I can't believe it's been another month of the Italian Renaissance Costuming Challenge already! I had grand plans for progress this month but some things came up so I didn't have as much sewing time as I wanted. But I still did complete some things for this challenge.
My first goal for this segment of the challenge was to hand sew all of my eyelets. I actually did them at an event so they went pretty fast! And I got to talk to some of the other ladies about how I make my costumes so win win.
One of the things that put a bump in my sewing plans is the fact that our moving date got shifted from late September to mid August which is right at the end of this challenge. So in addition to extra moving related activities this month, I'll be loosing quite a bit of time at the end of the challenge too. So I decided to do a bit more machine sewing than originally planned. I did handsew together the panels of the skirt together but I assembled the facing and attached it by machine. The skirt is just two 60" widths of linen sewn together. I used the selvages as the edges so no need for any sort of seam finishing.
I ran one row of running stitch across the top of the skirt and gathered to make tiny cartridge pleats. Then I hand stitched the skirt to the bodice and hemmed the skirt to finish the dress.
So far, I'm very happy with how the dress is turning out. I still have to get a lacing for the bodice and make sleeves but so far it looks really nice.
I also finished my petticoat which needed a hem and a hook and eye closure at the waist. I'm very proud of the fact that I hand sewed this piece 100%. I don't do that very often, but when I have time, it is very fun.
Next up, I started my pocket from a bit of grey wool I had left over from another project. I love my pocket pattern because the pocket ends up being large enough to hold all of my mundane things like cell phone, keys and money.
I've sewn up most of the pocket by machine but will be hand applying trim once I decide on which trim I like best. I always have such a hard time deciding on trim options! It's too hard for me to visualize the finished project.
I also purchased the linen for my camica. I'm glad I ended up waiting because I got some on sale. Due to my new moving date, I'll probably do most of my camica by machine but I hope to have it and my pocket done before the next update.
I am absolutely loving the Illustrated Faith June Devotional kit! It is just so gorgeous plus the devotional is amazing. I wanted to share an entry I did reflecting on the friends in my life who have shaped who I am.
Growing up, I was painfully shy, a late bloomer and had a really hard time making friends. Add to that the fact that I (still) don't enjoy a lot of things that are universally popular and I like things that are not mainstream and you get a perfect recipe for a very lonely girl. But thanks to the internet which has let me meet people who are my own flavor of weird and growing up and learning how to communicate better, I now have some really awesome friends!
The inspiration for this page is from Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." The kit came with this cute little banner that gave my a color palette but I ended up not using it on this page. What God spoke to me in this verse was not about being grateful for my awesome friends (even though I am!) but that to be a good friend, I need to love at all times.
Being a good friend is hard. It takes a lot of time, effort and energy to build that relationship with someone and then be there for them. Jesus has to suffer and die just to be friends with us and that's the ultimate example of friendship. "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 That's probably why most of us have a small group of really good friends within our larger group of more casual friends.
The real purpose of friendship is not having someone to talk to or hang with or any other benefits I might get from it. The purpose of friendship is to be a blessing in someone else's life.
I can't believe it's been five months since I finished Konmari! Like I said in my wrap up video, I don't really miss anything. In fact, I can hardly remember most of what I got rid of. (Or where I would have stored it.) I'm really enjoying being a minimalist and I don't think I'll ever go back to being a mindless consumer.
In today's video, I'm talking a bit about how minimalism is going for me, whether or not I'll do another Konmari and what else is up next on my minimalism radar.
Books:
Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson
The More of Less by Joshua Becker
The Simple Year blog:
http://thesimpleyear.com/
Reusable shopping bag pattern and tutorial:
http://www.stitchedbycrystal.com/2011/09/tutorial-fat-quarter-reusable-grocery.html
It's time for a new unboxing video! I just got the June Illustrated Faith Devotional kit Blessings or Lessons and I'm so excited to see what's inside. I also decided to do a flip through of all of the pages from the May kit Lists By Faith so you can see what I've been creating in May. Enjoy!
This weekend was our monthly Adrian Empire event. The forecast was hot and humid with a good chance of rain so I dressed accordingly.
I decided to Italian-ify another of my English gowns. I've really been loving Italian garb, especially for this climate. My linen camica is just a dream to wear! The breeze goes right through it, leaving me nice and cool.
Not to mention that I find Italian looks effortlessly elegant while the English tend to look more prim and proper. I'm not sure why but it may have something to do with the lovely hair dos. Mine is still too short to do anything fancy but a snood and a hair piece make for a passable style.
And Italian jewelry is so pretty! I couldn't help but bling myself out a bit even though I was going for a more lower class look. Period appropriate looking jewelry makes my heart go pitter patter so I'm always on the look out for new pieces.
Often when I'm in costume, people ask if it's comfortable to wear. And I tell them that it depends. If your clothing is made to fit you and is functional, it's quite comfortable. If it's ill fitting and poorly made, it will be terribly uncomfortable! This dress had a boning pop out the top of it's casing and was poking me in the arm pit the last time I wore it and it was painful! Thankfully, it was an easy fix and this dress is back to being super comfy.
It's important to remember when doing historical costuming that ready to wear is quite a new concept! Clothing would be made to fit you or you'd remake a handme down to fit you. Most ladies would know how to sew or could afford to pay someone to tailor it to their bodies. Unfortunately, we are so used to ready to wear that many purchase ready to wear garb and end up with uncomfortable things! If you've ever heard some one complain about uncomfortable corsets, I can almost guarantee they bought ready to wear or did something silly like lace it way too tight on the first go.
This dress has 6 steel bones and fits like a firm hug. It supports and shapes me while still allowing me to do many everyday activities with ease. I won't be doing any yoga in this dress but that's ok.
You might think I'd rid my costuming closet of wool now that I'm in Florida but I'm actually wearing too bits of wool here. The soccia or pocket is made of wool and adds no warmth to the outfit. My apron is also wool. Since wool is water resistant and smolders instead of bursting into flame like linen, it's great for aprons.
So while I don't plan on making any wool dresses in the near future, I do enjoy having some wool accessories. To combat the Florida summers, it's linen all the way! While some people choose cotton due to budgetary restrictions, linen is cooler, more durable and period accurate to boot.
Personally, I'd rather wait until I could afford linen to make a new dress than to cut corners on fabric content and make more dresses. Summer is just too hot for polyester!! (Except for whatever my faux hair is made of. I'll keep my hair piece.)
So I probably won't be making as much garb this year but I am making a new Italian Renaissance gown so be sure to check out my IRCC6 posts to see how it's coming along!
Minimalism and crafting are two activities that seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. Minimalists dream of empty clutter free spaces while crafters yearn for a room full of every crafting supply they could possibly want. It would seem that crafters can't be minimalists and that minimalists would have to give up creative hobbies but that is not so!
Today I want to share with you a few tips on how to have a minimalist attitude towards your creative endeavors without having to give them up completely.
Keep only what you love (and will realistically use)
The first thing to do is a good old fashion declutter. If you are like me, you can't even remember all of your supplies let alone love them all! When you have been crafting for years or even decades, your tastes change and you won't love everything in your stash. Get rid of everything that doesn't spark joy even if you got it on super sale or might use it one day. If you don't love it, you aren't going to use it. Consider gifting your unneeded supplies to a friend or donating them to a school or church children's ministry.
When you are going through your supplies, also keep in mind how many projects you can realistically do in your life. Many of us have more than we can finish in a life time and we still feel like we need more! Those unused supplies can sit around making you feel guilty so let them go. If you have enough supplies to last you for years, you are in the danger zone.
Shop your stash
Which brings me to my next point, shop your stash. Now that you've decluttered and have a better idea of what is actually in your stash, use it! Don't buy new unless you absolutely need too. You'll be surprised at how creative you are when you are limited to using the supplies you already have on hand.
Set limits
To keep your now decluttered stash under control it is important to set limits and stick to them. You can limit your supplies to a certain volume such as one bin or basket, to a certain finite number to have on hand and or to a certain budget per month. I use all of these in my stash and it definitely makes me think harder about purchases when I go to the craft store. If you need to, find a friend to keep you accountable.
One in, One out
Stick with the one in, one out rule. When one new crafting supply comes in, an old one goes out. Don't buy a replacement until the old one has actually run out. I do this with my wardrobe and it has cut out abut 99% of my impulse purchases. Decide while you are still in the store what item is leaving when you make a new purchase and remove the old item immediately so there is no chance of forgetting.
Set an expiration date
Unlike food, most crafting supplies don't go bad or expire for a loooooong time. So we never feel like we need to get rid of them because they are no longer good. It's up to us to set our own expiration dates. This is great for UFOs and those supplies that you think you might use. Label them with an actual date and if you haven't used them by then, let them go.
You don't have to keep everything
Often, we feel like we have to keep everything we made but that is not true. Release yourself from the need to keep everything. Let's face it, not everything we make comes out that great. Let go of those beginner and dud projects. For those projects that are good but you don't want to keep, consider gifting them or selling them on Etsy. When you go to start a new project, consider it's final destination. Will it be a gift or a learning project? Try not to make too many things without a purpose and let go of the ones that don't come out quite right.
Combat multihobby insanity
When you are like me and have multiple creative hobbies, the craziness increases exponentially. If you have multihobby insanity, try applying these principles to entire hobbies and not just to the supplies themselves. Declutter your hobbies and let go of those you don't really enjoy any more. Set limits on the number of hobbies and WIPs you have going at any one time. Try the one in, one out rule. When you start a new crafting hobby, consider letting one go. I recently decided to let knitting go and focus instead on Bible journaling. Set an expiration date on hobbies you haven't done in a while. If you don't reach for them in the next 6 months to a year, consider letting them go.
So what should you do if there is a hobby you haven't done in a while, but you can't quite bring yourself to completely let it go and think you might come back to? Let go of one time use supplies and keep the reusable tools. There are a few reasons for this. Supplies are definitely a place where tastes can change and you may not even like the supplies you have when you get back to that hobby! They also tend to be a lower dollar investment. Keep those tools that you spent a lot of money on and that you know you'll use again if you pick the hobby again.
Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer are just around the corner! I am so excited for summer and fun, pretty summer dresses (even though I can wear them pretty much year round here in Florida). I'm so ready for bbq and picnic season to begin. The 1950s is a great decade for summer wear with bright, fun prints and light full skirts.
I am so in love with this pink polka dot dress that it's seriously making me reconsider the lack of pink in my wardrobe. This dress would be dreamy in a lovely light cotton.
If pink is not your thing, why not try this lovely black and white number? This darling sleeveless sundress will keep you looking fabulous at all of your summer events. Don't forget your sun hat.
Solids with white accents make a smart look for summer. A great basic dress like one of these will be in heavy rotation all summer.
While florals definitely have a strong spring feel, I adore wearing them in the summer too! Swap your cardigan for a parasol and you'll be ready for summer.
Don't forget to think of comfort when you dress for summer. Whether it's too hot to be bothered or you're having too much fun to fuss with your outfit, stick with styles you love to live in. I particularly love her updo which will stay looking great all day in the summer heat.
Are you ready for summer? What are your plans for Memorial Day weekend?
