New Category

I hit the ground running this morning and just now sat down at the computer...

Yesterday, we received a letter from DS the Younger's high school. He'd been cast in the 2008 Lee Lyric Theater production of Pippin, and the letter contained all the parent info...such as the production fee due from each cast member (not going there) and the 'Parent commitment list'. We were to chose an area (or two!) in which to volunteer our time and effort in order to maintain the historically high quality of the production. Amongst the choices were set building, ticket sales, publicity, meals for the cast during lengthy rehearsals, etc etc etc and, you guessed it, costuming.

I admit I had a moment when I thought about arriving at the sewing site and saying, in my best Cheerleader Barbie voice, 'Oooo, pretty fabric! Can I help?'

But I figured I'd best help where I could best help, so I hauled my trusty backup Kenmore, a box of thread and a box of miscellaneous notions down to the school for the session scheduled for today.

And discovered that I'd arrived just in time to start cutting. Every cast member needs a floor length, long sleeved robe with a massive hood in which to hide their costumes for the opening of the show, so today's docket was to cut out 40 of these and see how many we could sew. But first, a prototype, just to make sure it would work.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have no idea what pattern it was, but the garment was a Bible costume with a hood, constructed from black Doe Suede (so much for 'ooo, pretty fabric'). We cut it and I put it together quickly; it was judged acceptable and so we started whacking away on the cafeteria tables. No one had brought any cutting mats, and my rotary cutter scratched the tables, so we were using shears.

When we had about 16 sets cut out, those of us who'd brought machines began sewing them. By the time I left at one, we had five more constructed (next time, I'll take my serger). The crew that stayed on had the goal of cutting out the rest before they quit for the day.

They'll be sewing again tomorrow afternoon and Monday; I've got some other things going on but we'll see how much I can manage (There's another project...not costuming...looming for church that needs to be done by the first of February. Gotta get moving on that one). I'd sure rather do that than get on the phone and ask folks for stuff or run around hanging posters. Anyway, I've got a new sidebar category now: School Costuming. There's a play coming up in April, and the one-act next fall...now that I've been, um, found out I'll probably have some more things to add to that list before the year's over.

Oh...no Choir Sundays post tomorrow; My Sweet Baboo and I have been assigned to other duty tomorrow so we won't be in choir (and we can wear whatever we want...). So I guess it's ok that I didn't get the Chopin blouse finished anyway. But I *did* get the ruching done, so from this point it should be moving a little faster.

If the volunteer sewing doesn't consume all my time! ;)