Mom's blue doublet

My move is today. After two solid weeks of work, the household is finally ready to go. I am anxiously awaiting the moment when I can get started, but in the meantime am trying to think about something else.

I sent my mom pictures of my skirt that I've been working on, partially to show off, partially to encourage her to send up the sewing machine already. ("See how much labor you'll save me if I don't have to do all this by hand?") When I explained the waistband application tehcnique that I messed up, she knew exactly what I should have done, but said the way I fixed it was a good idea. She's one of those people who's good at everything, particularly artistic or crafty things, and she taught herself to sew quite capably in order to make the various costume pieces that her two theatrically-inclined children required over the years.

Probably the nicest and most labor-intensive thing she ever made was when Casey was cast as Romeo in his school's production his senior year of high school. Unimpressed with the rather slapdash job the woman in charge of costuming was doing, she designed a beautiful blue doublet and made it herself. It's a beautiful thing, totally reversible with blue crushed velvet on one side and a shiny tapestry-like blue and metallic on the other. With my larping and Shakespeare, she gave it to me and I have found a lot of use for it. Brenda wore it when she played the Duke in Comedy of Errors for Hold Thy Peace, and more recently Plesser wore it to play Damon in my show To Think of Nothing. It was quite serendipitous that I had it, because I always knew that I wanted Damon in blue as well as somewhat Elizabethan. (Actually, now that I think about it, it was worn by the original Cassander the first time the play was put on at my high school, which I found inappropriate for a number of reasons, but I didn't have anything to do with that production besides the writing of it.) Here is Plesser wearing it as Damon:

Mom said she learned a lot while making it, and that whenever she came across something in the instructions she didn't understand, she would try the technique out in miniature on separate fabric so that she would make sure she did it properly before trying to apply it to the doublet. I think this is a great idea, and plan on adopting this method myself. It's still short of making full muslin, which is something I think I'll need to move into the more complicated the things I try to sew become, but it looks like a good idea for teaching myself new techniques.

Sewing project progress: full gathered skirt in red dupioni, part IV

Thanks to captainecchi*, I think I've figured out what I did wrong on the skirt. I put the skirt up INSIDE the two halves of the waistband (it's sewed on three sides only, making a little pocket) and attached it to the muslin interfacing in there. I think when I heard the bit about flipping it down, I thought that turning both sides of the "pocket" down would better encase the top of the skirt, so that seemed like the right thing to do. If I understand this properly, it seems the actual thing to do would have been to lay the whole waistband on top of the skirt piece, right side of the interfaced piece of the band to the right side of the skirt, and sewed them together with the seam inside the pocket. Then you just roll up the bottom edge and sew it down with an invisible stitch.

I think my method would have worked if I hadn't turned the waistband piece right side out. If I'd done exactly what I did, sewing the skirt to the muslin, with the piece wrong side out, then flipped it, then I think it would have worked fine. The top seam would have been hidden, and I kind of like the way the band encases the top, so if I ever make such a thing again, maybe I'll try that and see if it does indeed work as nicely as I think it would.

Well, I had to work with where I was, and it wasn't hard to fix the damage I'd done-- Just needed to add in an extra row of stitches. More work, I guess, but whatever. I went about hiding that exposed waistband top seam first by pinning it down to the back side. I didn't want the stitches to show through on the outer side of the waistband, so I thought maybe I should use a blind stitch becase they're relatively simple invisible stitches. They're made by slipping your needle through only one or two threads of the weave of the fabric you don't want to show through, and then through the piece you want to join to it. But I realized that all I hand to do was make sure I sewed it only to the muslin layer and not to the silk layer and nothing would show. I practiced the blind stitch anyway, as I think that's what I'll be using on the hem. I kept feeling like the single thread I was putting my needle your wasn't going to be strong enough to hold the seam in place, but apparently a row of that kind of stitch is strong enough. It was relatively easy on the muslin (though I couldn't check the back of it to see how invisible my stitches actually were) but I think it'll be tougher on the silk. That was easy, and the new kind of hand stitch was fun.

Then I went down to the bottom edge of the waistband. I had pinned it so that there was a tiny bit of the edge of the fabric rolled under itself, and I realized I only wanted to sew through that rolled-under part and attach it to the skirt body so that the stitch didn't go through the layer of the waistband that was visible. That was tough; I often pierced the top layer of the very thin silk, and while I managed to eventually sew everything down without much visible stitching, I left a lot of ugly needlemarks. They, and the marks from the pins, mostly came out with pressing, but I can still see them up close.

Here is the result of all that.

Looks pretty good, eh? The waistband looks relatively smooth and unmarked, and measured about 5cm all the way across. I really was careful to keep it even. So even with a mistake, I figured out more of less what I'd done wrong, figured out a simple way to fix it, and even think I determined how to make the method I did use work. Yay! I'm learning!

Next up: figuring out how to put in an invisible zipper without a sewing machine. Woohoo!

Sewing project progress: full gathered skirt in red dupioni, part III

Well, I screwed up. I just discovered my first noticeable mistake in my skirt making.

Where last we left off I was struggling to understand how the waistband met up with the body of the skirt, and I thought I had figured it out thanks to a comment from wired_lizard* about how it's supposed to be flipped over to hide the attachment seam. So I pinned it together in a way I thought was proper and backstitched it together. But when I flipped the waistband over that new seam, I got this.

This is supposed to be the right side of the skirt, the outer side that is visible, and you can see the seam holding the two sides of the waistband together. That's not right. I am certain the problem came from attaching the skirt to the incorrect side of the waistband, but I'm not sure where it was supposed to go. Again, my directions were "Next, you're going to pin the interfaced side of the waistband to the gathered skirt, right sides together. Find the middle of the waistband by folding it in half. Mark that point with a pin. Match the halfway point on the waistband to the side seam on your skirt. Next, pin the ends of the skirt piece to the end of the waistband. The finished ends of the waistband will match up to the raw edges of your skirt." Gertie then specifically notes to make sure to pin the skirt only to the interfaced side.

I'm not sure where I went wrong. My gut reaction is that that what I did would have worked out if I hadn't turned the waistband right side out, so that when I flipped it down now that seam would be hidden, but Gertie specifically has you do that. So what wasn't lined up properly? I kind of want to make a paper model and see what the physics of it actually are.

Ah, well. It's easy enough to fix. What I'll have to do is fold down that seam along the top and sew it onto the inside of the skirt with an invisible stitch, as well as fold up the loose bottom edge of the waistband up inside itself, and sew them both with an invisible stitch. Here is the inside of the skirt, with that top seam folded back and pinned down. Note that the interfacing is visible from the inside; is that correct, or should the silk side of that piece be exposed?

And here is the outside view, now with the bottom of the waistband rolled up and pinned as well. Both of these I will attempt to use the blind stitch to finish, as it is supposed to be invisible.

So can anybody tell me where I went wrong? I'll let you know if making the paper model illuminates anything...

Sewing project progress: full gathered skirt in red dupioni, part II

My life is only packing, with occasional calls to utilities companies, and will be continued to be consumed with the move until next Tuesday. However I allowed myself to take a short break yesterday and reward myself for my diligence and responsibility by working on my skirt a little more.

Where we last left off, I had sewn the waistbad on three sides and needed to press it, while I put the basting stitches into the body of the skirt that I would pull to make the gathers. Yesterday I pressed the waistband and looked onto the next step. Gertie provided this paragraph of instructions:

"Next, you're going to pin the interfaced side of the waistband to the gathered skirt, right sides together. Now, find the middle of the waistband by folding it in half. Mark that point with a pin. Match the halfway point on the waistband to the side seam on your skirt. Next, pin the ends of the skirt piece to the end of the waistband. The finished ends of the waistband will match up to the raw edges of your skirt."

You have no idea how perplexed I was by this. Perhaps it makes immediate sense to you experienced sewists, but I couldn't parse from this how the two pieces were supposed to be fit together. I didn't get how the edge of the skirt was supposed to meet with the finished ends of the waistband-- how was that supposed to look when the skirt was finished? Wouldn't you see the messy inner bits? But then I remembered a comment that wired_lizard* had posted on my last sewing report-- "This may be different in your pattern, but the way I discovered that the waistband worked on my thingamajig was that waistband and skirt went right sides together (plus gathers) and sewed with a normal seam allowance, and then you fold the waistband up. So the seam is hidden in the fold." That turned out to be exactly what was intended, and her saying that allowed me to parse that out of the instructions. So thanks, Tory, that helped me enormously! Sewing can really be an interesting logic problem, figuring out how the pieces will have to fit together in order to give you the result you want.

At least part of the problem was that I had pinned the unsewn seam of the skirt together to make it easier to divide the skirt in quarters to put in the gather basting. So when I laid the skirt flat, it was actually doubled over on itself. I had to unpin that open side and lay it out so that I could match the ends of the skirt piece to the ends of the waistband. Not only did that make the gathers look a lot better, as they were condensed to the proper degree, it also saved me from sewing both sides of the skirt together at the waistband and making it impossible to put on!

So, I followed the steps. I gathered the skirt using my four basting seams (which worked just fine, by the way) and then pinned the top of the skirt, right side to right side, to the finished edge of the interfaced side of the waistband. From this configuration I can see how the other side of the band is supposed to be flipped down to hide the seam joining the two pieces, just as Tory said. It's actually starting to look like a real skirt!

The next step will be to actually sew it, which is what I hope to move on to this afternoon. That is, if I get all the day's moving-related chores completed to my satisfaction. But I am proud of myself for being able to figure out the instructions when they were intially tough for me. I imagine as I get more familiar with sewing, I will be able to make certain logical leaps about construction that I am not experienced enough with to recognize now.

Moving to do list

- Engage moving truck - DONE

- Pack things in kitchen - DONE

- Pack things in living room - DONE

- Pack things in bedroom

- Pack things in basement - DONE

- Cancel current NSTAR account - DONE

- Cancel current oil account - DONE

- Arrange for final oil fill - DONE

- Call Formal Oil AGAIN re: final oil fill because it doesn't seem to have happened yet - DONE

- Call National Grid to make new gas account - DONE

- Fax ID and proof of residency to National Grid - DONE

- Confirm all things are in order with National Grid

- Cancel Verizon account - DONE

- Engage Comcast account - DONE

- Buy Groupon for massively discounted cleaning service so old landlord doesn't gouge it out of our security deposits - DONE

- Arrange for my cleaning service to come to the house

- Send out plan for lovely moving helpers - DONE

- Throw away massive amounts of trash and recycling

- Pick up keys from new landlord on Saturday

- E-mail old roommates about moving out finalizing - DONE

- Send old landlord information about cleaning service, key dropoff, and ask for security deposits to be returned within the legally proscribed thirty days

Gah, so much to do, so little time to do in it...

Moving plan!

I thought I'd post my moving plan here well in advance of things, in case anyone is interested in showing up to help, or provide moral support in the form of cooling beverages or delicious snacks.

The date of the move is Tuesday, May 31st. Because the only time I was able to secure a moving truck rental was 2PM, things will be beginning early. Let's say 3PM is the official start time, and I plan on working until it's finished, hopefully before the 9PM deadline when I need to return the truck. I know that some of you will be unavailable during the day, but any time you can come is very much appreciated. If you could let me know when you expect to show up, that could be useful for planning. Like, I can plan on moving the heavy furniture pieces when I'm looking to have the most people present.

We will be moving the furniture contents of a living room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a small mountain of boxes. My goal is to have everything ready to be picked up by you lovely folks and placed directly onto the truck or the appropriate car, so hopefully there will be minimal need for you to help with packing or anything like that. I may need some minor help with furniture disassembly, though, and I may assign people to some light cleaning tasks if no one minds.

I will be providing dinner in the form of some kind of takeout on the day of, and then everyone who shows up to help is then invited to a real, home-cooked "Thank You for Hauling My Stuff Around" dinner at my new place (Illyria, 51 Morton Street, Waltham) at 7PM on Saturday, June 4th.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. And please let me know when you think you might be coming so I can make a plan. (I do so love making plans.) If things have changed for you and you don't think you can make it, no worries, I appreciate the thought anyway.

Thanks so much, everyone. Your help is very much appreciated, and I will repay you with deliciousness the weekend after.

Sewing project progress: full gathered skirt in red dupioni

So as I mentioned, I have gone to work on my first serious sewing project, a full gathered skirt in a red silk dupioni. I made a fair bit of progress ths weekend and I wanted to document it here.

To begin my sewing journey, I made myself a little sewing kit, by which I mean I gathered up all the various sewing tools and supplies I have collected so far and repurposed a cheap, tacky purse I got at a thrift store to hold them.

I imagine it will grow as my needs expand, but this is sufficient for now. At least until I get Mom's sewing machine.

I made the waistband for the skirt by backstitching together two long pieces of the silk with approximately a 5/8" seam allowance. I measured it to go around my hips, because I prefer things to fit there rather than around my true waist. Gertie recommends you interface one side of it, which is an unseen inner layer that gives body to the piece that the outer fabric alone would not confer. I didn't have real interfacing and didn't feel like making a special trip for it, so I used some leftover white muslin I had lying around. Not going to add a lot of stiffness, but I'm okay with that. That was stitched to the wrong side (or the side you won't see) of one of the waistband pieces, then the right sides (or the sides you will see) of both waistband pieces were pressed together and sewn up on three sides. Then I turned it inside out so that the right sides faced outward. This is what it currently looks like; you can see the white muslin interfacing peeking out of the one long side that isn't sewn yet.

It still needs to be pressed, but I haven't gotten to that yet.

Next I went back to the skirt itself. I already sewed up one side, but Gertie said to go on to making the gathers along the top. Now, she assumes you already know how to make gathers, which I didn't, so I had to look it up. I discovered the suggestion to make two long rows of basting (a loose in-and-out stitch often meant to temporarily hold things together until you can put in a more secure stitch, which will enable it to be removed) around the top of the skirt. I also learned to divide the skirt into quadrants with pins so that they can be matched with corresponding pins in a similarly divided waistband, to ensure even placement of the gathers when you sew them all together. Because I don't have a machine yet, I am handsewing, and the longer a thread gets, the more likely it is to tangle and become useless, so I decided to divide the skirt up now and do a separate pair of basting stitches in each quadarant in order to keep the thread length down. Here is how my hand-basting turned out:

It's tough to see the very closely matching thread against the fabric, but they mostly turned out straight. Now here is what the skirt looked like when I started to pull the rows of strings to put the gathers in.

The gathers aren't pretty or even yet, but this was mostly to test and see if my four separate gather rows might work. I know that's not an orthodox method, but it looks like it will.
So that's what I've done so far. The next steps will be pressing the waistband, and then sewing the skirt up into it. Not quite sure how that will work, I think it will involve attaching it to just the interfacing so it doesn't show on the fashion fabric, but I'm not certain. I will have to refer back to my instructions. But I'll take more pictures once I progress.

Humility lesson

Well, neither Jared nor I got into Comedy of Errors. I'm kind of annoyed, but we're more bemused than bothered, because we seriously doubt that a small community theater got many better Shakespearean actors than the two of us. It's probably because we had a lot of conflicts written down on our forms. If that's the case, I have to roll my eyes, because we probably had fewer than HTP has to work with on average, and it never interferes with learning the show. Ah, well. I guess that's what you get when you get too sure of yourself. It's been a while since either of us didn't get into a show we tried out for, so we'll just have to take this as a humility lesson and move on. The major issue here is that was supposed to be a large part of our plan for the next several months, and that leaves a pretty big gap. I did really want to be acting again. I guess some rethinking is in order.

Diving into sewing

So I have decided to dive right in and try to sew something. I am attempting to make a "full, gathered skirt" as directed here by my new hero Gertie of Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing. I am doing several silly things on this project. The first is that though I should probably wait for my mom to send me her sewing machine, which would make this worlds quicker and easier, I am too excited and feel like diving right in, so I will be doing it by hand. I like hand-stitching, so it might be fun. Secondly, it's probably too nice a fabric to waste on what will likely be a distrous early attempt, but it was so pretty, and on massive sale, so oh, well.

Here is the piece I cut for the body of the skirt, just a large rectangle that will be gathered into a waistband at the top and wide at the bottom. I'm hoping that the way the fabric holds its shape will make for a nice full silhouette.

I am mentally preparing myself for my first attempt to be a mess. Sewing, after all, is actually quite hard to get good at. I remember when I was in the Natick Mall with my parents this past weekend we looked at the display of outfits made by local fashion design students. Some of the designs were interesting, but I was struck by how amateurish the construction of the garments was. I commented to my mother, "My friends captainecchi* and electric_d_monk*'s work is way better." Shouldn't design students, I thought, be good at sewing? But it occurred to me then that they probably have only beeing sewing as long as they've been designing. They're probably only paying their dues hoping that they'll be able to get into a position where they don't have to do their own sewing. It just shows that sewing is hard to get good at, so it won't happen unless you're really working at it.

As a side note, "sew" is one of those words that I never pronounce properly in my head; the misleading spelling just really dug into me for some reason. Somehow I always manage to say it correctly, but when I read it in my head it always sounds like "soo."

Studying iambic pentameter

I realize I forgot to mention this, and I wanted to make a point of doing so because I'm kind of pleased and proud of it. So my grad school program basically requires three classes a semester-- the class where you write stuff, the class where you write papers analyze stuff other people wrote, and a third, mostly independent class of your choice that is somehow interdiciplinary. So you know I want to make my focus the writing of plays after the Shakespearean style. After all the time I've spent studying how they work through classes and through their performance and production, I feel like I am mostly ready to make an educated attempt at this challenge. Th one crucial element I don't know if I have a strong enough grasp upon to proceed is the nature of that particular kind of poetry. Poetry has always been my weakest writing skill, and I've only studied it minimally. So I came up with th idea that my indepedent study could be into blank verse iambic pentameter, to support the final project I would be generating. My advisor loved the idea and matched me up with a teacher who only takes on one student a year. I am very pleased with the idea, as it will all tie together and make my final work better. I hope it's as helpful as I think it will be.

Projects for this summer

As is typical of me, since I had some empty time ahead of me, by seeking some endeavors and amusements I have already set to overfill it. So now is the time when I choose my projects and stick to them, rather than collecting a million and feeling overwhelmed.

So. Tuesday I had my Gazebo Players Comedy of Errors audition. You will recall that this is the company I did Love's Labor's Lost with the previous summer. This time Jared and I went out together, and though we have not yet heard back, there is a reasonably high likelihood of both of us getting in. In my fantasy I will get Dromio of Syracuse (the Dromio I haven't already played) and he will get Antipholus of Ephesus, as those two interact the most, so we will get to use our knack for portraying a master-servant relationship that is interesting, close, and relatable. At any rate, if we indeed get in, we will be rehearsing for a show from the near future until the first weekend of August. A SHOW would then be committment number one, mostly of the time variety.

Also, as I have mentioned, I am rededicating myself to the work of playwrighting this summer. This will be supported and indeed mandated when I begin grad school for it the last week of June. I have already begun work on a piece meant to be after the style of Shakespeare called Justinian and Theodora, telling the meeting and early life together of the two Byzantine rulers. So committment number two will be PLAYWRIGHTING, as a larger part of completing my requirements for grad school.

Thirdly, I am becoming more and more interested in learning how to sew. The more I read about it, the more I dream of doing it myself. My mom has said she will even send up her sewing machine so I will have the proper tools to practice with. Though I know I will have to start with easy stuff like any beginner, already I am fantastizing about making all the interesting costume pieces I currently lack. So committment number thre will be learning SEWING, as I think it's about time.

Those will be my primary projects over the next few months. Though of course there will be time for socializing and entertaining and fun things like that, I will have to decline to take on any other significant endeavors. For example, that means I will not work seriously on any new larps for the time being. Anything else will have to be of the extremely casual variety, that will not take away focus from these three things.

You know, this job is actually okay

You know what, I actually sort of like my new job. At least, I like it a lot better than my old one. I'm helping out an office manager in a technological security company called Integralis, and I am actually kind of surprised to find I enjoy it much more than working at the educational non-profit I used to. I was not expecting to like the more corporate atmosphere better than the laid-back one at the non-profit, nor to find it easier to work with practical business-minded people as opposed to ivory tower intellectuals. I think it's because I'm very oriented towards getting things done, and they are much better about that here. I also feel more useful and respected, as there's a lot more they need me to do, and I am actually trusted to do things that matter and given some actual agency to get them done. If I need to contact somebody, I can contact them without necessarily having to check with somebody first. If I need to purchase something to get a job done, I am not only trusted with the credit information but also to use it judiciously. On top of that, I am getting more hours than before at a better pay rate, so it would have a big thing in its favor even if everything else were the same.

I have come to realize that if I ever am able to do my true "work" as my profession, or even my primary one, it will probably not be until later in life. I am a writer, and it can take ages to make it, if you ever do, such that you are paid a living for what you write. That means that in order to be this thing that I know I am, I am probably going to spend most of my life with a job that is just a job and not my true vocation. But it's nice to know that if that's the way it has to be, I can feel okay in the jobs I will have to have.

Antsy for the move

More and more my thoughts turn to my move at the end of May. I was always looking forward to it, but now I'm getting downright ansty for it. I think it's more wanting to get everything squared away more than actually feeling pressed to get out of my current situation and into the new one. God knows I like things taken care of, so I've already begun preparing for it and making my plan. I've been collecting boxes for the last several weeks, mostly those from office supplies delivered to my work; my bedroom is becoming quite cluttered with them. Unable to hold off any longer, this past week I started actually packing. My goal is to have everything already packed up and ready to be moved onto the truck by the time all my helpers come on the 31st, so things go as quickly and efficently as possible. Though I do want to get that stuff done ahead of time so I'm not scrambling at the last minute, the problem is that everything I pack now is something I can't use for the next several weeks until the move. So limiting my ability to do advance packing is the fact that I don't want to have to do without a large chunk of my stuff for that time. My clothes and my cookware, for example, are two significant chunks of my possessions, but I know the minute I start sealing that stuff away in boxes I will be vexed with pressing need for it. So I've confined myself to getting my bookshelf squared away, and the contents of my drawers that I like to have on hand but don't necessarily use every day. I wish the weather would at least straighten itself out, so I might be able to decide I don't need one sort of clothes or the other. I've also already begun tranferring my utilities account away from Elsinore and, where I can, to the new place. But beyond that, I feel like as eager as I am to get this taken care of, it's too early to do much else.

It also speaks to my desire to take stock of my possessions and get rid of as many as possible. I culled some junk out of my drawers, and found a handful of books I'd just rather get rid of. I should probably go through my clothes and figure out what I don't wear anymore. I recently gave away a bag of stuff to the thrift store, but I feel like there's got to be even more I should be getting rid of. *Sigh* There's going to be so much stuff to move. All my furniture, all my boxes... gah. I guess the enormity of that is making me want to find some way to do it in pieces starting now, but practicalities are thwarting my anticipatory efforts.

Chihuly and Bricco with the family

My parents are in town this weekend for my brother's graduation from Emerson. Thus far it's been a lovely visit, including dining in some great restaurants and a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts to see the Chihuly exhibit. I had only heard of Dale Chihuly because an actual piece of his was in Frasier's apartment on Frasier, but in case you don't know him, he is a famous glass blower ("gaffer" is apparently the technical term) who makes vessels, sculptures, and hanging "chandeliers" out of glass. I remember thinking that Frasier's piece was kind of ugly, but I really enjoyed this MFA exhibit. He does many vessels, like gorgeous colorful bowls in many different textures and ones meant to look like Native American woven baskets, but he also has huge installations of curving horns, tall spears, bubbles, and tendrils, that he says were inspired by flowers but strike me more as like plants and creatures under the sea. Some, with their tentaculous outstretching branches, even struck me as distinctly Cthulhoid! Funny how often I see Lovecraft in everyday things... Anyway, one thing I thought was particularly interesting is that now, after a car accident and his advanced age, he doesn't actually physically make the pieces anymore, but stands with his assistants as they make them, giving direction and looking at the pieces from all perspectives, the way a director works with an actor. If you like unusual art displays, I recommend going to see this exhibit at the MFA.

We also went to dinner at Bricco, a fabulous Italian place in the North End that is considered to be one of the top ten restaurants in the United States. Certainly it is the best restaurant I have ever been to. Whether you want something traditional Italian or something more modern haute cuisine, you will find something remarkable to order off the menu. Though I am not a pasta eater, I will make an exception for this place, as it is all handmade and delicious. It's very expensive, so I only end up going the on special occasions with my parents, but it makes for a wonderful meal every time.

RSVP etiquette

Now I would like to take a moment to complain about something that has been an issue on several occasions lately. If I am kind enough to extend an invitation to you, particularly to something I have devoted time, effort, and expense to planning, please do me the courtesy of RSVPing. It really isn't difficult, in this age of instant communication in which we live, to send me a quick e-mail or a post on my LJ or Facebook wall or even so little as clicking the damn button on the Anyvite invitation. I will gladly accept a verbal response as well; maybe you forget to write me but if you take the time to have the conversation with me, that's cool. Even if you respond with a "maybe," no problem, 'cause at least it gives me some idea of whether or not you will be attending so I can plan. My events are never open-house mobs where the only refreshment is as much beer as somebody cared to drag along with them; I host carefully planned parties, often with complete dinner spreads, that are designed for the number and nature of the guests I will be having. My space and means are not unlimited, so I can only have so many people. If I have ten spots at my table or room for only thirty in the house, a spot for you is a spot that unfortunately excludes someone else. It is important to me to make sure I have enough for everyone, but it's also preferable that if I only have to spend X per head instead of X+Y, I can do that without worry. If you show, then maybe I don't have enough. If you don't show, then maybe I spent more than I had to trying to make sure you were accomodated. Neither is really fair to me, who is just trying to show you a good time and was denied a basic courtesy.

So, in conclusion, I am hereby considering all invitations to which I do not receive an RSVP as a no and not plan to accomodate them. And then they will no longer have the option of showing up. It's not that I'm uninviting them. If they let me know they're a yes far enough beforehand-- as in, not the day of --they are of course welcome. But it would be the height of poor manners to arrive at a party they did not tell their host they are coming to. I will then give their place away to someone else who actually demonstrates that they want it.

Therefore-- no RSVP, no party for you.

New glasses

I don't like my new glasses. My old ones were in such a state that replacing them was no longer really so much indicated and a necessity for continued life function, but sadly I couldn't find a flattering new pair that was similar enough to the frameless style I had been wearing. I liked them because they disappeared on my face, which pleased me due to a long-held desire to deny the fact that I need glasses at all. These new ones looked chic on the display, but I'm not sure the purplish half-frame across the top really suits me, at least the way the others did.

I don't love them. I think they make me look old, or tired at least, as for some reason the bottom edge of the lenses sometimes creates the illusion of bags under my eyes. They also are not totally adjusted properly; I walked into an eyewear store the other day and had a quick job done, which made them better, but not perfect. The nose piece is still a bit tight, behind the ears as well. Maybe I'll like them better when they don't give me headaches by the end of the day.

Maybe I should just give contacts another go. I have a hell of a time getting them in and out, which is why I've never bothered with them. But I've always hated the fact that I wear glasses, and how dependent on them I am. I don't know. Maybe I wouldn't feel so dull-looking then.

Blue today. Not sure if this is just a low mood, or the beginning of a slide back into the depression hole. Today, everything seems gray and unengaging, making me want to just go home and sleep for the rest of the day.

ASP audition

So I had my audition for the Actors' Shaksespeare Project. Hard to say how I did. I was nervous and I couldn't tell if it showed. I probably could have stood to do more preparation, but I just didn't have the time with everything else going on. So I can't really gauge how well I did, especially since I don't know what they were looking for or how I compared. I used Helena's "How happy some o'er other some" monologue from Midsummer mostly because I like it and I already had it mostly memorized.

I'm probably not getting in, I know that. Still, I guess it's good that I tried. Now what I need to do is forget all about it, so I'm not worrying or disappointed when they don't call me back. And, hey, if by some miracle they do, then it will be a pleasant surprise.

The lean-in, roles reversed!

So, as I mentioned, thefarowl* came dressed to my party adorably attired in masculine costume in a black pinstripe suit with a fedora. Some fun photographs we were taking inspired me to get one shot in particular in order to create this contrast:

The first picture is of me as Paris, creepily doing the lean-in on Caitlin as Juliet. This second picture reverses our roles. The creepery-ness has come full circle. :-)

Fancy party achieved

Yowza. After that weekend, I am burnt. I literally did not stop doing things from my 8AM wakeup each day to my 2AM bedtime each day. So, non-stop activity and a fair bit less sleep than usual. It was great fun and I am incredibly glad I took part in everything I did, but I am as blown from these last two days as I have been from entire weeks in recent time. I am having a hell of a time focusing at work today, but fortunately the dumb little mistakes I keep making have not really hurt anything, and I have caught and fixed them as they occurred. Still, I really want to just go crash somewhere and bum around for the rest of the evening. My busy state came in part from helping beloved friends formerly of the Citadel move to their new place in Watertown, as well as a lovely jaunt to the International Steampunk City, but most of it was due to planning and preparing for my long-awaited fancy party.

The fancy party went, as I hoped it would, wonderfully. The food was fabulous, with much thanks to lovely helpers Gigi, laurion*, Michael, and blendedchaitea*, who heroically stuck it out with me the whole six-hour prep period. The outfits were lovely, all sharp suits and elegant dresses, and I made good on my threat to change outfits every hour. Everyone looked fantastic, but costuming highlights of evening come from the fact I have amazing friends who aren't afraid to shake things up-- no fewer than two couples, both the wonderful captainecchi* and electric_d_monk* and the fabulous thefarowl* and Plesser, came with the lovely lady in the sharp suit and the dashing gentleman in the elegant dress! It was so fun and funny and it amused me to no end. Also,lightgamer* and twilighttremolo initially showed up in pajamas to get me back for the one time they came massively overdressed for a regular old dinner party of mine because of a joke I'd made about "proper attire"-- well played, dear ones, well played!

I love throwing these things. I love playing hostess and showing my friends a good time. I wish I had room to invite every awesome person I know and the budget to feed them all! Unfortunately this may be my last large party for a while, as my new house Illyria will not have the same volume of entertaining space. Well... we'll see. Dinner parties will definitely continue-- in fact I'm seriously thinking of hosting one a week with a rotating guest list --and I still may be able to throw parties on a slightly smaller scale, though probably with a strict attendance cap. But I do so love entertaining, and really need to keep on with it due to the joy it gives me.

Theater to come

So as of this past Wednesday, Hold Thy Peace has a plan for next semester. This coming season will be really remarkable for the club, for a number of reasons. As I've mentioned, my little Shakespearean cabaret-style revue, Merely Players, will be going up as a side project. But the mainstage is looking to be particularly interesting this time around as well. A new member of Hold Thy Peace, a smart, sweet guy by the name of Dave Benger had a really cool idea of cutting together Shakespeare's plays that feature the historical French princess Margaret into one new play with her as the main character. It's a clever, novel idea for the club, not least because we have not had many shows with a true female lead. As if this weren't enough, Dave's relationship with the UTC is good enough that he got Brandeis Players, one of the other theater groups, interested in co-sponsoring the show. Given the animosity that has existed between HTP and the other groups in the past, this is a pretty big step forward in improving relations. If the collaboration goes well, it could really do a lot for mutual respect, as well as increasing mobility between the troupes. I confess my bad experiences in e past have made me a bit nervous, but I have high hopes. I think Dave is both capable enough and well-liked enough to make this happen, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

One worry I do have is that if a lot of new actors come out for Margaret because of Players' involvement, some HTP members may end up losing out on parts they otherwise would have gotten if there suddenly weren't extra competition. Don't get me wrong, I think Dave will cast fairly according to who he feels deserves the part, but still, otherwise deserving people who have dedicated a lot of effort to the club may get shut out. If that's the case, then I think the only right thing is if Merely Players becomes the "overflow" show, taking those HTP members that didn't get into the main stage. I confess that's not my preference, I'd rather take whoever suits the roles best, but I want the show to serve the needs of the club. Of course, there may be only nine people who want to be in the damn thing, in which case no matter what that will have to be my cast.

In other acting news, I have secured an audition slot with the Actor's Shakespeare Project. I am very nervous; it's actually been years since I had to do a truly serious audition. It occurs to me that I should probably not follow my usual MO of reading men's parts and trying to stretch myself. I am more likely to impress better if I choose a piece that suits a twenty-something girl-- of which I frankly have no good examples in my current prepared repertoire. I will have to choose one, and get it ready for this Tuesday. Geez, that's soon, and I have so little time. Another thing I want to try is to see if I can emulate the style of acting I often see in ASP shows-- if that features often, it may be that is the style they want and end up casting, so it might improve my chances. I am not expecting to get anywhere regardless, and am endeavoring to firmly keep from getting my hopes up. Still, I think it's worth a shot.

"What a thing that I have seen tonight!"

I know the rhyme scheme's all over the place, I'll have to fix that. But here's the first draft-- Justinian has just met Theodora for the first time, and now is musing, awed, over the experienced.


JUSTINIAN

What a thing that I have seen tonight!

Full of fire is my mind,

That hours on has my body gone,

Yet kept captive all my thoughts behind.

This maid— what maid? What's this I feel,

Of eyes that flash, and wits as sharp as legion steel?

To look, to speak, to spend a moment there,

Her spirit, keen as winter, laid me bare.

Is this Justinian? Is he yet his own

To find his cunning so ensnared?

Can dissembling actress hide a witch

And boldly to bewitch a prince she dared?

Nay. I, Justin still; my wits, a whole; myself, yet mine.

It is some wonder of her hath caught mine eyne.

The heathen Turks that tremble at the Emperor’s name

Equal not her tongue, a sword that pierces claim,

And where others led like asses, she holds no fear of me,

An unbound mare, who shakes her mane defiantly.

I will go back to where that lightning struck,

And if I am rent again, it is a blessed luck,

For many’s the miracle that is once, and away,

But few so rare I may see every day.

The party general

This weekend is going to be packed for me.

I was tempted to have someone over to hang out with me Friday night, as Jared will be at the Four-Color Supers game for the evening, but as much as I would like that, on further reflection I think I need to spend that time cleaning. I want the house to be spotless for Saturday, and right now it is a certifiable wreck. I am going to do the whole place top to bottom, even other people's dishes if I have to, because I am going to need that whole kitchen to be ready to go on Saturday, when the cooking starts.

I am now trying to marshal my kitchen help, as I am certain I will need a staff for everything I'm planning. In the morning there will be an epic shopping trip, and then I will lay out all the ingredients and tools I will need so when my slaves-- I mean, helpers --arrive, we can just dive right in. Though I've written up the shopping list, I still haven't put together my plan of attack for how the cooking's going to get done. I want to have a plan on how to proceed, as there's a lot to do and I want to finish early to give myself time to clean up the cookware, wash up, and get dressed after all that work. One thing I'm anticipating is needing a lot of fridge space to store my finished canapes until it's showtime, which may prove difficult given how packed the fridge is. I will have to ask the roommates if there's anything in there that can be moved out, at least until the next day. I am confident that if I go into this with a battle plan in mind, it will all fall out the way I want it to. I shall be the general, and party planning shall be my war.

Sunday I am double-booked, but determined to make it work. I have agreed to help lightgamer*, morethings5*, and ninja_report* move from their current place in Waltham to a new place in Watertown. As I am a Waltham local, it looks like I will be on the loading end, carrying out the boxes so that they may be transported and unloaded by the remote team. Sounds very much like a covert military operation when I put it like that. But Jared and I also have day passes to the International Steampunk City, so I am hoping that either before or after helping with the move, we will go over to that and see what's going on there.

Birds of a feather



I have never understood how people make relationships work when they don't have stuff in common. I don't mean you need to be the same sort of people. I haven't had many relationships, but of the few that I've had they've been based on sharing interests and doings. Jared and I are very, very different kinds of people, but we care about many of the same things, have lots of the same interests, and take part in the same activities. We met in a larp, to begin with, and we both are into many of the same things like gaming and theater. We talk endlessly about this stuff, and it makes me wonder what people who don't do and care about the same things talk about. I know you need differences to keep things dynamic, but how do you spend time together when you don't have activities you like to share?

Of course, I do believe that different personalities in a relationship make things work better. Two people in love should complement each other, each strong in ways the other might possibly not be. Jared is sensitive where I am tough, he is smart while I am sensible. We make each other better that way. But it means a lot to me that we have so much in common that we never run out of things to talk about.

More walking



Now that the weather is finally warming back up, I think it's time to rededicate myself to the resolution to start walking whenever possible rather than jumping in the car. I can't bear the cold, so I drove everywhere to shield myself from having to spend time outside. But God knows I need the exercise, though I did manage to work out four times last week. Let's see if I can do at least that well this week, even though when I'm really in a groove I can do it six. But also quite pressing is the rising prices of gas, which haven't been this high around here for ages. I could really do without spending that chunk of change on so regular a basis. The only trouble is time-- I certainly don't mind the effort, I actually actively enjoy walking places, but it can be so much more time-efficient to drive instead. Often my life is so tightly scheduled (as yesterday was, yowza) that I just can't spare the minutes in my already packed day plan. The solution is probably just to not overschedule myself, but knowing me that is easier said than done. I do better, especially with the emotional hole I've had such a hard time digging myself out of these last few months, when I have more going on, more things to do, more projects to work on, more things to think about.

Today when I got out of work Jared and I walked the mile to the grocery store and back, so that's something already. :-)

Boston Olive Oil Company

So my parents recently discovered an olive oil and balsamic vinegar taproom in my hometown, a lovely store full of stainless steel drums containing various types of my personal gourmet addiction. They have fine oils from all different kinds of olives from all around the world, plus variations flavored with all manner of things like garlic, basil, sage, jalapeno, and herbes de Provence. They also have balsamic vinegar, aged to perfection, many of them flavored as well-- some favorites of mine were fig, vanilla bean, and lavender. My parents buy some for me on gift-giving occasions, and the last time I was home they picked up a couple of bottles that I sadly will not have until they drive up in two weeks, since I was traveling by plane and didn't have a checked bag to take them in.

But this past weekend Bernie took me to a similar place that's right here in our very own Boston. It's called the Boston Olive Oil Company in the heart of oh-so-yuppie Newbury Street, and it has everything I love about the place back home. It's fairly reasonably priced given the quality of the product, and though I won't be needing my own for a little bit, I know I will become a good customer of this place. I am willing to shell out to feed this particular addiction of mine. I'd like to get some others who love good oil and vinegar together to go there sometime, as it is quite a treasure to have accessible.