Planning

No pics today, as I haven't quite finished my current make (it needs an overnight hem hang, before I can finish it).  So I thought I'd talk about the fact I'm going to Discworld Con in August.

I'm obviously very excited about this!  I also plan to make and wear costumes.  I originally had thoughts about 4 costumes (one for each day of the con, plus one for the gala dinner).  I am trying to reign myself in though and I don't really think this is a sensible plan.  Instead I am planning 2 daytime costumes and maybe something for the gala dinner.

I currently want to make a Magrat Garlick costume and a Sandra the Real Seamstress costume, to which end I have recently re-read Night Watch, to remind myself of Sandra's outfit. 

The only description I can find is that she has a quilted workbasket and wields a darning mushroom.  If anyone knows what a quilted workbasket looks like, please, will you tell me?  In the meantime I plan to make a quilted top for my favourite wicker basket.  I also plan to acquire a darning mushroom (bonus points if I can find someone to teach me how to darn with it).

I freely confess I'm not overly sure what clothes to wear though.  I'm thinking skirt and blouse (as Magrat's costume will be a dress) and I want something that says Seamstress but could, under the right circumstances, be mistaken for Seamstress (Discworld joke).  Fishnet tights perhaps?  And maybe a skirt I can kilt up to show petticoats?  Should I have a chatelaine?

Magrat is a little simpler.  I plan to pick a pretty medieval dress I like the look of and make it in green cotton.  Then all I need is a corset to flatten me out a bit and some daisies.  For her occult jewellery I was planning on wearing all my larp characters jewellery at once.  Job done!

Still not sure what I want for the gala dinner.  Fanmaker experience tells me nothing too pouf-y (gets in the way), no droopy sleeves (also get in the way) and not white (too conspicuous by half).  Can anyone suggest a cool idea or a character I could dress up as without needing a wig? I'm tempted by Susan Sto Helit as I could pin a fake black hair strand into my actual hair, thinking about it...

Any thoughts or ideas warmly welcomed!