Yesterday marked the end of the 2009 Ren Fair season for the Maryland Renaissance festival.  Although a great day full of friends, drinks, food and fun, it was a sad day also.  Some of these people I won’t be seeing for another year!  But I find it truly amazing how even though separated for one years time, we can pick up like we were not separated at all next year.  So here’s to next year my dear friends, we will see each other again!

Now yesterday was also known as the Day of Wrong at the MDRF.  I still need to upload the pictures for you to fully understand. But essentially, you dress anything but Renaissance.  I saw a stormtrooper in a kilt, Willy Wonka-who gave me a piece of candy, and more! It was great.

But now that the Ren Fair is over, I must aim my creative efforts elsewhere.  And that will be toward….Steampunk.  The way I have a love for the renaissance, my husband has that same love for steampunk.  And seeing many SP’s at the faire yesterday got my creative juices flowing, so now, I too am a lover of Steampunk!

But Halloween is right around the corner, and I am still sticking to my Ballerina idea!  I purchased the tulle for my tutu, and the top. I just need to get some leggings!

So this weekend is closing weekend at the Maryland Ren Fair .  And although it will be a fun day indeed…it makes me sad .  Last fair of the season for me.

Apparently there is a tradition at the MDRF, it is called…Day of Wrong. Day of Wrong is essentially where you dress up in anything but Renaissance! So for a while, I was very undecided (as I was on my Halloween costume), and for the life of me could not figure out what to do. All of my stuff is renaissance!

But while on the phone with my husband today, and talking to him about it, I came to an realization. Now although typically you wear anything but renaissance it doesn’t have to be completely off…so I noticed the bag of 10 yards of pin stripe fabric that I have, and a whole bunch of ideas popped into my head.

Now although I sort of want to stay away  from the renaissance, I will still have the basic concept, except that my dress will be made with PINSTRIPE! lots and lots of pinstripe!

Time to get to work

finally decided what i am going to be for halloween. thanks to a friend of mine i am going to be a ballerina!!! i am going to make a tutu, and a top, with pretty pretty sparkles and whatnot. and i am excited so a couple of things i need tights(spandex tights) in black tulle, maybe 3-4 yards ribbons jewels to glue on

i found this awesome tutorial

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ambrosialove/522118984/in/photostream/page2/ that definitely inspired me to make the tutu.

Don’t have pictures from this past weekend’s ren fair, but it was amazing! So much fun .  I ditched my nobles project, and was going to wear some garb that I previously made. Once I was put into it, I decided it was too hot and wanted out!  So I went with my trusty wench garb, which proved to be a good thing because it was fairly hot!

So now I have more time to work on my gown for closing weekend .  Progress pictures will come soon. I will also make Wes a new shirt and doublet!  And this time I am not going to put it off until the last minute!!!

Here is project list:

• finish pink nobles gown
• make new chemise
• make partlet
• make a hat
• make Wes a new shirt
• a new doublet for Wes

And somewhere, somehow try to figure out something to be for Halloween other than a freaking pirate! And that is proving to be very, very hard for me.

I am thinking maybe a Greek Goddess?  or maybe something steampunk, because it gives me the chance to make an awesome new chain/clockwork bodice.  Maybe a dark version of little red riding hood, I can make an AWESOME bodice and skirt to wear for that. Notice how everything seems to revolving around bodices?  Renaissance is still on the mind, lol.Or Dorothy, because I can make an under the bust type of bodice and attached skirt with petticoat?

Or do some Queen of Hearts type of stuff with red and black.  But at the same time, I want to wear something that I am pretty sure no one else at the party will be wearing.

I should just paint a box blue, and write TARDIS on it, and act like I’m the TARDIS from Doctor Who.  Now that would probably be awesome in it’s own right…but I want something sexy

Is done, and boy am I glad! I am stoked about the way it turns out.  A fully lined and stiff bodice, with a pleated skirt!  Did you hear that? I pleated!!!  And it turned out very well. Yay!  Here it is Along with the chemise.

And here is a close up of the trim

So I accomplished my goal for today. And that was to finish this dress.  So Phoenix can pick it up tomorrow.  I want to start something for me and Wes for the fair this weekend, maybe a new shirt for him since his white one is ripping.  He likes black, so I might make him a black shirt. And then for me, maybe a simple gown, nothing elaborate.  We shall see. I am super tired! night night!

Making loads of progress on my sewing area! I just needed a break.  Phoenix’s project will be started to night.  Good news: Dave said that he will not be going to the ren fair again this season, so that gives me a break.

My husband needs a new shirt for the fair, TERRIBLY!  I’m thinking about whipping up a black one and surprising him with it, as well as a doublet in that bluish-purple-taffeta fabric he purchased.  We will see.  Because in the mean time I am really itching to do something with that blue and gold fabric I have.  Or even the pink fabric. I have no idea how many yards of each I have, but I really want to make something pretty for the fair!

Ugh, the joys of being scatter brained!

So I have two definitive projects that must be completed:

1-My friend Phoenix’s Irish style Dress and Chemise. Which will look very much like this:

And then Dave’s Doublet which will be from Simplicity Pattern 4059-View B (upper left).

We are going to the MDRF next week (October 3) And Phoenix’s dress has to be finished by then because she will be attending the PARF on the same day.

I was hoping to whip up a quick new dress for myself.  It will be similar to above, but laced in the back, and it will have detachable sleeves-maybe

I found this great bodice tutorial which is what I will be using for both.  And then whipping up an open front skirt is easy enough.  I’m thinking that at least for me, detachable sleeves, and a foreskirt will work.  Or I can take the easy route, and make a new chemise to wear under and just have the sleeves and front of the chemise show.  It all depends really on the time it takes to complete Phoenix’s outfit and Dave’s outfit.
Later!

So faire today was amazing.  We had such a good time.  I wore my red and black wenches garb after much indecision lol.  But I am glad I work it because honestly…it was hot! Not as hot as the last couple of weeks, but still hot enough where I would have been a bit uncomfortable in nobles garb.

So updates.  If you go back to my last entry, you will see I was thinking about doing the simplicity pattern gown.  There are some problems with that.

1. although the pattern says size 20, i definitely do not fit their size 20, and i suck at sizing up
2. i do not have enough fabric as stated on the envelope to achieve the pictured results

With knowing that I decided to use the pattern pieces as guidelines for a bit of help, but I will be doing everything a bit differently. Here are the pieces I have to make for myself

1. fitted/boned bodice-very important to have some support for the girls!
2. a skirt with pleated fabric
3. a partlet -it will be my first time making one, but i really want one
4. detachable sleeves
5. a foreskirt

And that is just for me.  The next time we are going to fair will be October 3.  Now usually if I am dedicated I can work straight through on some items and get them knocked out. We will have to see…But besides my stuff I also am being commissioned to work on a custom dress for a friend.  She doesn’t really know what she wants, so this should be interesting.  And I am also making View B (the left one) of the simplicity pattern 4059 the mens doublet

Men's Doublet

my husband also wants a new shirt. just a regular mens ren faire shirt. sounds simple enough, but those freaking sleeves have lots of gathering to it! so that needs to be done. next year i am going to strive for matching garb (more on my husbands request than mine! lol.

So…there are always new projects  My next project is to recreate something very similar to this:

My next project!

I am going to attempt to follow the pattern.  GASP! I know, the dismayer of all patterns, I will actually try to recreate this.  The problem is, I am torn as to which one to do, view A (small inset upper left) or view B.  My goal is to have this gown look so awesome that this will be my final faire gown.  See each year, I get better with my sewing, so the gowns I have worn in the past, I may wear once or twice a season, but it is not something that I will probably wear into next season.  So this gown is really a big project for me, and I have all the way till October to complete it  The fabric itself is a light blue pattern with goldish accents. It is a really pretty fabric. I can’t wait to use it

So we may be going to the ren fair again this Sunday-woot!  I love the ren fair, met lots of great people during Rendezvous!  The weather says:

So a pretty awesome day-not to cold, not to hot. I’m thinking about adding some straps to my black corset-basically convert it into a bodice

Black and Purple Garb

so I can wear my black and purple awesome floppy hat, that has awesome feather

purple and black floppy hat

And if I have time, I may actually add the ruffled skirt floofy thingy to the bottom of the bodice

But, I will not do ANY of it until I get my sewing area organized! Which is what I am supposed to be doing today.  And when I do, I will take pictures!