Well first, Donna progress:
I’ve gotten quite a bit done on the lower half since my last update. The upper left side is almost done. I’m hoping that by the end of the week all of that section can be finished and I can focus on the lower “big triangle” bit.
On the original, I’m like 99.9% certain all of this beading was done on organza and it’s an outer layer of the black dress itself. In some of my screencaps it looks like part of those “big triangle” sections are slightly sheer (so maybe ONLY black organza there?) and you can see-through to the gold slip/underskirt. Since I opted to do the beading directly onto the dress, I’m not sure how to handle that part. Do I even want to attempt something? I could do a black organza/gold fabric applique in those areas but… I dunno.
See what I mean?
There’s the gold slip/underskirt:
I think I’ll experiment with the applique idea. Not super excited about that, since this fabric is so picky and if I have to undo anything it shows. But I think that may be the only way it looks right.
Also not excited about having to do like 5 million little embroidered triangles all the way around them. The embroidered triangles are my least favourite thing to do on the whole dress so far.
ANYWAY…. I’ve been a ball of anxiety the past week or so because I had JURY DUTY starting yesterday. I was anxious about having to drive downtown. I was anxious about the parking situation (there is literally no parking for our courthouses. You have to pay for a parking garage or lot and walk – so after gas and parking? goodbye $11 pay jury duty paycheck). I was anxious about having to walk around downtown. I was anxious about having to deal with a bunch of strangers. I was anxious about getting seated on a jury, obviously. Because I really really really don’t want to be on a jury, ever.
Traffic ended up being really light (I left really early) so I got there way earlier than expected. Like 50 minutes early. Chase drove me down and showed me the parking garage Sunday so I knew where I was going. (I’m still a little anxious about driving the new car. Especially somewhere I’m not familiar with.) Parked and walked the 3 blocks to the place. Found a seat in the very back corner where I hoped no one would come near me. (No luck there, ended up surrounded by people standing over me)
After orientation they said they had a request for a jury for a criminal case already. I was one of the 30 or so names called for that, so at first I was happy, but they said if we got excused today we would probably be put back in the jury pool as it was still early. Boo!
They led us over the court house, we went through security and were deposited in a freezing cold lobby to wait to get called into the courtroom. The chairs were metal and seemed to have a air conditioner all their own… it was SO cold and I was wearing jeans, boots, and a hoodie!
We ended up sitting in that lobby until 12:30 when a bailiff came and told us we had 45 minutes for lunch. 45 minutes for lunch isn’t very long when you are not familiar with downtown and have no idea where to go to get food. I’m glad Chase packed me a lunch. I would have just stayed in the room and ate there, but it was so cold I went outside. Right next door is my friend’s church, so I went and sat on the front stairs of it and ate my sandwich like a poor little orphan child and hoped no one would run me off.
Went back in and they called us into the courtroom right after 1:15. The judge introduced himself, explained the procedures and the case. He called up 20 jurors out of our little pool of around 30. I was not one of them (whew). We still had to sit and listen to the interview questions he posed to the jurors, and to the lawyers as well. That took a long time and I eventually began to feel really icky. I think my blood pressure sky-rocketed, and then I crashed, I felt sick to my stomach and shaky, hot and then got really, really, really sleepy. I could not keep my eyes open. Thankfully the benches we were on were SUPER uncomfortable, so I couldn’t find a position in which I could fall asleep LOL.
They started weeding out the jurors they didn’t want. When they got done, they still had enough and the 10 of us still waiting in the wings were told to see the deputy outside for our next assignment. The deputy gathered us around and said, “I’m going to burst your bubble. You’re all done for the next 10 years. Get out of here!” And we all laughed and cheered, and he had to shush us because we were still right outside the courtroom doors, haha!
So I made my escape, got home a little after 4:30 and absolutely crashed on the couch, with Luna curled up next to me. Had a massive migraine by the time I woke up an hour later, took some medicine. I’m still feeling kinda awful today but at least I’m not having to drive back down there and go through all this again, thank GOD.
So plans for this weekend… first off, gotta get my sewing room clean. As we’ve been going through all the estate sale stuff for Mama Gin, I’ve inherited all of the sewing and quilting items. The sewing items don’t take up much room… but the quilting? Not only did I get supplies, but I inherited two generations worth of unfinished projects (from my great-grandmother and grandmother). At the moment all of that is just laying in a pile in my sewing room. I have a storage trunk in the living room I need to clean out and I’m hoping most of it can go in there. I think it would be neat to finish one of their projects.
What else did I inherit recently? The other big thing was a tiny vanity. Tiny as in, it was made for a child – but my great grandfather made it. It’s in rough shape, but I think cleaned up it would look beautiful and really be a family heirloom. I don’t have room for it anywhere right now but maybe on down the road.
Also got a jewelry box of my grandmother’s that I intend to store beads and things in.
Oh, HEY! I do have one more picture to share. I got two wigs last week — got my work bonus so it was immediately spent, haha.
It’s an Arda “Glinda” in Spanish Brown for one of my costumes I haven’t mentioned yet but I guess is happening now because I have most everything I need for it except some belt-marking accessories. And an Arda “Natasha” in Natural Black for Janet Snakehole. I also got a pair of clip on bangs in copper for Donna! It makes my bangs look so much fuller! It doesn’t match my hair exactly… at the moment, but my hair’s a little faded so when I get the colour punched up before Dragoncon hopefully it’ll look closer.
Long post is long.