MLS Designs

After a long slog, doing far too many excess hours at work this week and last, and coming home to get straight to work on the ballgowns each day, Mummy's ballgown was finally finished this morning, and the retrimming on mine was finished five minutes ago. Just in time for the ball on Saturday.
I have to go to work extra early in the morning because of finishing early to take Mummy to the dentist, but will hopefully be able to start the demo dress after I get home (lucky old me!)
But now? Now I sleep ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz............

I left my keys at work when I left at 12 today, so I didn't get home till 7pm :(
I go from school to the nearest village in the mini bus, it's laid on for the support staff who live locally, so I get a lift, then wait for my bus home, which means a 25 minute wait. Today I decided to go into the local town on my way home, so got a different bus. While I was on the bus, I noticed my keys were not in my bag! My mother was out working, my friend who has a spare key is away in Manchester, and our next door neighbours who also have a key were not answering their phones. I had lost all interested in shopping by this point, so in desperation I rang a friend who lives in a neighboring village to ask if I could crash at hers while I waite. Mummy collected me on her way home at quarter to seven!
Since getting home I have made and eaten supper. And looked at LJ. And now I am going to bed, I am sick and tired of today!
Tomorrow WILL be better! I'm going into Leicester to look for some wool for a cloak, and maybe see if I can find something for a zuave type jacket ( I have some lovely brown wool, but don't know if it's going to be enough...) I also need ribbon for several pairs of ballet pumps I have to wear with regency frocks.
This weekend I will hopefully get on to my apricot plaid, I'm at a standstill with mummy's things, (unless my boning etc order comes tomorrow) so I may as well start on my dress for the demos. While i have my undies on, fitting the bodice, I will try on the ball gown bodice I'm retrimming for the coming Russian ball, to see where I need to take it in after my gallstones.

The ball was fantastic, as usual! But today didn't turn out as expected!
On Saturday after lunch Mummy and I went to help set up for the ball, and got home at 4 to find our visitors ( 3 officers and a lady. People we met in Bath in March and have become VERY good friends, and one of their fellow officers from the re-enactment group) all camped out on the doorstep waiting for us :) We had tea and chats and then all got ready. The ball was very good fun, 10 couples, and we actually had the right mix of sexes! One of the girls was dressed as a boy, but the others were all real men! There was much giggling before the dancing started, and lots of eating during the evening! Home again, we all lounged around in our jammies for a while winding down to go to sleep.

Then, this morning, (after a pancake breakfast, with a pancake initial letter for everyone, made by me!) was spent learning the steps for the Russian Mazurka, (a Russian lady living in Scotland came to the ball and agreed to teach us the next day before she went home again) and we didn't finish until early in the afternoon, so no chance to go anywhere in kit. We came back home though, and drank more tea, chatted some more about costuming and playing dress-up and had soup and bacon butties before the others had to go home.

Now Mummy and I are sitting on the sofa in the empty house! But while I've been typing this, my photos have been uploading, so I can post them!
They're ( behind this here cutty thing... )

Now that my 2 weeks of half term holiday is over, with it's balls and visits and fun, I feel very very tired! I do NOT want to go to work tomorrow :( Oh well, I suppose that's life isn't it!

The next few weeks are going to be CRAZY! At school I'm preparing for 'A Christmas Carol' with the Yr10s, most of them have 2 or 3 roles, and all need costumes, and our wardrobe is just not eqiped, so lots of sewing at school!

At home, we have the Russian Winter Palace ball coming up, the weekend after the play opens, for which I am adding 'swansdown' trim to my big pink ballgown, and I need to make Mummy a new corset, and, if I can, a new ball gown. It will be dark red/black shot silk, with hopefully brown trim on the bertha and oversleeves, either the leftover silk velvet from my pelise or some fur. I think I may use the velvet, then it can be permantent, fur IS only really suitable on a ballgown for a Russian theme!!

Also, it's Christmas demo season soon, and our theme is Scotish Victorian, so I thought I might make myself a new dress :D My red challis is lovely, but, it IS a year old! So I bought some apricot coloured silk/wool mix plaid from fashion fabrics, and my lovely lovely friends are bringing it to me tomorrow when they come to visit!! I have lots of the golden brown velvet ribbon from my gold stripe ballgown, so I may trim it with that somehow, if it goes. I will wear it with my beige paletot and my new muff and tippet (worn as a scarf) and be toasty toasty warm!