Busy days

Wow, today felt like a Monday, but it is already Tuesday!

Mondays are usually hectic since I've left it all behind on Friday only to come back in and find the same amount of work still waiting for me-no wardrobe fairies doing the work while we are away!

This is a very hectic time of year too, coming up to our deadlines- we have a quick change rehearsal on Tuesday next , then tech on Friday and the designer for the other show is in house beginning tomorrow and leaves next week, so he'll be expecting to have fittings and I think there will be designer/cutter meetings for another show next week too.

The balancing act is in full swing.

We've been waiting for some knitted "chain mail" to arrive so we can make a leather gambeson that is worn over the chain mail and under the armour. This garment is involved in the quick change rehearsal in a week and it finally arrived yesterday afternoon, just in time for a quick bit of begging to stage management to schedule a fitting for this morning.

The day went like this:

in at 8:20, answered questions, looked at the breeches that I didn't get altered on Friday, made a "to do" list, requested fittings, met a potential donor for the theatre who was being introduced to Lela, and basically checked with all the team members to see how things were going.

9:15 am : actor into tights and boots then the chain mail, which I needed to fit (and needs alterations), then the base of the gambeson that I had prepared, fit that, then props in with full armour, body arms legs, chain mail hood , a bit of discussion for them about a few more changes, then out of it all and back at my table by 10.

Had a cup of tea, answered questions about finishing another leather doublet and how I'd like the sleeves of a tailcoat prepped for fitting, discussed a collar for a frock coat, and made a list of priorities, met with Lela, estimated how long it would take to finish each outstanding garment for the upcoming deadline to figure out if we needed to do overtime, since we also need to get two of our 1830's costumes ready to fit in fabric for the other show, plus some stock fittings and Lela's toile for a child in the show.

I filled out a performance review for a new seamstress, met with her, dropped off the paperwork to my boss and briefly discussed the sewer's progress.

Altered the gambeson pattern and marked the changes, then had a technical fitting on the velveteen tailcoat I was posting about, as well as the shell for an overcoat just before lunch.

Ate lunch, cut all the leather pieces for the gambeson, discussed the options for closing it with the designer as the design shows it being laced up the back but they won't have time to do that so it will have to be faked- either with a zipper or hooks. I made a sample of how I thought the skirt tabs should be finished. I thought about how we would attach the embroidery pieces to the leather, but gave up on that for now.

Denise finished the baste up for the frock coat, so I handed her the gambeson, and discussed briefly how I thought it would need to go together as it will be quilted.

Needed to cut a gusset for another costume, so I cut that, remarked the armhole for a robe, and checked on the progress of the waistcoat that goes with the frock coat.

Got my call from my daughter telling me she was home from school, had fencing tonight, and was going to a friends house.

Had a laugh as Susy tried to bag out the neck and armholes of her costume but wasn't able to turn it no matter how hard she tried.

Cut all the strips of leather for the gambeson, put the scraps in a bag, hung up the pile of tights on my table, and at 4:55 pm got a phone call from someone who wanted to have a War of 1812 uniform made (but didn't really have a budget to do so).

Grabbed my things, packed my bag, helped Silvia with a trouser fitting for a client of hers and got home around 6.

Did I say it was busy?

Tomorrow we'll do it all again, and I just remembered I have to talk with Susan in bijoux about the chain of office for the quick change, and I now have to make a pair of leggings that no-one told me about, and they will be needed for Tuesday too. I hope they buy some fabric, and lets not even start talking about the codpieces that need support.

These are just the things I can remember off the top of my head from the day.

No wonder I feel tired tonight.

And there is still snow on the ground.