This is Clothesprog's fault.

[carmenbeaudry]

 1. What are your favorite materials to work with?

Wool, because of how it can be steam molded and shaped, Silk taffeta because it's just so yummy.

2. What is your dream event or photoshoot opportunity?
I'd like an early 17th century chateau to be able to have a photo shoot with all my Musketeer-age costumes.

3. What is your favorite tool to use?
I don't know if it's my favorite, but I seem to use the seam rippers the most.

4. Which of your projects are you most proud of?
Green and blue 1625 mens suit for Wade or my 1625 court dress.  I'm also very proud of the 1760's dresses I made for the early dance folks.

5. What project taught you the most?
Probably the 1635 working class wardrobe.  It's not flashy, but I learned a lot about period techniques making it.

6. Drape/ Draft/ Commercial Pattern?
Usually draft, sometimes a combination of drape and draft.  I mostly use commercial patterns to get a sense of the pattern shapes or to save time.

7. Are you team cut or team trace for your patterns?
Draft straight onto heavy paper; if I do use a pattern, trace.

8. Pins or Pattern Weights?
Both.

9. How many pieces are lurking in your UFO Bin?
I just almost completely emptied my UFO drawer.  It contains a pair of braces that I'm waiting on a set of slides for, and a dress that needs to be recut.  

10. Which era would you still like to make a costume from? 
I'm working on a Chemise a la Reine for myself and would really like to get that finished.  Other than that, one of the joys of sewing for other people is that I've gotten to make most of the things that are interesting.

11. How has the pandemic changed how you sew or craft?
The big one is that I retired from sewing for others.  Now I have more time to do stuff for myself, and I've been sewing mostly modern clothes for me.  I've also been quilting.

12. What did you do/ learn in the past year that you are most proud of? 
It's silly, but I think I'm most pleased with retrofitting most of my skirts and dresses with pockets.

13. What costume would you like to revisit?
My pink Cavalier gown.  I loved that dress and it looked good on me.  Unfortunately, wearing it in the rain under a black wool cassock that wasn't dye fast ruined it.

14. Best sewing tool you ever invested in?
An old-fashioned mangle.  Since I regularly have 20 yard of linen to wash and press, being able to iron it quickly is beyond wonderful.

15. Most useless sewing tool you ever invested in?
Probably a needle threader, I can't seem to make any of them work.

16. What are your goals/ plans moving forward?
Finish the new pair of bodies, 12th night gown.

17. Scissors or rotary blade?
Scissors.  Can't seem to control the rotary cutter.

18. Do you have any sewing assistants (pets)?
I used to, but Su-Miao the cat pass away in 2918.  Nicolette the dog isn't interested in sewing.

19. Do you put your pins in parallel to the seam line, or perpendicular?
Perpendicular, of course!   Otherwise I'd have to take each one out instead of sewing over it.

20. Tea, Coffee, or Chocolate?
Coffee, or Scotch while handsewing.

21. What do you like to watch or listen to while sewing? 
Music usually, with specific genres for different tasks.  Classical or other instrumentals while designing, metal or punk for cutting/patterning, everything else for actual sewing.  Lately I've been listening to true crime podcasts while machine sewing.  For hand sewing I like costume movies that I've already seen.

Comments

[clothsprogs]

"I just almost completely emptied my UFO drawer."

Impressive!

"I think I'm most pleased with retrofitting most of my skirts and dresses with pockets."

That's a really good one. So much more practical once done too.

Teddy