Peek a boo

My boys are helping me model the last couple of things.  My 4 year old is under the parasol.  I had thought about making one back in June and found a really great tutorial from Threads Magazine on recovering an umbrella and read up a little on parasol history.  Then I decided that I was probably too chicken to try doing one and just planned to purchase one.  Then I got nervous.  I freely admit that competition has seized me this last week or so and I've started to think about maybe winning this competition by sheer volume of stuff.  With other people working clear up to the deadline and making more and more items I couldn't just sit here today like I'd planned.  The knot in my stomach wouldn't let me.  So, I just started cutting and it was really easy.  Then I spent a few hours sewing on fringe.  I don't know if its apparent, but there are two layers of chainette fringe whipstitched to the edge and then a round of gold trim attached on top of that.  I added a couple of gold rings to the top just for fun.  I'm sort of thinking about adding a large pearl as a finial and then adding a few more along the ribs and in the center of the gold trim on each panel.  That's going to wait though.  It's dinner time and I really am done for sure.  Feeding the kids and sitting around this evening without a project and then going to bed.

Colin is going to help me show off the last thing.  Its another thing that needs more trim after the competition is over.  I intended to wear it open anyway, but I do want to eventually do the buttons and braid all the way down the front.  I concentrated on the shoulder treatment and I'm very pleased with it.  It doesn't look like much on my chair, but really looked great over the dress when I took pictures yesterday.

Just a couple more days and we'll know how this turns out and I'll post all the pictures.

In the mean time, I have a rug to make for a prize for a rapier tournament in a couple of weeks and need to start working on my Russian ensemble for the Artemisian Costuming Challenge.  It's been going on for a bit and I've been doing this.  By the time I get around to starting on it (hopefully Monday) I'll only have 4 months to do another complete outfit.  I guess at least I'm confident that its possible.