Sewlific

Some people may know this, but I'm really into sewing. More specifically, I'm really into re-creating period garments down to the last detail. This is an expensive hobby/profession. Not only because the materials can cost approximately one metric butt-ton of money (especially if you are really into details), but because it takes A LOT of time to get all of those details right and accurate. I do bunches of reading and research to find out how to get the right look for the right time period. Wouldn't you know it, but there isn't a great deal of information on how to make a woman's oversleeve on a Tudor dress or exactly how far down a man's regency jacket is supposed to hang. I mean, really!

I love doing costume research, though. It's pretty much just looking at pictures. Loads and loads of pictures. When I worked at Performing Arts Supply, I could easily justify sitting in front of the computer nearly all day looking at pictures and drawings of pretty clothes from eras gone by.

Like any girl, though, I'm more into ladies' clothes than men's. My favorite time periods are (in no particular order) Tudor Renaissance, 1830's, 1870's, Medieval, and 1930's although I am a fan of anything before 1980. I am fascinated by dressmaking and hatmaking techniques before modern technology. So much more time was spent on little things like pleating and hand-stitching, before mass-production was introduced. Purchasing clothes back then was a BIG deal because they weren't cheap.

I'm hoping to be able to get paid eventually for doing what I love. I've got an Etsy store that I hope to fill with beautiful reproductions in the not-too-distant future. I'm currently saving money from a sewing project I've been paid to do for Annunciation Orthodox School. They are performing St. George and the Dragon in May and I've been asked to build 2 capes, 4 medieval peasant kirtles and surcotes, a Princess dress (pictured) and 4 or so peasant caps. I'll have pics of those soon on the PatternReview widget.

Meanwhile, if anyone knows of anyone that needs a period repro garment and has money to spend, let's talk!

Back for Now

So, let's see...it's been 2 1/2 years since I last posted...

What has happened since then? Well, some major milestones. I finally finished "Prince Caspian."

...What? It started moving really slow about three-quarters of the way through!

We bought our first house in a nice little neighborhood in July 2009. That was pretty super until our nice, family-of-four neighbors across the street moved to Cinco Ranch and a guy and his girlfriend moved in, subsequently broke up, she moved out and now his garage and driveway is the premier hangout for 16- to 24-year-old street racing amateur mechanics that apparently subsist on carbon monoxide gas fumes and pot smoke...Just to sum up.

Oh, and we had a BABY. Sweet baby James, the cutest kid I've ever seen...and it's not because I'm biased because he's mine. He really is the cutest baby ever. Really!

I quit working full time at Performing Arts and now I only work 1 day a month...it's a pretty great deal. I get to keep it on my resume` and work mostly from home doing contract sewing jobs and take care of James (since, honestly, I didn't make enough to pay for childcare anyway--it's actually cheaper for me not to work).

LOST ended. Major fail.

JT lost his job at Copperfield Church, and now we have started a new church in Northwest Houston--Storyline Fellowship! Our first meeting is going to be on Sunday, May 1st at 6:30 PM at the home of Mark and Irma Davis.

Four people in our (then) Small Group had baby boys in the span of 2 1/2 months in 2009--the Louckses, the Mengers, the Greenes, and the Neilsons (not in that order). As of today, the Mengers just had their second baby, a girl named Emily June. The Yaws had twin girls in November 2010.

Jenny and Dylan made a temporary move to Mt. Pleasant, TX--a stopover on the way to a move to Houston and be a part of Storyline!

I now sleep on a KING SIZED bed...thank you 1st-time home buyer credit.

So much more than I can list! Hopefully I can start blogging "regularly" again, even though blogs are SO 2006. We'll see. I seem to be busier now than ever, though, so it seems it might be a pipe dream.