the horrors persist, but so do i

Whelp.

Remember how last week I talked about my dressform breaking? Well, it broke AGAIN. I was readjusting the waist measurements and the entire interior waist components popped off. Ugh. Guess a new form is what I’m spending my christmas money on — though apparently they dont make the burgundy one anymore? I’m going to have to get the beige one and hope it works ok without the wheels.

But that’s not at all!
Remember how I said we woke up to a burning smell last monday? Well we called our HVAC company to come out and look at it after the fire department cleared us. And it was indeed related to the HVAC unit in the sewing room (we have 2 – one smaller one for the sewing room and the big one for the rest of the house). But after inspection they told us not one but BOTH need to be replaced.
TBH not surprised, we knew it was coming eventually because they are original to the house and over 30 years old. The tech said they were the second oldest he’s ever seen still running.
What did shock us was the price tag. Especially once we signed up for financing and the price tag nearly doubled. It’s almost what I make in a year.

So we figured it’s only going to get more expensive so might as well go ahead, rip the bandaid off, and not take the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning or it going out in the middle of a freeze or dead of summer. Just sucks being an adult sometimes. They’re here right now working on it, making a lot of noise LOL

But that’s not all!
Friday our dryer went out. Chase thinks he can fix it. Fingers crossed because we don’t need another expense right now.

So let’s move on to less frustrating things.

Finished up Belle and sent her off. Didn’t take any pics because it doesn’t look any different from the front LOL.

Did a little more decorating.

Put up lights outside and absolutely exhausted ourselves yesterday LOL But earlier this year Chase went to a yard sale and found 2 big storage totes full of christmas lights and bought them for $2. It was a TON of lights! We put half of them, don’t even have anywhere for the rest at the moment. I do plan to put a few more up next weekend, but had to stop and rest yesterday. Also still got another inflatable to put up.

Since Belle was out of the way, I got started on honeymoon Leia finally.


Cotton mock-up of the bodice. I know it’s kinda hard to tell what’s going on since it blends into my white duct tape dummy.

Mock-up didn’t need much altering – just taking up at the upper bust. Got the real fabric cut out using these as a pattern, but don’t have pics of that yet.


Skirt panels next!

I wouldn’t have done a “mock-up” of the skirt except I did want to test out the pieces I made for the “waist drape” section against the skirt panels, and since I wanted to full line the skirt anyway, I went ahead with the cotton mock-up that will be the lining. Here’s everything together including the waist drape.

Also got the real fabric for the skirt panels cut out and sewn together too. I was at the point of attaching the lining to the bigger piece last night when I realized I sewed one of the lining layer skirt panels on backwards. I took it off and I’ll reattach it tonight and finish getting the lining layer pinned on.

Again I have no pics of the “real fabric” part of this yet because it’s nothing to look at. I’ll take some tonight.

I was really hoping to get to the dyeing part of this over the weekend but I didn’t. I need to pattern the collar first so I can get that cut and ready for the dye.


That’s really kinda it. We had to clean up the house and clear out the attic space for the HVAC install today, so that kept us busy. And my sewing room is now a disaster area because all the attic stuff is in it.


I am sooooo ready for a 5 day break this weekend. Only have to work today and tomorrow. And then vacation 22 days away! I’m only working 12 days in December, not bad LOL