shazrasha: (jenkins beware)

Better Uncounted
Originally uploaded by shazrasha


My sewing machine it appears has gremlins because despite me fiddling with it and not getting anywhere all the engineer had to do was rethread it...I feel slightly foolish but have managed to make up for this by sewing things today. The first was a doublet I decided it was about time I had. They are such elegant garments and I have a nice brocade so now several hours later I have an almost finished doublet in red and gold.

Then I decided to work on the waistcoat pattern that I needed for my hedgehog. This too has been sewn rather more rapidly than expected. I love it when a pattern works especially when I sort of guess my way forwards.

Both garments have roughly the same thing left to do one them, sleeve holes, button holes and buttons.

I have started on Mole 2.0 which should fix a few of the niggles of Mole 1.5...

On top of that I have been good and done my Monday cleaning so I feel accomplished. It's amazing what a working sewing machine does for my mood.
shazrasha: (Default)
Today crafting took a bit of a back step due to my needing to catch up with my cleaning. So by 11o'clock the bathroom, kitchen and living room with adjoining stairs and hallway were cleaned. This did lend itself randomly to making my crafting a bit more organised as I cleared away all the things that I no longer required. Now I have neat little piles of each thing that needs doing.

In crafting news I set about adding buckles to my calligraphy bracer so that is now wearable...though I am, after a discussion with [livejournal.com profile] midnightoak feeling the urge to decorate it with lovely burning and gilding...

Then I started on my doublet getting the back fully done and cutting the front collar. I also started on Arnthor's doublet tester...it was about this point when I realised that the sewing machine wasn't doing Zigzag stiching. The timing on it is still slightly wonky. Not enough to be out of commission but enough to cause issues. So I have now called the shop and set about getting them to fix it again (still for free - yeah warranty). This leaves me with all the non sewing crafts to work on instead.

Oh and in other news I got a parcel that failed to deliver despite being in the house at the time they called. Ah well it's an excuse for a walk tomorrow.
shazrasha: (Default)
Having started a lot of projects yesterday I felt the urge to finish something today. So I set about looking at the crafts that could be made as efficiently as possible.

I dipped the Hedgehog spines a bit more. They might be ready or I might need one more grading of colour. I've not quite decided.

I then finished the Rabbit Hat which by a slight miscalculation ended up being about half an inch too small for my head. Not that that was important as such.

I also finished the hat I plan on using as a base for the hedgehog spines so once they are done I can get that out of the way as well.

Then I decided to work on my bracer of calligraphy things. I think it worked. Though am not sure the pen looks right so might swap that for something else.

All in all a semi productive day. I can't quite get enough energy together to work on something else as well despite knowing that tomorrow I'll have to do a lot of cleaning to catch up.

My energy levels I blame on the wierd dream I had with a dryad that could heal people, but needed to get energy from the blood of her victims which she then cast revenge spells with...Not sure what my brain was up to there.
shazrasha: (jenkins beware)
After last weeks MOT shocker I had a weekend with Bats and Zoo and lovely people. This week I decided to make myself a todo list and start on the pile of crafts I had that needed getting done.

Now when I get into a crafting mood I can be a bit insane so below is the list of things I started today.

Hedgehog spines
Waistcoat
Doublet
Doublet for Paul
Hat with Rabbit ears
Hat for Hedgehog
Bracer for Calligraphy stuff
Larpsafe book

I shall continue work on them all tomorrow. With any luck something might get finished.
shazrasha: (Doctor)
I took my mock up apart and used it to cut out a load of pieces that I've now pieces together. Made sleeves of flowiness and put the thing on. This is the point when I realised that I had made a slight error. I had underused the seam allowance.

A few seams taken in and I was back to making a lovely top until I suddenly took in a seam too many...Oops. I'm now suffering from unfortunate boob squishage >_<

Having misplaced my first seam ripper I managed by fluke to find the other one so I'm now taking it apart as I watch the next episode of Sanctuary.
shazrasha: (Default)
So I have actually managed to be organised for this Maelstrom and all, Yes that is right ALL, my sewing is actually already done. *Smug* This is of course ignoring the sewing of armour to trousers which I always do at events...

In fact our mokosh Bruce is also almost done, just a few minor finishing touches, oh and the teeth that apparently I need to give him according to the costume guide for mokosh and gnolls. Prominent incisors needed...

Not only did I finish all the new things I was supposed to make, two tunics and a cloak, I also fixed or well hid the burn mark on my tunic. However I also realised that I had to take the tunic in yet again. I thought it fit rather well until I took it in and went "oh that's why it looked wrinkly..."

Now all I need to do is find my rivets so I can deal with the armour.
shazrasha: (Default)
A troll named Sue

I started a new rpg game a while back with a vague idea of being something different and breaking what other people have called my tendency to have short characters (Halflings and such). Well actually I just went "oooh trolls! Sounds interesting..."

cut for roleplay ramble )

Oh and on the sewing front I sewed the sleeves on wrong yet again *sigh*
shazrasha: (Demon Angel)
I get the urge every now and then to challenge myself and make something I needs in a very short space of time. Usually for larp but also for random other occasions. Often this will, due to time constraints and my ability to find a pattern I like, involve me taking apart something that I've worn out and like in order to replicate said piece of clothing.

This time I really decided to push the boat out and took apart a suit jacket. Things to note as taking it apart was that the sleeves were a stranger configuration than I thought and the pieces were oddly shaped, the lining was actually attached in several parts by small strips to avoid sliding and the pockets were too complicated for me to really care about.

So far I've had to take apart and reser about 6 seams as I put things back together wrong. I've had to make an adjustment to one piece of lining because I didn't realise the two back pieces weren't the same and I've sacrificed several pins and one needles to the gods of sewing.

I'm now almost at the finishline but will no doubt have to finish up tomorrow and I think I have taken away a few lessons that will come in handy next time I decide to do something this daft.

1. Making notes of which piece attached which way round would have been a good idea and saved me about 45 mins.
2. Marking which seam had to be done first would have saved me resewing the sleeves quite so much.
3. Not loosing some of my more useful colours of threads would have made my mistakes a bit more forgiving.
4. Kneeling for this long makes my legs cramp at work...
shazrasha: (Default)
So [livejournal.com profile] midnightoak and [livejournal.com profile] lucian_albrecht are coming this evening so that we can enmasse travel down to Monmouth tomorrow for gran's celebration of the big 90.

This has lead to me making sure that the double bed in the spare room can actually be used and the floor of our spare bed/crafting/hobby/storage room is actually visible for what has to be the first time since before Artificer in October. When, most likely, it was cleaned for much the same reason.

The downside of this is that my lungs now feel like I've got the dust of a thousand dead crafting projects in them. The Upside is that I can now use this floor space for the pattern laying out and material cutting that my current projects inevitably need.

So without much further ado I shall return to said task after my necessary break for food and drink.

Edit: Oh and for those interested in such things I've posted an ic post in the Artificer Forum
shazrasha: (Doctor)
Today was an ish day at work. Meaning I was only thereish mentally for most of the day. The rest of the time I was sitting with Kerrigan composing yet more Artificer Poetry which will no doubt be aired at somepoint.

I came home to the task of finding a craft I could fit into the small space before slimming world and the cinema. So I decided to take apart and resew one of the four men's shirts I bought on the basis that their shirts are more military colours than what I can find elsewhere. In an effort not to feel like I was wasting my time I picked the least nice shirt to start with. Turns out I had to do a little more adjusting than I thought and, despite removing almost 3 inches out of the back of the shirt it's still longer than the front...

I've now got it finished in what can roughly be said to be 1h 20 mins and it well sort of looks fine...I can't really tell seeing as I am still lacking in that rather useful thing 'A full length mirror'. Ah well at worst it looks a little untailored and at best I have some shirts I feel happy wearing out instead of my nice ones. I've worn worse fitting shirts to work and with my expanding waistcoat section I can hide ill fitted bits.

Now on to one of my other 12 projects that I started...or was it 14? One of them has been completely abandonned as I am without the right tools the rest as getting there bit by bit.
shazrasha: (jenkins beware)
Our heroine's journey started on the day of yester when she helped paint [livejournal.com profile] wiserabbit's and [livejournal.com profile] kardrath's shiny new house, partially by torch light as not all of the lamps worked. It was a fun experience but in addition to the textured wallpaper didn't help with the creation of small white spots...
The black of her clothing made it also very apparent when paint was suddenly attached to the wrong things. This was however not really too much of a shame as she had been hoping to take her shirt apart for a pattern for age but hadn't had a good reason to take it off the possible clothing list.

After a rather nice sleep in the spare bed, that was unfortunately interrupted by her body deciding that 6.15 was a completely sensible time to wake, the house was revisited to see how much second coating would be needed. This was soon abandonned however for the chance to visit Beeston with cameras. People were met, hats were worn and goth goat got worshipped.

Thereafter followed lunch at Stamford Bridge where our plucky heroine, having had cake the night before decided to be good and watched others scoff their calorie rich yummy snacks with glee. Conversation was a delight and after invites for heated beverages at the heroine's abode which was enjoyable consumed, she now sits in her vacated living room eating her bowl of berries and working out which photos she thinks are worth uploading to flickr before she collapses and heads for her bed.
shazrasha: (Default)
So I've been feeling a bit all over the place really. Riftworld is this weekend and I've not planned anything for it at all. I don't even know what I'm wearing...

I came home today after being more tired than I really aught to let myself become and decide that that's it. I'm feeling overly stressed and need to do something for me. I am therefore sewing. I have an idea for a jacket and I'm trying to see if I can make it. I have no pattern as such just another coat I own and random material. However I also want to wear this jacket for Riftworld...so yeah the stress is back. But it's good stress.

I've so far got two thirds of a jacket and still need to find the time to nikwax it so I can be rained on...Me, insane? Of course. See some of you on Friday, with or without the jacket.

EDIT: Right outside part and lining done. Just need to sew them together and add button holes and buttons. I'm off to bed...
shazrasha: (Doctor)
So I have two days in lieu of the weekend that I am working. That's tomorrow and Friday just so you know. I've decided (now that I'm healthy and full of random energy) to create a list of things I really need to do and see how far I get. I'm putting it up here for general amusement and the fact that I can't lose this page but never find that scrap of paper I wrote things on. So in no particular order...

Cut for waffly length )

Right we'll see how far I get
shazrasha: (upgrade)
So I've sewn every possible moment between Saturday and now and I finally have what looks like an almost finished product.

I am loving the sleeves I've put on it and am almost tempted to make something else that I can attach such sleeves to as well.

However I hate the collar. It started out well but is now neither neat or flush to my neck like it started out...I don't know if it's just me being a perfectionist but I just cannot like it even when [livejournal.com profile] choccoweeble says it looks fine.

So I'm heading to bed with the sure knowledge that there be buttons and button holes in my future...
shazrasha: (upgrade)
I have finished [livejournal.com profile] choccoweeble's dress!

Now I just have my own parti coloured cotehardie to do. It's only parti coloured as I didn't have enough of the dark blue for a full colour one. That said I think it will probably look cooler this way.

I had one sewing emergency when having just sewn two inches of zigzag this morning I suddenly was only getting straight stitch out of the machine. After about 30 mins of panic and 1 hour of trying to work out a solution I finally realised that oiling it might help. Some wd-40 and the thing is working wonderfully again. *Phew*

So here's to me being hopefully faster than I thought I would be in getting my sewing out of the way...
shazrasha: (upgrade)
Right, I am planning on being stressed this week and I thought it only right to warn people so they know what to expect when they talk to me...

I've got too much to do at work as I've got a project deadline this week and I'm checking my work and a collegue's who is on holiday.

I've got two outfits to finish for artificer. [livejournal.com profile] ammos has been great and leant me the perfect cloak to keep [livejournal.com profile] choccoweeble warm so that's a little less stress for me. But I still have to do over 20 button holes...

I've got roleplay society on Tuesday when I will be running a taster game that I have yet to design or create anything for. (I will pull something out of a hat if I must).

That's what I'm allowed to do. If you find me doing something else tell me off. If I'm doing one of the above and you pester me. Be warned it might not be pretty. ;)

Talk to you next Monday again when I'm back from Artificer and my life is less of a stress fest.
shazrasha: (jenkins beware)
So most of those who read my previous post will know I'm working this weekend. Stupidly early as well. This has however left me with two days off in the week instead which has been a bit novel.

Thursday I rose early and played some Zelda: Twilight Princess, while I put some washing on. I then started on [livejournal.com profile] choccoweeble's swish dress for Artificer. Determined not to let the after affects of my mild fever on Monday/Tuesday get in the way I whipped the main body of the thing together while listening to David Tennant reading Doctor Who and the Feast of the Drowned.
The material frayed like mad so my first stop when I restart will be to zigzag everything *yawn*... However it fit first time without need for adjustments.
To end the day we went to the cinema and watched 'Run, Fat Boy, Run'

Today I again rose early and proceeded to play some Zelda (with washing on again) but abandonned it a bit faster as I had promised to tidy the living room a bit. In a fit of annoyance or determination (hard to tell the two apart sometimes) I started by clearing the entire hallway and hoovering it and then culled all the shoes and coats so that it can be used by guests again and finding my jacket will be easier (there were 2 of mine to about maybe 14 odd for [livejournal.com profile] choccoweeble, or at least that's how it felt as I removed them). I then did the living room before eating and going shopping. Took the glass recycling with me as I watched the men go past the window this morning and I'd forgotten they were coming...
I came back and proceeded to strip the kitchen. I can now see all my tea tins again!
So now I'm waiting for [livejournal.com profile] choccoweeble to get home so she can make me the cup of tea I really deserve. I'd do it myself but I'm feeling a bit lazy now.
shazrasha: (jenkins beware)
I'm in a happy mood this morning, despite being uber tired and not really wanting to head for work. It's not that I'm not enjoying it. I'm just not very motivated for it. :P

My healthy eating is going well, though again I'm reducing myself to salads at work. This more to my lack of organisation than lack of food. My brother accompanies every comment about losing a couple of pounds with "What again? You really need to stop losing all this money."

My current count for random passersby is 2 stone 9 lbs lighter, or 37 lbs lighter or 17kg lighter (depending on your frame of reference). I do my weigh ins on Thursday so this is last weeks total.

This has, as previously mentioned, had an effect on my clothes and this includes my work trousers that I stopped wearing as they were too small that are suddenly too large. *Sigh* The reason I'm smiling about it is that, other than being smaller, I'm also fairly nifty on a sewing machine if I have to be and they now fit ;)

So I now have work trousers that look good (well better than they did) and by the time I shrink out of them my new pair should hopefully fit me (as they are too small currently).

Oh and to keep me motivated I've joined up to a diet recipe swap on Craftster. I prefer to think of it as healthy eating but hey.
shazrasha: (Default)
SO I'm a little further down my too do list. I've sorted through my chest of items, only putting what is absolutely necessary back into it.

I've sewn two waterproof hessian sacks for the kindling and Charcoal because who needs wet fuel on a rainy campsite? Plus all IC looking too so doesn't seem strange next to the firepit. ;)

Then I've started to take in my tunic. Slight issues taking in the back however as I'm not a contortionist and I can't see behind me. :/ Trying to work out how to adjust it and who would be best of helping me as it's not exactly straightforward.

So just deciding what task to tackle next. My trousers or something else...
shazrasha: (upgrade)
So I decided that this year was going to be my year of making my Maelstrom costume cooler than it had been before. My previous costume being more a hurriedly sewn tunic that made me look very square and garnered quite a few Sirs from those unable to see my face under the mask. Which, for those of you who know what I look like you'll realise how bad that really is.

So I decided that despite my cold I would do a valiant effort and start on my sewing yesterday.

shopping list )

So I stopped off at hobbycraft thinking I could knock a few things off my list. I've never been more disappointed in my life. I can't believe that when I asked if they had rivets they didn't even know what I was talking about. So I left there having only bought the thread for zigzaging. Fortunately there is enough time for drastic measures. [livejournal.com profile] lucian_albrecht has promised to take time out of his packing to pop into town for a metre of linen to post me. I have also gotten into a conversation with the other larp person at work and he's given me lovely links for finding everything else from British companies :D
So now I'm placing orders and hoping things will arrive before I leave for the event.

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shazrasha

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