A remake that will never end. And channeled Kermit the Frog.

Some gowns have such a powerful addicting draw, that you can't help but want to constantly work on them.  They fill your dreams (if you're lucky enough to sleep) or you lay awake for HOURS thinking of what to do next or what to do to make this costume even more stunning or interesting.

Then there are some that fail enough times and must be redone so often that they lose all luster and all you want to do is throw them into a pit.  Poor archery gown.  She is in that situation now.

Those who lurk and stalk me in other methods and who know me closer remember this archery gown.  It is another one of those that I started for my first trip to see the Doctor, back in 2010.  It was a good gown, in theory, but had some fit issues.  For one, I made it much too tight and I was uncomfortable most of the day, in fact about halfway through, post the archery contest, I had a heat related incident..and talk about serious embarrassment..the poor Doctor, I am sure he thought I was incredibly frail!

After the event I threw it into a box with the rest of my costumes when I was moving out to TN, and didn't wear it again until a year later, at the second 100 years.  Of course this is post when I cut out the lining of Ol Faithful, so I did it with this gown as well.  That was a horrible, horrible idea. I wore it paired with a floral summer weight redingote style of garment, which probably saved me mass headache in the end.  I really hate that outfit by the bye..I felt like I looked like a fool that whole day.  Not at all bad-ass and archerish like the year before.

I did a full day of archery, got my ass handed to me deservedly since I didn't practice for a whole year solid.  Then we danced.  Then I ran around some more.  Then we danced AGAIN that evening.  I kept feeling a popping sound whenever I would move my right arm in big motions, and just assumed it was the stupid pelisse..Nope. My right sleeve on the green gown had come almost completely out, and was hanging on by maybe a half inch.  Oops.   Then, when hunting for a missing arrow I got on my hands and knees to see if what I kicked was an arrow.  It wasn't, and my dress was ruined as I kneeled in something wet and put a stain on the front.

So that was that, when I got home I took the thing completely apart.  Luckily for me, there was enough fabric in the back to completely make a new gown, and I have been slowly.

I decided on a bodice similar to Ol Faithful, and wanted vandyked trim wherever I could put it, so I began that horrible laborious process of making a template and cutting and cutting and cutting....and cutting. 

"Hello, Kermit the Frog here." No? Yeah? Anyone else besides me see it?

Then I began to roll the hem of the vandykes thinking it would totally keep its shape! I was so wrong.  I couldn't STAND how it looked, so I thought well I can cut more and sew a two layer right side to right side.  I got halfway trough that and said no, this is also garbage. Finally, I cut off all the triangles, and will be making a SINGLE ruffle, as I do not have adequate yardage to do anymore.

At this point I am beginning to despise this gown and I have just forgotten about it..randomly doing some more inches on the rolled hem and loathing the process completely.  Don't you just hate it when projects must take a drastic detour?  I think this mishap may be the reason that I am so tentative to cut into another gown.  Some fabric I can never get my hands on again; it was purchased in Los Angeles in February. Eeep.