awake at 3:30am sewing post

[madamemodiste]

Why am I awake after only 4 hours of sleep? My brain will not shut off and I'm bored.

Early list of 2008 sewing projects

Jan:
black and red striped 1885 "Dracula" bodice
3 piece black and pink brocade 1885 bustle gown

February:
Black velvet bustle coat
Black "brain" velvet bonnet

March:
2 piece 1890's black taffeta evening gown

April:
Laughing Moon trained steel hooped bustle
White taffeta 1875 petticoat
Black and white striped bustled overskirt
Black and white striped 1875 underskirt

May:
1875 garden hat
Black and white striped 1875 bodice (with help from Kambriel and Curse)
Black 18th century stays

June:
Black and white stripe with pink Victorian Bathing Suit (with help from Kambriel)
Regency chemise
18th century cotton petticoat
small bum pad
Red bengaline "Olenska" tail bodice

July:
18th century Chemise gown
covered and decorated straw hat for 18th c chemise gown
1830's corded cotton petticoat
steampunk brash mesh top hat

August:
Victorian spats
1890's bicycle bloomers
3 piece 1880ish black benagline and velvet evening gown
black velvet mini top hat
1830's purple taffeta evening gown
white silk mini top hat for friend
red metallic mini top hat - commission

September:
Finish up details on 1830's gown like belt and back closure

October:
Red 18th century riding jacket

November:
Black mini top hat for sale on Etsy (sold - yay!)
Black with white venise lace reticule
Black pvc 1885 bustle gown started - underskirt mostly finished

December (so far):
overskirt and bodice fashion fabric of pvc gown cut out

December to do list:
finish pvc bustle gown for NYE
hopefully make another bustle coat from new TV pattern! Need fabric -yikes
fur muff for Winter Stroll Jan 3rd

Comments

[vanityfairy.livejournal.com]

Impressive!
Wow, I think you've done more in a year than I've managed in all my sewing years (well not really, but still). Kudos girl, you've got that rare fu to make things fast AND beautiful!

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Apparently, I always need to have something in the works!

[degracieuse.livejournal.com]

Wow.... you get so much done!! I'm impressed!!

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The list at the end of the year always makes me feel accomplished :D

[degracieuse.livejournal.com]

I can imagine! The first four months of this year were lost on trying to get my ex-boyfriend to leave my appartment, a lot of talking to my husband while he was still in the US and cleaning up the house... ow and a part-time job, 2 kids, and running my own business. I only accomplished 3 bustle petticoat for customers and my late Victorian outfit! (and some dress-up stuff for the kids)

[harmanhay.livejournal.com]

I feel utterly inadequate. :) Well done!

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

What!? Your skills are beyond anything I could dream of! Your projects take longer because of the expert hand sewing and attention to detail I could never hope to accomplish.

But thank you!

[harmanhay.livejournal.com]

It's the productivity! My problem is that people give me money and take the clothes away. I'm going to Costume College next year and my cupboard is bare. So now I'm having to try to carve out time to make things for myself without feeling self-indulgent or like I'm playing hookey or stealing from the office stationery cupboard lol. It's very weird making things for myself after so long, when in fact, I learnt to sew for myself in the first place!

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Think of it as advertisement!! Everyone will want to know where you got your amazing gowns, and you can hand them a business card! So in the end, put the gowns in your advertisement budget :)

I can't wait to see what you make, by the way! Any teaser ideas yet?

[harmanhay.livejournal.com]

Oh, lots.... I have legions of ideas that will probably not get made, but one gown I know I'm doing is this Edwardian Worth gown with oak leaves, which seems appropriate for an Englishwoman abroad. I have an appointment to paw it in person in Bath in January! And in the meantime, I have the corset pattern made, which is a start!

And of course some of the costumes and clothes I bought at Angels on Saturday will get an airing during the daytime!

[robinia-acacia.livejournal.com]

Heavens...were up for some goodies then!
Looks great and I do hope you get to make everything, especially your August list!!
I can make the assumption that no summerholidays are planned then!

[robinia-acacia.livejournal.com]

Silly me...not quit awake!
I tought it said 2009!
Wow...you made all this for yourself in this year..good gracieus!

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

LOL! Here are the items I made in August so you can see them:

http://www.neverlight.com/~madame.s/Belle%20Alley%20Weekend/Kat%20in%20the%20garden%20side.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14941369@N07/2866315893/in/set-72157607291023075/

http://www.neverlight.com/~madame.s/Sewing/NF%20black%20goth%20gown/NF%20gown%20front.jpg

http://www.neverlight.com/~madame.s/Events/Steampunk%20bird%20watching%20Halloween%2008.jpg

[robinia-acacia.livejournal.com]

Indeed, I have seen them all!!
There amazing,I know because of the bussiness I donot have the chance to make so many items for myself, so I envy you in a way!

[quincy134.livejournal.com]

Whoa, you had a prolific year! And everything, if memory serves, was beautiful!

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much!

Wow.

[bauhausfrau.livejournal.com]

Great Scott! My dear you've made more costumes in one year than I think I have in my costume closet altogether! It will be a miracle if I can think of more than 5 things I made for the whole year.

Re: Wow.

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but I don't have 2 kids and you choose quality over quantity :)

[valleyviolet.livejournal.com]

I'll never cease to be amazed by all the stuff you make. (To think I spent nearly the whole year and all that came out was my wedding outfit and Halloween costume... gah...)

As much as you fuss about it being "inferior quality," the more you make the better you'll get! (And you are a million miles ahead of average anyway!) :P

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

As always, you are such a sweetheart!

By the way, I noticed on your flickr acct that you won that gorgeous mesh corset!! You lucky devil! It's really gorgeous :)

[valleyviolet.livejournal.com]

LOL! No, no, I didn't actually win it. I was putting up the pictures for someone on the TV board who didn't grab them when the auction was on. ;)

(They're technically not mine... so I should probably go take those down now. I'd forgotten because the woman never posted a reply on the thread saying she got them. Grab a copy now if you want one! :)

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

Um, color me gobsmacked! You do such lovely work *and* so much of it :-)

[hohenstein.livejournal.com]

Wow, so productive! I'm still finishing the 1712 riding outfit I started last January. My New Years costuming Resolutions for 2009 are to get rid of the backlog of UFO's, & decide on 2 historical periods that I really like & build wardrobes for them. My current house has a storage problem, after many years of living in larger places, so I have to start thinking in terms of making wardrobes that work together rather than "one of this period, one of that period, one in this color, one in that color" & knowing that I've got loads of space to store them.

A.

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Don't forget to add the lovely silk dragonfly tophat!

I really loved the times we spent together this year working on projects. Thank you so much for those memories...

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I later realized I forgot to add three hats. Yours, Eve's, and my black and white striped. I was a little delirious at that hour!

I was thinking about you earlier today and remembering our visits. Eating Italian food, fabric shopping, sewing, running around in your closet, laughing over the Peterson's advertisements and the evil children depicted in Godey's fashion plates, the Italian consulate, re-interpreting boxing posters, your triumph in NYC, etc. Hard to believe I won't see you guys again until July 2009!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Hard to believe I won't see you guys again until July 2009!

Says who? :) There's plenty of months between now and then, and besides we didn't know those other visits were going to happen far in advance, so who knows what the coming year could bring! I bet something will pop up sooner than July. You don't have any time off from school in February do you? If so, I just may have an idea ;)

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

That's true!!

No, February is the first month of the Spring semester, so no break until March 9-15th. But you are MOST welcome to visit us as long as you don't mind my occasionally going to class and doing some homework like I did the last time you came.

[eriss.livejournal.com]

Simply wow! I'm really amazed by how many projects you had completed this year.

[standgale.livejournal.com]

awesome! So many pretty things. I always thought you were very productive, and now I have proof! :)

[mmenoire.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a productive year you have had sewing. I am always impressed and inspired to sew because of your lovely dresses. It took me three months to sew my first complete dress, a chemise a la reine. Thank you for sharing! :)