Monday, May 23, 2005
Manic Monday
Have you ever heard the expression "A silk purse out of sow's ears"?
After twenty-five years of being a poor or broke seamstress, I find that it is standard operating procedure.
I'm mending one of the costumes for the River Theatre's current production "Simple Salmon Discovers Lewis and Clark". I'm almost positive that this dress has played more roles than most actresses ever will in their lifetime. So I'm sitting here trying to decide just where to draw the line at fixing what is already broken on this dress. I know for a fact that re-sewing a dress just like it from scratch would be so much easier and last way longer. But NOT cheaper. A dozen or more quick repair jobs, patches of fusible interfacing, seams torn and repaired so many times that they barley align, (and even more dreaded) rips and repairs in the middle of nowhere; I know to fix everything that is wrong with it... the correct way... will take me six hours if things goes smoothly (unlikely), and ten if it doesn't (more than likely). So I am going to shoot for somewhere in the middle.
Somewhere in the middle means fix what is dire for the dress to last through to the end of the last three showings, and leave complete deconstruction and reconstruction for another time just in case the fabric disintegrates completely while in progress.
I realized something when my daughter tried it on to see if the repaired sleeve would actually work: The magic of dress-up never lessens. Whether you are two or one hundred two the magic of the costume shines right through. Regardless if you got at the thrift store on grab bay day, or it's a sequin and silk dress custom made for you, you can be transformed into the lead Broadway star we are all deep inside. Point driven home... an outfit that feels Fantastic on can really make your day.
So dress to impress... yourself!
AND Pictures are still in process...progress... the making...en utero... you know....
Pictures Coming Soon!
After twenty-five years of being a poor or broke seamstress, I find that it is standard operating procedure.
I'm mending one of the costumes for the River Theatre's current production "Simple Salmon Discovers Lewis and Clark". I'm almost positive that this dress has played more roles than most actresses ever will in their lifetime. So I'm sitting here trying to decide just where to draw the line at fixing what is already broken on this dress. I know for a fact that re-sewing a dress just like it from scratch would be so much easier and last way longer. But NOT cheaper. A dozen or more quick repair jobs, patches of fusible interfacing, seams torn and repaired so many times that they barley align, (and even more dreaded) rips and repairs in the middle of nowhere; I know to fix everything that is wrong with it... the correct way... will take me six hours if things goes smoothly (unlikely), and ten if it doesn't (more than likely). So I am going to shoot for somewhere in the middle.
Somewhere in the middle means fix what is dire for the dress to last through to the end of the last three showings, and leave complete deconstruction and reconstruction for another time just in case the fabric disintegrates completely while in progress.
I realized something when my daughter tried it on to see if the repaired sleeve would actually work: The magic of dress-up never lessens. Whether you are two or one hundred two the magic of the costume shines right through. Regardless if you got at the thrift store on grab bay day, or it's a sequin and silk dress custom made for you, you can be transformed into the lead Broadway star we are all deep inside. Point driven home... an outfit that feels Fantastic on can really make your day.
So dress to impress... yourself!
AND Pictures are still in process...progress... the making...en utero... you know....
Pictures Coming Soon!
