MLS Designs

Boy have I been feeling crap today, this cold really is a stinker :( But anyway, here are the photos from Sunday, I don't have many and they're not great, but ( here they are )
I'm so very glad I'm not working tomorrow, I feel so awful right now I don't even think I'll manage to get any sewing done :( But hopefully lie in and a nice early night will make a difference.

I have a cold. I feel like pooh :'( I just hope I'm still alive tomorrow for the dance, (must remember to fill my reticule with tissues) but the way I feel it doesn't seem likely! I did manage to finish my apron though, in between naps. Then I struggled and struggled with the loops for my Apollo knot. I wanted to make a 5 braid loop, and after 3 tries with different types of hair I gave up. Then I wanted to make smooth loops with a backing, the way I think they made them for The Young Victoria (you can see the white backing inside the loops of her brown hair) but that didn't work either, I think because I started with too thick a backing and tried to glue the hair to it. Also, feeling crap does not make you very patient does it! So then I made the loops the way I did before, with copious amounts of setting lotion and wrapped around a clothes rail pole! While writing this I had a sudden though, maybe I can glue something to the insides of the loops? Instead of glueing the hair to a support, glue a support to the hair? Now to think of what to use as the support ... hmmm. Anyway, not now, now I'm going to go to bed to try and get well!

But the wrong kind of busy! Housework and baking (choc chip cookies this time!) took the morning up (as well as messing about on line for too long, I must be honest!) then the afternoon I spent at my dancing friends' house, only getting home in the evening, and they didn't go till nearly 8. So once supper was made and eaten I didn't have time for much sewing, I only managed to finish the under sleeves and tack them into the dress, but at least the dress is now done, so tomorrow I WILL get the petticoat done, then it's onto the ruffly hoops. If I don't get that far I will be very very cross with myself!!

I do love the half term holidays!!!
Emmy has been poorly, so we went to the vet first thing this morning - she has a temperature, so antibiotics and she's doing much better.
Then it was time to sew, did a bit more on my rouleaux, but not much because I'm watching Our Mutual Friend and had to keep looking at the hairstyles or dresses Bella Wilfa wears :)
After lunch Gemma came and we went shopping! I got lots of orange flowers to trim an summery bonnet or hat for the Victorian festival, and to wear in my crazy hair with the 1820s dress. Then we wennt to the cinema and home for supper - tagliatelle with hot-smoked salmon and french beans in a cream sauce, yum yum YUM!! Gemma and I were bad and ate it on our knees while we watched Glee ;) I do love that show!!
I must really crack on with the rouleaux tomorrow though, I need to get this dress done so I can work on my outfit for the Baroque ball.

I hate rouleaux!!
I've finished sewing the cartridge pleats in the skirt to the waistband, and the padded hem is all finished, except I think it may look better with a rouleaux as well, we'll see when the zigzag is done. It's this zigzag that's made me hate rouleaux after all!!
Nah, it's not that bad, but boy is it taking AGES! I like the look of it though :)
I think I might start the cardinal cloak tomorrow, I'll just be brave and jump right in ... I thi

I din't get much sewing done today, did a little on my break at lunch - finishing the waistband and running the channel for the drawstring. Then I did a bit more while I waited for it to be time to set up for the year 13 play this evening, they did a performance at 5 and again at 7, only half an hour each, so I was home by 8, in time to check my emails and change into my PJs so I could slob out in front of Glee :o) While slobbing I did manage to sew a little - the skirt seams are now all sewn, so tomorrow at work I'll hopefully get the skirt sewn to the waistband, or at least get a good start. Then the next job I think will be padding the hem, I'm planning to use a bias strip, sewn onto the inside of the hem and flipped to the outside, like a reverse facing, stuff that with wadding and slip stitch it down. I didn't cut the skirt long enough to turn up, and this way hopefully it'll be nice and smooth, since it's a curved hem.

I didn't get much done today, but then, I didn't think I would! The waist band is sewn on and pressed, I need to sew some cotton tape on to line it, then I can fit the skirt. I' planning to pin the skirt seams and pin it to the waistband to do a fitting before I sew anything, at the moment the skirt is just 2 trapezoids without curves for the hem or waistline, I want to see where they need to be, since I messed this step up with the petticoat!
I did do some baking today, I thought I might :p I made a batch of vanilla cake and split it in two, I added candied strawberries and chopped white chocolate to one half and fresh pairs and a streusel topping to the other.

The strawberry cake is on the left with melted chocolate and more strawberries on top, the pear cake has lemon icing drizzled over. The chocolate should have been a drizzle too, but the bag I was using as a piping bag burst and I got chocolate everywhere!!!

Um, I got distracted today :D I wanted a reticule and asked Clare to paint me a lozenge to go on it, I was working on my 1820s bodice - the sleeves are set in and I'm half way through sewing the waistband on - while she was painting a picture of the puppy for me. As soon as she finished I HAD to use it! So now I have the embroidery for my new reticule all done ready to be made up!!

The Puppy had a hair cut today, so she was looking at her absolute best when we took the photos for Clare to work from. The little spangles are gold, and the big ones silver, although it's quite hard to tell in the photos!!! The points will all have a tassel, and I'll use the same thread to make the drawstrings.

I came home from work early, so after I'd walked the dog, had lunch and done a load of laundry, I finished sewing the rouleaux onto my bodice. Then I decided that a change can be as good as a rest, so I got out the sari for Clare's new Regency ball gown for the Valentine's day ball. I had to mockup the front because I only had a pattern for a gathered front gown and I wanted it to be darted with a V neckine. And somehow when I was putting the bodice together I managed to sew one of the backs in sideways!! But I managed to fix it without having to undo it (which I so did not want to do as it would have meant undoing the neckline binding as well) The sleeves I removed from the sari top worked really well as straight fitted sleeves, with just a little alteration to the sleeve head, so they were really quick. Now all I have to do is sew the skirt on, (it's gathered and pinned on already, but I've decided it's probably time I turned in if I have work tomorrow!) and hem down the binding round the neck and add a couple of hooks and bars. I have some narrow gold lace I might put at the neckline, but I think I'll see how it looks altogether before I decide. I'm amazed at how quickly I can churn things out when I put my mind to it :) It's not the prettiest of sewing jobs on the inside, and it's mostly machined - the only hand sewing is still to do - but still :)
I need to be as productive with my sewing now though! I suppose it's my own fault for hand sewing the whole thing, but the 1820s dress and the sacque back are both going much more slowly! I also want to make my cardinal cloak soon, for the Valentine's ball if I can, so I really need to get on, but I have work tomorrow, all day, and again on Thursday morning :( Thank heavens for half term!!

As predicted my house work took all morning :) But I did get a lot done, and I had the time and the inclination to bake as well, I made vanilla-toffee cupcakes with dulce de leche filling and butterscotch frosting. They are sooooo yummy! I don't think I can bear to share them at dancing tonight!!
After lunch I sat down to work on my rouleaux. They're all put together and pinned to the bodice. I don't know why I bothered to pin them before I put it on, since we had to move all of them once I was wearing it! Anyway, they're all positioned ready to sew in place tomorrow on my breaks. Do you want to see?! ( Then you know what to do!! )
I was planning to get the sleeves mocked up, or sew the skirt together, but I sat down and now it's an hour and a half later and it's nearly time to go to dancing :)