Back in the Saddle

Remember that pretty dress I posted the very raw version of?  I have pretty pictures of it with the pretty lady it was meant for wearing it!

Photo credits go to my dear friend Hersera.

If you are looking for style with an edge, she's definitely your gal!

I also whipped up these yesterday, which I'm pretty proud of, given the new-and-improved design variation on the original skirts these are based on...

The World's Smallest Violin...

... cannot play "My Heart Bleeds for You" well enough to capture the agony I've experienced with my most recent crafting conquest.

What looks like an ordinary pile of red and blue fabric is actually 5 red/blue parti-colored 84" x 108" tablecloths and 30 red/blue (15 of each) 12" x 12" napkins.  They are table linens for my local LARP group, and represent about 8 hours of sewing in devastatingly un-creative straight lines.  I am considering offering my services to make more of these sets to other LARP groups, but I'm not sure they'll like the price tag and I'm not sure I want to put myself through it again.

So, needless to say, I'm pretty pleased to be working on *this* little number:

The satin-brocade might fray to all hell, the seams might be long, and what will eventually be put in as the neckline might be overly complicated, but it is *great* to be working on a garment again!

Incredibly Official Promise

Lookie what I got in the mail today...

I already do an amazing about of peddling/hawking my wares on my Facebook page and Twitter, so I'll make this promise right here and now.

I am going to try my bestest to keep this blog to my sewing projects and their construction.

Now, this isn't to say that I won't post random pride-filled pictures of new stuffie creations, stock-garb designs, or commission work, but I'll try and keep the links to my Etsy page at a minimum.  If you are interested in seeing my wares as they come and go, I definitely invite you to "Like" my Facebook Page ( http://www.facebook.com/EleventhHourSewing ).

And now I'm going to take a moment to gush about how awesome my friends and family have been/are/continue to be.  Taking the plunge into crafting-for-a-living is seriously scary, but I have had nothing but support and good vibes coming at me from all directions.  It is comforting and overwhelming, all at the same time.

Thank you, Guys!  From the bottom of my heart!

Available on Etsy!

Today, Eleventh Hour Sewing officially opened on Etsy!

Thus far I have a few stuffed animals listed...

If you like what you see, but not in the colors you would *love* it in, don't be shy about dropping me a line!

I am available for custom orders!

eleventhhoursewing@gmail.com

Happy New Year... Awesome New Adventure!

Firstly and Foremostly, a very belated "Happy New Year" to all of you.

I know that you've all been *dying* to see my Peacock Dress in action, so here it was as I wore it to the fantastic event hosted by the Steampunk Society of Nebraska.

The dashing Gentleman in these photos would be my Beau, who coincidentally won the prize of "Best Top Hat" for the evening.  Yes, that is a clock on his top hat.  Yes, the clock is functional/accurate.  Yes, it was AWESOME.

You'll note that I don't have any pictures of the bustle that I promised in my original "Peacock Ensemble" post.  That is because the bustle had severe problems in bustling.  I might tackle it again in the future, but for right now it is safely tucked away in my "mending" pile.  For purposes of the ball, I made myself a half-tutu from some blue and green tulle.  It was cute, but nothing remarkable.

But on to my *New Adventure* in the New Year...

... looks awfully official, doesn't it?

That is because it totally is.  I've taken the plunge into the world of freelance artistry.  I'm wide open for commissions, I'll be appearing at a con here and there, and I'm even opening an Etsy store.  I'm terribly excited about all of this.

So, join me on this grand adventure!  Start out by liking my Facebook Page, and keep an eye open for updates as I get my Etsy store rip-roaring!

Lions. No Tigers. Definitely Bears.

The Holiday Season is fully upon us.  I am pleased to say that this year I managed to complete the goal I start out with every year; to craft my way through Christmas gifts.  Seriously.

No.  Seriously.  Stop laughing.  I'll show you!

I can share these with you, since I've already gifted all of them to the small children for which they were intended...

A teddy bear in Cinderella colors.

A teddy bear in earthy colors and prints.

A teddy bear in girly colors and prints.

A teddy bear in manly colors and prints.

A lion!

Ok, ok, it is a teddy bear with a ruffle around its head and a different tail.

... still... it is a lion.

The gifts that I've made for the adults in my life are also completed, and I'll load those pictures up as soon as they are all gifted.

A Wild Dryad Appears!

I was recently commissioned to create a dryad costume.  I was given a picture to work with in regards to basic design, but included was a specific request to have detachable foliage.  I had to ponder a great deal on this, and this is what I came up with...

Here are some views of the outfit (front and back) without the foliage.  The ribbons that you see tacked onto the bodice are the way that the foliage will be kept on.

And here is how the costume looks (front and back) with the foliage attached.  I managed to find ivy leaves in a pre-made vine.  The "stem" of the vine was formed with little loops for easy hanging, which became quite convenient for my cause.

A detail shot of how I tied down the foliage to the costume.