karma’s a relaxing thought

Back back back again with some good updates. But first let’s talk drama!

Tuesday afternoon, I went out on the front porch to bring in some packages, and our neighbor’s cat Benny was out there. Benny and his brother come over often and hang out on our front porch and sometimes get treats, they are very friendly. Well Tuesday, Benny apparently decided he was done with the front porch and barreled his way inside with me as I was coming back in the kitchen door. I tried to push him back out with my leg to no avail, he ran into our dining room.

Of course I yelled, and ran to get the treat box to try to lure him back out, which is where I encountered Luna, who was already freaked out because I yelled (She’s the profanity police), she was puffed up and hissing at me already without even knowing another cat was in the house! She got my hand good, but I had to deal with her later, and I ran off to deal with Benny. I ran over to our front door, and as I turned around to try to get him to see the treats I had, I saw Luna had come in from the other direction and they’d seen each other. It was a stand off, puffed up, staring at each other. I remembered some cat expert saying “break the sight lines” so thankfully Chase had a big easel sitting there and I got that between them.

Then I threw more treats outside and Benny went out the door. Whew. I was so worried Luna would go out the door after him.

Just thank god there was no fight, but my hand was dripping my blood from Luna’s initial swat. Got it washed up. My adrenaline was PUMPING and Luna was still out of her mind. I had to just stay standing in the kitchen while she skulked around, still puffed up and doing that “low talking” growl meow. She finally calmed down enough when Chase got home just a minute later, but she’s been jumpy the rest of the week.

The scratch she gave me wasn’t very deep and never hurt. I did have to put bandaids over it to keep my embroidery from rubbing on it. The weirdest part is that it bruised – by Saturday the whole side of my hand had a big bruise around the area. She must have really slapped me LOL

I think we’re back to normal now. That could have been SO much worse than it was. Benny’s now on the “no treats” list for being a bad boy and sneaking in the house!

Padme progress – did not finish the embroidery in a week LOL I knew that was a crazy goal, but I’m probably at like 75% on the gold work. I’m really hoping to finish that part today and then start the green vines and fill-ins.

Chase and I both took Friday off. Went and got breakfast, ran our errands. Came home and both got to work. I REALLY dug into Morticia this weekend.

She’s got scoliosis just like her mama! Getting Morticia on and off this dressform was wreaking havoc on it LOL

Friday I finished getting the dress panels sewn together, got the sleeves assembled, and sewed the bodice lining layer in at the neckline. I also had to sit there and whip stitch all of the seam allowances down on the dress because that fabric is SO stiff, pressing wasn’t doing enough.

Saturday morning I decided the full bodice lining wasn’t working (it wasn’t matching up at the armholes in the back?? For some reason? They were both cut at the same time, same seam allowance, and I didn’t take the dress in, so I don’t know why the mis-match was happening. And it was really only happening in one side). I didn’t feel like continuing to mess with it, so I cut off the excess and just made it into a facing. Got the sleeves in, and then was stuck. I REALLY needed my zipper to actually put it all on and test the fit, but the zipper I ordered wasn’t coming til Sunday. Looked at Michael’s and they had one that would work in stock, so ran up there and got it. Got it installed, tried it all on, all was good so onto the insets.

Once I started pinning in the base of these insets (I did not do the lace panel on the insets. This dress is already stupid heavy so I didn’t see the need to add more weight in an area that wasn’t going to be seen) I realized I apparently didn’t make a pattern piece for side back. So now I didn’t have enough of the base fabric to do them all by just like, one panel size. I decided to nix the center front — which I think ended up looking better anyway? and that gave me enough fabric to cut the 2 more side backs.

All of the insets.

Here’s my fabric layers for the insets – this metallic chiffon with this spider-web lace over the top.

I spent that afternoon tattering and cauterizing the edges of the chiffon layer. I got them all finished up and all of the insets ready to sew in by dinner time Saturday, then I had to take a break from it because my whole back was so stiff and sore, when I’d stand up from working on it, I couldn’t stand up straight right away LOL

Luna thought it was snuggle time when I laid on the floor to stretch my back.

Sunday morning – insets are pinned on and ready to go:

My goal was to be DONE with Morticia by noon but that didn’t happen because we had to take a break to run errands. Wouldn’t have happened anyway because I did end up having to baste every inset in place before machine sewing, so it took longer than I expected.

All sewn in

Then I pinned on my horsehair trim on the edge of the hem and got that machine sewn on (was so worried I would have to baste it, but it went through the machine ok). Then flipped it to the wrong side and top-stitched it in place.

I apologized to Chase for what a pain-in-the-ass I’m going to be while wearing this.

I then spent about an hour going around the edge and tacking down the horsehair at the top edge, tacking the lace/chiffon into place on the insets, and tattering the edges of the lace.

All that’s left is to sew the lace on at the sleeves.

Other things I worked on this weekend — I took the silver waistband off the space girl skirt and decided to replace it with a black one. Hoping to finish that tonight and call that done. I also unpicked the lining layer of the Padme/Taylor Swift suit right under the armpit, and cut into the bias tape right there to release the tension that was causing it to roll under right at the armpits. I tried it on as best I could, and it seems to have worked, so now I’ll do it on the other side (and I’ll have to replace some sequins that came off in the process). The bigger problem I ran into was that we could not get it to zip. We probably could have keep fighting with it – neither of us could remember the process of zipping it from last year (do I hold it at the top while Chase zips it? or the bottom? Or am I holding the sides together while he zips? Or does he hold the sides and I zip?) It’s a very tight zip because it’s extremely fitted and the stretch it always fighting it. I decided I’d put in some lace-up panels in the back under the zipper and see if lacing it up first will hold it in place to make it easier to zip. Fingers crossed – my only other option is just removing the zipper all together (more work than I want) and turning it into a lace-up back entirely. Which would be kinda ugly, with having to work around the rhinestones.

So I was feeling really good about things last night now that Morticia is mostly done, until I made a to-do list in my head. OMG. I have so much left to do. Going to type it all out for posterity and update it next week:

Morticia:
-sew on sleeve lace
-style wig
-try everything on/see if I need the mermaid petticoat I bought? (I think it may not work with the dress ATP)
-practice make-up
-add beads (I bought some tiny dark red beads to scatter across the dress but I don’t know that I’ll have time.)

Rogue:
-style wig
-put new buckle on belt
-fix boots (heel cap came off)
-iron HTV logo on shirt

Space guys:
-make new waistband for skirt/get it attached
-find my boots (I think they’re in my dcon bin)
-style wig
-attach buckle to belt
-finish Chase’s pants
-make his shirt

Padme/Taylor Swift:
-let out other armpit area
-replace sequins
-put eyelets in new panels
-sew new panels in
-try on again
-fix curve of wig

-Belle ballgown:
-try on with corset and see if it works with the bodice and helps with skirt weight

Picnic Padme:
-finish gold embroidery
-do the color embroidery
-get fashion fabric layer sewn onto corset
-put closure on fashion fabric layer
-finish skirt waistband
-fix skirt hem
-dye underskirt
-finish underskirt (waistband/hem)
-assemble blouse
-elastic in blouse
-dye ribbons
-get ribbons attached to blouse
-mock-up capelet
-dye capelet fabric
-make capelet
-stitching at edge of capelet
-find wig (I think it’s in with the Padme/Taylor Swift stuff)
-style wig
-assemble headband/embroider roses

Oof. Can I do all this in 22 days? I’m going to have to really dig in. This week, my plan is embroidery during the day and then at night, focus on knocking out everything else I can, so the next 3 weekends I can really finish these major Padme things. Biggest thing hanging over my head is the blouse and capelet. I mean at least the blouse pieces are finished and embroidered, they just need to be sewn together, but if something goes wrong with it I’m toast LOL

Ok on to art corner.

First up, I did rework that red cape one from the comics from last week. Changed the shape of the upper part of the dress, moved the belt up, and drew on an entirely different skirt. Its kinda giving She-Ra with the gold boots and red cape, but I ain’t mad about that.

Really digging for ideas to round out this project here… found this white maternity outfit that was very similar to Padme’s Mustafar from more recent comics. Super simple.

From older comics, this Bespin variation with a black dress and red/orange vest. Couldn’t find any references from the hips down, so I made the vest shorter just to differentiate it from Bespin and also gave it a gradient.

And my fav of the week, this one I based on some concept art of just her head with gold band, high collared robe or jacket and cowl neck top. For the rest of it I took some inspo from Padme’s Loyalist Committee.

So that puts me at 71. I need 4 more to get to 75. Last night I dug around and I found a few more to do – that white and black jacket with the goggles from the more recent comics, a very retro looking white bodysuit outfit from the old comics, a red and purple outfit with some very Padme hair from the comics, and then I think I may throw in X-Wing pilot as 75. And then I’m calling it done, unless somebody can find me 5 more descriptions of book costumes to make it 80.