Veil Making for Idiots, Part 3

Today's discussion involves ... trim.

The edge of the veil was unfinished, and since I'm a bit of a perfectionist, I hand sewed several yards of ribbon to the edges.


Today, I added the finishing touches to the headband. I hot glued some ribbon to the headband ... then started with the rhinestones. I hotglued 4mm and 5mm rhinestones to the headband, 5mm rhinestones on the veil, and several 4mm rhinestones on the bridal bouquet.

Hot glue and rhinestones ... and already burned fingers? Ouch.


Final masterpiece!

Not a veil

What else does a bride need?

A bouquet!

Ten fake roses ... which I attached in groups of two and three with rubber bands ... and then the whole bunch with rubber bands (should have used duct-tape for reinforcement). Then I wrapped the "stems" with ribbon, anchored everything in place with my needle and thread ... and added a festive bow (also anchored!).

Veil Making for Idiots, Part 2

The Veil Making Saga continues.

I bought about thirty-nine dollars worth of materials ... twenty-nine of those dollars going towards this veil.
I bought a veil kit thingie at Michael's, and promptly took the veil off the hair comb. I then started to pin the veil to the headband.

The next step involved sewing the veil *to* the headband. This was a lot harder than it sounds. My fingernails ripped, the needle and my thumb became a little too well acquainted ... and then I grabbed my great-grandma's thimble. Oh thank heavens for that thimble. Made the sewing much easier.

After that, I tried on the veil (because, um, that's what you do. Yeaaah). See how it's almost reaching my butt? I wasn't too thrilled with that.

So I decided to make it poofy. Trust me, it was horrifying in person.The veil is almost finished, so part three should be posted in the next few days!

Veil Making for Idiots

As I've probably mentioned before, I'm the volunteer costumer for Tech Savvy High School. This spring's musical is The Wedding Singer. I just got the email saying what props I could start on ... a wedding veil, a bridal bouquet, and a fake wedding cake.

I have never made a bridal veil before, so I'll be documenting this step by step.

Step One:

Locate a headband.

My inspiration is from the wedding veil-headband worn by Laura Benanti in the Broadway production of The Wedding Singer.

(not my picture, taken from the http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatarerecords/144101843/ page)

I finally found this at Claire's Boutique:


And ripped the flowers off to make this:
I'm saving the flowers, in case I need to fashion a boutonniere.

There's enough fabric for me to wield a needle and attach the veil, which will be in our next installment.

Unemployed Librarians Guild

(a muff at a historic site, that will not be named. i am madly in love with this muff. it's pink!)

I have been out of work for a month, finished student teaching two weeks ago, and thoroughly enjoying my time off. Never fear, I am looking for a job, and sending out resumes and cover letters frequently.

So what does an unemployed librarian do?

- Read like a mofo.
I've been reading like a maniac this month. It's so nice reading for fun ... and for professional development (funny how those intertwine!). I broke my "try not to buy books" rule (for book money and yarn money is one and the same) in order to read the third book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. The Titan's Curse was totally worth it. I emailed one of my dearest friends from college telling her she must must must read The Lightning Thief. Currently I'm reading the first book in the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites.

- Catch up on Doctor Who
I'm planning to! That's tomorrow's activity. Knitting and David Tennant. Mmm. I have about three more episodes left in Series 3.

- Knit that Christmas present for her brother...
I am now fifty percent finished with Rob's present. I started the third skein of wool last night while watching NCIS and whatever was on after it.

- Volunteer!
Yesterday was the first time in months that I was able to see the Costume Ladies. We visited Raynham Hall in Oyster Bay ... where I spent several lovely hours volunteering today. Hats! Bonnets! Kepis! Pictures! I can't wait to go back and play next week.

Fabulous dress-up oppurtunities

As anyone who knows me, I have a thing for playing dress up. Still. In the corner of my bedroom stands Amelia, my long-suffering mannequin. Every once in a while I change her clothes, though for the next few months she'll be modeling an old fur cape and my feathered headband that I bought at last year's Renaissance Faire.

Back in May, when the Time Lord and I were casually dating, he told me about the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. The HPLHS has a player network, which, if I understand him correctly, hosts live-action role playing games of Cthulhu Lives. This includes being in 1920s costume. Heh heh heh.

Also, in September, in Somerset, NJ is SalonCon. This is something I would dearly love to attend, as it focuses on the Victorian era. Plus a masked ball. And workshops. Unfortunately for me, the Wine Tasting is that same night, and as I talked my way onto the committee, I will be needed that weekend!

Mannequin Wrangling

No pictures today, sorry!

I was back at the Historical Society this morning, where the ladies and I took down mannequins. The school program starts at this site on Thursday, and we needed to get the mannequins OUT of the areas where the children will be. Additionally, one of our mannequins needed to be transported for a display at Soldiers & Sailors.

Two of the ladies got that particular mannequin across town, while the other two ladies and I were at the house. The silver lace dress was carefully taken off and repacked, as the black velvet. Getting the dresses off the mannequins and properly repacked takes some time, as you don't want to cause damage to the costume. However, we were working with a one-hour window.

Charlie, our male mannequin, and two of our 1910s beauties were moved, while our doe-eyed lovely is still on display (but behind a piano). Naked mannequins were also moved about the house and hidden. I feel very icky from all the dust! Additionally, the bottom of the house was cold, while the upper floor was sweltering hot. Eugh. I'm going to hop in the shower after this post.

Knitter Takes Manhattan, Part 2

I was also in the city again on Friday, for two events. The New York Antiquarian Book Fair was this weekend, and I was volunteering at the Grolier Club table.

I sadly did not take any photos, but the books and leaves and manuscripts and incunabla on display were gorgeous and breathtaking.

After that, I decided it was a good idea to walk up from 67th to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (around 81st street). I *finally* saw the blog.mode exhibit.

After the Museum, I sat on the steps, and worked on my other new knitting project, the Monkey socks. In a fit of brilliance and hubris, I decided that morning that I would knit these socks using the Magic Loop method. Needless to say, by the time I was outside the Met, I realized that I am not ready for the great Magic Loop.
The evening was spent at NYU, for the graduate student symposium in Costume Studies, where I saw an old friend for the first time and years, and heard her present her thesis on home-made, tailor-made, and ready-made clothes in the early 19th century.