Thanks mom & dad!  I know just what to do with my new little pally!

Shall I give her a name?

We had some pretty foul weather on Wednesday - but the sunset afterwards was JUST BEAUTIFUL. The camera doesn't even do it justice! I learned later that a tornado touched down in Verona (we're on the edge of Verona).

 View from my balcony!

This amazed me. Ladies, can you imagine having your work decay?
THAT is dedication. So beautiful! 
I would also recommend checking out the Iceshifts.
http://www.nicoledextras.com/index.php?/garmentssummer/weedrobes-wardrobe/

I ran out of funding for this project, but there are still a few things I can work on without worrying about buying my crystals, feathers and netting. I finally just got the base completed for the upper bodice embellishment. I'll be using cord embroidery and crystals over the top...
I have plenty of cord, but I want to get the crystals sewn on first and embroider around them.  Cheers!

The documentary is here, check it out!  Thanks to venae_cavae  for pointing it out.  I had entirely missed it.  Here's a teaser and the rest of the screen shots are linked to my scrapbook below.  I'll post the crown shots a bit later.  Tired.  Cheers!














http://pics.livejournal.com/cleopatramwi/pic/0010grdf

http://pics.livejournal.com/cleopatramwi/pic/0010happ

http://pics.livejournal.com/cleopatramwi/pic/0010kyse

http://pics.livejournal.com/cleopatramwi/pic/0010pkkx (nice bodice shot, here)

http://pics.livejournal.com/cleopatramwi/pic/0010q6pq (the underside, OMG!)

http://pics.livejournal.com/cleopatramwi/pic/0010r2gx (clearer shot of the underside)

http://pics.livejournal.com/cleopatramwi/pic/0010sfze

It's nice to be moving on the more enjoyable aspects of the construction! Last night I put together the pleated overlay for the bodice. I'll be tacking this piece to the bodice by hand to get the pleats to curve properly, etc. I also went through my supply crates (!!) in search of Padme's bourdon cording, since I want to use it on the upper bodice for the embellishment. I found the cording at the bottom...it will need to be dyed, but I didn't have a single bottle in stock (really?) last night.

 







 

They aren't nice words. 

I finally got the basque all straightened out on Ms. Swan. What a pain in the backside. In spite of being cut on a bias, I still had to construct the thing out of 8 pieces to get it to fit right over my waist and hips. But, it fits! Onwards to fun things, like pleats and crystals!

 The basque is that small piece at the bottom that adds the straight (level) edge to the (curved) bodice.  It's always the innocuous looking pieces that are the most trouble.  Most of this part will be covered by pleating and feathers, but the structure is important.  

Yeah, okay. I got the basque into the bodice the other evening, but I am so not happy with it. I was pretty skeptical about the "one piece basque" construction and it appears that I was quite right to be so. At the end of the day, I am really not built like a ballerina. I am built like a woman who has, quite frankly, had a baby. Hips. I haz them.
So I'm going to can this "one piece basque" BS and do it my way. It will be covered by the pleated overlay, but I still want sound construction.

O Reilly's trousers, it is cold here...Cheers

I have the best costuming strategy ever....have several glasses of Malbec and then start cutting silk. Actually, I sewed the majority of the Mrs. Lovett skirt that way...it was the stripes, they made you crazy. Seriously.

Anyway, I cut the shell and interfacing and pinned all together and thought, gee, I thought I left tons of seam allowance for the boning...wtf? Then I counted my bodice pieces and realized I had 5 on one side and 4 on the other. Somehow I never cut bodice piece number 4 - or I did, I just cut one instead of two. *Fails at life*

Next up is the interfacing with boning channels and then lining. Here are some photos of the costume fitting extremely poorly on the dress form..I'm longer waisted than she is.

The image on the left includes the basque, while I haven't cut it from the silk yet.

I'm way too tired to work on the "Swan Physique" tonight.  I blame the wine...and last night's hill intervals.

Cheers.