I've been working nonstop since early this morning to get my costume affairs in order for Colonial Williamsburg/Costume Con. I have this rule: No sewing the night before an event, and so the pressure is on to get everything completed well in advance of the actual trip. And so far, so good on that account!

So, here's what I've done today:

Got up around 6:30am and immediately started boiling water for the great hair curling project of 2009. I had some wefts of fake hair, a pot of boiling water, a few bobby pins, and a 3/4" diameter dowel. Cut the wefts into 2" segments, wrap the dowel with the hair, secure with a bobby pin, and then dip in the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove dowel, place on a towel to cool, remove the bobby pin, remove the weft, let dry, repeat 123182391874 times until you have ( this ).

While the ringlets were drying, I stitched eleventy million yards of lace to the necklines and sleeve openings of all four of my 18th century dresses. ( Here they all are hanging on my closet door... )

A couple days ago I'd already started the wiglet, following vivcore's instructions (note that she uses natural human hair, not synthetic, so she is able to curl her wefts with a curling iron), so after the boiled hair dried, I finger combed it out and hot glued the tracks to the base. An hour later, I had ( this ).

( Here I am modeling my rockin' new hat with my gigantic hairs )

Once the wiglet was finished and deemed comfortable to wear, I started making hair accessories. Bows, bouquets, scarves... ( Here's me modeling the big-ass black silk ribbon bow... ) There's a shocking lack of feathers, however... I must remedy that oversight.

After the hair accessories were done, I finally made myself a pocket that I've been telling myself I'll make for years now. ( The fabric looks familiar, doesn't it? )

And in between all of those things, I re-hemmed a petticoat, and started my packing list. I'm bringing seven petticoats. I have no idea how I'm going to lift my luggage...

(ETA: What the hell is up with my html suckage today??? Gah! It should all be fixed now...)

A girl can never have too many wigs. :)

I just plunked down a chunk of change for some new wigs to tease up into fabulous 18th century hairstyles. If there had to be just one major selling point for Your Wardrobe Unlock'd, it's that bauhausfrau did a tutorial on styling inexpensive Lacey wigs to make them appropriate for the 18th century. I adore Loren on principle, but the fact that she has the most fabulous wigs for every18th century occasion makes her only that much more fabulous.

In other news, there's been a big silence here on Mode Historique, due to yet another shift in relationship status. What else could stop me in my fabric-strewn tracks for months on end? But coming out of the funk I've been in for the last few months, I can see clearly again and the costuming muse has started whispering dirty sweet nothings in my ear once more.

On the docket for the next six months are two fabulous 18th century gowns, and one FABULOUS 16th century gown. Details will be forthcoming forthwith! Forsooth!