By Hestia's skirts! I think I finally got how to get over the blip that wouldn't let me load Robin's paintings! You should see Caves of Mt. Carmel on the previous blog entry! And The Still Place with it's grand swirls of lavender and indigo below in another post. Ain't they wonderful? Here's what happened.

I owe it all to George, the cat I inherited after my mother passed. This is Zen, ya'll. She (that's George, not my mom) ferreted out the stash of whole herbs I have and pinched the bag of catnip like it was a 6 month old mouse. She chewed through it, rolled herself a joint kitty style. Afterwards, she did a Tai Chi kata, contemplated her pink toes, did some yoga moves and had a nap. When she woke up, she went on patrol outside.

So. I drank several glasses of a passable California Cab Sav, contemplated my navel, sketched some new designs, then had a nap. When I woke up, I made another stab at the html for loading images and it worked!

I sent off a box of ritual gowns to friend Peggy Hamilton in Virginia. She's opening her store Mugwort and Malachite. The website is still under construction but I'll leave the link up. She'll get around to finishing it.

I sent her six gowns to choose from. She says that her problem is that most of my gowns will never make it to the rack and will end up in her closet. That's as it should be. Everything I make, I ask the three Norns- the Wyrd Sisters - and the Goddess Arachne to see that it gets to the one who's supposed to wear it. I sent her a black gown with back lacing and 14" foullard styled ruffles off of the fitted sleeves from wrist to elbow, a lavender blue with lacing over the hips and Swarovski crystals on the hem, and a rubis red gown with metal rings to lace on four sides, a heart and moon cut out on the wrists above a tippet sleeve and a carved cinnabar ring on the train loop to drape over the wrist.

There was also a peacock teal and tapestry cuffed and frontespiece gown, a saffron gold silk and rayon blend gown with silk trimming in dark navy and old gold lozenges that reminds me of the gown in Vermeer's Girl With The Pearl Earring. I also sent a tunic length of the same silk/rayon with silk trim for those not ready to take a full length with a court train plunge.

Also gone out today is an 1860 replica gown from the American Civil War. I draped the pattern on my mannequin and am pleased with it, although there are some alterations I need to make. More of a pointed waist called a 'Grecian' back in the Day is needed and I'm not necessarily pleased about the way the sleeve joins the armscye. I will use this pattern to fashion a black and red gown for a Vampire Ball in New Orleans this Fall per a request.

I no longer or very rarely take commissions. After 40 plus years in the business, I've developed an allergy to prima donas, bridezillas, and picayune purchasers. Now I just build it. If you like it, buy it. I'm too damn farty and mature to put up with idiots that want my work at a dollar two ninety-eight an hour. I have more hours of learning my craft than a brain surgeon so I won't accept peanuts. I hope all of you value your time and your creative work accordingly. This is my message for tonight.