Warhead On Legs

Getting down to the wire on Faire and I am actually somewhat on schedule. While I won't complete the MASSIVE PILES of sewing by Faire day, it will be close. Thank god. and everyone going will have at least two complete outfits.

Even if I'm the only one who cares.

Notes to self:

* You bought those plastic file tubs for a reason, dummy. Put your patterns away when you're finished with them. The damn things even have labels.

* The interfacing goes glue side down. We do not want to spend the next fifteen minutes scraping glue off the iron.

* Fingers are not for sewing.

* Lips are not for sticking pins between. Remember what happened?

* The embroidery shears go around your neck. And you wonder why you keep losing them.

Okay. This is my official list o' shit to sew over the next... two months. All for me, because the only current set of measurements I have, sadly, is mine.

GARB. OMFG SO MUCH GARB. GARB COMING OUT MY EARS.

• Blouse, purple gauze cut sew finish
  
• Blouse, white gauze cut sew finish
  
• Blouse, bright blue gauze cut sew finish
  
• Blouse, pale green gauze cut sew finish
  
• Blouse, crimson/maroon gauze cut sew finish
  
• Blouse, black gauze cut sew finish
  
• Blouse, teal gauze cut sew finish
  
• Blouse, pink gauze cut sew finish
  
• Dress, white gauze cut sew finish
  
• Dress, vanilla flannel cut sew finish
  
• Dress, black gauze cut sew finish
  
• Dress, crimson/maroon gauze cut sew finish
  
• Dress, teal gauze cut sew finish
  
• Dress, pink gauze cut sew finish
  
• Bodice, robin hood print corduroy cut sew finish
  
• Bodice, red flower print corduroy cut sew finish
  
• Bodice, purple flower print corduroy cut sew finish
  
• Bodice, white wedding upholstery cut sew finish
  
• Bodice, Someone's Mustard Couch upholstery cut sew finish
  
• Bodice, Left-Over Blue Something cut sew finish
  
• Bodice, Pink Roses upholstery cut sew finish
  
• Skirt, Bright Blue To Go With All That Other Bright Blue Shit cotton solid cut sew finish
  
• Skirt, Some Other Color I Can't Remember cotton solid (red?) cut sew finish
  
• Skirt, Raspberry Sherbert cotton solid cut sew finish
  
• Skirt, Pink broadcloth (why do I have so much pink fabric?!) cut sew finish
  
• Skirt, Goldenrod broadcloth cut sew finish
  
• Cloak, baby blue flannel cut sew finish
  
• Cloak, black w/foxheads (find fabric for this!) cut sew finish
  
• Pouches, Left-Over Material cut sew finish
  
• Pirate Shirt, black, for Pirate cut sew finish
  
• Vest, black w/purple ribbon and gold rivets, for Pirate cut sew finish
  
• Vest, brown leather barbarian style, long cut sew finish
  
• Vest, red brocade, for Boy cut sew finish
  
• Vest, brass brocade, for Boy
  
• Vest, copper brocade, for boy cut sew finish
  
• Shirt, tan, for Boy cut sew finish
  
• Shirt, white, for Boy cut sew finish
  
• Shirt, black, for Boy cut sew finish
  

I must be, like, a crazy person. And this list is only going to get longer as I find shit I have to make.

At least after this my fabric bins should be relatively empty? But I'll still need to find some place to hang it all. Fuck.

Why yes, I do swear more when I'm sewing. Although since... Only one of you on this LJ ever worked with me in the costume shop, I don't know if you've ever been treated to the full barrage. Hm.

I have way too much pink fabric. I could, conceivably, go as a ... what, Strawberry Shortcake character? An advertisement for Ye Olde Pepto of Bismol? WHY DO I HAVE SO MUCH PINK!?

Updates shall occur as I go through and sort through things! Welcome to the epic adventure of me with a sewing machine and a pair of shears. And a metric shitload of fabric.

ETA: *weeps* Aaand I just managed to sew 1/2 a final tier onto the bottom of a big swoopy skirt as though it was the entire tier. And now I have to unpick ALL THAT FRICKIN STITCHING. Not right now. No. Later. Much later.

ETA: Note to self: Pirate chest = 46, nape to waist = 22 roughly

Huh. People for whom I have made costumes (local and abroad) are trying to convince me that selling said costumes on e-bay and other places would be a good idea.

It's not something I haven't considered before? But this is the first time I actually think I might be able to do it at least part time. I've been sewing like frikkin' crazy over here. And I'd need to do it very much part time, if I'm going to keep up with my writing. But maybe, just maybe, it would keep me from writing twenty novels at once? Which is actually something I need to learn to do. I do, apparently, write too fast. Everyone I talked to at the conference said to slow down, concentrate on one thing. One genre.

So, I'm concentrating on Pen Byrton, Girl Detective. And we'll see where that goes. I'm sending it off to an agent tomorrow or Tuesday. And then to more agents. I have an editor at a major publishing company already interested. That seems like the most sellable one at the moment, so that's the one I'll try.

And in the meantime, what the hell. I like sewing. If sewing can bring in a little extra money, a little profit. Why not? It's not, thank god, like I have to depend on it. I have income from a day job. But this is more likely to get me some profit, some spending money, sooner than writing. So. Um. Hell, why not?

Things I will need, therefore, to begin. Things that I don't already have, because fabric and sewing machines and mad leet skillz I already do have.

• A source of bulk eyelets, 1/4"
  
• Large rolls of twill tape, for size labels
  
• A ginormous spool of cording in at least one basic color have source
  
• A source of bulk garment boxes?
  
• Or a source of bulk tissue paper/brown packing paper/plastic garment packages
  
• 2-3 pirate shirts of each size
  
• Eventually, bulk bolts of broadcloth or cotton solid. better cotton solid.
  
• Dress form
  
• Large swath of fabric for background for pictures

I'm starting out with pirate shirts, 'cause they're easy. With the money I make from that I'll move to skirts and cinches. Possibly blouses. I've figured out that if I'm doing this pretty much in bulk I can at the very least double my money if I sell the pirate shirts on e-bay for what everyone else is selling them for, which is $30-50. That should give you some idea of how cheap it is to make them. Really, the only thing it costs me majorly is time, and I like sewing. And as far as pirate shirts go I can make three in two days. One day, if I get my lazy ass off the computer for three or four hours. And then I can write in the evenings.

So. Um. Yeah. That's what I'm thinking of doing. If this works out I may also do dresses on commission and other, more complicated costuming work. Hell, if this works out I may train other people to do pirate shirts. But then I have to share the money, and I'm a greedy bitch. Also, I really do like to sew, and I'm not at all looking to do this as a job.

... although now that I think of it, if/when I do wind up living in the mountains with my family, I could train them to do this and we could have a whole little business, the way my aunt does. The if part being if enough of my family move there. I am damn well getting my home in the mountains in Virginia, with horses.

Okay, ramble over. I've just blitz-sewn for the past week, I have some mroe stuff to do, not so urgent? But right now the living room desperately needs a tidy.

I'd swear that was Schwa I saw at work the other day, lining up for training. Buh. Bemused, says I.

I'm rapidly also discovering that one of the hazards of having a boatload of sewing to do (yarr!) is that it makes me so much more likely to procrastinate sending off the damn release form. Which finally made it attached to the e-mail. I really need to just print it out, sign it, and send it in. I'm so, so terrified of her reading the novel, though. It makes me just want to hide and not do anything more official towards publishing anything. Which is stupid, right? So scared. Running away like a scared little baby coward. I'm scared to look at the novel, too, which is even more stupid.

Will be sending out the release form today. Around noon, when we go out to Hancocks to get fabric for the Prince of Persia costume that I'm apparently making for Halloween. Wacky boy. But. Yeah. Still scared. And someone kick me in the ass in an hour or two to see if I haven't printed it off and signed it? I can make up the envelope now, that's easy enough. Just. Needing to print it off, sign it, send it. Paper shouldn't be that intimidating.

Should do TM prompts before I get, you know. Really REALLY behind. As opposed to just really behind. Yes, I am dropping Roy from TM though. Fluffy, you may rejoice. Does this count as notification or should I e-mail you? Moo.

Right. Time to tackle the pile of projects that have mysteriously escaped their boxes and bags. And maybe clear out some of the damn project boxes so I can do Halloween costumes for me and the boy. One thing having project boxes is good for, apart from keeping everything separate, is keeping me from having too many half-finished projects lying around.

Day One
1. When the pattern packet says 1.75 yards of 44" wide fabric on the outside, and the pattern instructions say to cut two pieces of pattern piece 10 on the fold on the inside, but the pattern piece itself says to cut 3 on the fold, and you realize you didn't get enough fabric...

... this leads to much swearing, sweating, and screaming. In the end it also leads to measuring each damn pattern piece, deciding that yes, the part where it said two pieces of pattern piece 10 was right, and the pattern printers smoke much of the crack.

2. And then someone asks, hey, you want to go to Faire on Sunday? And I go? WHAT? You want me to sew two full costumes in five days, with a work schedule?! The fuck?! Argh.

3. And there's nothing like the feeling first of panic when you think you don't have enough fabric by barely enough to make the costume, and then relief when you realize you had the pattern piece wrong way 'round.

Day Two
4. And within 24 hours I have managed to cut 3 tops (w/lining), 3 skirts (4 pieces per skirt), 2 pirate shirts, 1 pair pants, and 2 vests. I am going to be the fucking costuming queen.

5. The pants fit! I win.

6. The skirt contains endless amount of ruffle. I do not win.

Day Three
7. I really don't win. The cutting guides and fabric requirements were right. For what they wanted me to make. But to get the effect they show in the packet picture you have to cut it and sew it like the other skirt. Which requires almost twice as much fabric. Which I didn't buy, so I had no way of cutting it out. So. Now I have no skirt for Faire. Fuck.

Fortunately I have another skirt all cut out that just needs to be sewn together. Thank god for that.

Every so often I look at fandom in general, and in this case I think it's just Harry Potter fandom in specific, and thank my lucky stars and my sense of self-preservation that I don't get involved in that. It's scary. And vicious. And occasionally just plain crazy.

And then I look at some of the controversies, the political mudslinging, the press activities and everything else in the so-called real world and realize it's pretty much the same in a lot of respects. And then I just want to shoot myself.

Anyway. Today is a day of writing, possibly sewing (tomorrow is definitely a day of sewing) and trying to avoid getting embroiled in the mess of OMGDRAMA! that has penetrated my real life. This drama involves arson, jail, bail, someone in the house possibly being called in to testify, stalkerish behavior, and me being afraid that there will be a knock on the door and someone with a gun on the other side. No, I am not being dramatic, this idea actually haunts me. As for the rest of it, well, it's RL stuff, and I actually don't think I want to publish it here. I'm not sure of all the details. The specific ones.

I have two stories to write, one of them due, though fortunately that's the just-about-finished one that I just need to get off my ass and post. TODAY. Stupid Jag. Novels to write, which slowed down over the last days due to sick. Um. I have a costume to sew, which I will probably do either tonight or tomorrow. We're taking down the big table which I used to cut, so I need to set up a new sewing station somewhere. Still, sewing takes up a lot less room than cutting.

MOMENTOUS DAY: I have decided not to take all ten novels to Maui. Just all ten synopses. I have decided to concentrate on five/six/seven ... a number yet to be determined. The rest, I'll just work on and see how far I get. So there.

Mostly this decision is due to the fact that, dammit, I want to sew and paint again. I haven't been painting in ages, and I miss it.

And that phone has been ringing non-stop, almost, since the drama started. Well, by non-stop I mean mostly once an hour, but still. Bloody hell.

Right. Writing. Actually, right now, showering and eating. And then writing.

Oogh. Sotired.

Shadowrun last night went off, surprisingly without much of a hitch. Probably good because I spent less time planning this than I did any of the other runs, but ran it from a module. Maybe because of that? Who knows. Or also because we got a late start but were fairly focused.

Hee hee hee! Deus. I am, perhaps, evil. Possibly more evil because it is now the Blue Sun Arcology. Two by two, eyes of blue?

Writing continues apace, as does sewing. Well, actually, not sewing, 'cause I have to wait for my boning to come in. Which should be in the coming week. Except I'll be gone most of the coming week. So, probably next week. In the meantime i do have other sewing projects I could do. As long as I can keep up with my writing. Yes.

Writing... I'm behind on one thing and on schedule for several others, which is kind of odd. Hopefully I can get caught up on that one thing over the next few days of holiday. I work today and then I don't work again till next Monday. Plenty of time to get some writing done, get some catchup done, etc. One would think. One would hope. Tomorrow, I need need need to upload the damn prompt for the comics community. If for no other reason than to make sure a certain someone is alive. And at some point I should actually write a comic for it. Or, you know. Something. Not so much with the posting of the writing these last few days. Too busy with the sewing, the working, the planning, and the gaming.

Tired. As always with gaming nights, I was up and talking until some stupid hour of the morning, at which point I crashed. And now I'm up again to go to work. Spleh.

And I still havent' heard back from Mundania.