Why no bike

[hrj]

So I had this theory that I was going to start biking to work again this week, it being that time of year when it's again reliably light when I leave the office. But then Monday I had to move the car from the street (where I'd left it Sunday night because of post-ski-carpool-reorg) due to street sweeping, so I figured I'd just drive in anyway. And Tuesday I discovered that the rear tire on the bike was flat -- which was just as well because Tuesday afternoon I got a call from Fireplaces Plus that they finally had my stove door window in (the one I special ordered back in December) and that meant I could pick it up immediately. And Wednesday we had our special QA&Conformance celebrating goal-achievement lunch at P.F. Chang's so I wanted a vehicle on site (even though I ended up carpooling with a coworker, which was a mixed blessing because I got a massive bruise on my hip from sitting down on the seatbelt dohickey which was sticking up in the middle of the back seat in an abnormal way). And Thursday I have a dentist appointment right after work. And Friday ... well, you know, it's rather awkward to get the flat tire changed in the evening when it's dark, so I might as well just wait and do it on the weekend. And that's been what the week has been like.

It's been a bit of a meh week at work. I'm actually between investigations at the moment and trying to get inspired to clean up a bunch of overhanging memos and projects that have been inhabiting the Mole-Field for a while. Yesterday they finally fixed my dead phone line -- which had been dead for a full week -- two days after sending me a notice that they'd closed the work ticket because the problem had been taken care of. (I responded with an e-mail asking if there was some meaning of "taken care of" that I wasn't familiar with that included no actual change in the problem situation. Ok, ok, I wasn't actually that snarky.) I've been waking up earlier that usual (well, that is, I've been getting out of bed more promptly after my alarm goes off), which probably just means that it's time for daylight savings to cut in. My daffodils are all blooming furiously but my fingers are freezing all day at the office. (I wear warmer clothing sitting at my desk at work than I wore on the ski slopes last weekend.)

But I actually have nothing scheduled on the calendar for this weekend and have high hopes of getting some yard work done (in addition to changing the bike flat). And I've finally done enough research to determine what I'm doing for boy-clothes for the Perfectly Period Feast, so maybe I can get started on some sewing this weekend. In fact, I'm not making anything radically different from patterns I've used before -- I just confirmed which of the styles are appropriate for a ca. 1480 date. The doublet from the grave clothes of Pandolfo Malatesta (what survives of it) published in the Abegg Institute textile conservation book has the right dates and is quite similar to a pattern I'd worked up from manuscript illustrations for the earlier decades of the century, so with a little adjustment of the sleeves (and, of course, a complete re-fitting) it will do nicely. For an outer garment, the coat of Charles the Bold has the right dates, and I could either modify the existing one I've done ... or have the fun of working up a new version. Or I may try something different; still deciding. And I've needed to make several new pairs of joined hose anyway, for which I can re-fit my red wool hose to make a new pattern (and maybe even salvage them for wear). It would be nice to make some new 15th c. shirts as well -- something that isn't just thrown together in a hurry to have an undershirt. I'll have to think about hats. The hat I made to go with the plum wool version of the Charles the Bold coat has never really worked right in the first place, and would be awkward for an on-the-job outfit, so even if I re-make that coat, I'll want a new hat. At least my hair is right for the appropriate look.

Yeah, sewing projects -- that sounds fun.

Comments

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

Hey, can you cross-post the clothing plans to the PPF list? There's a few people who might be helped by knowing about the doublet from the grave clothes of Pandolfo Malatesta. Although a book reference might help more, as I'm not finding much in a quickie Google search. Thanks!

[hrj.livejournal.com]

Sure -- the remnants were quite fragmentary but included a lot of hems, buttonholes, lacing holes, and whatnot that helped work out the edges. It's a pretty straightforward shaped 4-panel body, so it needs to be fitted rather than drafted. But for someone who isn't sure where to start, it's a confidence booster.

I can post the Charles coat as well -- it's complete and in great shape. It's not quite the most typical outer garment shape from the era -- the other one I'm looking at is that relatively long-narrow grandson of the houppelande.

[scotica.livejournal.com]

Still interested in sushi on Friday?

[hrj.livejournal.com]

Yeah -- I'm desperately in need of a sushi fix. Hmm. If I drive down after I'm done at the gym that'll put it ca. 7:30 at the earliest. Is that too late? (The skiing already put me well over my usual exercise total for the week, so ....)

[scotica.livejournal.com]

No, 7:30 should be okay. See you when you get here!