I've been busy...

I have been extremely neglectful in posting so far...it seems like all I've accomplished is the first HSF challenge.

This winter, I've been helping two friends prepare for their weddings - the first, was a historically-inspired Regency wedding, the second, an outdoor wedding.

For the first, the bride wore a white muslin dress, with a silver silk overdress that had white silk feathers applied on top, then each feather was outlined and traced with silver seed beads.

The second bride created her own wedding dress, but used tambour embroidery on the outer panels (so I learned how to tambour and how to smock this winter!).

In addition, to the wedding dress creations, I have been working on gifts for each of the brides.

The first (Regency Wedding) received a set of pockets.  Embroidered with Caron Impressions wool-silk blend (from Nordic Needle), and inspired by existing pockets from the 18th century.

The ribbon tape forming the waistband was also done by hand using a box loom, with linen-cotton thread.

Detail shot of one of the birds:

January Crafting ADD

So January tends to be a good place to start new goals for a new year.  The big goal for me is to enhance my Regency wardrobe and to build a better silhouette for New France.  The other goal is to make it through the year without adding substantially to the stash - I tend to be an opportunistic shopper, who recognizes that I may never find wool again at that price...and then buys it for safekeeping.

To give you an idea about the full range of my crafting ADD, here's my plan for Friday.  I have to take a vacation day tomorrow, because I'm getting a new furnace installed.  So, I've moved the following projects upstairs to work on so I don't get bored:

• Some pink yarn for a baby afghan
• my newly started embroidered baby quilt kit.
• my box loom with threads so I can make a shoelace sized string for a super secret project.  Trying to figure out if I should bring more thread upstairs in case I want to make a waistband too.
• the embroidery for the above mentioned super secret project
• new embroidery (wool on linen!) for another super secret project
• the wool backing for a third super secret project to cut out into squares
• A linen curtain rescued from the thrift store to make into aprons (HSF 2014 challenge #1 - make do / make new!)
• two cotton fischus (also from a curtain) that have needed a rolled hem for ages
• lucet - in case there's time to make cording.

Seriously.  This is how I function most of the time.

I also want to make an easy wool skirt before February for the winter festival, as well as another wool short gown.  I think I've talked a friend into dressing up for an evening, and need to make sure we both can stay toasty warm.

But one thing at a time, right?  We'll see where the day takes me...