Too close to coco to blog post

So I started to write something last night and share what I have been up to this week and got a call from a friend, then I went to bed too tired to think. So that is what I am going to blog about, being just too busy and tired to blog. 

You see this is my very first Costume College and I have already weathered a whole lot of Murphey. We decided this year instead of next was the right time to sell our home in OK and move to TX. I had the opportunity to help a friend after surgery and I took it, I also had the opportunity to travel to the east coast and see our Norn Ireland friends and I took that too! You see while costuming is a passion for me, it is not the most important thing going on in my life. My dear friend Gina and I were to room together but she injured her back and while I am horribly sad and disappointed not to be seeing her in two days I am not mad. You see costuming is not the most important thing in our friendship either! 

So with that little bit of keeping centered...I have been sewing my behind off! I am SO excited for coco to begin and I am really looking forward to this adventure with old friends and new! 

Some obligatory photos... With better coverage later- post coco.

Pay no heed to that man behind the computer!

So with that... I am off to wrap up this mess, packs some bags and head to California! 

"There is an old saying that opportunity doesn't knock twice, which is not true. Opportunity knocks many times, just never in the same way." From the back cover jacket of "The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes" By Kelly Easton.

A little trip to the cats meow...

So today I took a little trip down the road and visited a vintage jewelry and clothing place called the cats meow....wow!

Let me share the wonderful with you.

Yes Gina...those are hats...lots of hats.

And they were everywhere

The cabinet is full of them!

There were feathers and 

And drawers full of lace

Drawers full of treasure

Boxes full of joy

There was green 

And more green - don't mind the yoga pants its been raining buckets here...which is good, but not worth ruining good shoes ect.

Some detail this coat was Devine!

Then in a corner I found the underpinnings! 

This beauty is a pair of very long 1860s drawers with this delicate hem stitch detail and lace and they are a very fine weight linen!

Did I mention the mind blowing drawers of lace yet?

So the hats made me call my friend Gina to squee loudly on the phone and share ( because squee worthy is share worthy) She virtually drooled on the hat. Then asked if I might find a lace collar for her mid-victorian mourning gown.

That would look something like this

Or perhaps this

So I looked and first I found this piece worked on a curve 

It's long but ohhhh so pretty

Perhaps cut it and make cuffs with the extra? 

No? Ok....well then how about this?

How long is it? Well let's see...

Yes? That will do nicely? Yes... I think so too! That's great because I had also found this beautiful set

Of a collar with a set of matched cuffs...and well I'm not sharing! ;) 

I really wanted this...and for $125.00 I thought it needed to come home with me, however it does not rise up from that position so I decided to leave it behind. Sigh....

So what did I get you ask? 

Red plaid silk taffeta 6 yards that meets the "silk less than $10 a yard is a must purchase" rule.

4.5 yards of vintage 1950s dress fabric

It is a lovely hand and very fine weight.

More vintage 50s fabric it is a fine shirt weight with a plaid on one side and a stripe on the other. 4.5 yards. Also for a summer dress. 

An Edwardian long petticoat, here you see the bottom ruffle and lace ( sorry no dress form in my moving house exile.) 

Some lilac tatting for an Edwardian corset project

Such a nice match!

With a little lace

Some truly amazing insertion...

It's "this" big!

So dear readers...I hope you enjoyed my little adventure! Now back to sewing since the mail lady brought me these today...

Sail on ....sail on.

Oh by the way...love what you see? Stop by the even bigger even better antique elegance show in Sept. in Dallas...I'm going, you?

"What arrrrrrrrrghhhh ya doin?", "No what are You doing!?"

One more post to bring the fair readers up to date with the sewings goings on around her. 

I won't be sharing too much of this one until after coco but here is a little peek of a project.

That's all...more later!

Save me! Girlfriend Sailor dress project

Here are the girlfriends in their sailors...Gina first in the cream and navy then Beth in the navy and silver. Mine will be red and white as you can see.

Well this is such a long story, but I have limited time to sew and Murphy dear evil Murphy has struck to the heart of my costuming life once again and my dear friend and co-sailor Gina will not be with me for Costume College this year. The other sailor (Beth) is taking a much needed summer with her family in between school. So this Sailor will be going to coco solo. Just to be clear for the readers, only Gina had made plans to go Beth however has the other sailor dress. I will share pictures of us all one of these eons.

Some progress...

I began with the underskirt, in red silk and hemmed. Then I spent some time making lots and lots and lots...(and lots) of white silk bias tape for the stripes.

Then began the marking and sewing on. The stripes are about 7/8 of an inch and the red gaps between are one inch.

I like a good gadget and decent tools always make a project go more smoothly. Here you see me favorite chalk marking pencil and a locking seam gauge by Nancy Zieman. 

Later we have many many stripes and the hat I hope to transform into something respectable.

Well I will be leaving you here... There are only a few more days until coco and I have much to pull together in between running from Midland TX to Houston to complete buying our house. Life is always exciting.