Didn't finish the jacket, but I sure had fun teaching

Photo by Jeri Foster

I swear my hair looked loads better at 5:30 AM when I styled it (this was 12 hours later.)  I followed that up by driving an hour and a half in a corset in a small car that I had to angle in and out of and it got pretty messy.  I had serious fun though.  My classes on 16th century subjects weren't all that well attended, but we had some great conversations as a result.  There were just too darn many great classes on the schedule all at the same time (not to mention Laurel and Pelican circles during 2 of them.)  That's certainly nothing to complain about.  The class list for this Collegium was varied and exceptional.  I got to take some classes on scroll layout, A Walking tour 16th Century London, and designing blackwork patterns.  There were several others that I didn't get to take that I'm sad about.  Wool shoes, olive curing, medieval history of slight of hand. . . the list continues.  Many of my friends took classes in the youth track because those classes were so good looking.  There was bobbin lace for kids, sweets and treats, board games and quite a few others that I wouldn't have minded sitting in on.  I really hope my stick pony and pinwheel class I'm planning for our Province's Toys for Tots event this Saturday is as well received by all ages.

I also go to take home two helmets to play with.  I need to get off my butt and finish my armor.  Collegiums and other academic gatherings are more my comfort zone, but I promised myself I'd give fighting a try and I'm excited by the prospect.

I'm doing another super busy week, prepping activities for the event this weekend so I'm afraid I'll be doing very little sewing on the jacket.  I also need to fix the issues found in the brown dress after wearing it for Collegium (and do eyelets rather than the temporary lacing rings I put on,) but I'll have some other things to show off after the event happens and they go to their new homes.  Not to mention some links and notes for the classes I taught this week.

Cheesy trim + cheap fabric is shaping up to be a dress I adore

I still need to finish tacking the cartridge pleats for about half of the back of the skirt and do the lacing, but I'm closing in on finishing this sottana.  You'll notice I didn't end up using the bobbin lace.  I got it dyed a really fabulous teal blue.  I also dyed a yard of linen to match so I had some other fabric to make trim with.  It will have to wait for another project.  While I was waiting for the dye I was digging for something else and found 30 or so yards of this blue and gold metallic trim that I picked up for 10 cents a yard.  I got it for the price, obviously.  I thought it was a bit tacky-- which from me is saying something. 

I was worried that this brown dress would be a whole lot of plain.  I only had about 3 yards of bobbin lace in that pattern, which would have trimmed the bodice, but the skirt would be plain.  Wheels in my head started rolling and the fact that this is an underdress to be worn under a jacket where the bodice will be mostly obscured was a big factor in deciding to give the tacky trim a go.

As my motto is more is better and I had plenty of the trim, I just kept adding more.  It really worked.  One row was rather eh, but three looks good.  I still have about 16 yards of trim, so the plan is to be just as generous when I get to making the sleeves. I'm sure I'll have leftover and no ideas for what to do with it.  I am rather astonished at how much I like this dress.  The dark brown of the twill tones down the metallic of the trim and makes it look more opulent than tacky. The trim makes a plain brown cotton bottomweight I bought for $1.50 a yard look like something planned rather than a happy accident.  Putting it up against the silk, I think the whole outfit is going to look great.  Once again I'm breaking every rule with $40 a yard silk paired with clearance table materials.  Not sure how it happened that this seems to be working, but I'm doing a serious happy dance.