Bathroom remodel #2

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bathroom remodel, old house, painting

The first we moved into our house, my dad and my husband did a slight remodel to the upstairs “man bathroom” (aka mathroom? maroom? haha). The previous owners had put in a two seater outhouse seat over the toilet – they thought it was rustic. Well, yest, it was certainly that and a lot more! Can anyone say: bacteria haven?! Sick. Hiding underneath the seat was actually a really nice, expensive toilet! Hurray.

Since then, we’ve done nothing to the room. Last summer, I got paint cards in various pale blue hues and hung them all over the bathroom so we could stare at them. The current ceiling is primed in a dull beige and the walls are either decent wood paneling (kind of tongue and groove but not really), wide board stained dark, or cheap wide boards with a horridly rough texture to them and painted an icky 80s “french” blue. I’m not tearing anything out. I don’t have that kind of time, patience, or knowledge and the walls are not in bad condition. So paint it is! And if the next owner hates it, they can rip it all out.

Finally, Sherwin Williams has a 40% off sale on paints and 30% off on stains. A few ideas from pinterest and here we go! I’m not going to start painting tomorrow because I work Tues, so it might be the weekend after. We’ll see. I’m just excited to start this project because my husband can’t keep living in an ugly bathroom. On his behalf, I can’t stand it.

Pictures will come later as I take them and the progress begins!

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Bedgown progress and a new garden

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bedgown, gardening, perennial, sewing, yard remodels, yard work

First the bedgown. This is one of those projects that I because I’ve never made one before, I don’t know how much longer it will take me to finish. On my days off I try to sew as much as possible, but then I think, wait, I should be doing more or something else (like cleaning the kitchen table of all the junk that gets piled on it). Or like last time, I sew about 5 inches, realize I’m sewing the second sleeve the wrong way and I rip out all the stitches and then stop for the day because that completely exhausted my mental capacities. So now again on my day off when it is 90+ degrees, I’m sewing again. The second sleeve is nearly complete; I just have a teeny bit more to go on the underarm gusset. Then I sew the vertical waist part. There is some crazy pleating I’m supposed to do for the sides and that’s the part I could not figure out when I was making the mock-up 1.5 years ago. I want it to look tastefully and flare out and be gracefully feminine. But this is also just a “lying around camp” garment for when it’s too hot or the public has all left. I’m really happy I used the striped cotton – it looks super cute!

After I get the pleating on each side figured out, I’m just going to line the upper bodice area (back and two front pieces) and the lining will only go as far down as the top of the pleats. Reasons: 1) I don’t have the patience to line any more than that; 2) I realized if it’s completely lined, it may be too hot; and 3) this was supposed to be a fast garment to make.

Garden update. In the past two weeks, my husband finished the garden area that we started last summer. Previously, he had mowed the weeds in half of the “sun garden” area. Then we layered newspaper and grass clippings and staked off the area. We got dirt. Then the weeds kind of all came back as of this spring/early summer. So he chopped them all down again. Then we bought retaining wall bricks and he built a nice little walled/raised garden bed. I have to wait for the lilies to stretch over and grow up next to the wall so it does not look like the island is “floating”….though I suppose that’s what islands do. Anyway, it only took a few days to build the wall, then we topped it off with new rich topsoil and we finally bought perennials. I always love how I have these lists of “oh I want this perennial and that one” and then I think I only got one of them that was actually on the list. But there are dark purples, medium pinks, corals, whites, and bright yellows which I feel is a nice color selection. I’m trying out lavender again. I really want to dry it and make sachets!!

Larkspur, dianthus, lavender and lots more!

Here is the new perennial garden!

How things change

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18th century, bedgown, dreaming of projects, jacket, quilted jumps

Back in January, I posted about the projects on my “dream list” for the summer. It’s now mid July. How many have actually been completed: zero. Oops. However, the jacket I started making out of the striped fabric (historically accurate, but in case I mess up, I won’t be crushed), has since been turned into a pair of quilted jumps because when I laid out my pattern pieces on the fabric, I did not account for the sleeves and there was no more fabric, so I just have four bodice sections. This project was not on the list. Hehe.

Then after going to a Rev War event in Silver Lake, WI where it always seems to be extremely hot, I realized I really need the bedgown. After wearing a corset four days a week for work, I could not bring myself to wear my 18th century stays. I didn’t really like the thought of going around in just a chemise and having creepers creeping on me all day so I decided the bedgown must be finished first!!!! I’m not making it reversible like I had originally planned because that would be too much lining and making teeny stitches that I don’t have the patience for in this summer heat. I also don’t want to be sweaty/uncomfortable when I wear the garment at events. The point is to be able to move and not faint. Because this garment is made from one giant piece of fabric folded in half, there is not a ton of sewing so I’m hand sewing it. After making the round gown in the workshop, I now understand how to make the pleating in the back of the bedgown as well. I couldn’t get two pleats to come together because the fabric was difficult and I was tired, so I left it at one and it fits. And it’s good enough for who it’s for!

The last time I worked on it, some of my stitching got wonky/janky and was not even at all!!! Either I was too tired or not paying very close attention. I normally don’t mark where I need to stitch except for the first inch or so to make sure I’m the proper distance from the edge of the fabric. Needless to say, I ended up ripping out about two inches worth of stitches and then I thought, yeah I’m done for the day. I closed up shop. Now today, on my day off, I’m ready to go back and attack and hopefully finish sewing side seams and cutting the pink lining. Yes the lining is pink! 🙂

As you can see, back in January, this project was not a top priority. But now it is and I’m excited to finish it. Hopefully by the end of the summer I can also finish my jumps and possibly the jacket. I really want a new jacket!

Summer finally arrived

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historic clothing, summer, summer jobs

I survived my 7th yr of teaching. Somehow, I can’t believe it’s been that long. Just today while out in my studio, I found the letter that the staff at my first summer job out of college wrote to me as part of my farewell gift. They really were the best women to work for. I worked three days a week that summer: Mon, Tues, Wed. I think. I don’t know how I lucked out with that part time gig!

I thought the school year would never end especially once I found out that my husband was done teaching June 7, and I went until the 13th! Oh the agony!!!!! The last week went especially fast and I’m so impressed at how quickly I had everything graded. It was a small miracle. My room also got tidied up quickly because I had several kids take down posters and organize some other stuff for me. For some reason, I always left taking down posters to the very last minute and I hated it. No idea why. New way to overcome that hate: get other people to help. Also, I think I’m on an every other year for organizing my files. I was soooo on top of filing last year at the end when I just went on a filing mad-woman spree and somehow got all the extras and originals back into the manila folders in the cabinet — yep I’m really old school. But this year I made it through about half the stack and decided it wasn’t worth it. I chucked it all in a box and I know that if I need anything next year, it’s in that box. So it goes. (Oh Vonnegut).

I also landed my dream job this summer: costumed interpreter at Old World Wisconsin. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always ALWAYS wanted to dress up in “oldy time” clothes (as most call them) and work in historic buildings. So I figured, hey, I’m 30, have summers free and don’t have any kids; why not? Obviously my first choice for summer life is to be at WFP, but costumed interp is right up there. I interviewed back in April, was offered the position in May, and started June 18. Everyone is super friendly and I thoroughly enjoy being out in the open under the blue sky. After 9 months in a windowless, white box, I’ll take the glaring sun and feisty thunderstorms. I watch the turkeys roam about and nudge their chicks across the dirt path; I hear the lamb bleating to her mom; I’m meeting tons of people who love history and historic clothing as much as I do — it can’t get much better.

This week, we celebrate Independence Day. There is a flag raising ceremony, a parade, sing-a-longs, and other festivities. I can’t wait! It should be a swell time. Then, July is Laura Ingalls Wilder month. I volunteered to help monitor a dress up box in one of the buildings! Ha. I love that stuff.

Here is a pic of me in my clothing for my job. I work in the village which represents the 1870’s in Wisconsin. Underneath all that I wear (in this order) a chemise, corset (from Period Corsets), a petticoat,  a lobster tail bustle (my life is one more step nearer completion), another petticoat with lots of frills on the bottom, then my skirt, (and in this pic) the “apron,” and then the bodice/blouse.

Whenever I wear any historic clothing – 18th century, Regency, 1870’s – it makes me feel really feminine. I love getting dressed up and looking “put together.” The other day, I was walking back to my building (and wearing the dress from the pic) and I waved to some people and didn’t think anything of it. Then, a while later, the same people came into my building and the woman just walked right up to me, and said, “We saw you walking down the road, and I love your dress. You carry it so well. It’s very becoming.” 😀 Instant GEEK OUT! Yay thank you so much!!! It’s always wonderful when other people recognize a historic outfit. It’s turning out to be a great summer thus far!