serinde

Have started logging calories again, because it's the only thing that works. I'm also eating a somewhat larger breakfast (~500 calories instead of ~200), as I hear current wisdom is that front-loading helps you feel less hungry during the day. (Which is not a usual problem for me anyways; it's what I'm hungry for. MARS NEEDS PEANUT BUTTER. But it may prove useful.)

Going to aikido regularly makes the biggest difference of all, of course. And so far this week that's also proceeding well. But I need the better eating habits again, in general and for when aikido is not.

I had cut out the waistband for these Goddamn things when I cut out the other pattern pieces, because I was being efficient and stuff. I should have learned by now. Figured I didn't need measurements, because I knew that elibalin wears 32" jeans. So, I took that, added seam allowance and a bit of give since Venetians angle down a bit at the front, and thought I was good.

Until I just tried to match it up with the already-gathered pants, and there is a discrepancy of sufficient size to completely bollocks everything up.

Grr. I stormed upstairs, rousted him out of the guest room, and held the proto-waistband up to his ACTUAL waist; same results. I gibbered. He showed me the tag on his jeans, which indeed said 32 x 32.

Based on these facts, I can only conclude that the fashion industry uses a reverse version of the penis ruler for garment sizing.

(ObSurreal: When I did a Google Image Search on "penis rulers" to link in the previous paragraph, one of the first group of results was the Bronzino portrait of Eleonora di Toledo. o_O )

Have spent hours working on pants Venetian hose. For which I HAVE A PATTERN ALREADY. And yet I've already sewn one pocket in backwards, nearly attached the other to the leg, sewn one of the four pieces in reversed, and having ripped all that shit out, now am failing to make everything line up nicely. Primal scream therapy (in basement, so as not to wake the pooky) not helping.

Am stopping now.

This one was more productive, in that I was working a great deal more. This does not mean I got an equivalent amount accomplished, mind you.

My quest was to make a 16th c. shirt for elibalin, so we can return the loaner he was wearing to Beth. This is in most respects just like making a chemise, except shorter (der) and much more full in the sleeves and neck, which you then gather into collar & cuffs for that flouncy look. So, well, chemises I know, so this should be easy as houses, right? Well yes, except for entertaining moments like sewing in a random square of scrap linen instead of one of the gussets. (In my defense, it was a 6.5" x 7" piece, whereas the gusset was 6" square. Understandable mistake except that I SAW IT COMING but did not take steps to remove the scrap from my work area.) And having Extremely Brainless Moments when trying to suss the ways & means of attaching the collar. And forgetting to put in the ties for closing the collar at the appropriate time, in spite of having just asked Beth about them. And so on. As a result, I downscaled my expectations, mostly by eschewing the ruffs I was going to put above the collars and cuffs, and have declared that I shall build a new one, stronger, faster, & better, after which this'n can be a fencing shirt.

More positive notes: briony530 taught me how to do blackwork. I am excited! Really enjoyed it. I may even do a bit of simple work to attach to this shirt (practice embroidery for practice shirt?). We also had a great deal of discussion and brain-picking with Beth's colleague Laurie, who is doing her PhD on 14th century sumptuary laws, with side detours on the ins and outs of the wool trade. (Oh, and I got a bit of trim sewed onto my gamurra sleeves. Though not half as much as I would have liked. Also, it is not terribly even.)

Tonight while waiting for the Bryant Park movie, I shall do a bunch of hand-sewing on the shirt; with luck I will then only have the cuffs and the hem to do. Tomorrow's sewing evening quest is to make pants for the same outfit. (This should be interesting, as none of us have ever made Venetian hose, but there is a pattern in The Tudor Tailor.) Before the end of the week I also desire to sew trim onto the doublet that goes with, and make & attach the skirting. I don't know if I can do all this. I'm not sure I even know where the rest of the doublet material is. Oh yes; AND I want to sew the rest of the trim on my sleeves. HA HA HA

Final annoyance: Last sewing weekend, I bought more blue and grey floss to fingerloop lacing cords with. I can't find it anywhere. Feh.

Met M & K and sundry others for lunch at Aquavit (requires Flash). In addition to haute cuisine a la Sweden, they make their own flavor-infused aquavits, which we had a round of before lunch: raspberry-lime-ginger (mine), grapefruit-lemongrass, orange blossom-lychee, pineapple-basil, and pear-vanilla-black pepper (which latter was, I think, the winner, though others may disagree).

My lunch: herring sampler (OMFG good), salsify noodles in saffron-coconut broth (funky, but nice), and mint-chocolate mousse with blood orange sauce (lovely). We freely traded bites around the table, and nothing I tasted was less than really good; the seared scallops were particularly stand-out, as was the venison and dumplings, but my hands-down favorite was the Beef Rydborg.

Would eat there again and again, if I was made of money.

...in three easy words:

Naked midnight swimming.

I had various progress posts to make over the past several weeks, but they got lost in a flood of work duh and never saw the light of day. Suffice to say, then, that class has been overwhelmingly positive for the last while. I haven't been able to go as often as I would choose (how is this different from any other time period?) but when I have gone, it's been seriously good for me.

My ukemi is improving markedly after a practice with Ruth, who gave me a good deal of enlightenment. My extension of my space is improving markedly...well, some of it is due to help from others, but much is just from things falling into place. Confidence is generally increasing, in spite of this or that block I still run into (e.g., yesterday we were doing a particular throw which requires you to go down on the inside knee. I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS go down on the outside knee instead, I don't know why. The hell of it is, it works fine that way too). Claire-sensei helps a lot with general advice and tips, and also she catches all the little goofs that I miss while concentrating on some other issue.

So, yes, a great goodness all around.

Am in middle of sewing weekend. Have been woefully unproductive, in addition to being the Portrait of Dorian Beth (as she recovered from her intestinal ailment this afternoon/evening and became more animated and involved, I got flatter and more useless).

And then I had a cup of tea.

In this recent coffee amour, I have forgotten that it is tea that truly powers the world, that sees you the whole night through. TEA!

Now the OTHER file server, the one that does everything that is not mail, has fallen and will not get up. I, of course, am on first pager. BECAUSE I KNOW A GODDAM THING ABOUT NETAPPS.