aka Chesty LaRue

File this one under ironic

Apparently a friend of one of the children found my blog recently, and by extension, the Chick's.  When her mother saw the titles of the blogs (aka Chesty Larue and Cheap But Not Easy) she thought they were adult content sites.   Hee. 

To any mothers of children who happen upon these blogs - my blog is for the most part a PG blog, as is the Chick's (although she is known to post pictures of hot men on Monday).  But don't be surprised if your child suddenly starts having an urge to shop more thriftily or wants to discuss the historical accuracy of the costuming in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. 

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Wench Posse: All Princess, All the Time

I am so incredibly happy that I have been able to knock some stuff off of my spreadsheet this week/weekend, in spite of the A) dog dying, B) S getting hives from an unknown shellfish allergy and C) my still wearing the heart monitor. 

First up was the re-do of the purple outfit that Princess A wore last year.  She had sold the bodice and another underskirt along with a new black silk skirt that we had put the old trim on.  Here is a picture of the previous costume:

Being a starving young 20-something in the current economy, Princess decided to sell her dress and make a new one out of her curtains!  As God is her witness!  She will never be hungry again!

Or not. 

Anyway, she had some leftover purple silk and we had the purple main piece of skirt and decided to make some new bodices for it.  Current incarnation:

The underskirt is the one I beaded during many a softball game last summer.  We are going to trade out the guard for a black one with a little silver braid for some zing.  The dummy is actually slightly bigger than Princess, so it looks a little tight. 

She went for the simple trim look because she wants to bling it out all to hell with jewelry.  I approve of this plan.

We are also making a second underskirt and coordinating sleeves to go with this.  There is also a purple silk doublet with matching beaded sleeves (a la the underskirt and in the style of her previous blue pintuck over there in the left margin) in the works. 

But for the most part?  It is done.  Which makes me so very pleased.

The second one we have almost done is the blue taffeta.  Contrary to the pictures, it is actually a dark blue/grey shot with black.  The braid is beaded and from eBay:

The braid is only pinned on, as we are still working on final placement.  It is to be handstitched in place.  Princess is pleased that she has cleavage in this shot.  El Jefe is supportive of this plan, always.  For everyone.  Well, for women, anyway.  Who are not his daughters. 

There are some hanging sleeves for this as well that need to have the braid hand-stitched on them.  Otherwise?  This bad boy is DONE.  Finis.  Get out of my house kind of done. 

The underskirt is a lovely brocade style white silk that requires (YES!) no beading.  Can I get a boo-yah?

The only actual dress after this is the blue velvet, which will be of such stunning magnitude that it may destroy the server in its glory.  (Tooting my own horn for a moment there, but seriously, it is very pretty and I am looking forward to sharing it with the blogosphere.)  Then she has a cloak, some chemises, a redo of her farthingale and a comfort gown.  Which puts her down in the "extras" department after this.  She claims to be my most selfish client.  I am okay with this, as she makes me jewelry and convinces my children not to shave their heads.  Its a win-win.  She is also a lovely walking advertisement of my work. 

As for children, G went to Pridefest today with the lovely Gay Blade, who is our 6'7 King Henry and an all around great guy.  Who else would take 3 14-year-olds dressed like this to the Parade and out amongst the vendors?:

The other two girls are friends whose names are not being disclosed at this time.  Although Miss Pink Hair there looks to me to be an exact duplicate of Maggie Gyllenhall.  But maybe that is just me.

Also?  Check out the fauxhawk on G and the fact that she is like 2 feet shorter than everyone else.  Apparently we Larues are a wee people. 

For this week I have more Princess wear, some Duchess wear, and formal pink French outfits for bellydancers.  With (cross your fingers) no trips to the hospital that were not already planned. 

Let's all think positive thoughts, shall we?

In praise of man's best friend

Just wanted to post a note that I updated the status on the blog here to include the death of Isabelle, our crazy, sweet Australian Cattle Dog.  While clearly not right in the head, we loved her and will miss her terribly.

 

This picture is a rare one, as usually we got pictures of her butt as she ran away, as she did not like the camera.  She was a big sweetie. 

On a lighter note, the crotches of El Jefe's shorts are now safe.

Wench Posse: Throw me some, Mister! Edition

Wow.  It is amazing how much work I can get done when El Jefe is out of town and I have given up little things like sleep.  I mean, seriously.  I had worked the other night and then started reading an article on Jon & Kate Plus 8 for some reason and suddenly it was hours later and I had wasted these hours of my life (when I could have been sleeping) reading about Jon's hair plugs and Kate's reverse mullet.

The mindless gossip.  It draws you in folks.

However, this week I have been sewing like a madwoman and have accomplished much.  I finished the purple bodice and outerskirt for Princess A, as well as 2 underskirts and one beaded sleeve.  (Am half way through beading the other one.)  I also have the taffeta overskirt of another outfit, and the bodice is ready to go for tomorrow morning.  I have removed the old lace from partletts and am ready to put in the pleated collars.  I am a MACHINE, I tell you. 

Actually, I am wearing a machine.  A heart monitor to be exact, for one month.  It is checking to see if I have any more of that nasty SVT from January.  Basically, I am to push this big button whenever I have an "event."  But what exactly constitutes an event?  Do I press the button if I see Jason Statham with his shirt off and my heart starts racing? 

These are the things that keep me up at night.

I also went to Ikea and bought this teal velvet fabric, which is currently a pair of very long curtains:

Princess insisted I purchase it as it "looks fabulous with your hair!"  Then she sorted through the Closet, and found this flocked silk I had set aside on the My Shelf, Don't You Touch That! and we decided it really looked quite lovely together.  So that will be a fancy outfit for me someday.  (Flocked silk compliments of Joann's sale for $6.00 a yard.)

The same day Princess, S and I visited several Army Navy Surplus stores to purchase some supplies for my Renaissance costume for Bristol.  This is what I found:

Lots and lots of shoelaces.  At $.25 each I bought $9.00.  That should tide us till forever. 

Really!  A sewing pattern!  I love the jacket and am going to make this my Steampunk jacket for next year.  Maybe with longer tails in back, though.

Really dusty cool sunglasses for $1.00.  Also for my Steampunk costume.

And the stuff I actually went to buy:

And what, you are thinking, could this be for a Ren Fest costume?  Well, I gave some hints earlier in the post showing the Chick in her Green Bay Packer hat.  Here are the fabrics for George's costume:

And speaking of Mardi Gras, the Wench Posse met tonight.  We consumed chocolate, pop, liquor, and made our own Mardi Gras beads out of some garland from Sassy Art Goddess. 

These are also for George's costume.  Note the Chick doing the Gang Sign.  Sniff.  I am so proud.

In other news G is back from visiting the gradparents and she brought me back this adorable pig that she made out of a sock:

She is going to make her fortune selling them on Etsy.  I am afraid I will look in my sock drawer some day and it will be empty.

Tomorrow I should have some pictures of lovely completed costumes for the Princess, as well as progress on everything else. 

Anyone want to hazard a guess as to what the crazy costume fabrics and accessories are for?  (I can't remember if I have mentioned it specifically in the blog.)  Wench Posse members are not allowed to comment on what they are for.  However, random strangers who get the answer right may find themselves awarded a little stuffed pig from my sock drawer. 

Laissez le bon temps rouler!

More tooting my own horn

Have I accomplished anything today?  Not so much.  However, my Venetian dress from this faire is going to be featured starting today through the end of June on this site.  

I am very proud and honored to be showcased on Realm of Venus.  Particularly for my first ever Venetian outfit.  

Also, I have broken down and agreed to let the picture of the horrible original Elizabethan/Venetian combo dress be displayed on the showcase to show how you can turn something Pretty Awful (which started as a good idea, mind you) into something Much Better.  Or two somethings that are Much Better.  It also shows the Importance of Wearing a Corset When You Are Well-Endowed.  Heed my warning folks - it isn't pretty.   

If you want to see a really lovely version of an Elizabethan/Venetian hybrid dress, go here.  Also?  It is made of shower curtains.  I kid you not.

The showcase may not be up for a day or so, as it is run out of Australia and our June 15th is not always their June 15th.  Please check it out when it is up!

The dress in question:

Wench Posse: Huzzah, Baby!

Back from Ren Fest #2 of the season, at the Olde World Faire in Twig, MN.  Twig is a very wee town, and if you blink you miss it as you drive by.  The faire itself is a merchant faire, which means no noble court, all tents, and nothing is permanent in terms of structure.  They added a joust this year and more vendors and food, and we had a smashing good time going as pirates.  I present the evidence below.

Princess and I drove up early as Georgie and the Chick had to finish work before they could party.  Princess and I walked around town and checked out Canal Park whilst we waited.  We stayed at the Comfort Suites and it was LURVELY.  The price was excellent and we were able to walk to see everything we wanted to.  We also had a view of the lake.

The others joined us and we ate at Angie's Cantina - not the greatest meal we ever had, and I had an allergic reaction to a strawberry margarita.  Which means no more tequila for me!  Then a nice woman took a group shot of us and I posed in the worst position possible, making me look like a whale.  See the lift bridge in the back?  It is very cool.

That night the Chick had a horrible cold and almost lost her voice completely, the Princess had a stomach issue and I had heart palpitations.  And the liquor store was out of coconut rum.  It was far from awesome.  In the morning someone pulled the fire alarm right outside our door around 7:40ish and woke us all up.  The Chick was the only one with the presence of mind to check and see if there was a fire.  The rest of us were ready to go back to sleep and burn to death in our comfy hotel beds.  There was no fire, but there WAS a continental breakfast and THAT convinced us to get up.

Waffles, eggs, ham, and bananas later and we got into our pirate wear.  Pirate/wench was deemed the theme for this year because it is fun, not terribly historically accurate and for the most part, comfortable and flashy.

Some of us required a bit more assistance than others.

People kept asking us where we were going as we loaded up the car to leave.  I suggested we all give separate answers.  Me:  Ren Faire.  Georgie:  Frat party.  Princess:  I'm getting married!  Chick:  Nowhere, why?

The faire was bright and colorful and filled with lots of people who knew each other.  Luckily we have been doing this thing for awhile now, and found people we knew as well.  It was a big costumed party with food, mead and shopping.

The Chick met the flowered woman I met last year:

She has bloomed more since last year.  Apparently it is an ongoing project.

I was an idiot and didn't eat my protein bar before I left, so I loaded up my bodice chiller (LOVE THAT THING) with ice, drank some water, and had a pork chop and felt much better.  It started to rain, so Princess and the Chick ran off to get cloaks from the car for themselves and the lovely Pirate Carole and her family:

They are stinkin' cute, the whole lot of them.

George and I decided against cloaks because the rain felt great to me and my over-heated self, and George was wearing leather.  George ate some undercooked frog legs (SHUDDER) for about a minute and was then given a turkey leg instead.  Apparently it had nothing on the pork chop.

The ladies then enjoyed the musical stylings of a German band:

And there was dancing:

And more dancing, Beyonce style:

If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it, is what they are saying:

Perhaps not the most flattering picture.

Later on, George became a groupie for the band:

While the Chick played with Very Large Dogs named Thor, who were really only interested in pickles:

We then ran into the cute young man who had tried to convince us to go to the joust (shortly before I discovered my protein issue).  George thought he was cute as well:

At this point the Chick joined a Maypole dance.  She danced:

And George and I took pictures of ourselves:

Hawt.  I still lurve that bodice.

 

Even hawter.  (Note - I did not make the bodice.  It was a gift.)

The Chick still danced:

And Princess met up with old friends:

for a brief photo session:

Then I took a picture of just her:

A picture of her and George showing off their leather bodices:

And George took a picture of Princess and me showing off our cleavage:

And the Chick still danced.  Like a wave on the ocean...:

Then George got in on the action:

Maypole action, that is.

Eventually the Princess and I were convinced to dance in the middle, and I showed my complete and utter inability to distinguish my left from my right.  Sadly, there are no pictures.

I met up again with Pirate Carol:

And George and the Chick met up with a randy woodsman Scotsman:

Although he didn't get the joke when they asked him if his "weapon" was peace-tied.  You can't always be pretty AND smart.

Then the Chick showed off the Wench Posse gang sign:

And was almost arrested for loose conduct:

Then there were more pictures taken:

The Chick and George.

George and Larue.

The Chick and Larue, co-founders of the Wench Posse.

The Chick, George and Larue.  The Princess was AWOL, running off to buy CDs from the band.

Then men of all ages flocked to the Chick and her shiny baubles:

Feeling contrite and probably some of that good old Catholic guilt for being pirates in the first place, we decided to have our picture taken with a nun:

She did not ask for a donation.

We also ran into our good buddy Steve from Fest Friends again, running the front gate:

He matched nicely color-wise with our Pirate Theme.

We found the Princess and although she cried that she didn't want to leave the band, we forced her to pose for a final picture with us:

We finished up our day by running back into Duluth and shopping in my favorite antique store and eating at Grandma's.  We picked up some cinnamon rolls at Tobie's in Hinkley on the way back (they have gluten free stuff now, YUM) and arrived home in time to gift TraynerShayne with our present to her before she ran off to Hershey, PA with Fireman for her birthday.  She is having a chocolate massage, people.  It really doesn't get any better than that.

All in all a lovely time.  Next up is Costume College at the end of July and Bristol right after.  And to be honest?  I need the time to sew.  And rest.  The Chick has no voice and I think I pulled something going around the Maypole.  And that is not a euphemism. 

Court gowns and Tudor underwear and Crazy Elizabethans, oh my! for the coming week.  But no more dancing....

(And a thank you to Georgie for the title to this post.)

Wench Posse: Showing Off and Pre-Twig

Tomorrow we leave to go to the Olde World Ren Fest in Twig, Minnesota.  (That would be near Duluth on the edge of Lake Superior, for those of you who don't speak "Up North.")  We are fabulously attired and ready to go.

Ok, I still need to finish my skirts, but hey!  No beading is involved so I should be golden.  (Runs off to knock on some wood...)

I had to finish up the Lovely George's bodice tonight so she wouldn't be half-naked.  One leather jacket from Savers, 94 grommets, multiple shoe laces, 1.5 yards of cotton lining and some cable ties later, and this is the result:

I LOVE this.  No, that's not right, I LURVE this.  With all the Celine Dion LURVE I can muster.

Let's look at it in close-up:

 

There is something so very Xena Warrior Princess about it.  We need a bit longer shoe laces and it will be laced beautifully. 

Now George and I are both rather busty girls, and I think this particular bodice with corset enhances her assets and makes her look shapely and lovely. 

And the back:

 

The back turned out so smooth and well-fitting.  I did a lot of top-stitching to give it that motorcycle jacket feel.  The gauntlets are also pretty fun.  I made those out of the sleeves.  And I still have a bunch of leather left over.

The hardest part of this (other than the 94 grommets - thank you George, Queen of the Grommeter!) was fitting the pattern on the jacket in areas that had large enough pieces of plain leather, rather than patched pieces together.  I did have to split the side piece into 2 and stitch them together, and only on the straps did I get into a seam.  It looks cool on the straps, though.

The leather jacket cost $14 I think.  It was from the men's department at Saver's.

I had never really sewn with actual leather before, and it really was a breeze.  I didn't break a single needle, and it went together really easily.  The only thing I learned was that if you have to rip out a seam you have to do it VERY carefully, or you will tear the leather.  And of course the old adage that once you put a hole in leather it stays there.  So no pins were involved in the making of this bodice.

If you can't tell, I am kind of fond of this.  More pictures of George (and a small contingent of the WP) will be up on Saturday night/Sunday of our weekend adventures in Twig!

Project Tudor/Wench Posse: What we do for fun and relaxation

Note:  Splash Marion is now deceased.  S will be accepting cards and letters during her period of mourning.

Today was Wednesday, and Wednesday has sort of traditionally become Wench Posse gathering night whilst the menfolk (and Jess - go estrogen!) play poker.  Sometimes it is just Princess, the Chick and I, but lately we have had a mess of folks.

We are busily working on completing our outfits for Twig for this weekend (naturally I have no skirts and George has no bodice - together we make a complete outfit), so most Project Tudor stuff has gone by the wayside.  I have worked some on Marti Potter's outfit, but otherwise it is All Twig, All the Time.

And in the middle of all of this hard work there was a bit of silliness. 

I had purchased a bolt of fabric from Mill End during their close-out sale in St. Paul and made a camicia out of it.  When I wore it to New Ulm I discovered that I could literally poke my finger right through the fabric.  Clearly there was something wrong with the fiber of the thread itself. 

Fast forward to this evening and lots of "rip-away bodice" jokes, and the Chick was sorting through the large bag of fabric scraps and discovered a bunch of this fabric.  She then showed it to the others. 

You would have thought it was bubble wrap, it got such a reception.  First was the Princess, who was having a bad day until we gave her the fabric.  Then she gleefully ripped it apart while cackling to herself:

Then Danger Kitty (looking through our old high school yearbooks since the Chick and I graduated 11 years before she did and the mullets were not quite so popular in her graduating class) got in on the action:

Let's give DK a round of applause for her first appearance on the blog, shall we?

TraynerShayne, even in her delicate state (with her Boot of Healing, which is nothing like a Bag of Holding or Cloak of Invisibility - but hey!  Think of how much fabric you could put in a bag of holding...) decided to participate, such was the calming nature of ripping perfectly good fabric to shreds:

Of course then there was George, busily ripping apart the leather jacket that will become her bodice (which, ok, I know I was supposed to do this, but I was busy driving all over trying to locate some specific fabric - its been a long day, folks) instead of shredding fabric:

She did manage to get a little fabric shredding time later and declared it therapeutic.

I was busily sewing away and didn't have time for silly things like shredding fabric:

Ok, I may have been hopped up on sugar and chocolate. 

And the Chick, who decided to demonstrate the Wench Posse Gang Sign for the blogosphere:

I think she may have said "Yo."

For Thursday there are more fittings and sewing happening, and then there will be lots of pictures of our short sojourn north, where we will descend upon the Olde World Faire as the HMS Booty Shake.  I would be your Captain, Boss Wench.  The Chick is Julie, your Cruise Director.  I admit to feeling rather old that Princess has NEVER SEEN A SINGLE EPISODE of the Love Boat.

Speaking of Princess, you need to know when to stop when shredding fabric, or this might happen to you:

Consider this a Public Service Announcement.

Who's Who on aka Chesty Larue

Ah, the rhyming of the title just makes me so happy.  I really need to get out more.

Because I seem to have some new people stopping by lately (hi new people!) I have made a list of the recurring characters here at the blog.  It is over on the right, underneath "Sharing my Personal Space," which would be the immediate fam. 

If I am missing someone, let me know!  I have no memory, folks, so it isn't personal.  If you would like me to change something about your personal entry, bring me some chocolate and I'll see what I can do.

When you get right down to it, the list is really just for me.  The kids are lucky I remember their names these days...

Enjoy!

You know you have too much fabric when...

It takes you ALL DAY to sort, fold, rearrange (by color and type, as per my fabric OCD) and just generally organize your fabric closet. 

  

(The two piles to the right on the upper shelf are my personal piles and are not available to others.  Sometimes I put a HANDS OFF sign.  When I am feeling bratty.)

This does not include the piles of stuff being a) given away, b) donated to become Corset Cozies (see Danger Kitty over there on the left), or c) available for sale.  Or the two metal shelving units filled with plastic bins of fabric.  Or the bolts in the corner...

Hi.  My name is Larue, and I have a fabric problem.  Some day my children will come home and find me, dead, buried under a pile of fabric, and they WON'T BE SURPRISED.  Because it will have fallen on me and crushed me to death.

Which means I need to start buying more cotton.  And keep everything off of bolts...