Goodbye Sam

Do you all know that song? It is a song about the end of a woman named Suzanne,  the person who sang the song wrote it from his grief of a life that was cut short, that he always thought they would get together again. I did as well.  I thought perhaps one day, I would see my person and we would be able to deal with the issues we had that brought an end to our friendship.  You don't know how many times something from the past would come up and I would laugh and think wow Sam would think this was funny....

Soon someone will make plans to end Sam's life on this plane, they will take her I know who is of the same name, they will make the plans to do the same, she lay in a hospital bed many miles from me, and she is dying.  If you knew this woman you would know how full of life she is, how she is only less than 6 months older than I am.  How we were inseparable for most of our 20's and 30's and how our friendship ended, perhaps because we were too enmeshed in each others lives.

We became fast friends when we met in a Summer Sign Language course.  It was supposed to be for people who actually knew some ASL but I misread and decided to stick it out, best choice I ever made.

We made a promise to grow old together and she is breaking that promise.  We are old I guess at 50, but that is the new 30 so we should have time, even though we don't speak, it does not matter, she is leaving me behind Dammit!  I knew something was going on I was having obsessive needs to speak with her, when I had not spoken to her since 2000.  Why after all of these years was I dreaming of speaking with her, or having bits of our fun times come forth?

She was one of the Maids of Honor at our Wedding, we lost the Best Man 2 years ago.  He was 40.  Why could she not go the doctor? Why?

We worked Renaissance Faires together, laughed and cried together, she was there for my children's births.  She is my 20's and 30's, she had this vibrato that was horrid, but she would belt it out no matter what because she was SAM.  The world will be smaller when she is gone.  I was not part of her life for her or my own 40's.  She turned 50 in February of this year, and I did in July, I thought of her on my day and I thought of her on hers.  Sam died November 23rd at 1:23 am.  I never had the chance while she was alive to say good bye.

Fire and Rain from  James Taylor:

Just yesterday morning, they let me know you were gone.
Suzanne, the plans they made put an end to you.
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song,
I just can't remember who to send it to.
I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I'd see you again.

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus, You've got to help me make a stand.
You've just got to see me through another day.
My body's aching and my time is at hand and I won't make it any other way.
Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I'd see you again.

Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun.
Lord knows when the cold wind blows it'll turn your head around.
Well, there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come.
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground.

Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
but I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again, now.

Thought I'd see you one more time again.
There's just a few things coming my way this time around, now.
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain, now.

UFO List is Getting Accomplished!

2 years ago now, in 201o I had 20 projects in various stages of completion.  I don't know if every costumer is like me? But if I don't have the expertise to finish something? I put it aside until I do! Or sometimes another project will take precedence because of various reasons.  I have 3 projects that are just hand work, which hurts my hands so I am very slow at completing. 

Then I was out of commission for a while so most of those 20 projects have just sat in my house, getting pieces lost. Now I am finding said pieces, and putting the things back in place so that I can complete them!  Thus my Unfinished Objects are becoming finished!

A. Raisin Tourney Gown  90% complete
I have lost the sleeves with their glorious Fleurs! I have no idea where they are or if I will ever find them, I wore the gown at Purgatorio 2012 and people really liked it! Do I have pictures of said completed Gown? Nope, because I take the photos I rarely remember to have someone else take them of myself.

B. Lovely Fabric made into Jacobean Jacket Re-do
85% complete I am trying to finish adding the trim by hand so who knows how long this will take? LOL

C. Spanish Purple & Cream Gown with Cream Kirtle.  75% of the Beading & Pearling is done I now take this with me all over I am hoping to get this done while we are at GWW. Kirtle is in pieces, so it is only 40% done.  

D.  Spanish Woolen Gown in Aubergine 85% done, I need to add the lining in the jacket and put together the skirt.

E. Men's Jerkin and Pants in Black  90% done, will need to have this done for GWW. 


F. Men's Jerkin & Pants Blue Damask 30% Must be done for GWW. 

G. Men's Jerkin & Pants Gray Velveteen 0% done  Cut out

H. Men's Jerkin and Pants Black Velveteen 65% done 

I. Men's Jerkin & Pants Blue Linen 0% done Cut out

Eleanor of Toledo's Gowns

I have always adored the clothing Eleanor of Toledo a fellow Spainard (I know I have 11 races so I can claim whom I choose LOL).

She married and had I think 11 living children, I don't know how many pregnancies though and I have heard her hips were distorted because of the child birth.  Can you imagine?
Amyway she was a fashonista supreme, here are some thoughts I am thinking about making a gown inspired by her.

Meet Eleanor of Toledo

Here is a close up of the ties to the sleeve with agilets that are gold balls or beads, also notice the lovely goldwork

Another Piece for Inspration

I have adored this outfit, and when the Ladies from Tudor Tailor said this 'waistcoat' has been showing up in womens will accountings since 1550's in England, it means I can have one of these myself! Yum!

I have fabric already (You know I do) so I need to draft this up and I am working on a kirtle in a deeper tone of emerald green with a russet for the waistcoat! Yeah!

Hubby's Tourney Garb

Did I mention my hubby adores Black & White? So I have to make him some linen Garb, and I have some trim that is black/silver/blue and I am thinking? This would be fun! 

Colors in Elizabethan England

So I was checking out the fabulous group on Facebook called 'Elizabethan Costume' if anyone here loves this time period like me? Do check out this group, I have learnt so much during my time with them!!!  Anyway, click here and will lead you to an extensive look on the colors given to QEI from the people in her Court and Peerage. Even a description of the colors and when it was first showed up, like the term "pink"or Purple.  I have a class I give on how to get Fabrics that are representative of the Renaissance and I always add things about the colors, types of fabrics and the like.  So this has been very exciting for me!

Yep Had to Shop Til I Drop

 Yes I went shopping down in LA when we were down for my Uncles Remeberance. The one on the left is from Ren Fabrics on eBay but the rest was acquired with my mom, in the $8 to $5 for the roll sections for silk at Home Fabrics.

So awesome!