Gold Sash & Caul for my Florentine Gowns

10/20/05 - 4:00PM I've got a major headache!  I've just spent the past half an hour fighting with my sewing machine. Today I bought some (admittedly very modern but pretty) fabric to make a sash for my new dresses. It's a muted gold and sort shimmery, I think that it will look nice with both of my new Florentine dresses.  In my defense I did look at the real silk to make this sash but I just couldn't afford it.  Buying the silk would have made this sash cost 1/2 what the dress fabric did and I just couldn't bring myself to go there.  Anyhow  I bought two yards of the shimmery gold stuff which was on sale.

At home I folded it in half lengthwise and cut it down the fold.  It was looking too wide so I folded that in half lengthwise and cut.  I pinned the ends to together to sew one seam in the middle to make a four yard length.  After that was sewn I was going to make it a big tube and then gather and hem the tassels into the ends.  No big deal right?  Even *I* should be able to handle this project.

BUT-- I CAN"T GET MY STUPID ASS SEWING MACHINE TO QUIT LOCKING UP!!!!! Something is going on with the bobbin and it's knotting up beneath and locking up the machine. I re-thread it three times and still can't get it to work. Could it be because the fabric is slippery? *sigh* I was going to surprise Bekah on Sunday with my sash and feel all useful and semi-skilled but now I think I'm going to have to ask her to do this too! GgGrRrRrrR! I'm feeling so useless!

10/20/05 - 9:34PM   Whoo hooo!!  Yay me!  after walking away for a while I finally figured out what was going on with the sewing machine and got it working again.  I stitched up the tube of fabric, cinched the ends and got one of the tassels sewn on this evening.  I'm debating making some large beads to sit atop the tassels and help weigh down the sash, I just don't know if I have the patience for doing that.  Jen at the Festive Attyre site made hers out of sculpy and I think I may be able to doing handle that.  I need to decide now though before I get the other tassel stitched on.  Antine took a picture of me working on the sash at fighter practice tonight.  Not the most flattering shot but it's so rare to catch me with a needle in my hand I thought I'd better document it!  LOL.

10/25/05 -  By the end of the day the sash will be finished.  Whoo hoo!  Bekah saw it today and thought that I was doing a great job.  She likes how I finished the tassels, which I hadn't been to sure about so I think that I'll just leave them instead of reworking the ends with sculpy beads.  The gold looks just amazing against the Purple Florentine gown.  I'm *really* looking forward to wearing this! 

10/27/05 -  As I'm still freaking out about what's going on my head, I decided to give Mistress Drea's Caul instructions a try with this gold sash fabric.  I thought that maybe it would help tie everything together.  Anyhow, it seemed easy enough and a project that I could finish in a day so what the heck right?  Well, I ended up ripping out my stitches three times and starting over and over again, but by the end of the day I've got a caul!   Pictures to come later.

10/28/05 - My sash is done!  Yay!

11/04/05 - My wonderful husband made me a necklace to go with my purple gown!  Okay, not a great picture, but I'm way excited that he's made it for me and I can't wait to get the whole outfit on top to toe!  Bekah will be here this afternoon to put the finishing touches on my dress too.  Yay!