I went to the hardware store and got the necessary parts to make faux valves, couldn't find any black tubing to fit it, so I decided I'd figure that part out later. I managed to get all the pieces and parts cut that day and also managed to burn my hand on the iron while I was at it. Gah. Strike one.
A couple days later, I started sewing them up. Somehow managed to put a needle in my fingernail during the process. Strike two. Then my sewing machine broke. Strike three. Somehow when using the buttonhole attachment to create the hole for the valve, the vibrations shook loose a screw in the gearbox of the machine. I didn't know that's what it was - I just knew the machine was broken. Bummer. Hubby took the machine to the repair shop and it was fixed the next day. $70 later, the machine is working again. In the meantime, I had replaced that machine with a backup machine of the same make / model and had been sewing more of the vests when the belt broke on it. Strike four. Oy. I hadn't picked up the original machine yet from the repairman, so I turned the crank by hand to finish the one vest I was working on at the time.
The next day I picked up the first machine and put it back in the table and got right back to work. I was determined to get these cursed vests done and out of my life. All was going well until the very last vest. I was putting in the rubber tubes (my solution to the lack of black rubber tubes? Clear vinyl tubes with black pipe cleaners inside of them!) and was cutting one down to size and misjudged my cut and managed to slice my knuckle open. Strike five. Ugh.
Anyway.... after all is said and done, the director is super-pleased with how they turned out. I am too, all things considered. There's definitely more I could've done, but seeing as how this is a volunteer project and the only thing I'm getting compensated for is the supplies, I wanted to cut my losses. No pun intended.
And now, the pics:
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The current project I'm working on is another commissioned piece. "Can you make a Muno costume?" I have no idea who or what Muno is, so I googled it and turns out it's a character from Yo Gabba Gabba. I've only seen snippets of the show, but I understand it's a pretty faboo show.
When I say yes to making the costume, I have no idea how I'm going to do it. It's a basic jumpsuit, to be sure, but it's bumpy and has an exaggerated headpiece. I've done three-dimensional characters before (a Pink Panther head, of all things!), so I didn't figure it would be too difficult - just time consuming.
I set out over the weekend to get it started and hopefully get it done. I worked most of Sunday afternoon and got the main body done (with the exception of hemming).
...and got the basic pieces of the head cut (after some basic drafting and trial muslins).
Last night I assembled the head and am super pleased at how it is coming along.
Miss P modeling the pre-stuffed head:
(All those rolls of paper behind the girl? Patterns. I definitely need to come up with a better storage system.)
And here's the stuffed / completed headpiece.
Tonight's project is to finish the hemming and make the feet. (Which is going to necessitate another trip to JoAnn's - grrrrrr....)
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On the running front - still in training. I've been slacking too much there. Being sidelined with yet another sinus infection is killing the training. I think I should probably just start running while sick. Gah. It's so tough, though.
