The Seemly Seamstress

needle & thREAD

This week?  A major mistake.  So, I had to start over.  I've cut the top fabric to three bodices and finished cutting the lining fabric for all five.  The basque is the same.  I'm still working on the tulle.  Actually, I'm procrastinating on the net and tulle.  I'll get to it soon.  I hope to start tomorrow after finishing the other two top fabrics.  Then, I'll start sewing.  I still need to cut the bias strips for the piping and bias strips of the lining material for the bottom underside of the bodices.  I'll be showing you as I go along.

What am I reading?  I'm reading and re-reading the instructions for bodice making and tutu making.  It gets clearer and clearer each time I read and each time I make a tutu.  I've done three.  These five will more than double the amount.  I can't wait to show you the laces I have for decorating the costumes.  Are you wondering about what each costume represents?  Three princesses, a queen and villainess.  

I have some new readers.  People who don't know me at all.  Let me do a bit of an introduction.  I have 4 children (one boy and three girls).  I homeschool all of them.  My oldest is (son) 13 and my youngest is 6.  My three daughters all dance ballet.  My son plays baseball.  

Why do I make these costumes?  For the most part, I make them because I want to help.  I want to help out the studio whenever there's a costume need.  I want to help because I know that by making these things, I'm helping the studio save money.  I'm sure people have wondered if I do this to butter up the director so my girls get better parts (no one has ever said so that I know).  No.  I like to volunteer.  This is where my talents lie.  It's just who I am.  And, really?  I know that eventually, one of these beautiful costumes will end up on one of my daughters.  Why wouldn't I do this?

Please join us for needle and thREAD.

 

needle and thREAD

I'm deep into my ballet sewing although not quite deep enough.  I have 5 tutus and bodices to make before our spring performance of "The True Jewel" which encompasses elements of a Jewish folk tale and Pandora's box.  I can't wait to see it all come together with what I hope will be beautiful costumes for the main characters.  One of the things I love about this ballet school is that instead of a recital, the director puts on a full ballet.  We are restricted because there are hardly any boys, but the director makes it work.

Bodice pattern is laid out for cutting on liner fabirc (twill).  The bodice fabric is bengaline.  These are the colors except I haven't decided on whether I like the dark or light purple.  Also, there's a color there you can't see which needs to match the antique blue tulle.  It's been giving me some trouble.  I think I might have to dye it darker.  

I'm still working through the same book as last week.  Lots of good information there.  

Won't you join us this week on needle and thRead?

needle and thREAD

A long time ago, right after my daughter, Pumpkin, was born, I stumbled upon a Catholic homeschooling forum.  I felt right at home.  I slowly became acquainted with a lady who I thought of as a superstar in the Catholic homeschooling world.  And, I envied her writing skill.  I'm not a writer by any stretch of the imagination.  I actually detest writing.  Most of mine is done in a stream of consciousness way.  

Elizabeth Foss and I have become good friends.  I've even visited her.  I felt completely intimidated, but fell in love with her and and her family.  I love following their lives on her blog and via email.  

Besides both of us being Catholic and homeschoolers, we had other things in common.  Our love to hand crafts.  We've bonded over knitting and sewing.  And, it is sewing that brings us here.  Each week.  A picture of a project or soon to be project.  It can be anything.  And, a discussion of books.  We all love books, don't we?  

So, here's my picture.  It's a finished product.  I have many other projects in line.  Many are ballet projects.  But, the most pressing one?  A dress for my youngest.  I've made a skirt and a dress for her older sisters.  She waits patiently.  

 

Beautiful Honey.

 

From a Sis Boom pattern, the Molly Peasant Dress.

What's on my Kindle?  A book about parenting.  It's quite an interesting read.  It's called For Parents Only:  Getting Inside the Head of Your Kid.  It goes into why teens tend to do the things they do.  It hasn't given any pointers for dealing with them.  But, I think learning about the why will help.  I hope.  

So, you'll join us.  Yes?