Today, September 29, 2012

Today’s project:  Blog Catch-up

This is a double-hitter blog.  Yesterday, my project ended up being more involved than I thought it would be and kept me up until about 1:30 am.  Here it is, already the next day and I’m beat, so I decided both you, dear reader, and I would be best served by Rora heading to bed.  I mean, have you ever had those late night giggle-fests with your friends where you all think you’re brilliantly hilarious - like you should all be given high-paying gigs writing this stuff down for Saturday Night Live or David Letterman – where you are all wishing you had a tape recorder to preserve the frivolity for all time?  And then the next day looking back, you are grateful you didn’t make any kind of permanent record of that stupidity.

I thought that I would spare all of you that.

You can thank me later.

Yesterday’s project: Use that second wind!

I had different project planned for yesterday (which I will probably do tomorrow, so don’t change that channel!)  I got distracted by playing with Steampunk…which is generally what happens when I start playing with Steampunk. O, dear Steampunk, you glorious, glorious distraction. Sigh.

Today, I was due to deliver my previous projects of the commission Steampunk costumes to my client.  Therefore, last night, I was taking some time to get the items together in a presentable form – putting them on hangers, covering them with garment bags, etc.  I had previously purchased a suit coat, intending to alter it for my client by adding length or gears or whatever.  I didn’t have a great plan when I bought it, but I usually don’t, honestly.  I often buy pieces that have good ‘bones’ knowing that I’ll find a way to make them work for my needs later.

Here it is:

Just a plain ol’ suit coat.  It didn’t have pants, but that suited me just fine.

No pun intended. Sheesh. What a groaner.  I apologize.

My client does, indeed, want me to make a coat for him, and I will be working on that over the next couple of weeks. I thought that I would play with this suit coat for a little bit and then show it to my client as a ‘what do you think of this idea?’  It can’t hurt, I think, to have some extra options when attending a conference or event; to account for weather, comfort, the particular event (whether it’s formal or informal), etc. 

My intention last night was to pin a few things on to just suggest what I might do with the piece; something for my client to see so he could better visualize where I might go with it.  I used a fabric I had purchased earlier; a faux suede with a sort of a snake-skin pattern.

A pin here, a bit of fabric there. The next thing I knew I had pinned on the majority of what could be a completed piece. 

Then I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got it all pinned, maybe I should sew a few of these bits on.’ I wanted my client to be able to try the coat on and I didn't think that stabbing my client with a whole bunch of pins like he's some kind of giant voodoo doll probably wouldn't be the best idea. 

And then of course, the next logical conclusion, ‘If I’m going to sew these bits on, I might as well sew all the bits on.’

Which lead to, understandably, ‘Ok, I’ve sewed those bits on, I might as well finish the thing with changing the buttons and sewing on some embellishments.’

With one thing and another, it was suddenly 1:30 am.  BUT I had a magnificent piece to surprise my client with. And then the praying began…as I hadn’t actually had my client try the jacket on, so I wasn’t sure it would even fit (although I did do a couple of tricks to make sure my odds were better).

Enjoy the result:

Front...

Back...

Details - GEARS!!!!

more details...

I must say, I feel as if I have done some of my best work EVER on this project, including the previous pieces.  I am particularly proud of the way the jacket turned out and my client said he was quite happy when I presented him with the completed costumes today.  And every thing fit like a glove, looking FABULOUS!  He’s promised to take some really nice pics and send them to me. So be looking for those in the future, Steampunk enthusiasts!

I’m sure you’re asking yourself, “Why is this project titled: ‘Use that second wind’?”

Well, Pushy, I’ll tell you.  Some people (in my brain) are so demanding!

As I said earlier, I had a totally different project planned but as I was starting to get my stuff together to work on it, I found myself feeling a bit run down and tired.  ‘Oh boy,‘ I thought, ‘I’m going to have to kick me in the butt to get this done. Poo.’

That is when I decided to give myself a bit of a distraction by playing with the jacket.  As soon as I started to play with the piece I found that I suddenly had a ‘second wind;’ which is, of course, how a second wind works.  Just when you think you are totally done in, a burst of energy seems to come out of no where and you are off and running again.

Now, I’ve had enough experience with gaining a ‘second wind’ to not ever let it go to waste.  Oh no, I’m going to use the crud out of that energy.  Like a French whore at a sailor convention.  Like a 8-year old sewing moo-moos in a Kathy Lee Gifford sweatshop.  Like a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. 

That’s right, that ‘second wind’ will not escape my clutches…

BWAHAHAHAAAA!!!!

Maybe I should have put myself to bed early tonight.... How do you erase this tape?