Oh, Whatever

[mandie_rw]

is how I feel right now. Well, there has been a slight change in plans. Selfishly, I suppose it's all for the best, as I'll almost definitely have time to finish my new outfit now, and I like that. Still...I am no longer making my mother an outfit at all. 

We were doing a fitting tonight, to make sure the straps were in the right place and so I could mark the hem, then drape the bodice of the gown, which wasn't going to take that long, as it would be similar to the bodice of the kirtle. Well, no sooner do I get it on and lace it up the back, she asks me if it's supposed to be that tight. I look at it, pull at it, and say, yeah. -Do you wear your outfits that tight? I say yeah again, and add that I wear corsets too, which are lots more restrictive. (This bodice is made of 3 layers of cotton with 3 reed bents in the front and one on each side of the lacing strips in back, a grand total of 5.) -I don't like it, I can't breathe well, I need it to be looser. Um, okay. So I let out the ribbon ties in the back until there is a great gaping hole in the bodice back (a good 2 ½ - 3 more inches) and the ties will just barely tie in a bow. Not pretty, but as it'll be covered by the gown, it doesn't matter that much. So that's better, right, I ask, fully confident that the answer will be yes, maybe a yes accompanied by a comment that it's tighter than she's used to and not too comfortable and that it'll take some getting used to. Something along those lines.

What I did not expect was more fidgeting, and saying -No, I need it to be looser. Uh, I can't make it any looser. -Well, I can't wear this all day...etc. etc. Finally I got to the point where I said, Fine, well, if you won't wear it there's no point in my continuing to work on it, is there? And I grabbed my pins and stalked off in high dudgeon.

Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand where she’s coming from. Period costumes aren’t for everybody. Not everybody can wear a corset. Some people can’t take the restrictions of that kind of stuff. But I will confess myself disappointed. This is my first failure as a seamstress (I don’t count all the stuff I made wrong for myself!) where I made something and the subject totally couldn’t wear it. :( At least it was family and I wasn’t getting paid for it.

Well, now I know better. I could, I suppose, go back to scratch and make something totally period-esque with a comfy modern cut to it, but I’m just not up to it now. I’m just not a period-esque kinda girl... And the Family’s going down the shore for 3 days without me (woot! I’m just not a shore girl, so I’m perfectly happy with this), so I wouldn’t be able to do any fittings or anything anyway. Maybe Friday when they get back, but I doubt it.

On a side note: I kinda want a flemish outfit for myself now. Someday...

On a slightly less grumpy note, this frees up the remainder of my time before the ren faire to work on Stuff for Me. And now that it’s happening, I might as well elaborate. I’m hoping to finish (and, well, start) a brown velveteen doublet and green linen kirtle for faire. I draped and put together the bodice of the kirtle today, and am in the midst of hand-sewing it. O glorious hand sewing! Hopefully I can finish the kirtle tomorrow, which will give me the rest of the time to make the doublet, which I’m only up to making the first toile on. Heh. I have no hopes of starting the trimming on the doublet, as the trim isn’t even dyed yet anyhow, but the velveteen will look fine on its own. Oh, and I want a hat. But we’ll see!

Comments

[llyrafantasyfae.livejournal.com]

Oh that sucks! You are braver then I at costuming your mom. The one time I asked if she even wanted to go to a Ren faire with me I got the 'your crazy/silly/stupid' look. Yea for more time for your costume!!!