Re: Work In Progress--Deryni Action Figure Project (was Duncan Action Figure)

[tenworld]

  My husband borrowed my seam ripper last night, so I can't rip out the wrong-side seams and see if the fabric can be resewn the right way or if I have to start over from scratch.  I guess I'll find that out tonight.

Dare I ask why he borrowed it?  Are you driving him crazy with your new hobby or is he now making his own line of action figures:)?

[Evie]

LOL!  Neither.   He was sewing a costume he's planning to wear to Dragon*Con.   

[derynifanatic64]

WOW!!  A man who knows how to sew. 

[Evie]

LOL!  If I'm remembering the story correctly, I think he taught himself how to use a sewing machine back in college, when he decided to make a teddy bear for a young lady he was interested in at the time.  Which just goes to show, if you want to motivate a man to do or learn something, get a pretty woman involved somewhere in the process....   

[DesertRose]

I have a friend in the SCA who says sewing machines are power tools.  He makes most of the garb for himself and his family of five.  His wife is perfectly capable of sewing, but he's really good at it.

[Evie]

Araxie's garb by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

I still have to add the back closures and finish hemming the undergown, but here's a glimpse of Araxie's new clothing.  I want to add some sort of beads, gold embroidery, or other embellishment to it, though I don't know what yet, and again, it's still missing an ornamented belt.  Araxie has a different body from my other female dolls, so the fit of this pattern isn't quite as good on her as it is on Mirjana.  I may have to shorten her undergown sleeves by a few millimeters because her hands keep getting lost inside them.  I also think I didn't make the side splits on the bliaut quite high enough, as the undergown is rather constricted beneath it and doesn't show the fullness of the skirt to best advantage, so I might have to rip out the bottom half inch or so of those side seams to allow for more ease there.  (That would also make it easier for her to get the bliaut on over the undergown.)

But at least this means all of the littles will have clothes to wear in time to meet KK, even if the clothes aren't fully embellished yet!

[Evie]

After considering it overnight, I think I've figured out how to embellish Araxie's new gown (see picture above) to make it more "queenly."  First, I'll add some of the same fabric as the undergown and sleeve linings to the collar area, similar to the contrasting collar in this picture, though not covering as much of the chest area:



The contrasting collar could be embellished in some way, possibly either with gold embroidery and/or beadwork.  Then, where the printed tan lines of the pattern are now, I'm thinking of laying down some couched gold threads.  Once that's done, if those red centers look like they need a bit of perking up, then that can be done by adding "rubies" or smaller pearls to each one. 

Needless to say, if I decide to do all this, it would not be a pre-Dragon*Con project, given the time constraints!

[Evie]

Well, I leave for Dragon*Con tomorrow, and I don't know yet if I'll have any internet connection there or not, so I might as well post this update now before I go.  I'm banking on KK being too busy tomorrow traveling to Georgia to check this thread, so hopefully the Mini-Deryni's surprise for her will continue to be a surprise.  But if I'm wrong...oh well.  Sneak preview, I suppose.   


Duncan and Helena discuss the newest Library acquisition by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

Duncan and Helena discuss the latest Library acquisition......or at least that's what they claimed to be doing.  They moved a more discreet distance apart when they noticed my camera, each claiming that they were both just trying to get a better look at the intricate artwork on the small pages.  Um hmm, right.  It's a good thing there's going to be four other action figures in that small carrying case they share!  So it's on to Take Two....


Scholarly discussion by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

The newest tome in the Rhemuth library is a copy of the Mont Saint Michel Sacramentary.  Father Nivard thought it would be an excellent choice to present to their Author during the upcoming holiday weekend, given that it's a medieval work from their own century and even has "Michaeline" origins.  But Duncan and Helena couldn't resist checking it out first.  (Besides, if they didn't peek, then y'all wouldn't get a chance to see it, right?)


A peek at the cover by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

This miniature book comes from Lee Ann Borgia, who makes books in 1:12, 1:6, and 1:3 scales.  I believe this one is actually a 1:12 scale book (dollhouse scale), but when compared to my 1:6 scale figures, it's close to the same size compared to their hands as my treasured reproduction copy of Les Tres Riches Heures du Jean de Berry is when held in mine. 

As you can see, I've not had time to add little jewels to the goblets/chalices yet.  All in good time....


Duncan shows off some of the illuminations by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

Duncan shows off some of the illuminations.  I had to double and triple check to make sure Duncan is holding the book right-way-up to the viewer.  The text is so tiny, I had to use my magnifying visor to make out the little letters.  That's a picture of The Last Supper on the left side.  If you look at the largest versions of this photo on Flickr, you can see more detail.


They both agree by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

Helena and Duncan both agree that, although they regret parting with such a lovely book, it will be entrusted to good hands.


Time to celebrate.... by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

Duncan starts to set the book aside in a safe place so he can open a bottle of Fianna to celebrate finding just the right present for The Author, but he is suddenly interrupted by a distracting presence....


Do you mind, Big Fella?  We're trying to do a scene here! by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

Do you mind, Big Fella?  We're trying to do a scene here!  Helena and Duncan struggle not to laugh at Luke's antics as Luke sits just out of frame and attempts to steal the show...as usual.


What?  WHAT?! by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

Luke stares back at me as if blissfully unaware that he is interrupting anything.   

[derynifanatic64]

Luke is acting as their security guard.  Have a GREAT time at Dragon Con!!

[DesertRose]

Luke the chaperone. 

[Evie]

Luke the chaperone. 

As a neutered male, Luke could certainly sympathize with a celibate living in close proximity to an attractive female he harbors some affection for and being unable to do diddly-squat about it.... 

[derynifanatic64]

Ain't it the truth.

[Evie]

Servant of Saint Camber at Dragoncon by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

See, this is what happens when you let a Servant of Saint Camber out of St. Kyriell's or St. Hilary's Basilica and set her loose at Dragon*Con!   Or maybe Sister Therese just got confused and thought she was at Arc-en-Ciel instead, and that the rainbow theme was supposed to apply to hair rather than veil edges?  How strong was that Vezairi port anyway?

The good news is, KK did get to meet the Mini-Deryni today.  In fact, they're having a spend-the-night in her hotel room, since that neatly solved the problem of how I was going to carry two doll cases in addition to a bag of new shoes and another bag of sandwiches for my son four or five blocks down the street to my own hotel without learning how to juggle first.  I will presumably be regaining custody of the Mini-Deryni at her panel tomorrow, unless she decides to hightail it back to Virginia with them overnight.     I hope they are all behaving themselves and not keeping poor Scott and KK up all night with their wild partying ways.  I made the mistake of leaving some goblets and a bottle of Fianna wine in one of the cases....   

The bad news is that, even though I brought my laptop with me and my hotel offers free wifi (unlike the main con hotels, which charge for everything short of the air you breathe), I won't be at KK Chat tomorrow evening, since KK's one panel of the day happens to fall during the regular Sunday chat hour.  So yeah, I think I can pretty much guarantee that neither of us will be able to make it to the chatroom during that time.  (Although, had her panel been scheduled at pretty much any other time, I would've offered use of our laptop and wifi had she wanted to spend the hour regaling you with con stories.  Maybe she'll show up to share those next Sunday?)

The reading was great, and now I have even more reason to hate Bishop De Nore.  Like I needed more reasons.   

I cut out a new red velvet gown for Araxie today, so hopefully there's be a new picture update in a day or two that will be more in keeping with this thread's topic and not just some full-sized weirdo in funny clothes and rainbow hair.   

[derynifanatic64]

Great picture!  Who would want to like Oliver De Nore anyway.  He and Edmund Loris were probably twins separated at birth.

[Jerusha]

You did, of course, commit KK's reading to memory, right?   

Hope you all are having a great time, including the littles.  Perhaps they will tone down their partying just a "little" bit, while visting with KK.