Monday 3 March 2008

Busy busy busy

The biggest hindrance to updating the blog and posting photos is that I'd much rather spend my free time making things than writing about them. Especially at the weekend, when I've got enough time to work on big projects instead of the ever-present socks.

This weekend was both busy and productive. There is an SCA event coming up in a couple of weeks, and both of us would like to have garb to wear. And we bought fabric, it was just a case of cutting and assembling. So I laid out my fabric, realized it was huge (3m of 60-inch-wide crimson wool), and decided to have a go at cutting two garments out of it. And I did. Thanks to lots of geometry at school and my trusty notebook, I was able to lay out the fabric in such a way that I've got a long-sleeved kneelength tunic for the spouse and a sleeveless floorlength gown for me cut out. Spouse is very happy, since I'm finishing his tunic first.

Thus far I've attached the sleeves to the body and basted the side gussets into place. Stitch'n'Bitch is tonight, so I'm hoping to make good progress on attaching the gussets. Once I've done that I'll put in the gusset at the back, finish the sleeve seams since it would be a pain to do them later, cut out and attach the underarm gussets, finish the collar, sew the sleeve seams and pin up and sew the hem. Then after the event when I have more free time I'll add some embroidery around the cuffs and collar and finish the rest of the seams.
Then it's on to my garb! I've already got most of my chemise and gown (a teal one, not the red) cut out and basted, so hopefully they will go quickly.

Over the course of this year I've got a second, Byzantine-style tunic and matching undertunic, along with some breeches, planned for the spouse and the red gown and a couple of headdresses planned for me. Plus there will be a ton of navy wool left over from his second tunic, so I'll have to figure out something to do with that. I'd really like to attempt a pieced gown, maybe with lacing. And I'm certain I'm going to have leftovers from the teal and cream I'm using for my current outfit. So many possibilities!

Of course, the weekend also contained yarny goodness. I worked on Monkey Two, and am very nearly done with the cuff. It's slowed down because I really need to finish the clothing, but it's still fun. I've been working a few rounds whenever I make progress on the tunic. The mini-Who scarf is being worked on too. In fact, it's my lunch-hour knitting of the day. I needed something mindless, since the tunic takes so much concentration.

And because I have the restraint of a 2-year-old at Christmas, I started a new project. See, I had to go up to the London Bead Co for red sewing thread to match the tunic, and while I was there I spotted a jumbo crochet hook that was just the right size for making the black-and-pink yarn into the wrap I found. So of course I had to try out my new hook. I've never worked with one this big before, but I think it's going well. And so quickly!

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