Frantically Irritated

LOOONG time no chat

2006-02-01T15:05:51Z

Welp, I don't know how much it matters as I don't believe anyone reads this, but I am back after a long livejournal hibernation!

-Daniel

Stuff Arrived!

2005-08-17T19:09:25Z

Last night I had literally made a deal with myself that if the silver crinkle silk didnt arrive or if something for the Rinlothion costume didn't arrive I wouldnt be doing that particaular costume and I wouldn't be going to DragonCon.

Welp, as luck would have it, the second I am leaving the door to go work out today...after I had given up waiting on the mail man to bring me some stuff, to have some glimmer of hope of still going...He shows up! He shows up with the Glorfindel Crinkle metallic silk! And when I get home from the gym my DragonFly pendant is in the mailbox!! It's a tiny bit smaller than I thought it would be, but more ornate and realistic than I thought. It's wonderful!

The silk is wonderful too! A tad darker than the swatch I was sent, but this is actually good! Meaning later on it works perfectly for the Arwen Angel and the Celeborn costumes. Which actually makes me not want to make the Glorfindel costume so I can use it for the Celeborn costume whenever I make that. But I MUST press on! At anby rate, the silk will still be on the site later anyways.

Periwinkle Silk

2005-08-13T02:11:35Z

Today's costuming ventures consisted of cutting of the pattern for Rinlothion's gown and also dyeing the pongee silk for Arwen's Arch Dress. Nothing big. Little steps. I do think the silk came out a HAIR too dark, so I am going to give RIT a call and see how to lighten it a tad. I am thinking of just using a heavily diluted solution of their color remover over and over til i get the color I want.

But I am scared because I don't know if I have enough silk velvet to do the gown and cape and I am really not wanting to cut into my Arwen Requiem gown velvet. But, I'll do what I have to, that costume isn't going to be in the works for a while yet.

New Pendant

2005-08-11T05:04:07Z

I don't think I can parade in the ultra revealing Glorfindel costume so I am making the Rivendell Extra costume I have had my eye on. Not Figwit, a simple long gown and cape. I just have to wait for the 5 yards of silk velvet to come back from the dyer and then order 2 more yards for the cape. Then dye it all this chartreuse green color with a tiny hint of tan...I mean TINY as in a sprinkle of tan powder.

I have pale skin (irish heritage) and dark hair naturally, as does the actor wearing the costume, so I believe I can pull this color off well.

But anyways, there is the typical elven low rise hip belt with tail in front and on this tail there is a brooch, but I can't tell what it is, and I like dragonflies a lot, so I bought this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5022748175&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT

It is the perfect size! 1 3/4 inches tall and wide. All I have to do is find a sterling silver metal ring that is 1 and 3/4 inches across and tall and mount (or have this guy I know solder) the dragonfly onto the ring.

Anyways, now I just need a new wig, just like Glorfindel, but brown, not blonde.

Teal Velvet

2005-08-09T19:16:58Z

Sounds like a bad rock band, right? HAH! But anyways... I bought ::These:: tights.

They actually come in a teal color and are made of nylon so I will tint them with Rit dye in cocoa brown to get them a dark olivey color that will go better with the tunic. I am really scared about the cod piece! LOL

Apparently I bought the last pair of teal, which I am taking as a sign this costume will happen! For once something good will happen this summer!

Blue Prints

2005-08-09T02:59:31Z

Here is basically what I am doing for the Glorfindel Tunic:

Taking a moderately tight fitting t-shirt and drawing a line down the center front. Then I will take the shirt in til it is quite tight to my body down to my waist, sticking in pins as I go down...front and back. Next I will have someone cut on the straigh line all the way up.

The shirt will now be in two pieces that I will take off and lay on the floor. After this, I will add about 10 inches length and give each new edge about 1 1/2 - 2 inches of flare. Then I will seam rip the t-shirt collar off and take the sleeves out. I will add a bit of length to it and draw the petal wrap shape how I want it. I will cut along that line and seam rip the inner arm seam. The real fabric will be folded and the inner seam will be placed along the fold.

Don't really know what I am going to do for the leggings as the pattern I have requires 60" fabric and I can't find anything I like. I might look online for knit leggings or something.

Hilarious

2005-08-08T15:13:22Z

I got emailed this quiz and it is so funny. Here it is:

What Kind of Sex Would You Have With Legolas?

I got:

Pure, unadulturated animal lust! Pinned against a
tree, thrown to the ground, it doesn't matter.
However it happens, you will be sore and
grinning for weeks!
Just beware of the noise level, lest you attract a
band of desperate and lonely orcs. ;)

What Kind Of Sex Would You Have With Legolas?
brought to you by Quizilla

WOOHOO

2005-08-07T02:24:01Z

Got my Glorfindel silk ordered tonight after I got back from work. I got 4 yards of silver/ ivory crinkle Lurex organza which you can see here:

Glorfindel Silk

It just has to be dyed this blotchy olivey green and brown. To look like moss on a tree trunk. I will be using a spray bottle to get this look. But of course will be testing a small piece first before I hit the whole thing.

Next is the stretch velvet for the leggings. But ordering the silk at all is a big step for me right now. But I have to have this costume.

Arwen Arch Satin

2005-08-05T03:38:27Z

I think I screwed up our washing machine, but I got the lining satin dyed the pale pink. The machine was making these weird grinding noises...but my satin looks great. So I am pretty happy, although my camera photographs it darkly. I am sure it's the lighting though.

Picking Fabric for Glorfindel

2005-08-04T21:43:41Z

Fabric List So Far:

-Crinkle Lurex metallic organza in silver and ivory
(Which I will dye a blotchy green and brown; like moss covered tree bark)
-Crinkle Cotton dyed olive green
(For lining, gotta have something with a similar stretch and this will be breezy)
-Silver Metallic Trim
-Stretch Silk Velvet, dyed an olive green or possibly grey.
-Silver Silk Dupioni

Then there is the cape and boots and vambraces. And I might do a low riding hip belt with this.

All Arch Dress Materials Gathered

2005-08-04T21:38:10Z

Well, all important materials.

Everything but the gold ropes and chain fring for the belt and glitter thread for the embroidery.

I have three packages of Periwinkle RIT dye ordered for the 9 yards of pongee silk I dug out of my stash of undyed silks. Then I have 2 packages of pink for the satin lining. Though I only think I will use one: it's a very light pink. I think I will dye it slightly darker though. To give the sheer pongee a lavender cast to it, like in the pics. This is where I really think the purple comes from...just the pink showing through the sheer periwinkle blue material.

At work today I had to go get milk so whil I was out, I went out and got the skirt pattern. It was very close to the grocery store, so...what the heck, right? The only things that have to be altered is that there is an added center front seam and then a traingular gore added to the center back that lengthens and adds to the train. Then just overlap the bodice part over it and make the waist a pointed drop waist and make it ride lower.

Damnit, Can nothing go right?

2005-08-04T04:16:13Z

Welp, my dyer tells me the velvet isn't dyeing. So, she is sending it back. Which isn't a huge deal. I mean, yes it pisses me off I was promised this favor, but life goes on. It's the fact that she lied about why she couldn't do it. She says 'it's not a natural fiber and isn't taking the dye" LIE. I know it's a lie because I cut a yard off from the same bolt and dyed some myself before I sent it and it came out this gorgeous green color. It took color immediately...the way silk is supposed to.

If she didn't want to anymore or couldn't ...that I could understand, but it's a very bad lie and a very pointless one...over something of such little importance. My only real fear is that she took this as an opportunity to get some quality silk velvet and i will infact get a synthetic velvet in my mail.

But this means Glorfindel is a must now. As I cannot yet trust myself bleaching silk velvet for the Frodo Tunic. So Frodo Return Home is now scrapped temporarily.

This also means I have 5 yards of silk velvet on my hands that I can't use for the time being. SO now I have Pongee, Silk Velvet, Silk Georgette and Silk Satin on my hands to do stuff with to sell on ebay. So I am thinking Arwen's Arch Dress (Definitely) and the either the Blood Red dress or the Requiem Gown.

OR I could just suck it up and learn to dye the velvet really fast. Which isn't likely.

Enraged, Enraged, Enraged!

2005-07-30T20:06:16Z

OK, sorry about the no posts for a bit, but I have had the weirdest week. The badness of it all started when I came into work at the wrong shift and the owner didn't tell me until it was almost over. So I just stayed the rest of my shift. But I had college stuff to do, so I couldn't come back which really pissed her off, which is understandable...but she said she thought I wasn't supposed to come in til later...so she should have asked about it at the beginning and we could have gotten Laura to come back and do her shift, I could have done my college stuff in the morning and came back for my night shift.

Oh well, life goes on right?

Well, I work and work and work on our costume for Legend of Zelda and get the Link costume done. So I work and work on Lindsey's gown and then the lacing breaks on her corset. So I have to go get more. No big deal. So I am working, working, working and on Friday while I am sewing her knickers (the gathered pants that are worn under a corset, I get this call from Shelia Jones, our churches secretary and she asks me if we are doing something ourselves this weekend because houston (the director and editor) called in on monday saying to cancel the spot for the movie to go in because we all decided to cancel it! ON MONDAY!!!!!! He is such a little bastard...I mena, it was his idea to wait this late to do it. It was his idea to do it the weekend of and his idea to edit it the week before and all of a sudden he won't (not can't) do it because of time!?

So now I have this Zelda Gown I have no use for...and plenty of more fabric...of which I have no use for. So what is my only option? Sell the gown on Ebay and use the rest of the silk satin and go break out my stash of pongee silk (which has to be perma-crinkled) and make Arwen's Arch Dress and sell that as well.

All in all I expect to bring in quite a bit of dough with these two costumes. I plan on makeing the Arwen Gown exactly accurate and whatnot...so it should sell fairly high priced. And the satin silk got a little bit over washed so it looks old and if I was the georgette the same way, I could probably sell it for higher saying it used vintage fabrics or is an antique piece. But I don't know, it is made to go over a corseted form, so The person will already have to own a 1912 corset that brings her down to a 26 inch waist and 38 inch hip.

Oh well, it is all I can really do right now, because I REALLY need that money back.

Angry Angry Angry

2005-07-24T06:20:25Z

The person who was dyeing my silk velvet for the Frodo tunic all of a sudden says she might not be able to get it to me in time to make it for DCon meaning I have to make a whole new costume as a back up! ACK. Though I've chosen Glorfindel's decipher card costume. Which is basically a long tight fitting t-shirt like tunic with patal wrap sleeves and a flase openning in front. It's easy, just the fabric is that crinkly metallic organza stuff which is expensive.

Here is a pic:

http://img-nex.theonering.net/images/scrapbook/orig/12629_orig.jpg

Rolled Hem Foot

2005-07-23T18:00:03Z

I have been having the biggest blonde moment with trying to find this rolled hem foot for my machine! When they were showing the model number, I thought that meant it was the model number of the machine it went with! ACK. But I got one on it's way now. So Lindsey's hems will not be hand done. This actually makes doing the lettuce edge a LOT easier. WAHOO for machine sewing!

Working Working Working

2005-07-23T17:57:42Z

The part I hate about sewing the most is the pinning. So having to RE-pin all of the pieces of the Link tunic together to sew again was murder! Especially the rolled hem. But I get to roll hem again for the sleeves! Oh Joy!!! Then I get hand hem it becuase I don't have a rolled hem foot and then hand whipstitch the slash down the neck and where it fuses with the collar. Oh, and the back hole for the lacing. FUNFUNFUN. But at least it is getting for real finished now.

So Fuming Mad

2005-07-21T02:25:38Z

Well, Lindsey is like "we should devote after church sunday nights and wednesday nights to the movie". So im like cool...that makes sense, everyone involved will be there. But she keeps bringing this guy with her and she keeps NOT doing stuff because of him and we end up going out and doing stuff instead.

example...he is the reason we went out and played in the rain instead of working on her gown. He wants to do HIS own thing. And the one time he WAS with us (duriong a script writing session), he kept distracting everyone and nothing got done

So I call her up, because I leave during church, because when I saw him with her this time I got so fuming mad cause we had talked fucking TODAY about meeting after church.

When I call I'm already home and I'm like "Listen Lindsey, Tad's great, I like him a lot, but if he's with us, he will distract us by saying something funny or witty and smart and we will go off and on about it and nothing will get done" and she said "That's a very large assumption" and I was like "Well, whats happened Lindsey? The time he did go with us he kept breaking up what little script writing we had and we got distracted, sunday night you didn't want to work on it [the script or gown] because Tad was with you and said no when i suggested it...because of Tad" and she was like, "Well nevermind, I'll catch you later" ...

...and i just hung up

And get this...she was going to go to HIS church tonight down in GA!

I'm so tired of her when she finds a new guy she likes. She treats me and others awful when she is in "infatuation...or love"

Anwyays, needless to say, I am very shaken up and angry. But anyways, the anger helped me have a good work out, so I am pleased in that respect. Was going to ask Russ what the dress code was for the sauna cause it's co-ed, but I will tomorrow, he looked beat.

I am off the sew on my Link tunic. I have to add the grommets in the back.

New Costume added

2005-07-20T14:49:13Z

Houston, the director of the movie decided to change a scene and now I have a new tunic to make. I had to find a reasonably simple one and I was looking at pics of Hayden Christensen form his upcoming picture "The Decameron: Angels and Virgins" and found a shirt I liked anyways.

I figured I could go get some rough weave cotton and dye it. While I was searching for the Fortune Cookie script, I stumbled upon a few yards of brown rough woven cotton I had dyed a couple of years ago! It's almost the exact color! So, it looks as if this shirt was meant to be made by me. I aill be using the same 70's pattern I used from the Link Battle tunic.

SOOOO BUSY

2005-07-20T03:52:28Z

Okay, so almost every day of the week I go to work at 6:30 to open up and am there til 1:30. then I go home and eat really fast then head out to the gym. Work out for an hour or so then I go home and laze about a bit, then I sew. This week has been the most hectic of my life!!!!

I bought the shoes for the Link costume so it's well on its way to being fully completed. The gloves and leg wraps are being made right now. So all I have to do is get a rolling hem foot to make the tunic. Oh, and to fix the blousing problem in the back I will be cutting out a large "()" (vertical eye shape) in the center bac about 3 inches wide and the thickest and then hemming it and adding grommets and lacing it up the back.

The Frodo costume is coming along nicely. I still have to order the silk velvet for the cape though. No money sucks.

The Zelda Gown is coming along too. But I cant START on the silk til i get that rolling hem foot.

Oh, I made the audition for the acting program. It this Professional acting school section that Chattanooga State offers and they liked me!!!

Corset Fully Laced

2005-07-07T04:16:57Z

The corset finally closed all the way tonight. It got really close the first round, then Lindsey settled in it for a while and we went at it again and it fully closed! I was so excited, my Zelda gown can begin now. Good thing too, I only have threes weeks!

Sorry updates have been so slow recently. I have been majorly working on costumes for DragonCon and for this upcoming movie. It's in 3 weeks and I hate how things creep up on you like that.

Link's mockup is done, all I have to do is wait for the linen to come in and I can dye it and then sew it. The neck slit and its facing has to be handsewn in, so I am not at all excited about that. Have the pantyhose and the belt. All I am missing is the boots, gloves and ears. Oh and the strap the crosses the chest to hold the sword carrier and quiver and shield. Then I have to make the shile as well.

Frodo is well on his way to getting finished. Figwit is my least concern right now. Zelda's gown is on the top of my list at the moment.

Update

2005-06-28T00:40:39Z

Hey guys, sorry for my lack of updates. Real life beckons sometimes.

I have dropped Mr. Tumnus completely for right now. Replaced him with an Anakin Episode 3 and Frodo Grey Havens. Which together will equal cost and work load of the one Tumnus costume. So, looks like I am evening out anyways.

But mainly on those two costumes I am only cutting out patterns for the time being.
The Figwit paterns are cut out and mostly altered for the first mockup...except for the coat sleeves.

Getting ready for silk velvet dyeing tomorrow.

And I should start on my job training tomorrow as well.

The Link Action Costume is coming along nicely, or the mockup anyways (waiting for the linen) and I have ordered a great period pattern for his Civilian Garb.

Mainly right now beautiful people that I love extremely are buying fabric for me! Oh, Zelda gown is about to be in the works with the help of my friend Debbie Haney. But the Link and Zelda costumes are most important right now, so those go before Frodo and Ani and Figwit.

Busy busy beaver is me!

Started Gathering for Link Costume

2005-06-22T01:24:43Z

Stumbled upon a vintage pattern site that has a excellent 70's Simplicity pattern for Link's Tunic. The only differences are that I have to hack the sleeves shorter and the neckline (not collar) has to be tweaked a bit.

Now I just have to find a pattern for tights and make an undershirt and find suede boots and gloves. Plus make the sheild and sword. Plus Ganon's costume and Zelda's and my non 'Action Link' Jerkin that's based of an etching that was colored in later on. It will be a mustady yellow silk or cotton twill. And possibly another Zelda Gown.

If I do make another Zelda Gown it will be Roses Jump Gown, just to bring to DragonCon to show off to the bitches from online.

Final Figwit Pattern Bought

2005-06-22T00:47:58Z

Had to go to Wal-mart to get my siter a baking pan so I went ahead and splurged on the skirt pattern. He has a powder blue/silver silk mettalic crinkle oranza skirt on under all his layers that attaches to a black longsleeved shirt.

I am thinking os using one of those baseball cool down tight shirts for this since I will be in Atlanta heat. Also, I don't think the wrist goes down far enough. So, I will take some from the hem and attach it to the edge of the sleeve.

Bad News and Bad News But Also Good News

2005-06-21T07:36:58Z

Bad news is, I had to leave my job. UGH. Now I REALLY have to get ahold of the JavaJunkie owner and get THAT job. Plus I might start working at Planet Smoothie.

Bad news is, Lindsey came over after church sunday night for her first lace up in the corset and some of the grommets pulled out. Not her fault though, mine. I am not that experienced in lacing those things.

Good news though is that I got them back in and they are now sewn around for added strength. I will try and get her here Wednesday night, but I think she works. I really have to get started on her Zelda Gown.

Silly Figwit

2005-06-19T00:30:16Z

So, I get to cutting out the pattern and find there are weird darts on each side of the back of the collar. I don't know what I am going to do about this. They are curved darts so that makes them difficult to edit out. The only thing I can think of at the current time is the make the velvet facing with the darts and hand shape the shell of the collar over the facing. Very Couture of me, I know!

The only real downside to this is that I have to cut the back of the neck way further down than what I expected. But hey, it will be covered by fair brown Figwit hair, so no one's the wiser!

Oh and I am racking my brain about how I am going to get the brocade lining of the sleeve to peek out like that.