viennabelle

This is a quick post because I'm speeding off to a meeting (I'm delegate for my church to the VA episcopal annual council)...

What can I say--I hit a wall earlier this week. I started feeling a bit tired Monday, but by Tuesday, I could only manage to get to work and get to sleep. Probably a passing virus--I was able to hold work together thanks to modern medicine, but I didn't sew those days. That said, I have managed to take on the breeches (described previously) and the waistcoat of doom. Here are some quick cell phone photos of my efforts:

I'm particularly happy about the waistcoat. The wool on it is handspun and handwoven--so of course, it's hand sewn. Actually, the breeches are fully handstitched as well, since I restitched the entire thing when I modified them. With DH's home stitched shirt (sadly, a little scarred by black powder burns), he has a nice start to a farmer's outfit. Maybe I'll make him a jacket--but I think I'll let him earn that (I have too many UFOs to finish, anyhow)!

By the way, since I'm up posting piccies, here is a shot I took a week and a half ago of the inside of the child's stays I'm sewing. This was taken after I whittled out stays from oak staves (I felt crafty with that!) but before I'd tacked back the seams. It's a cool inside shot, since it captures a lot of the techniques that are unique to hand made stays (sorry guys--I'm a convert--cookie cutter patterns just don't cut it anymore).

Finally, for the heck of it, photos of my friend Amy's blizzard baby, from a week ago (aww....)

Ok, gotta get dressed and ready for today's meeting. I'm going to bag up the "Neverending Kirtle"--I think, my last large handstitching project. It will give me something to work on through today's long meeting...