Musings of a Lady

Monday, October 10, 2011

UFO's and counting...

Unfinished Objects are the bain of the creative person's existence.  Real life distracts our creative spirits with mundane tasks that, yes, keep our economic lives stable but can really distract and waylay any project in the 'fun' category.  So, to catalog my UFO's is to identify them and then decide what to do with them.  Do, I continue with them - make the time?  Do they fit in my 'historical costume' needs any more?  If I don't continue with them what do I do with them?  Where to start?  Oh, the knitted mitts.  Remember those?

http://lachatelainechocolat.blogspot.com/2010/04/knitting-mitts-phew-got-it-started.html

Well, it is much further along than this but only one mitt and I am at the point where I have to decrease to mold the shape to the wrist before moving on to the part that covers the hand.  So, this could be a keeper in that it would be good to do while watching my NetFlix DVD's for down time.  Perhaps I will keep this one.

Now there is the unfinished petticoat I started - you know the corded one.  http://lachatelainechocolat.blogspot.com/2010/11/corded-petticoat-under-way.html  Interestingly enough I found another petticoat that I started years ago to cord.  It is too small now and I was totally doing it the wrong way.  I was making individual channels to run cords through one by one.  Luckily, I didn't try to finish that one as it would have been a disaster since a friend of mind said that the petticoat will collapse at the seam where all the cords meet.  It is best to spiral the cord around creating channels as you go with the cord sandwiched inbetween the layers of cotton.  Both ways are tedious to do but the spiral method is a lot better and easier.  I do need a corded petticoat for my Victorian to wear to Dicken's Faire this winter so, I will need to set up a couple of sewing sessions to get that done.    Next?

The Victorian Corset I started this summer.  Well it is done but all it needs is the grommets to lace it up.  Yes, it has been sitting in its bag for almost 3 months waiting to be holed.  Yes, I know but life got in the way and it was a low priority as I was going no where in Victorians in the last few months.  But with the winter faires coming up.  Its time to make that trip to Lacis and get the corset ready for lacing up.    Here is the link to that post:  http://lachatelainechocolat.blogspot.com/2011/07/le-modiste-summer-of-underwear.html

The Tudor corset in that post got done but it doesn't have a busk for the front.  The busks that are out there for sale are too long for my body so I have to make one ergo why the delay in finishing it.  Sigh.  Any suggestions for a busks, my fellow costumers?  Someone said to pick up one of those free paint sticks at Home Depot.  I did, now what?  Suggestions please.

Oh, the Pierrot jacket - totally unfinished.  http://lachatelainechocolat.blogspot.com/2011/07/le-modiste-finishing-up-pierrot.html 





This has no deadline but I would like to get it done.  The biggest thing holding me back on this one is the trim.  Finding a fine fringe like the original example in the Kyoto collection is hard.  Most upholstery fringe is too heavy and not at all appropriate. I don't want to do lace - a viable option but I am not big on lace.  I really love the tailored but elegant look of the original and want to stay with that.  Any suggestions for sources for said fringe?  See my old post and you can see the example I mean.

I do have a couple of Art Deco dresses in the works.  One just needs sleeves put on.  So ridiculous that just the simple act of putting on a set of sleeves and doing the hem would finish it and yet it remains undone?  I think I need to just own the fact that I have to have the pressure of a deadline - an event to get stuff done.  I don't like that.  I really hate scrambling to make something for an event and yet that is where I tend to be the most productive.  Are any of you like that?  Am I alone?  Sigh?

What is on your UFO list?  Cheers!


2 comments:

Rowenna said...

I know all too well the UFO pile--I have a 1940s dress that's been cut out since...ummm...May, perhaps? But I was finally a good girl and wrapped up the other lingering projects--and the mending--clogging my sewing room. Oh, mending. Mending is the worst UFO of them all--should take such a short amount of time, but I just keep putting it off!

I can't wait to see your Victorian corset--the embroidered flowers are so sweet!

And thank goodness for Netflix--most of my sewing lately has been with episodes of Mad Men running in the background :)

Angela said...

Oh adore Netflix! I can watch videos and not have to store them. I am a video in the background sewer and crafter as well. I just carved out a permanent space for sewing and art so I hope the UFO's will be reduced to nil soon. Happy sewing! ag