running around the racetrack

[anotheranon]

Tomorrow evening I'm heading to the other side of the county for a meeting with my local International Costumer's Guild chapter. It's an hour's drive, but I've been trying on and off to reach this group since Costume Con and given that they tend to go dormant in the fall I figure this may be my last chance to catch them before hibernation!

Oddly I find myself gearing up at the time of year when I'm usually winding down. This seems especially true socially, which is doubly odd as I'm a fairly dedicated quasi-hermit :P

Even when I'm not doing, my mind is ticking over. In no particular order, here's what occupies my waking thoughts (though happily not my sleeping ones):

• Sewing, as ever. I must find time/means this fall to work on the fuschia Regency
  
• Helping one of my fencing buddies plan a wireless scoring method
  
• Faire coming up - will probably only go once, but it's an excuse to dress up :P
  
• Trying to do some proper costume research by looking at actual paintings instead of the tiny b/w reproductions in my books (I've got all these resources near me; I've been stupid not to use them!)
  
• various social experiments
  
• fencing
  
• writing
  
• reading
  
• learning ASP.Net
  
• Helping D. when I can
  
• catherding
  
• Keeping the house from falling into total disorder
  
• Economizing
  

I'd like to finish one major sewing project, or difficult book, or make one visit to the museums this fall. Something with a definite end point so I can feel like I've closed a circle. I enjoy being busy, but I sometimes need an identifiable "milestone" so I don't feel like I'm chasing my tail. Ya know?

Comments

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

***salivating over Allison's available resources*** You are SO lucky to have all this!!!! I too, as I discover stuff while packing, have been making mental todo list, top of which is finish collection of unfinished sewing projects. Then Semmie has requested new, warm jammies ... know of anyplace where I can find flannel with naked elves on it? :)

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

! Didn't know you sewed! What are your outstanding projects?

Not sure about nude-elf flannel, but you might want to check Ebay or similar - you never know!

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Sewed my first doll dress when I was five ... two mismatched rectangles of red cloth and stitches an inch long ... and it was the most glamorous thing on earth ***chuckle***

Outstanding projects: A fitted, lined, wrap-around jumper in red, black and gold paisly-patterned fine-wale corduroy; a dark fuchsia linen shirt (which I'd like to accent with same-colour cross-stitch in Celtic knotwork); a chocolate brown flecked with black corduroy blazer; the detachable hood for my penguin-patterned arctic fleece coat (coat finished and worn three years ago); decorative cushion in red fabric with white maple leaves (to match Semmie's summer jammies ;)); Kaffe Fassett patchwork bedspread (have been collecting leaf-patterned fabrics in greens, golds, and rusts for ages now ... MUST have enough by now). Also need to finish outline stitching on cross-stitched clown fish in sea anemone and start working again on massive Mirabilia cross-stitch of woman working in garden. Also am still looking for appropriate button for "cookies & milk" vest, which has pattern of glasses of milk and small screaming gingerbread men with various limbs bitten off ... for some reason nobody makes amputee gingerbread man buttons, but I'll settle for one with all his arms and legs.

Part of the reason projects are behind is that for years I've been working with my mother's hand-me-down 1950s sewing machine (which came out the year BEFORE zigzag stitch) and ancient, machine-gun sounding buttonholer ... it all worked like new, but was very limiting (and sewing with knits meant holding fabric stretched while sewing, which was a pain in the ass). When I was laid off, staff association bought me a parting gift ... a lovely new Janome sewing machine. Not the most advanced model, but it does have one-step buttonholes, all the stretch stitches and a few pattern stitches. Am all newly inspired to sew again ... first project was Semmie's "Canadian" nightshirt, as mentioned above.

Am looking forward to the large number and variety of fabric stores in Calgary (there are only two here), and will check E-Bay as well. If worst comes to worst, I can always get some plain flannel and fabric paint and fulfill Semmie's wishes with my own little paintbrush! ;)

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

I was going to say "That's one hell of a list!", but after chatting with a bunch of costumers about their outstanding projects though, this sounds about average! And that was a nice gift from your staff association :)

Do check Ebay, or if you like I can check with my different costume lists and see what they come up with!

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

***twinkles*** The wonderful thing about "official" farewell gifts is that you get to go out and choose 'em yourself. As for nekkid elves, I'll look closer to Christmas as it's the Santa's helper type that have been requested and not the Tolkien variety. If not found, I'll just make the jammies out of the most sickeningly cutesy design I can find ... Semmie will look adorable in it, I'm sure ***grins evilly and plots something involving pink fluffy bunnies***