Priestly garments

Choice A for white--Chi Ro is bright gold, even though it looks dark in this picture
Choice B for White

Fr. Flynn wears this one as the play opens.

Making these has been mulling over and over in my mind for months. Yesterday, I finally got the time to do them.

The green was not a problem. I made the center motif months ago, and showed it to you in my blog. The white one required some thinking, because in the script, the playwrite describes it as "blue and white vestment". In Catholic liturgical circles, blue was not a color of a vestment that was used within the past century.

Some churches would make/buy a white vestment with blue trim for feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The vestment would only be used for feasts honoring Mary, such as her birthday, Sept. 8, the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8, Annunciation, March 25, Assumption, Aug. 15. So it was used very sparingly, and most churches couldn't afford to buy something that was used so little.

In the progression of the play "Doubt", the wearing of the second vestment, the white one, could have been in late fall/early winter, and may have been the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, Dec. 8. So I chose a motif picturing the Blessed Virgin Mary as a possible embellishment for it. But to make it more generic, or possibly usuable for other occasions, perhaps they used the typical symbol for vestments, the Chi Ro, which symbolizes Christ.

So what do you think? BVM or Chi Ro? I'm on the fence. Comment to tell me which you think looks best.

The green one is finished, and will not be changed. It is what it is.

Need to get all the "On Borrowed Time" things organized today. The actors and actresses will try them on tomorrow.

Two by Two

What does that title remind you of? Animals gathering in pairs, man measuring in cubits? Storm clouds gathering? Noah was building his ark and planning his journey when there wasn't a cloud in the sky!

We here in St. Louis have barely seen a day during the last month when there weren't clouds in the sky! It has rained and rained. And I'm listening to the weather right now, and he promised anywhere from 1-5 inches of rain today! Wow, where is all that water going to go? Hopefully not into my basement!

We've set the record for all time rainiest month. Any day now, they're going to recommend that we start measuring in cubits and build our own ark--water of epic proportions here on our fair city!

One more down....

Got one more costume dress down. Now, I think I only have to make a pair of shorts, alter some pants, iron some rumpled dresses, find a XL plaid shirt, and organize my "On Borrowed Time" costumes. Then, hope they all fit and the director approves! Hooray, this one MAY be somewhat finished!

I graduated!

For the past 6 weeks, I've been going to physical therapy. My hip and lower back were so painful I could hardly walk. So my doctor prescribed physical therapy and told me that was the first step to get better.

After my first couple of visits, I doubted that anything was going to help me, especially not physical therapy. And the worse thing is, YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE AS HOMEWORK!

Now, in this class, I'm not the best student. I rarely do my homework, and I do poorly in class. But the physical therapists I've been working with show no mercy. After the first few sessions, it was "boot camp" for me, for sure!

My weak area is the abdominal area. One can look at me and know this. And after many years of neglect (no crunches for me, No sireee!) it has been a painful, uncomfortable ride to get improvement.

But lately, I've been able to do a little bit more in the strength area. I've noticed a small improvement in my posture, and I can do more "bridges" than I ever thought I would be able to do.

Today was my graduation day. I could do my bridges and planks and hold on for 25 seconds. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it is better than when I started when I could hold it for 2 seconds.

My therapists get a charge out of my comments when they ask me to do stuff. Last week, I told the one, "You've got to be kidding!" when she asked me to do this one exercise. But this week, I can do it and hold it. They seem to get a kick out of listening to me grunt and groan and collapse when I'm done! One day they sold me a stretch band to do my glutemus maximus exercises. The receptionist asked me if I wanted a receipt. I told her "No, my tight butt will be my receipt!" They all got a charge out of that one!

Today when I left, they gave me a graduation present, a t-shirt with their name on it. MY GRADUATION PRESENT. And they all said, "We're going to miss you, you are a riot!"

Guess they'll have to deal with older, fatter, more out-of-shape and not so hilarious patients in the future. Goodbye, therapists--thanks for your help.

Oh, and my hip only hurts a little bit now, so at least I got some relief!

Rain, Rain, Go Away....

I'm so done with it!

Wallking across campus in the rain!

Wearing my unstylish but dry parka every day!

Wearing out the wiper blades on my vehicles!

Having wet feet and trouser cuffs all the time!

Resisting the urge to nap all day because it is dark outside!

Wondering if I'll ever get to put the top down on my convertible this year!

Could care less if we broke a record for the wettest October EVER in St. Louis!

Listening to the cat meow to get out, but knowing he wouldn't stay out for more than two seconds!

Getting the newspaper that is all soggy from sitting on the lawn in the rain!

Chasing the worms out of my garage, where they are seeking asylum from drowning in the lawn!

Get out of here rain clouds, we're tired of it!

Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come again another day (season) so little SewWhat can go out and play!

Retro Wardrobe

I'm sure these will look better on the actress--Demetria in "On Borrowed Time"






Demetria is a much misunderstood and maligned character in this show. She thinks she should be rich, but she really is not. They get awfully mad at her and call her some very bad names! But she'll look sharp!

Slippery hours

Yesterday was full of slippery hours. You know, those hours when you say, "Where did the time go?" As a result of some very slippery hours, I got no sewing done. I got a couple of costume-type errands run, but no real sewing.

The day started out early, as usual, about 4:30, with some time spent at the computer. I usually wait for my friend to get on the computer so we can chat. But we didn't make contact, and about 6, I crawled back between the sheets, then it got too late to chat with her.

I had my second-to-last physical therapy session at 9:30. The therapist must have thought, "let's throw it all at her", because she really worked me out. On one, I said, "You must be joking!" "No", she said, very matter of fact, so I tried it and did it. Very challenging. I could hardly wait until the time was over! So I rewarded myself by going out to look at a piece of sewing equipment I'm contemplating purchasing. It is a major purchase, so it needs some thought and research.

Luckily, JoAnns is near this shop, and I found some chasuble material and some ball gown material ON SALE for Doubt and Christmas Carol. I had a part of an hour left, so I decided to go to the machine owner's second shop to check out another selection of the equipment I'm contemplating. Just traveling there ate up that time, so I shopped, checked out a couple of other stores (another JoAnn, this one is a superstore--my new favorite store 20 miles away!) At the sewing machine store, the owner's wife had just called him in to help her because she was very busy, so I waited in the area for him to come in, so I could talk to him personally about what I wanted to purchase.

By the time I got home from that extended trip, it was 2:45. At 3, I was signed up to participate in a webinar from 3-4. Then at 5 I had a chiropractor's appointment.

I got home from the day's running around at 6--hungry and freezing from being out in the cold all day. Too bad the rest of the night slipped away just chilling out and warming up! Hopefully today, the slippery hours will be more productive!