Dress, Socks and Drugs

This is the back of the dress that will have ties
so as to fit people of differing sizes. All you can
see in this photo is already taped together. The
bodice is almost half finished.

The photos of my peacock dress consistently fail to please me but the dress is a constant source of pride and joy. I am addicted to the high of seeing it take shape. But I’ve been worried about how to get the dress off the mannequin and assembled — I designed it by pinning almost a hundred and fifty pieces of folded paper onto the mannequin.

I thought I’d wait until today, Monday, to go to Dressew and get some invisible tread with which to sew it all together but I dreaded the both the physical act of the sewing plus how my uneven manual stitching would ruin the look — making the paper pucker.

But yesterday, I started tinkering and by the afternoon I was successfully getting the bodice off the mannequin, retaining its shape and integrity. Right now, it’s held loosely together with tape; once I get it off the mannequin I’ll reinforce it on the back.

I get positively giddy when I look at the breast-covering part of the bodice. I keep caressing it because I am so pleased with how the paper takes the shape of the mannequin and holds it when released from the form. I am beyond pleased with it.

I can hardly wait to see it together and then worn by someone. I love the juxtaposition of the feathery skirt and the tightness of the paper bodice.

As I work on the peacock dress, I am already thinking about the Cardinal dress I plan to make next.

•

I have thrown every single pair of socks that I own.

When I collapsed on the seawall and was taken to the hospital, they did an electrocardiogram that suggested some kind of (mild) problem with my heart. They told me to follow up with my own doctor and I did: He ordered another ECG and as a result of that, today I am getting a CT scan.

Whatever concerns them may account for my swollen ankles — a condition that is driving me crazy because the elastic in my socks makes my socks feel like torture devices. They cut of circulation to my feet so I Googled “non-binding socks” and discovered “diabetic socks.”

(Please note: That’s how Amazon lists them in spite of their being no (insulin producing) Islets of Langerhans in socks.)

I ordered a lot of socks. That aspect of the problem is solved. As for my heart, I’m not concerned. I feel fine.

•

There’s interesting medical news coming out of the UK. British scientists are optimistic about a possible cure for HIV. In a recent clinical trial, a test patient had no symptoms of the virus following treatment.

Though it’s still early, those involved are hopeful for a breakthrough:  

“This is one of the first serious attempts at a full cure for HIV. We are exploring the real possibility of curing HIV. This is a huge challenge and it’s still early days but the progress has been remarkable.”

The significant advancement involves combining antiretroviral drugs with two other components: One that reactivates dormant HIV and another that impels the immune system to destroy the infected cells”

HIV is able to hide from the immune system in dormant cells that allows the virus to resist current therapies. This new treatment causes the virus to emerge from its hiding places and then triggers the body’s immune system to eradicate it.

Better than socks!

I loath all things Koons.

From the US beard competition.