Friends

so i went to my primary doctor today. she referred me to an ears nose and throat specialist for my ear ringing and my occasional loss of hearing in one ear,a dn to talk to them about my ever stuffy nose. i have a referral for physical therapy, and someday they'll call to make an appointment. i made an appointment with the optometrist for an eye exam (regarding the blue spots i mentioned). it they find anything unusual in their exam i will be referred to an ophthalmologist. i also got some blood work done to see if i have an autoimmune disease (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and the like) (wait,what!?) because of my joint pain. tomorrow i am going to the neurologist, and it sounds like i am getting a CAT scan. and to top it all off, she took me off the neuva ring (BOO! HISS!) and put me on an estrogen free b/c to see of that helps my headaches. if not, then i can go back to the neuva ring (YAY!) quite a lot going on all of a sudden. i'm not too sure how i feel about it. i've always wanted someone to take interest (but i've never been aggressive enough). but now everything is just crazy. i don't feel worried, but a the same time it's like 'holy shit.'

well, it looks like someone's finally took interest in my case. AND I FINALLY GOT A REFERRAL TO A NEUROLOGIST! YAY! i am, or course, referring to my chronic headaches. apparently there is someone else in the world who thinks that a 21 year old should by no means have this many headaches. especially not since i've had them since elementary school. he recommended that i try taking a more physical approach to helping them. ie, physical therapy, massages, acupuncture and so on. he's also decided that they are mixed headaches. my most recent one i found out yesterday it a combination of a really bad tension headache and a migraine. so to tide me over till i can get my hands on acupuncture (which i want to try), i have flexaril and a warm compress topped off with Excedrin. i also have allegra, which just helps my FACE feel better, ya know? today wasn't bad, though i can still feel it as like an undertone, i just need to remember to relax. i am hoping taking flexaril nightly will not only relax my neck, but help to break the cycle of doom.
the doctor also thinks (after reading a list of everything i've been prescribed since i was in 4th grade) that i may have done some damage of sorts from all my body's been through. medication over extended periods of time can change how your body functions, which can lead to your body saying "omg, wtf?". and that depression is probably a contributing factor (no, really?).

hopefully i can get this cleared up and taken care of for good, and if not for good, find a solution that is relatively long term in comparison to pills every day, and sitting on the couch with a warm compress relaxing your neck all day every day.

tomorrow it's off to the primary doctor to update her and try and get some prescription strength hydrocortisone for dry winter skin.
then wednesday, i go to the neurologist in panorama. remind me to mention the blue spots. i keep seeing them. and the ringing ears, but that's more normal the neon blue spots and lines, i think.

So I may be able to tick my 1906 dress of the to do list after all :) I may finally have worked out the sleeve and bretelle conundrum ;) I want kimono sleeves you see and I have just managed it now. Much ironing and pleating and pinning. I think I do now have enough left over for the waist band too which is always nice . I just need to sort out if I am going to wear a chemisette under it or not.

I may post updates it's not really much of a surprise dress after all ;)

I also got the skirt patterned finally for the Mina dress :) I mean full scale in the support fabric not my many many doodles ;)

The stays fit! You never really know with a corset until it's done, do you? Anyway, I'm super pleased. It does wrinkle in back and below the waist, but for something with absolutely no support--cording or boning--that's to be expected. The lacing is a little bumpy as well, but again, it's where skirts will go, so no matter. I can't imagine it's any bumpier than their corsets that just had cording in back were--it's just not as stiff as boning! I probably should've spaced the eyelets a little closer, but I didn't, so that's that :)

All I need to do now is bind them, shorten the straps (as expected) and take in the dart a little more over the stomach.

And oh, amazingly comfortable. Yay!

( Mirror Pictures )

It makes me happy as well that things I used to see as flaws I now see as a natural part of the costume. Cording and boning don't act the same, and I'm fine with that now :)

ETA: I've been wearing them for a bit and tightened them in that it's a laced thing and therefore will stretch way, and there's less bumpiness in back. Very neat! I've added a picture as well. Still bumpy and still under the skirts, so no matter. I must say though, I like big gaps in corsets and this small one is a little scary. I was aiming for a small gap on this one, at least :)

I didn't get the new phone I wanted, but i did get a new camera, it's all sexy red.


I did the usually mom's side Christmas eve- only this year we did secret santa rather than a gift for each person. I got a radio alarm clock and a subscription to newsweek thanks grandma.

Christmas morning I made hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls and after an hour and a half we decided not to wait for my sister, I got clothes that were too big for me, peanut M&Ms for my gumball machine (since I don't eat gum) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,a Pakistani book and the camera.

My sister came over with my niece around 1, she forgot to call her dad and opened lots of presents at 3, my sister decided she need to go home and took the kids and left but invited us over for dinner to avoid staying at my dad's side for too long.

After my sister took her friend to work and showered we headed over and hung out. MY COUSIN IS ALL GROWN UP. He's still wearing HIM t-shirts but it looks like he's falling into a specific identity, we talked most of the evening and i brought Banangrams, he said he liked playing and would enjoy doing it again, so i let him keep the game. He wants to go to Rocky and out clubbing with me (I said we'd do one now and the other when he's 18 in three months)

His half sister was there, and things were awkward. At thanksgiving she text messaged my sister and asked if she could move into my other sister's room with her two kids and new boyfriend for a few months until she got up on her feet, as her husband left her (took the kids) because she had been cheating on him with his nephew and she was now stuck in Texas and living out of her car. Apparently her mother did take her in (as mothers usually will) but she hasn't gotten her kids back. She spent the entire day ignoring us (all of us) even though this decision had nothing to do with most of us.

This makes life easier for us, because moochers are tough to get rid of and sometimes hard to say no to. It took a couple hundred dollars and me finally telling my best friend's mother that her boyfriend tried to kill her for her to stop asking me for favors (apparently i didn't want to do things her way)

Anyway, we departed for dinner at my sisters and i fell asleep after half a glass of wine and everyone else watched angels and demons (something i'd like to see from what i woke up to)

Went to work the following day and vegged out good and long on sunday.

Merry Christmas everyone

A few thoughts on why I rarely give criticism ;)

The main is that people will hear what they want to hear most of the time, especially when there is a build up of expectation. If anything has really driven that home it has been my experiences this year. We won't go into the details as it's pretty much been every thing from family to relationships to my roles in various organisations.

Today I watched a sort of bastard child of Antiques Road Show where people come in to sell their antiques either to a ealer or in auction. One woman brought in a set of items and decided the dealer's offer was not high enough (and ditto at auction). The reason being she had taken the pieces to "another show" and as soon as she took them out of the bag the valuer said they were worth at least a thousand pounds.
Personally I have no doubt that happened. What I suspect happened was then the valuer saw the damage and said that would halve the price. I also suspect the woman chose not to hear that part.

It's a really good example of how what you say and mean almost count for nothing once that gets into the wild- the attitude in the show was that the valuer was off their rocker!

So unless specifically asked I generally don't offer criticisms too often they are taken as "that mean laurel thinks my work sucks"- and sympathy flows usually bagging all laurels in the process. Or only the good parts are heard not what could be improved and "that laurel loves my work" and then my judgement is questioned if there really is a lot to be improved.

So if anyone gets "this could be improved" from me it's because I know you won't take it as an attack on you as a person and that the work will be worth the effort. I hate getting those sort of comments while I'm in the middle of actually sorting out the problem too so generally I'll ask before just why those steps were taken.


And praise from me is all about the work, I like to compliment people on what I know about and what I work hard for so I like to know who has made what ;)


Right off to go play with about 20m of red fabric (silk and cotton) and decide where to go next.

Mina skirt base is cut and looks brilliant now I just need to sew the pleated panels to it and to pleat the last section.

I have been working on my 1906 dress too but I think I will set it aside for a while and make a new outfit for my birthday instead. I just am not sure if I really want to make what I had a quick bee in my bonnet about ;)

Right it might be time to get some photos and to go back and set up the overlocker to red thread.

I was going to work on the sleeve tonight, but I'm feeling lazy so I think I'm going to work on the corset instead. Much easier. And since it's close to being done, maybe I'll get that sense of accomplishment in finishing something that will make it seem possible to have everything done by the 23rd! We'll see :)

And worst case, it's not like I don't have backup dresses :)

From the Isabel Toledo: Fashion from the Inside Out book

One more panel of pleating down. All panels ironed and the cotton sateen backing has been started. Wow does the silk look good pleated. It is very crisp right now almost to the point it looks like flat fabric ;) Once hanging up as a skirt it will get a bit more dimension again.

Why is it that some projects are incredibly fast, but other super slow? Tonight I only managed to sew 2 1/2 of four lines needed for the last cording channels on the 1820 corset. They are tiny stitches, but still. I can normally do more than 2 1/2 seams in three hours!

I'm not sure now if I'm going to finish the corset or the sleeve on the accompanying dress first. Or maybe even cut out the skirt. We'll see! And I found what I think is the bodice pattern from the red dress I made back in 2004, I think it was. Even if it doesn't fit, it's a good starting point! And I still need to figure out what the bodice is going to look like :)

http://tvnz.co.nz/masterchef-australia/chocolate-mousse-cake-3196833

dare I attempt this for my birthday? No blast freezer unfortunately.

I decided to work on the corset instead of the sleeve tonight. I wanted mindless! Anyway, I'm glad I did and am making quite a bit of progress, even if it is slow. It's the pulling four cords through each channel that's taking so long. I have two back cords on each side done. Just two left! I did three tonight, and except for a break to eat (leftover Chinese--yum!), it took both of the Cate Blanchett Elizabeths.* And I'm still finding bits of blue ink. Even far away from where there even was blue ink. I might have to just dip the whole thing in water when I'm done.

Anyway, here's a picture to prove I'm doing something!



I'm still undecided if I should do cross or spiral lacing. The inspiration stays do have cross lacing, but spiral is easier to put on. It is a transitional time. I don't have to decide right now though :)

*I know, but I like them!

 I got such wonderful things for Christmas!

*TWO--count 'em--TWO pairs of Robert Land side lacers
*lots of great gift cards (urban, joann, AE, H&M)
*vintage dress
*vintage hat
*jewelry
*curling iron
*the cut of women's clothes
*two TT regency bonnet patterns
*glove pattern
*jeans, sweater, robe, nightgown, pajama pants

My mother remarked that this year we managed to get all the wrappings into one trash bag. My sister's and my tastes are changing, maturing. It's neat to see how we've grown.

       

I had one of the lovliest Christmas's in a while :)

On the eve A. had a bbq which was lovely and relaxed and we han nommy foods and watched Big Bang Theory (falalalala-lalalala)

On the day there was a lovely picnic with Z. and N. (and muppet) then family dinner which was relaxed and full of salad ;)

Today may be braving sales but there shall be no stampeeding for goods as I am broke ;)


And I watched Hogfather last night :) All the bits I keep missing. My favourite scene in the book translated well to the small screen. It is of course when Susan receives a card from her grandfather.

I'm feeling very overambitious. Two days, and I don't even have one finished sleeve band! The first one is almost done--two flower things just need to be ironed and sewn together. I think I'm going to do the rest of the sleeve next, both for a change of pace and because I want to see what the whole thing looks like before I move to sleeve number two. I usually don't like working like that, but at the same time, if I don't like it, it's too much work to change!
The skirt will be easier though. The trim will be larger, and therefore less fiddly. Also, it'll be sewn flat to the skirt so I just have to trim the piping and lay it down. Much easier than sewing the backs shut! Of course, I still want five rows of ruffles and a padded hem under the scalloped hem. But the ruffles will be bias cut and not hemmed. That has to count for something! Gathering over cords is quick. I'm still not sure what the bodice will look like, and the long sleeves will be easy. Plain except for one piped flower around the cuff. In other words, I need to get busy :)

Also, I think I finally got all the blue marks out of the corset. They just wouldn't go away! They moved each time I got it wet. Silly blue marks...

 Well, Christmas Eve was lovely, and I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow. There's only one more thing that would truly make this a perfect Christmas... but it would take a Christmas miracle! I'm still ridiculously and absurdly happy. A month ago, I couldn't imagine I'd be as content as I am now. Still not looking forward to returning to school, but things will be easier I think.

Going to see Sherlock Holmes tomorrow, although I also want to see Nine (I'm in love with Day-Lewis. He is not only an acting god but a fine, fine specimen of man...). Saving that for when I get back from CWW with ismiseniamh . Just hoping I'll be warm enough! Bringing my wool dresses, flannel petti, wool shawl (if I can find it...), wool cloak, wool paletot... I can see myself wearing all of that outerwear at once! We'll see what it's like when I get up there. Going 40s for the drive up and down. I just got a cute lime green wool 40s dress from Matt, and a faux-fur vintage coat from a pin-up/rockabilly store that just opened. Not sure what to wear on my feet, but... I'll figure it out! :-P 

Going to be up late trying to get the new black wool dress done. At least the bodice. It needs sleeves (in the works) and piping. I can do the skirt tomorrow. Alright... back to work!

Merry Christmas everyone!

In a very me move, I went back to the sleeve last night and it's going to work. No, my piping isn't as polished looking as theirs was, but I still think it looks pretty good. And it's hard! But fun :) Observe--part of a sleeve band:



Now to very carefully iron it. Well, after finishing all the little piped parts for one sleeve :)

( A very odd sleeve mockup, and Petunia's silk taffeta fort )

...that I already want to simplify the dress? One piped piece that didn't work out right and I'm ready to change. Hmm. I really shouldn't yet. It's too early! Who knows :)

Right now I have a mock up for a sleeve that is going to do one of two things. One, it's going to be the most incredible sleeve ever, or two, it's going to make me cry. Possibly both. But I think I'm going to love it!

Wish me luck :)