That's My Story, & I'm Sticking to It!

I don't know where they're coming from, but in the last two days Magnus & Canute have managed to catch 3 mice (they get smaller each time).

On the house front: settlement is delayed until next week. That should give everyone enough time to get their signatures, verifications, and maybe burst pipes fixed! geez.

On the suit front: I'm so glad some of my customers plan ahead. That glitzy red suit? She tried it on for her posing coach (who is also a judge) and he said 'no way, not regulation'. Apparently the front is too narrow (in spite of it being what they show in the magazines). So, since I can't have her getting disqualified in the show next week, I have to make a new bottom! good thing I have time. Yes, I'm going to salvage the stones - but not for this particular suit, but I will try to get them off. I think I'll wash the suit and let the water soften the glue to make it easier. The fabric is toast, don't care about that, but if I can re-claim that $60+ worth of crystal....

Some day I'll get back to Sprout!

No, we haven't lost another house. but things are so screwy I could just scream.

I thought everything was all set, coordinated and we were just waiting for the final amount to get the check and head on up the road Thursday morning. DH was picking up the rental van today while I was at work, and we'd start packing it up tonight. Boy was I wrong.

( Read more... )
If you actually read all this, I'm amazed. Mostly I need to vent. I hope your day was better. I spent mine chasing phone calls and pressing creases into fabric so I can sew the curtains I may not need this weekend.
<sigh>

Do I dare?? ( Settlement is set for Friday... )

this also means that while I probably had planned to go back to mocking up Sprout's yoke (since the robe came out so well), instead I'll be sewing cafe curtains for the kitchen and mudroom. Found a really nice narrow blues/white stripe that catches both the dark blue of the kitchen, the white, and the moderate blue of the mudroom. Can I make 4 sets in time?????

As for catching up: ( Read more about posing suits... )

I got a couple of swatches in for the brass corset.( Read a litle about corset fabric... )

Well, I'd better go shift the curtain fabric to the dryer so I can do some cutting on Monday. Wish I'd been able to stitch the ends together to keep it from twisting all up <sigh>.

last night I came up with a really cool idea.. now I have to find the fabrics and DH has to figure out the electronics if it's possible

Ok, I've been wanting to make a metallic corset for a while: maybe brass, maybe copper... copper spandex (sure, I'd have to interface for stability anyway) is easy to find, brass less so. Gold tone is easy, but it's a bit too bright. But Spandex House now has a bronze.... hmmm. well, I think it's a little too brownish, more old bronze and I want new shiny tone. But Stretch House might have some things. They dont' have a good display on their page so I'll have to get some swatches.

Now picture this: a brass metallic looking corset edged maybe in brown, over a brown fabric that looks kinda wood-y (not moire though), a miniature matching brass top hat maybe with a kaleidoscope on the tip. That could be really cool... what do you think?

So I actually got some work on the Sprout mockup done!!
( just sprouting up! )

and since I don't have any other hand-sewing to be working on, I've been working on my sami belt at Tuesday Sewing. I've finally made the center zig-zag out to the end, and I've turned around to double back. ( Why do I keep planning heavy costumes to wear in May??? )

House news: if you weren't at sewing to hear the current state of things (and care)... ( still househunting... maybe hope? )

So that's the news. At least all that's fit to print <G>

Here's a glimpse of the red suit bottoms. I've been moving the center design over a smidge and then stuck a few extra on the back. ( Read more... )

I've pretty much finished the fuschia suit. I've left a gap in the stones so I can move the loop & hook over, then I'll fill in the gap. But other than that... here's a pic of the bottoms that I've been working on today. The stones are all crystal clears, color is only how the flash hit them.
I think it will look pretty good on stage.


And I even went out for a mile walk tonight!

I got so depressed about the farm I just couldn't get fired up to do much work. But.. I'm trying to push past it (deadlines can be useful things).

I've got one suit all glitzed, but now I find I've got to figure a way to pull off a few stones to re-set them. You know, if you're a little bit off-center in the first row, but the time you're down around the 6th row ( Read more... )

No idea how to cost something up from the materials! I guess I've got to learn. My time to glue is getting better, and I really don't know how long it will take on any particular pattern so I can't just say $X per hour. they want a final figure. Gotta get to it.

I finally did the glue test. I know I was going to do two, but I got lazy (er.. busy) and only did one. But it was the most rigorous!

I took a strip of cheap crushed panne straight from Joann's (nah, didn't bother to pre-wash it) and glued a little design of glass rhinestones  using Ailene's jewel-it and another spot in a different pattern (same stones) using gem-tack. Since Ailene's said to wait 7 days before washing, I waited a week. Then I tucked it into a mesh delicates bag, and tossed it in with the rest of the darks!

( Read more... )

I can't believe it. We have the mortgage all lined up. the insurance all lined up, the insurance co's requirement for a central fire & burglar system all lined up, we actually found the previous owner who has the septic design (and company who installed it) and all the other receipts for all the work he updated on the house. everything was all set except that the selling-bank was sitting on it's thumbs. Yesterday we get an email asking what names we want on the deed (although they still haven't given permission to fix the septic so that Wells Fargo will release the mortgage money and we can actually close...). Today, ( Read more and scream with me... )

Got me too upset to get motivated to do any sewing! I've got the mockup for Sprout's gardening smock cut out, but can't get interested in sewing that or gluing rhinestones. Mostly I've been on the phone all day talking with loan people, husband and agent.

If you're curious, I've got the rest of the house tour pics up. www.theoldforest.net/CrickHollow/OldFarm/index.html Though there's a snag in the purchase. We offered the asking price as long as it assessed at equal or higher value. The assessors were just out last Wed... it came in $24,900 lower than the asking price!!!!! That means, according to our contract that our offering price drops, because our mortgage bank won't give a loan for a house that isn't worth that much - and neither will anyway else! So, the selling bank just got their noses stung. We're waiting to hear back from them about our lowered counter offer. However it does guarantee that there is no way the selling bank is going to fix that bad ceiling from the water leak (even if it was their fault/watch). Other stipulation is that the septic must be fixed and inspected before settlement. Ah well. we had planned on doing it first thing, and fairly soon - not necessarily THIS week, but we can. Su-weet. I hope. Anyway, it's a huge place and I've got the tour all levels of the house, the grounds and the barn (not every part of the barn). If you do the whole tour (we took 3 hours walking around, the place is huge), you might want a cup of tea with you.

I went to my first body-building show today. Well, it was... different. And it's another case (various times) where the audience is left thinking 'what were they thinking? So-and-so got robbed!' So, see? It's not just in costuming and ice skating!

My trainer, in his tiger suit, seemed... ( it's a different world in there... )

But at least now they trust me that I'm making them look ok, even if it seems skimpy (duh!). My there was some stunning bling on those girls' costumes.

got a call from my agent today - there's been a hitch. Our contract said we'd pay the asking price as long as it assessed at equal or higher than that. Well, the assessor went out a couple of days ago... and it assessed for $24,900 LESS. And the mortgage people insist that the septic has to be fixed (and inspected) before settlement. We had planned on doing the septic first thing, but not necessarily next week! guess we'll have to.  So... we've put in an addendum to lower our offer down to the assessed price. It's possible the owning bank could say no - but who on earth do they think will buy it? No bank no how will lend anyone (no matter how sterling their credit) more money than the house is worth. So unless they think some cash buyer is going to come along and pay that much more.... we'll get it for an even more amazing deal. Oh, but in this case there is no way the owning bank will repair the ceiling in the Old Kitchen. They did get a plumber in to repair the pipe that burst, but they don't care that it happened after our contract was put in. Frankly, it's not worth walking over - it certainly won't cost $25k to fix. Heck, the septic won't cost that much! So...  we faxed up the new offer and may have to wait until Monday to hear. Cross your fingers!

Going to my first body-building show tomorrow in Falls Church (George Mason High School), going to see other people's suits and hopefully hand out cards.

Whew! I'm exhausted again. I've got a tour done for the main floor of the house (is it too big to call it Crick Hollow? I mean, that place had a bathroom big enough for 3 tubs, and all the furniture of Bag End!). there are a few more grounds pics, but I'll do them later.

If you want to wander around, I think I've got it all working - not sure if the wallpaper got fixed right or not. but... here's the link www.theoldforest.net/CrickHollow/OldFarm/index.html

You know, at some point I'm going to have to 'costume' this house!

I made it up and back. The house is even nicer than it looks. Did I take pics? oh yeah. 144 of them! Unfortunately at almost 1M each, I need to resize them before I can post anything. We made good time on the drive up: only about 10 hours! ok, the way back took at least 12 (we also stopped a few more times).

The house inspection.. ( Read more about the house, but no new pics yet... )

So why else am I tired? I did the one day at Balticon and we ran our masquerade entry. It went over well, and we're happy to be done. I got the sewing for the posing suits done and just brought the woman's suit with me to my parents so I could put on the rhinestones. took nearly 4 hours. so yesterday, both people that had to be re-scheduled from Tuesday came in, plus my original Wed person, plus the  2 people picking up the suits....

They weren't happy. ( customers!... )

Wonder why I'm so tired?! 

I actually finished all the sewing! fought my way through the second guy's suit just at the end of the day. Finally discovered that that nasty fabric sews best (fewest skipped stitches) if you run it face down through the machine! I was really pushing to get everything done, because I am actually going to sneak up for the house inspection, and these suits have to be done! Only thing left is the glitzing. I've got the work forms, the stones, and the setter with me, so if there's time (doubt it) at Balticon I can work there, otherwise I'll bring it up and work Monday evening.

Oh, and I found out that borrowed suit I've got: it's a $1k suit! those Swarovksi's add up! and the thing is covered with them, many of them big pieces. Still need to see about cloning the pattern. But at least all the sewing is finished. They'll pick the things up Wed afternoon.

Balticon will likely be crazy, and I'm not really looking forward to 12+ hours in the van each way... but I so want to see the house and take lots of pics.

dang, didn't get a thing done today. Just as I put the needle into the fabric, the phone rang. At least I got the 2 linings cut out, so I'm ready for tomorrow's sewing.

( but the big news on the sewing..... )

well, sometimes I surprise myself! The fabric I ordered yesterday morning almost arrived this morning (spandex house in NY is fast!), unfortunately I was in session so the UPS person just left a sticky on the door <sigh>. so I'll get it tomorrow. I need that black spandex for lining the guy's 2 suits. the woman's suit is all assembled - just need to glitz it!

man, trying to turn the elastic on a sharp V-front 'waist' line is a real pain! It's been a while since I worked it out for my model, and apparently I've forgotten what I did. It seems you can't actually attach the 2 ends of the elastic, you have to leave the far end loose so that you can wrap and turn & stitch down (should be 2 steps - a baste and a turn, but can't be) all in one stitch in those last few inches. That seems to be the only way I can think of to get the elastic to end in a right angle and have the fabric turned under.

So... question is... can I finagle things so that I can go up for the home inspection?? the suits seem to be well underway, my mom does have a sewing machine that does zigzags so if I need to sew (and I don't think I will, unless it's a little elastic work) I can. I can bring the rhinestone stuff with me.... but there 2 sessions on Tuesday and of course Balticon panels that I'm on. Hmmmmmmm

Our contract was accepted! f( Read more slobber about the really cool farm and pics... )

obligatory sewing content:
 customer came in for the rush job on the woman's suit - boyfriend wants 2! And drop dead limit on pickup is a week from Thursday. No way could I go up for the home inspection (wah!), even if it didn't screw Balticon. but, I've got all the pieces cut out (except a couple lining pieces I have to order) and I've started construction. Should be doable. Glad I got Angel-woman's things done!

Man, doesn't it always happen like this? You find you finally have time to work on some new stuff: the creative juices really start cranking (aside from Sprout, I have another couple of ideas I really want to do - steampunky ideas!), you finally have time to work on some it... and suddenly other things in your life pop up that you've been wanting and take away all that time! ah, what price paying the bills. <sigh>

( Read more frustrated sewing... )

And especially I have to be careful since we just faxed up another house contract. ( Will we buy the farm?... )

I want to create. I need to pay bills.