Llyra-fantasyfae

I kind of feel like life threw me in the deep end and told me to swim... but I barely know how to doggy paddle, then work threw in some sharks and said "good luck with that". I am hoping in a few weeks I will look back and laugh at myself for being such a baby. For now though... it is just that overwhelming.
In less depressing news I have been sewing. I altered my Italian Ren a bit. I wanted it to be newer and more improved for my second weekend at faire this year. I know I would win the award for world's slowest sewing and wouldn't even be trying for the award. It took me 12 hours of solid work to get what I did get done, done. I had hoped to get a lot more done but ran out of time. ;(  I was afraid I would hate it. Since I started this project I was torn between two lengths. I started leaning towards the shorter one when I kept getting stepped on at the faire, but I was afraid if I cut it shorter I would hate it and you can't go back once you've taken the scissors to it. But I like it so there was no need to stress. There is still even more I want to get done with this costume but I am grateful my latest adventure with it has not put it into the ruined pile. Photo on left is before, Right is after. I had to resew the hanging sleeves into the armholes. They were starting to pull out in a couple places. I Added the frogs to the front. I think if I can find some new ones that absolutely thrill me I will probably change them. If not I might just add one or two more to the bottom. I cute off the bottom by 6 inches and added the black velvet hem guard. I still want more velvet trim to trim the front similiar to the sleeves, and I want to add a second guard to the bottom of the kirtle. After all that I just need a veil and to bling the heck out of it... Yes... BLING it. *grin* 
  


























I also finished a UFO. My father-in-law wanted me to fix or make a new a tea pot holder that his grandfather had. I felt it would be wrong to just recover the piece so I used it as my template and made a new one. I ABSOLUTELY hate the top pillow part. It would be burned in a fiery pit if it was for me. But its not... and my hubby says its fine and wanted it by his Dad's birthday this weekend. I hate giving someone something that is not my best work. The only thing I like on it is the ribbon trim. I work so hard on that.
Pictures below: Left is a quilted piece that wraps around the tea pot, that then goes into bowl looking thing  My remade version is the green one. The Right picture is the pillow type thing that sits on top of the teapot with a space in the middle for the handle to come out of.
  

Other than that, good news is Costume College Limited class registration came and is out. There are a TON of classes I want to attend this year. Which means ALL costume MUST be done ahead of time this year. There will be no time to work on them there. I am going to be naked.... Unless something changes that is. So far I have no new costumes. I am hoping to change that!

I finished cleaning up my sewing room. It included getting two more bins because the fabric just was not fitting anymore. This means my book is not up to date. Which with my ocdness is driving me crazy. Perhaps now I will go to keeping the database on the computer. Besides the cleaning I have gotten two... maybe more motifs done with my blackwork.
I started a new dog blanket with left over fleece and flannel scraps. Didn't finish it because I wasn't feeling it. I am not a dog person......
Besides that I have only taken apart old curtains to make a set that fit my mini window in my sewing room. But that didn't require sewing just a seam ripper.
I have a new favorite site. Urban threads. Fun embroidery projects. Kind if bummedthey coome with no pattern but still fun and at $1.00 a pop I can free hand. They have some great steampunk stuff under their retro catagory.

This training is seriously exhausting! I want it to be the weekend already. I know I know it will be friday in a matter of 3 hours but I am beyond done already. I have a BURNING desire to sew, even if it is just more boring quilt squares. Knowing how I feel right now though.... sleep is all I can garuntee for sure. Its sad too. I am MAYBE 2 inches from finishing one sleeves embroidery and I have not made my 4 a day quota in quite some time.  BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This does not include the Comic Con costume I HAVE to make, finishing both of my steampunk costumes, or starting my Autumn dress' undies. The are all musts in my eyes, that HAVE to be done before Costume College. And if I was to lose my mind completely I would say I want to finish the 50's dress that I had started, (It needs some adjustments to the bust darts and its one of those things that is being put to the side until I have lots of time to futz with it properly, since I have never tackled that type of fitting issue before.), my secret project's undies, and the Elizabethean version of the Autumn dress. *sigh*
I think I should go to bed and quit letting my delirious mind ramble.

I haven't had the time to really sit down and write out my post Comic Con and Costume College posts. So much going on right now. I was able to plan my costuming for the next year though. I guess I am jumping on the band wagon of Costume College being my end of year point for costuming, though its not for sewing with Halloween and Christmas around the bend. Anyways here is the plans for the next year.

Fix Generic Ren Faire dress' bodice by October
Finish Genderic Ren Faire dress' sleeves by October
Jedi Costume by Halloween
Sith Costume by Halloween
Snowman X-Stitch by December
Quilted Bear by Christmas
Masquerade Costume by Comic Con/July
Jedi Costume by Comic Con/July
18c Scallop Dress Costume College/Aug
Finish Steampunk Lolita by Costume College/Aug
Bolero/Bustle Steampunk by Costume College/Aug
Edwardian Undies by Costume College/ Aug
Finish all the already cut out PJs
Quilt
Pillow x-stitch
Toddler's sleeping Beauty

There maybe a few more that find their way in there, And more than likely alot of them won't get done with how slow I actually sew. But that is the plans!

I just finished up handsewing half of the Ren bodice lining. And one set of sleeves is done. SO I can go with half of it done. Well no... still waiting on the rings to show up for the sleeves, then they are officially done. I am noticing lots of little spots, all of them under and inch in length where the stitiching got a bit to far away from the  piping. So I want to tear them all out and redo them. Which I did start doing but stopped myself. I figured I should have all of the lining down and attached before I went tearing parts out. I can wear the outfit with stitiching a bit off. It more then passes the 10 ft rule. I am sure the only reason I notice it is becuase its two feet from my face. I will just go back to fix it later.
In totally off the wall ramblings. I am catching up on my tv shows. Having not had cable for over 6 years and 4 of them being out of the country so even friends houses had limited shows. SO I am watching NCIS. And just finished up season two. Kate just got shot in the head. AHHHHHH!!!! :(

...Netflix is awesome, and more stuff done.
So yeah.... I couldn't sleep so I decided to throw in the next disk of Bones that we just got in the mail from Netflix and continue the hand sewing I was doing. 4 episodes and three and a half hours later, (I seriously only meant to watch one!) I am done with the baby bib. Velcro and all. Now I wish I lived in a place with my own washer and dryer. Because as I write this and get ready for bed I could be washing all the baby stuff. Then I could throw it all in the dryer and go beddy bye...  But alas I don't so it will all go into the wash tomorrow. BOOO!!!
Well the cat has already come over several times to tell me its time for bed so I should at least attempt to sleep sometime tonight... well I guess it morning technically......

These PJ bottoms have been sitting in my UFO box for well over a year. Well the fabric and pattern for them has. I started them on Wesnesday and finished them up yesterday night. I thought I would share their cuteness with everyone. Oh and my little sewing partner had to give them one last inspection. I jused the same colored ribbon, just bigger, that I used on the pocket you can see, on the drawstrings. It really brings out the cherries.  I like them! They are nice and baggy, almost huge, on me. Just the way I like my PJs.
.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Mine was great. Though I must admit I miss home ALOT! Not to much longer I guess. Santa was good to me this year. I got alot of DVD series, a new Ipod nano, guild wars, art books, and a new costuming book. I have been playing Guild wars a bit everyday trying to get a hang of the new controls. Last time I played it was all text base. No two pointing controls just to move. I have gotten to level 7 so I can't be doing to bad by my lonesome.... I think.
I got my husband to teach me how to do the whole Itunes thing. So now I am downloading my CDs. I think I am the only person in the world who could care less about downloading the music. I like owning the CD. Yes I want it on my ipod to work out with or take in the car/plane. But I want the CD also.
I need to start focusing on my sewing. I have 4 months to finish two costume, put finishing touches on another, and start 5. ACK! So expect to see some sewing lists to start appearing soon!

I know I promised pictures as soon as I finished. But truth is I haven't touched it since then. The next day I got EXTREMELY sick so nothing sewing wise got done. The next day I had to register for classes. I will be taking IFSN 201 or 'stupid required computer class' that I am almost positive I will know 90% of. I guess an easy A. I am also taking English 101... yea..... Monday was also the first day of the Math Review I am taking. I don't want to take my Math placement exam and be placed in 'Stupid math that doesn't even count for credit' just because I forgot some silly rule with fractions or something.  Tuesday was all about working out and then cleaning my house. By the time I was done with that I was wiped out. I think the being sick was still sort of lingering with me. So I diddled with Chris' pants. Had him try them on and now they are a bit tight at the leg cuffs.... *GRRRRR* Started to rip the seams out to try again but got irritated to fast so I set it aside and went to bed. Tonight is the last night of the Math Review so with three hours of that I doubt I will want to be productive after class.  Tomorrow though. All sorts of hope and promises for tomorrow. House is clean and nothing is planned. From Thursday to Sunday should be a grand sew a thon, because Monday I start school again. So if you have no pictures by Sunday I am dead or dying, kidnapped or abducted by aliens.