It's in the Details

I cut the back open to take it off the mannequin and then
decided to buy a mannequin for each dress so now I have
to close up the back in a way that facilitates removal later.

Saturday I awoke with the intention to clean up — to finish all the unfinished bits of the three dresses I have done and to convert my Vivicean (paper) costume from a show I did two years ago into the wedding dress I need for A(r)mour: The Defiant Dress (ADD).

I’m able to complete all the dresses because I finally “bit the bullet” and have resolved to buy a mannequin for each dress; now they can be mounted and fitted perfectly onto their own mannequin.

But before tackling all my dress work, I had to go to the aquarium store. It was a short walk. Still, when I got back, I dropped all I was carrying on the floor and went directly to bed. I was completely drained. I also had angina and I could feel my arrhythmia; every once in a while, my heart would thump and scare me.

So I did nothing(!) all day. I had two naps and kept falling asleep as I tried to watch TV. I wound up going to bed at 8:30. My weariness was probably due to overdoing things; I’d had Hudson here for 24 hours and then gone out at night for dinner with Allan and Larry.

Today (Sunday) I’ve awakened very early: 4:30 am. But I can feel my energy is back so I will enjoy finishing up my costumes and tonight, The Durrells in Corfu. Currently, it’s my favourite show on TV; when I watch it, I feel the heat. It’s a true escape.

On Friday, I had four guests. Hudson’s (adult) friends Mecca and Jason came by to pick him up and my friends Allan and Larry came by to take me for dinner. They all went crazy for my costumes. Now about that: They are in my home but their amazement seems genuine. They ask lots of questions and keep repeating “amazing” and words like that.

I think it’s the amount of detail work I do that impresses them. And it’s likely partly due to their sense that they, themselves, would never take on such detail-oriented task. They find themselves in the company of a “safe” eccentric; perhaps that’s it. Who knows? But when I tell them about my idea for a show, they all say they want to go, so I’m encouraged to go on.

The mannequin for the cardinal dress is expensive and special. It has arms. I love it and I am happy to spend the money because for me, it's a very special dress and I want it to show well. I see it displayed with a large branch and low shrubs or scattered leaves, long red gloves, a spectacular hat, bright yellow gumboots and the letter from its owner.

So: My next tasks are to finish the underside of the cardinal dress, the back of the pearl dress, the tears on the peacock dress and to get Vivicean’s dress out of storage and to undertake its restoration. Then I can begin on the cheerleader dress I am very excited about doing.