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Went on a bit of a buying spree over the weekend and finally got some things for my filming kit that I've been needing - a gorilla pod, a shotgun mic with muffler and accessories, and a pair of tripod lights with softboxes, which should be arriving today. The gorilla pod is fantastic, and is great for when I'm working on the floor and the regular tripod is too tall. I'm excited to play with it outside, because you can wrap its legs around tree limbs and fence posts and get all sorts of fun angles.

Next on my list is to get some backup batteries, because it's become increasingly annoying to be in a good groove with filming and sewing, and then the battery die, which means putting filming and sewing on hold until it can charge, which takes forever. Canon batteries are expensive, at $50/each, so I'll have to budget for that from my next paycheck. That and a camera bag to hold all this stuff. (I just bought a camera bag.)

In other tech, it looks like Dell will be having a pretty good Black Friday sale, and the XPS 15 laptop that I want will be $350 off! I'm desperate to upgrade, so I can't wait. Bring on the sales!

The pumpkin dress remains unfinished, but all I have to do is add the sleeves and hem the thing, and it will be done. I'm hoping to finish tonight (I feel like I've said this a lot) and get photos sometime in the next couple of days. It's becoming increasingly difficult to get pics after work because it's already sunset by the time I get out of work, but I think I can squeeze them in tomorrow if I dress really fast and go to the park up the street. I plan to post the video on Friday the 13th now, so I'll need Tuesday - Thursday for editing.

A text from Lizzy last night reminded me that I need to get the 1850s exercise outfit done before December. I'm confident I can churn out most of it fairly quickly, but the Turkish trousers give me pause. Angela Clayton gives a short description on how she drafted her cycling trousers, and says that the finished pattern was basically two large rectangles with a crotch seam, so it shouldn't be too hard, right? She does say it took 4 yards of fabric to make the trousers, which I'm not sure I have. o.o  I'll be working with bedsheets, which to me means that actual yardage is a mystery.

I revisited an old draft on my Blogger, and fell back in love with an abandoned project, and I think I'm going to go back and finish it. It's a red and brown bustle dress based off one in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. The plan now is to have it finished up in time to take dramatic bluebonnet photos on the Texas prairie next April. Photo road trip!

I'm also in the planning stages for next year's spooky October dress, which will be an 1890s version of this Neiman's ensemble:

It's hard to tell, but the skirt and bodice are made of hex mesh, with solid black fabric sewn down in strips of various widths. There are lots of ruffles that are supported with horsehair. It's already super 1890s, it shouldn't take much to take it all the way. It will be a fun project, and I found an abandoned and ruined gothic church in a nearby ghost town that will make awesome spooky photos. I'm excited, even though the whole project is nearly a year away. It's never too early to get it done, filmed, and ready to go. I need to get ahead of my posting schedule, anyway, so I'm happy I'm getting a big jump start on it. In fact, if I can get it done by February, I may be able to get some nice atmospheric shots, because October is hot and sunny and not gothy at all.