Stuff, mostly sewing
Jan. 18th, 2007 10:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rhienellethI haven't been updating much lately. And even when I have updated, it's basically been "blah, blah, the weather, blah, blah". Real gripping reading, that.
So I figured I'd take a moment and explain why. You would think after Christmas that life would slow back down to normal, right? Not so much, it turns out. Partly because of my Christmas gifts. I just have to use my new pliers for jewelry making. And I really have to use my new sewing machine and learn how to sew.
Really, it's that last part that's been eating up my evenings.
So far, I've made a Ren shirt I'm not 100% thrilled with. I may seam rip the sleeve cuffs and redo them. I may never wear it. Whatever, it was my first project, and I learned a lot. I've mostly finished a jacket that I am thrilled with, but I haven't added the lining to it yet, cause the pattern didn't call for lining, and I need my friend L to show me how to attach it. Also, it's just slightly too small, so I won't be wearing it until I've lost a little more weight. (And that battle is at least holding steady at the 'lost 10 pounds' point. Hopefully more progress soon.)
So what am I doing next, you might wonder? Well, with my vast expertise of exactly two items under my sewing belt, I'm attempting a corset. Yeah, because I'm a freak like that. If the phrase 'jump in with both feet' was in the dictionary, there would be a picture of me next to it. The good news is, I was smart enough to research what pattern to use, find a wonderfully informative LJ community on the process (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
corsetmakers), and order not only the most recommended pattern for first timers, but the handy instructional DVD that goes with it.
I'm super excited. Not just for things like costuming, but also because I think with the right fabric, a corset could be a lovely dress up piece in my wardrobe. Wasn't there an episode of Ugly Betty where Amada was wearing a corset, and it was just the cutest thing ever? I'm pretty sure.
(Speaking of Ugly Betty - a HEARTFELT PLEA for HELP - Tivo deleted the last two eps before I could watch them! And I was supposed to record them to DVD for my friend L to watch. Only now I don't have them on el Tivo to record...anyone have them handily on DVD? Anyone? Pretty please?) /end begging
So, corsets. Yeah, we'll see how this goes. I'm excited to try it, but it may be I've bitten off more than I can chew this time. I hope not.
Also, last weekend, L and I went to the same sewing store where my Mom purchased my sewing machine, and she bought the same machine for herself! See, she thought her machine was decent until she sewed with mine. She received hers as a gift a couple of years ago from her Mom and sister, who are both notoriously terrible at gift giving. Ok, seriously, you have no idea. Her sister will do things at Christmas like give L a cheap Christmas tree ornament as her gift, while L goes out and buys DVD sets and expensive perfume and stuff like that for her. It's terrible. So the sewing machine was a huge surprise the year she got it, and L was thrilled to actually get something she wanted AND something commiserate with the amount of effort she puts out for them. Except. The bobbin thing has never worked. And it bounces on the table when it's in use. And it only has something like 7 stitches, and it's worth roughly $30 on ebay as of when we checked last week. So. I strongly suspect they got a "good deal" on a display model or something (the bobbin thing esp. seems to support this) and that the machine was not all that great a model to begin with. Which is why L was sort of envious of my Pfaff when she played with it. So I gave her $50 for Christmas this year and said "put that toward a replacement machine". Which she was already planning an getting, which I knew, because I just know her that well. As soon as that covetous gleam came into her eyes, I knew she would soon be upgrading. And I was right. It was fun, going and looking and learning new things from the sales guy about my machine that I never knew. I'm sure we're going to try to sew together this weekend, sine we haven't managed to since she bought the thing. We have corsets to play with and figure out.
In between sewing and sewing related trips to the fabric store, I've also been reading the new Stardoc novel, doing some beading, making awesome chili (remind me to share the recipe sometime. My Mom made it up, and it's both simple and delicious!), doing some RPGing, both tabletop and computer (I've revived Oblivion recently, all kinds of fun), been snowed/iced in for a couple of days, finished rewatching Band of Brothers, got my hair cut/colored (Yay! It reeeally needed it), not doing nearly as much writing as I should (Bad Rhien!), um, oh, and we did go and see We Are Marshall.
Wow. Ok, so this is a really, really good movie. It's also one of the saddest things I've seen in a really long time. I mean, even the uplifting ending is still sad, because you have this whole town basically grieving and recovering from the loss of 75 of its residents. Not only did their entire varsity football team die, but also the coaches, athletic department, and many fans. Enough that something like 18 students at the University lost both parents in that plane crash. The movie is about a town in mourning, and how they recover from the tragedy. I cried for at least half of it. Good to see, but you might want to rent it, just so you can have a box of Kleenex handy.
And that's pretty much the life of Rhien, of late. Nothing too earth shattering. Just...busy.
So I figured I'd take a moment and explain why. You would think after Christmas that life would slow back down to normal, right? Not so much, it turns out. Partly because of my Christmas gifts. I just have to use my new pliers for jewelry making. And I really have to use my new sewing machine and learn how to sew.
Really, it's that last part that's been eating up my evenings.
So far, I've made a Ren shirt I'm not 100% thrilled with. I may seam rip the sleeve cuffs and redo them. I may never wear it. Whatever, it was my first project, and I learned a lot. I've mostly finished a jacket that I am thrilled with, but I haven't added the lining to it yet, cause the pattern didn't call for lining, and I need my friend L to show me how to attach it. Also, it's just slightly too small, so I won't be wearing it until I've lost a little more weight. (And that battle is at least holding steady at the 'lost 10 pounds' point. Hopefully more progress soon.)
So what am I doing next, you might wonder? Well, with my vast expertise of exactly two items under my sewing belt, I'm attempting a corset. Yeah, because I'm a freak like that. If the phrase 'jump in with both feet' was in the dictionary, there would be a picture of me next to it. The good news is, I was smart enough to research what pattern to use, find a wonderfully informative LJ community on the process (
corsetmakers), and order not only the most recommended pattern for first timers, but the handy instructional DVD that goes with it. I'm super excited. Not just for things like costuming, but also because I think with the right fabric, a corset could be a lovely dress up piece in my wardrobe. Wasn't there an episode of Ugly Betty where Amada was wearing a corset, and it was just the cutest thing ever? I'm pretty sure.
(Speaking of Ugly Betty - a HEARTFELT PLEA for HELP - Tivo deleted the last two eps before I could watch them! And I was supposed to record them to DVD for my friend L to watch. Only now I don't have them on el Tivo to record...anyone have them handily on DVD? Anyone? Pretty please?) /end begging
So, corsets. Yeah, we'll see how this goes. I'm excited to try it, but it may be I've bitten off more than I can chew this time. I hope not.
Also, last weekend, L and I went to the same sewing store where my Mom purchased my sewing machine, and she bought the same machine for herself! See, she thought her machine was decent until she sewed with mine. She received hers as a gift a couple of years ago from her Mom and sister, who are both notoriously terrible at gift giving. Ok, seriously, you have no idea. Her sister will do things at Christmas like give L a cheap Christmas tree ornament as her gift, while L goes out and buys DVD sets and expensive perfume and stuff like that for her. It's terrible. So the sewing machine was a huge surprise the year she got it, and L was thrilled to actually get something she wanted AND something commiserate with the amount of effort she puts out for them. Except. The bobbin thing has never worked. And it bounces on the table when it's in use. And it only has something like 7 stitches, and it's worth roughly $30 on ebay as of when we checked last week. So. I strongly suspect they got a "good deal" on a display model or something (the bobbin thing esp. seems to support this) and that the machine was not all that great a model to begin with. Which is why L was sort of envious of my Pfaff when she played with it. So I gave her $50 for Christmas this year and said "put that toward a replacement machine". Which she was already planning an getting, which I knew, because I just know her that well. As soon as that covetous gleam came into her eyes, I knew she would soon be upgrading. And I was right. It was fun, going and looking and learning new things from the sales guy about my machine that I never knew. I'm sure we're going to try to sew together this weekend, sine we haven't managed to since she bought the thing. We have corsets to play with and figure out.
In between sewing and sewing related trips to the fabric store, I've also been reading the new Stardoc novel, doing some beading, making awesome chili (remind me to share the recipe sometime. My Mom made it up, and it's both simple and delicious!), doing some RPGing, both tabletop and computer (I've revived Oblivion recently, all kinds of fun), been snowed/iced in for a couple of days, finished rewatching Band of Brothers, got my hair cut/colored (Yay! It reeeally needed it), not doing nearly as much writing as I should (Bad Rhien!), um, oh, and we did go and see We Are Marshall.
Wow. Ok, so this is a really, really good movie. It's also one of the saddest things I've seen in a really long time. I mean, even the uplifting ending is still sad, because you have this whole town basically grieving and recovering from the loss of 75 of its residents. Not only did their entire varsity football team die, but also the coaches, athletic department, and many fans. Enough that something like 18 students at the University lost both parents in that plane crash. The movie is about a town in mourning, and how they recover from the tragedy. I cried for at least half of it. Good to see, but you might want to rent it, just so you can have a box of Kleenex handy.
And that's pretty much the life of Rhien, of late. Nothing too earth shattering. Just...busy.
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-18 06:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-18 06:44 pm (UTC)Which reminds me - I can totally hem that pair of dress slacks I never took in to have done. I wonder what else needs something in my closet? Hah! Another excuse to use my machine!
*is pleased*
Oh, I bet you are excited! I don't check LJ much on weekends, but I'll be sure to check Monday and see if you've posted about it. :)
no subject
Date: 2007-01-18 06:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-18 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-18 06:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-18 07:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-18 07:07 pm (UTC)Hmm. That would certainly be a project. Once I figure out how to sew one, I may be able to offer thoughts on that. At the moment, I'm thinking to stretchiness of a knitted garment would be a problem, unless you knit panels that match the shape of the fabric panels, and then individually tied them together (perhaps inserting boning at the seams, ala a real corset...)
Hmm.
Any particular Firefly outfit that inspired this? I'm guessing something from Inara's wardrobe?
no subject
Date: 2007-01-18 08:18 pm (UTC)Actually, of all people, it was Kaylee ;) I started thinking through what sort of knitted projects I would do using the characters as inspiration, and I think given Kaylee's sensuality she would be the most likely person to wear something like that.
Knitted fabric does stretch a little but that can be toyed with - different yarn fibres, or knitting at a tighter gauge than the yarn would usually take can make it firmer. The key would be the shaping - if I can figure out a stitch pattern to get the right kind of modular increases and decreases to mimic the boning/seams, then that would be a big hurdle. I'll think through whether I'd need to do actual bra cups but it could be possible without.
(Go on. Ask me what else I was dreaming up. I have a women's military jacket ALL PLANNED OUT in my head. Why can't I just have limitless time and money to make all these things...)