Catch Up Post #1

This is the first in a series of catch up posts I’m DETERMINED to do.  I need to get all caught up on all the things that I’ve done in the past year.  Well, at least since May.  But, I thought I’d start with the most recent stuff, just to not be totally embarrassed about talking about stuff I did 6 months ago, right off the bat.  J

Accessories Challenges 1 & 2: 

September - Hats
I finished the embroidery that I’d been working on for something like, oh, 2 years, back in August.  Yay!  Just in time for the first challenge!  So, I sewed together the cap and did the final stitching around all the edges.  For the tie in the back I took 6 strands of the thread I used to embroider the cap and braided it in a long string.  It ties around my head and stays on pretty well.  Helps that I have hair that holds things, I suspect.

Top View

Side View

Back View

October - Bags/Purses
A few years ago, my friend cross stitched some flower images for me, with the intention of me using them to create Regency purses.  I finally got around to making one of them this month.  I used information about triangle shaped Regency bags and made up my own pattern.  I have to say, the next one I make will be a bit more well done.  This first version has some kinks that I need to work out before making a more formal version.  I imagined this one would be used for daytime.  I think it’s cute.

Front View

Side Back View

So, I'd been working on this for Gallifrey One:

Yes, 18th Century 5th Doctor.  It was epic.  Mostly because that wig is hilarious!  And huge!

I did not do the fan - that I borrowed from the lovely Artemisia Moltabocca over at Diary of a Renaissance Seamstress.  The shoes are American Duchess.  The print for the skirt I got from warmcanofcoke's design over at Spoonflower (it's the slightly larger print, and it came out lighter in real life than it looked on my screen).  The Pet en l'air is made of a combination of silk dupioni and polyester taffeta. After searching and sampling/swatching for weeks online, I finally hit upon the right color/fabric combo in a bricks and mortar store and bought everything they had in the silk, but it just wasn't enough.  So, back to the store to find a substitute fill in fabric.  I kind of wish I'd seen the polyester first, because it was much cheaper and spot on the same color.  But it's unlikely I would have bought it, given the fabric snob I have become.  Even for a Doctor Who costume.

I need to get over that. :)

I also made this Mels Pond outfit:

Given that I am a bigger gal, I ended up painting the fabric myself and making a version of the Sparkle and Fade dress that I thought would be flattering to my body type.  I did not think I was going to end up making a baby doll style, but it came out kind of like that.  The British Camo River in the pic is the lovely Laura from Rocking the Frock who sold me the leather jacket that I cut the sleeves off of for Mels' leather vest.  The only regret I have is that I didn't have time to braid my hair.  And of course, today, most of a week later, I've thought of how I could have quickly braided my hair to give me the look, but in a much shorter time.  Ah, well.  Live and learn.  Perhaps if I ever wear the outfit again, I can give it a go.

Also, my legs look fabulous.  Almost too skinny in proportion to the rest of my bod. 

And just in case you are wondering, the line up is: Birthday River from A Good Man Goes to War (the fabulous Lis from Dragonfly Designs by Alisa), 18th Century version of River from The Time of Angels (the aforementioned Artemisia), Amy Pond, Mels Pond and British Camo River of Flesh and Stone.  We just needed a Rory to make our lives complete.

Don't we all need a Rory to make our lives complete??