More crafting goals

I know what you're thinking. With the Year of Projects well underway, and the War on WIPs, do I really need another set of crafting goals? Especially when my original plans for 2011 included lots of miniature painting that I simply haven't done.

However, I have recently rediscovered my love of LARP. If there's one thing LARP is good for, it's getting my sewing machine out to make costumes! I recently shared some of my old costume FOs and have a nice long list of new pieces I want to make.

One thing spurring me on is that I finally fixed my tailors dummy. I bought it cheap on ebay on the understanding that the base was broken and it was missing the funky tool that allows you to measure skirt hems. I was confident Jamie would be clever enough to fix the broken base, and that I wouldn't need to worry about the other missing part as I'd hardly need it.

Well, it's been a number of years since I bought that dummy, and we've only just got around to fixing it! I broke our bedside lamp the other week (all I did was knock it over a bit!) and as I was preparing to throw it away, we suddenly realised the potential of the lamp's rather sturdy base.

Jamie drilled a hole in the base of the dummy's stand, and it slides neatly onto the lamp base!

A better foot than the original, I dare say.

Now I have a working tailors dummy again, I can really get going on making some awesome new costume for myself. I already have a selection of appropriately themed costume patterns from Simplicity, Butterick and McCalls.

These are all the things I'd like to make.

I've already made the shirt and waistcoat on the bottom right pattern. I didn't get around to doing the skirt or harem trousers underneath last year, so these are top of my list this time around.

The waistcoat is a touch too small, but the shirt is spot on.
It's even survived a number of trips through the washing machine!

I have some material in a box or two under the bed, so I'm going to have a hunt through those before spending any money in the fabric shop. I may splash out on some new patterns, too, if I find anything else suitable for my elf.