totchipanda

Boooooo daylight savings boooo. I slept OK saturday/sunday, but terribly last night. I dreamed, bc I remember dreaming (about work, extra boo), but it always felt sort of surface-level, not deep.

Belly is nearly healed! I have been forgetting about it and so walking with my usual amount of energy. A couple of days of rest have been good :3

Friday night I finished cutting out the hemd, pulling threads and cutting. I still have wrist and neck bands to cut but plenty of fabric for those. I am following this tutorial, and made my armscyes a little deeper as she notes that hers was very tight. I sewed down 14" and flat felled about 12", to leave myself room for adjustment and gusset insertion. Hemming the neck took awhile (i was being very deliberate about it), but is there anything more delightful than hand-sewing linen? I didn't measure any of it, just eyeballed it, finger-pressed (or used a bone tool), and off I went. Then I marked all the dots for smocking and even started to gather them up. I said I would sew until 9, and I did, when it was time to finish dealing with my mountain of laundry and go to bed.

My work is having an equipment sale, and they let me purchase something I really wanted -- a projector! It's fantastic!!! I set it up Saturday morning in the sewing room, because what I really wanted, and have wanted since I was about 16, was a way to enlarge a gridded pattern without a lot of drawing or math skills. And also to trace off some of the indie patterns without having to either pay $4-8/sheet* or tape together a million pages of paper.

*This is an eminently reasonable price, I have just been funneling all of my cash into car payments for so long that spending that money on paper when I could be buying groceries was just a very easy choice to make.

So I spent some time projecting A0 patterns on the wall and measuring them out and what not. They look so small! But they seem to be exactly as they should be. There was a box that was supposed to be (x)" (it differed between patterns, even from the same company), and getting the file to show was a bit of trial and error and also not fully exact, but certainly close enough. The biggest issue was that it was nearly illegible. Fine if you are only doing one size, but if you need to grade in and out you better know what lines you need.

The second biggest issue is how do you get the tracing made without being in the way of the projection. I did not have long to spend on that because I would have needed to cut paper, hang it (hopefully in a way that didn't leave me holes to patch when I finish the wall), move the two tables out of the way, and then I wouldn't be able to even DO anything with it, so I did not try.

Instead, I pulled Millie, my newest old machine (class 15 clone, Royal York), out onto the table. She does indeed sew beautiful little stitches! I am worried about the motor though, it sounds and smells terrible. It's also of the age where, even though the colour matches the machine, the label on it indicates it is a shoe machine motor. I am watching YouTube videos of potted motor repairs, specifically from a guy who does vintage sewing machine repairs, and especially looking for the type of motor I have. A few of my machines have these motors, so I will get lots of practice!

Again, did not have long to spend on that, as I then had to get ready for my sibling's birthday lunch. It was, alas, the day of a long-running social event that my mom attends, so we nearly ran into her as well (we knew it was a chance). And then I headed to my friend's house for board games, where I did not INTEND to stay out as late as I did, but that's how the games go sometimes. We left just after 11pm. My roommates were in bed already, J was even asleep when I got home, and the next day they teased me about their wayward teenager being out until all hours lol.

Yesterday I attended Kendra's wig class online, which didn't REALLY tell me stuff I didn't already know. I really ought to get her book, it would be a nice and useful addition to my library.

I made it through a few hours of work yesterday, and then went home to lie down. I had also made an eye appointment at a time/location I could get to from work, should I make it through the day, because the night before I had a new phenomenon of lighting zappies in my field of vision. The process was very cool, they took photos of my eye and tested all of the things, and my eyes are just fine aside from a small clot from a nearby vessel, likely because i was puking my guts out with every last ounce of force my body could muster. It will go away eventually. The zappies were not a sign of a tear or retinal detachment. Clean bill of health.

I picked up Roomie M from work and we went to Costco just to get fries for dinner. Once home, Roomie J put a movie on that was really funny and I discovered how much it hurt to laugh! All of my soreness and inability to stand up for long was because I totally wrecked my abs lol. I ate a good portion of my dinner -- first solid food that wasn't crackers in almost 4 days! -- and rested. I am feeling better today, if tired because hormones have dictated that it is time to make the babies so no sleeping is required.

All caught up on my work and it's no longer balls to the wall crazy (for me), so lots and lots and lots of time to noodle about whatever. I hardly know where to start.

Wardrobe

I have got to make myself pants. I put one of my store bought pairs on last week and it immediately slipped under my belly and would not stay up unless I was sitting down, and even then it was dicey, so I got home and put them into the pile for donation. The other pair were worn for longer than I like to wear them for, because it was shark week and they would need to be washed anyway by the end, and they are no better than the pair that were donated. I wore black jeans on Thursday (and they also need to be washed now bc fucking shark week and my fucking uterus that can't hold onto its load for more than 45 fucking minutes) and planned to do laundry on the weekend to have the black pair back in rotation. HA! So I woke up yesterday and was like wtf am I gonna wear for pants, I have literally nothing. Except the pair of scuba knit leggings! that I hate! They are too tight on the legs! They are too big on the waist! They fall down a lot too! But I am CHOICELESS right now, so they are being worn. Pants are just such... UGH WHY.

Clothing in general! I got to work and was like WTF IS IN MY ARMPIT because SOMETHING was going on with my bra. It's my only bra. The other one is too wide and tall and digs in. This one really isn't the best one either, as I was able to pinch up about an inch of fabric in the top of each cup, but it least it sits underneath the way it's supposed to. Whhhyyyyyyyyy.

We had our monthly meeting last week, and even though I am not really part of that role anymore one of the things we covered was dress code. Our dress code is somewhat lax in that it's not full of dos and donts, but it does have some stipulations like being professional and presentable because... we are the first people many visitors and staffers see. They want us to be ourselves and dress in a way that reflects us as people, but also in a modern office. It's really complicated esp for gender non-conforming people who aren't built for RTW ;)

Alright that was a tangent. I need pants. I need shirts to go with the pants. Wardrobe. Yes.

Tudor Summer

Not that this is a formalized thing or anything. Like I said before, I randomly decided 2 years ago that Tudor summer needed to happen, and then would go around singing "it's a tu- tudor summer" to the tune of Cruel Summer bc that's how my brain works. And then for whatever reason I got into German images of the same time period and the rest they say is history.

I mean, probably because, while I don't have access to it anymore, I have seen the family tree that puts both sides of my family in Germany going way way way waaaaaay back, so it's reasonable to assume that they were there at the time.

Anyway, it's a fun look, and not English Tudor. My QPP and her husband recently joined the SCA with an English Tudor lens, so we'll at least be similar in style if we end up catching up this summer. Plus its just a good excuse to work on stuff that excites me (my therapist would be proud).

Rules: Make something from the Tudor period (1485-1603) in any area of the world. Inspired by, grow your own flax and weave it, whatever floats your boat. I'm doing semi historical because I'm like that, but really, make what you wanna make. Will rename if I find another name for this time period that's as catchy as It's a tu- tudor summer~

Yesterday I unpicked the three thread lengths I'd put into the hemd before my eye appointment, so it's at least detached. I plan to thread-draw the collar area off, leaving a couple of angled seams to deal with. I do think it would make a nice apron. seraphicmachine suggested drawn threadwork since the weave is already looser, and that does appear to be in use at the time. More research required. Torn between a Tudor apron (it would be a "normal" apron and not one of the ridiculous ones I saw on a painting that look like a really terrible pinafore) and an 18th c. pinner apron.

B&T released their pinner apron pattern, much excite! But between vacation and dental and car registration and taxes and birthday extravaganza weekend, I do not have the funds for it at this time. But i DO have Costume Close-Up and am confident about making my own pattern.

If I were a hemd that had been cut out and then carefully folded together and put aside, where would I be? I very clearly remember doing it, making sure the gussets etc were tucked inside the body pieces before putting it... somewhere. I found the leftover piece I cut from. I found other linens, including a length I had completely forgotten about. I have NO idea where I put the hemd. Granted I did not spend a significant amount of time looking, nor did anything sensible like actually MOVE things to make sure it wasn't there, but it wasn't in any of the places that seemed likely for it to have been. And it was nearly 2 years ago, so I've moved stuff around a couple times since then. Where... could it be?

I think tonight, before my roommate gets home and I cook dinner (we have a Hello Fresh meal kit so it won't take long) I will go down and look in EVERY easily accessible spot where I may have stuck it. I need to get a better system for this, especially if I end up moving (it's going to be when I move, really). The current system is not working!

Thinking I might get one of the other machines set up this weekend, just to try it out. I know I won't be able to part with any of them, so it'll be better to see how many of them work. Maybe I can move one of the pot motors from the later machines onto the National, the only reason I haven't tried it is because the electrics look dodgy AF!

I was off work last week for a stay-cation, and it was great. I actually felt rested for coming back to work. I did not plan my time, and I did not go anywhere (thought I might try to go visit some friends 3 hours away, but my budget is too tight to allow for gas money for that kind of trip). I read 2.25 books, handsewed an entire dress, finished up the plaid skirt, and planted my garden (no thanks to the weather; it snowed last Tuesday).

Tudor Summer

I cut out the linen for a smocked hemd, and handsewed an entire underdress from brown wool with linen thread. It is THE most BORING colour EVER but it was a delight to sew. I pulled threads to cut the skirt panels, and it was quite off-grain. Can't really tell now that it's attached to the bodice. I maybe made it too tight, but I was counting on the linen lining and wool stretching with wear. I haven't started the hemd yet, mostly bc I can't decide if I want to handsew it or machine the long bits, and bc I haven't finished the shifts I was sewing last year.

I haven't made a decision about an overdress. I don't think I have enough wool-anything to make one. I have 3m of teal which I want to keep for the PERFECT project, something I will wear lots bc its so beautiful, and 2m of dark olive green which isn't enough for anything substantial (and I was kind of planning to turn it into a teens-era skirt).

But the underdress is done, and it's swishy, and I love it.

Other Sewing

I didn't spend as much time in the sewing room as I could have. Looking back on the week, I'm not sure what I did lol. But I tried the table trick for my plaid skirt (stand next to a table and pin the table level around or just below the hip line, then measure off your skirt length that way), got it all marked properly, and then hemmed it AND set some closures. I thought I might get to shirtwaists, but aside from trying on an old one that I somehow cut too small? I didn't get back to that.

Garden

I lost a bunch of my seedlings since my last update, all of the pumpkins and 4 of the 6 zucchinis. The basil didn't come back after being replanted, and the catnip got sprinkled into one of the planters where it seems to be doing ok? I have some mint-looking sprouts coming up. Nearly all, if not all, of the peppers are doing great, though.

As i mentioned, it snowed last Tuesday (very common in this area) and it lingered for a day, plus the outside temperatures were very cold for a couple more days. Too cold to plant the rest of the babies. On Sunday, finally, it was decent enough and I said that's it, time to plant. It was right after the last pumpkin perished, and one zucchini wasn't looking too great. I had enough leftover pots from the homeowner's daughter that I was able to plant everything with what I had.

I was gonna dig up more of the front garden, but then the neighbour and I got talking, and she offered to do it for me. So I took her up on it lol. I will bring her something nice as a thank-you and/or pay her.

Books

I HAVE LOTS TO SAY ABOUT MY BOOKS. That's why I've put it here at the end, because I'm going to cut this before it gets any longer lol. After watching Shadow and Bone on Netflix, I jumped into the Six of Crows duology bc it was already on my to-read list. ( So many feeeeeeeelings )