Three weeks until Kalamazoo. At times I feel stressed, at others I feel confident that I am in good shape. But that can swing back and forth even from hour to hour.
April, a long time customer who'd ordered two shirts, a stock, and cravat for KZoo asked how I was doing and I confessed that I was feeling a bit frazzled. He responded,
"Well, don't push yourself too much. This is supposed to be a fun hobby."
Mack and April, long time customers wearing my shirts at the Feast.
I took a step back and considered his words. He was right - I loved the sewing that I was doing, and if I didn't get that last bedgown or the panniers finished in time, it would be okay. Actually, I had enough things ready and could set up and open for business now. (Well, except for maple cakes. But those are ordered and will be delivered to me at the event.)
I've wrapped up the bedgown making. I experimented with some navy linen that was in my mother's fabric stash,
Even unfinished (no side pleats or hemming yet), I thought it was beautiful. And linen has such a nice feel to it and drapes well, too.
The finished bedgown. I wish I had more of this fabric; I'd make myself a bedgown from it!
I rarely take custom orders, but I will in certain cases. (My advice-giving friend April who asked for the two trade shirts, a stock, and a cravat, for example.)
Brandon and his wife Jessie own Eagle Talon Traders, a source for really great 18th century fabrics at really great costs. You can also buy in bulk from them, too.
You may remember the infamous spool of twill tape that I bought from Eagle Talon Traders. (I learned that, just because MOST vendors sell spools of tapes and ribbons on 25 yard spools, that doesn't mean EVERYBODY does, especially someone with access to warehouse sewing supplies!)
Brandon and Jessie are very dear friends, and Brandon's mom, Pat, is one, too.
She had asked me at the Feast if I would make a bedgown for her with some fabric from her stash, and that fabric happened to be the cranberry version of the bedgown I was wearing at the time! (Mine is the teal; there are two more versions of it.)
I got started on Pat's bedgown Thursday,
and finished it yesterday. It turned out well; I actually like the cranberry version of the block print better than the teal. (The side pleats are pinned shut in this photo.)
And with that completed, I revised my "last call" sewing priorities for the event. I am going to make the three pockets that are already cut out and ready to go. They are easy peasy and will stitch up quickly.
(To the person who asked about pocket patterns, these are from Laughing Moon and the pocket pattern I like best.)
And then, I really think I need to make a cloak or two. I have the pattern, the thread, and the wool, plus cloaks stitch up surprisingly fast.
I did a lot of work yesterday making sleeve buttons to take to the show
and have new mini pouches for them cut out. Easy sewing on these and done in under thirty minutes for them all.
Sweet Pepper, my constant companion, is going to be glad when I wrap up this months long frenzy of sewing and she can stretch out on the bed in the sewing room again.
I'm almost done, girlie, I'm almost done. I promise.
Sharp eyes readers noticed something in the blog today. Stay 'tooned!
