Lucy Jane is now on Etsy!!!

Source

I'll still be tweaking the details and adding more listings, but the Etsy shop is open!!!

Sneak Peek!

I thought you might enjoy seeing what I'm doing this week.
Besides running around half mad because it's so close to my deadline.

Pretty Patterns

I thought I would show you some of the patterns that I have my eye on to order and try.  Most of these are a while away, what with the demands of the Hydrangea Festival and everything piling up.  One thing at a time.  Still, it's nice to look ahead some.  Here are some of my (very drool worthy) favorites that will one day find themselves made up and on my dress forms.  Enjoy!

Regency Spencer by Sense and Sensibility Patterns

Regency Underthings, also by S&S:

1900 Driving Coat by Simplicity:

Elizabethan Ensemble, also by Simplicity:

While we're in Simplicity, I am also loving these tops:

And also these skirts, especially view B:

I haven't really had time to peruse through the McCall's and Butterick books.  They usually don't have what I'm looking for, but you never know.  These are all ideas that are floating around in the back of my mind, after everything that's on that right sidebar list.  Mmmm.  I need more tea and more hours.  :)

When I go back to school, I'm going to learn to draft my own patterns.  That's going to be awesome!

Music That I Work To

I need me some new... these.

Music is an integral part of my creative process.  Here is a short list of some of my absolute favorite things to blare on my iTunes as I work in the studio.

• Steam Powered Giraffe.  You have to follow the link to remotely understand, but I DARE you not to be hooked.  They are amazing on multiple levels! 
• Film Scores/Soundtracks:
• Pirates of the Caribbean (most of all #3, "At World's End")- Hans Zimmer
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2- Alexandre Desplat
• Pride and Prejudice- Dario Marianelli
• A Mid-Summer Night's Dream- Simon Boswell
• Sense and Sensibility- Patrick Doyle
• Pearl Harbor- Hans Zimmer
• The Lord of the Rings- Howard Shore
• The Chronicles of Narnia- Harry Gregson-Williams
• Broadway Musicals:
• Wicked
• Les Miserables
• The Music Man
• Various and Sundry Other Artists:
• Tenth Avenue North
• Frank Sinatra
• Kristin Chenoweth
• Sting
• Sarah Brightman

What do you listen to while you work?

Janome, I Love What I Do...

It's pronounced "Juh-no-me".  (Get it now?  Janome?  You-know-me... Oh, never mind! ;))

Two wonderful people in my life worked at the same time to teach me how to sew.  I was around 22 years old, in college for a vocation that was rendered obsolete the same year. (Long story.)  My friend Marilyn was the one who promised me that I could in fact turn a massive pile of pink crepe-back satin into a Victorian ballgown, despite the pattern being 8 sizes too large and me being illiterate in the realm of pattern reading.  My Gran was a bit more hands on approach and passed her 1960s Pink Singer Merritt down to me, along with an assortment of tools to use.  Dressmaker's chalk.  Several seam rippers (they like to disappear off the table for some reason).  Straight pins.  All kinds of things.  But mostly the Singer.

I spent the next decade in sewing bliss.  Until the day 18 months ago that the Merritt just wouldn't work anymore.  I took it in for regular maintenance and everything, but still, after 40 years of service it gave up and wouldn't repair for anything.  Even if the shop could have repaired it, it would have been a major overhaul and cost well over the price of a new machine.  So I started looking around.

At first I thought I would go with another Singer.  The Merritt had been so good to me.  However, as I shopped around I discovered that the new Singers are... well... "They don't make things like they used to".  (That's the nicest way I can think of to put it!)

When I explained my dilemma to the fine employees of our local sew-n-vac shop, they had just the answer.  After a brief tutorial and an autograph, I was 258% sure that THIS is THE one that will last me forever. It has a metal inside body, housed in heavy duty plastic casing. This puppy and I are going to go a loooooooong way together. I am now the proud owner of this baby:

It has features I haven't even had time to try yet!  I plan on studying the manual more this summer between the Hydrangea Festival and September Saturdays.  I'd love to work some fancy top-stitching on some of my upcoming costumes!  For now, it really does a great job.  The bobbin system is brainlessly easy.  Which is good, when my brain is elsewhere and I'm trying to thread the machine!  I'm able to turn out a good number of Funky Friends soft toys in a reasonable time frame and I absolutely couldn't be a seamstress without my Janome! :)

Eyelet Setter, How I love Thee

Due to a lot of things going on this Easter weekend, this is going to be a short post.  But completely true.

Five years ago, I wanted to close the back of a Civil War era ballgown with laces rather than hooks and eyes.  I didn't want to hand stitch all of those little eyelets, so I decided to use metal grommets.  When I went to Joann's to get them, instead of the little hammer and setter tap system thingie (give me a break, I'm exhausted and it's late) I found THIS:

Squishy the handle and there's the eyelet, all ready to go.  I heart you, Dritz company.  I heart you, too, Joann's for having it in stock and on sale for 40% off.  Best less than $20 I ever spent on sewing equipment.  EVER.  Here are some photos:

I'm going to bed.  So tired.  I promise better posts next week!!