Plans..I am nuts

So i know I have a wedding to finish, but I am planning on making a new outfit. The 2009 "Iron Dress" Competition for Margo's Patterns is on again. I think with all the crap I have I can pull this off. The rules are simple. As of July 1 you have until September 15 to make a dress using on of Margo's patterns. You have to use fabric in your stash only and have $25.00 to get any extras; trim, a little extra fabric and what not. Also if one of the items is entirely hand made you get the iron needle award. So I think I will go for the whole thing.


Sooooo this is the plan.

Pattern: Margo's Elizabethan loose gown, closed front with short sleeves.

Fabric: stuff left over from the wedding and whatever I can get from my stash. Thinking of Black dress with a white underdress.

Handmade Items: Embroidered sleeves (similar to some portraits seen) in blackwork or red work with cuffs, also I will need buttons for the dress, i think about 40 of them. So that will mean going crazy making those.

Good thing I have plenty of time.I will start on the buttons asap and graph out the sleeve pattern when I get back to the states. The rest is simple sewing. I will have a photo update as soon as I can. Wedding stuff included in that. I have to finish arguing with my camera and convince it to work properly.

Rock on Baby

So my fiend Jackie is having a baby boy in a month. I took that as my cue to create a totally awesome blankey. I love it and am very happy I have enough fabric left to make myself one.

TJ Hat

So I have been working on this for a while. I am on the finishing stretch for it. I have the fur band cut and ready for facing. I just have to make the edges a little sturdier. Just picture white fox fur on this. Oh, and yes it did take me almost 20 hours for each applique and yes they are solid split stitch. The colors are white, gray and tan wool thread on red wool coating for the applique on a black wool ground for the hat lined with black linen. I should have it done in the next week or so. I will post a picture of it fully trimmed. Also thank you to my red bear for a lovely modeling job with the hat.

Photos

PHOTOS PHOTOS PHOTOS... I got the point. So I have some here to put up. I hope you like them

So these are some of the pieces of hand work that have gone into the wedding. Each of my bridesmaids has cuffs of their dresses for the four elements. I haven't finished the fourth set yet, but here are fire, earth, and air.

The other great feat of the wedding. The blue embroidery is by myself for my smock, the trim with the pearls however is my mothers doing. I think she will be blind by the end of this. She has about half of the bolt of trim done. WAY TO GO MOM! I am eternally thankful I have a great mom who is willing to help me sew.

So this is my sewing mess. Lovely isn't it. I don't think it is as bad as it could be. So far... it has been contained to the basement with small pieces sneaking upstairs.


Our sweat shop is my old kitchen table set outside. A lovely place on warm days to sit and sew.


My smock is a mixture of hand embroidery and hand sewing. i think it one of the finest things I
have made.


These are the only pictures of my wedding dress that will be seen. The trim lovingly beaded by my mom on my navy blue brocade. The sleeves and gown are loosely based off the portrait of Eleanor of Toledo with he son Giovanni de'Medici by Bronzino in 1550. Love that dress. I love most of the gowns she wears in her portraits, but this one won the coin toss