A weekend of backward progress.

You ever have one of those moments (weekends) where your brain just doesn't engage?  Yeah.  That's what happened here.  I spent two days very carefully smoothing and covering my chopines.  They looked really good.  Then I put the leather soles on them and had a giant DUH! moment.  I was supposed to do that earlier and fill the overhang with putty (since my wood wasn't quite wide enough at one point) and sand the edges to shape so that my rather rectangular timber became more foot shaped.  I knew that that needed to happen, and yet there was some sort of disconnect.  So, the envelope had to be cut and peeled off.

In similar news, I cut my partlet out and gave it generous seam allowances.  Not generous enough.  Since the fabric is being gathered and ruched, the whole shape was off.  This time I'll be smarter and gather and ruch the fabric and THEN cut the pieces out.  As I said, total brain disconnect.

That was apparently a good thing yesterday though.  I suited up in armor and had my first go at heavy fighting.  I LOVE IT!  Seriously as fun as fabric shopping.  And that is saying a lot from me the crazy fabric hoarder.  I'm still giggling and smiling like a mad woman.  I had so much fun.  My instructor said I might have a back ache from the weight of the armor, but its nothing compared to hauling my kids and their stuff around.  I feel fabulous.  I'm now having a really hard time focusing.  I want to start building armor rather badly, but I need to finish the dress.  I did buy a basket hilt online last night to start making my sword.  I just couldn't wait.  The deal is that I'm not allowed to start it until the hem of the skirt is finished and the partlet and chopines complete.  I'm sanding the chopines to shape this morning, just as soon as I finish the project my kids and I are doing. 

That would involve the "still" on my stove-top pictured above.  We're making rosewater and then going to make more beads with the leftover petals.  Should be a fun project for a rainy day.