Category: creativity

Ren Faire costume, last update

So!  We went to the Tennessee Renaissance Fair a few weeks ago, and I have forgotten to post pictures until now.  It was astonishingly and refreshingly cool the weekend that we went, which meant that I got to wear my cloak without getting hot.  I meant to take more pictures, but it was a lot more crowded this year than last year and I tend to get overwhelmed in crowds, so mainly just didn’t want to add an extra “thing” (taking pictures).  Not a good excuse, but whatever.  Most of these pictures below were taken right before we left, actually (except this one, which was taken at Castle Gwynn).

renfaire

So!  Here is the costume.  I made the skirt out of sheets from Southern Thrift.  I made the brown dress part from a size 4XL dress I found, also at Southern Thrift; I cut it down the middle, hemmed both sides, added eyelets to the top, and took in the sides.  I made the cloak last year, of course.  I made the waist cincher from a roll of leather…cut my pieces, added eyelets, and then found a book of renaissance designs on archive.gov, printed one out, and traced it onto the leather.  I ended up stitching MOST of it, and then adding some gold highlights.  Also threw together a quick belt made of the same leather, for carrying around my pouch (made from deer skin leather), and the dagger and mug that I bought on-site.

renfaire detailrenfaire full tworenfaire full

SO!  I thought it turned out really well!!  And I would really like to be able to wear this in public without going to LARPing events.  Maybe we should start taking road trips to ren faires in nearby cities.  I hear Atlanta has a pretty great one, actually…..

So it’s been a different week so far!  My dear boyfriend is out of town for who knows how long…maybe another week, I’m not even sure.

Anyway, no matter.  I have been focusing on three things this week so far: working out, Skyrim, and Leatherings.  Have been doing cardio so far this week and as always (always) it’s making me feel better.  I’ve been playing a bunch of Skyrim too, but that’s normal.  Mostly, I’ve been working on leather projects.  I made and listed a bunch of small items over the last few days, and my shop is looking fantastic if I do say so myself!  I don’t expect all you who read this blog to check my Etsy shop regularly (hell, I can’t afford most of the purses that I make and list) — so here’s a screen shot.

screen shot

Pretty!!!  😀

I’ve already sold one of the wallets (the oak leaf one on the top – and made the one that’s up now yesterday).  This morning I got a message from someone asking if she could buy some of these wallets in bulk, so that’s a good thing too.  (I told her it would depend on how many she wanted and how quickly she needed them…I am completely out of snaps right now….)  I also have two custom orders that I’m making…waiting on some hardware (buckles and stuff) to deliver before I can finish them.  Really ought to get everything all prepped for them tonight, though, so I can get them out of here as soon as I do get the hardware……

Anyway – totally gratifying, and I’m glad I took everyone’s advice and finally opened an Etsy shop.

Renaissance Fair plans

OK guys, I’m sort of a dork.  I realize and embrace this fact, and in the interest of caring less about what people think of me and more about doing things that make me happy, I am making myself a cloak to wear to this year’s Ren Fair.  Which starts in a couple of weeks.

I just found a pattern online and downloaded it.  Next, I need to acquire seven yards of fabric to make this.  JoAnn’s has a 50% off fabric coupon which I will be using, unless I find one that is on sale and cheaper without the coupon.  I’m wanting to do a very light-weight fabric…probably a cotton or linen.  It’s going to be white.  I am already excited.

The reason I want to dress up for this at all is because the last time I went, I wore regular clothes and was SO jealous of all the people in their beautiful costumes.  So THIS time, I’m not going to feel left out.

Here’s a drawing of the cloak ——

cloak

So just imagine this in white, with a white cotton dress underneath.  I’ve wanted to wear my brown cloak to the Ren Fair before, but it’s too heavy since the fair is always in May.  I figure a nice light white one will actually help though – with keeping my skin from being sunburned, and reflecting the sun (etc etc).

OK, will stop going on about this now.  Will also post updates…….  😀

anxious!

Naw, not actually anxious.  Just wishing to be home, rather than at work – although, come to think of it, if I didn’t feel that way it would likely be cause for some alarm.

Feeling quite significantly better than I was this time yesterday; I won’t go into details except to say that I don’t know how people don’t write.  If I didn’t write, my brain would be a huge jumbled mess that I would never want to tackle because of the backlog of unresolved, unanalyzed, and ignored problems.  Writing is the thing I do to understand myself; how do people who don’t write understand their motives and impulses and feelings?  Oh well – at any rate, wrote a bunch yesterday and feel better today.  Also got some work done on my quilt yesterday, after cleaning the kitchen and making homemade pizza, so it was a good evening.

I’ve been thinking about delving into oil pastels or watercolors again.  Or both?  I haven’t really mixed mediums before (except for watercolors and acrylics and I was never any good at that at all).  Didn’t last night because the quilt was just right there, asking for me to work on it (plus I put on How I Met Your Mother and that show isn’t particularly conducive to artistic creativity).  But anyway.  I may go home today and watch Babette’s Feast or a Wes Anderson movie, and do some oil pastel-ing.  Wonder if I have any blank canvases.  Hm.