Dear Constant Reader,
Not too much to report. Sunday is BeauTease rehearsal day. We all did our Challenge and I ran The Faerie Queene a couple of times. I have to do something about the ties on my mask. It tends to slip.
And after deciding on a design for that new piece yesterday, I went back to the original plan.
Dear Constant Reader,
A pretty light day. I did my Challenge and I did some design work on a new costume piece. No sooner had I decided on a really good idea for the base shape, I saw a picture on Facebook that made me change my mind completely. Now I’ve got to figure out how to create it.
I was going to do some rhinestoning in the evening, but I had the rare opportunity to lie on the daybed and snuggle with Albert, so I took it. You don’t pass up moments like that.
Dear Constant Reader,
On Friday I post my Friday Tip and send out the B.A.B.E. newsletter and this Friday was no different. There was a little B.A.B.E admin too.
I also did my Challenge and starting looking through the endnotes in Goddess of Love. A typical day, really. Nothing special.
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!
When making pants tear-away, start with a pair that is at least one size larger than usual.
The easiest way to make tear-away pants is to cut open the outside seam and add snap tape (we’ve used velcro and don’t like it). However, the creates an overlap and thus reduces the size of the pant leg. Your leg is going to create pressure on the snaps if the pants are too tight and you’re at risk of premature poppage.
The picture to the right shows Brigitte and me in our “Factory Girls” overalls. Because I’m leaning over and putting some tension on the fabric, you can see the line of snap tape at the overlap. It would have been better if those overalls were maybe one size bigger, but they were originally made for someone other than me.
You can always make pants fit better with a larger overlap at the waistband. We like to use a whopper popper at the top to keep everything nice & secure and then release them right before the tearaway.
Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.
Dear Constant Reader,
I picked up the newly-cut staves for my Faerie Queene fan at the fabricators. If you need anything weird made, I recommend Danger!Awesome. They did a good job and when my order wasn’t what I wanted the first time (because of a now-former employee who thought she knew better what I needed), they made it right. Next up, test assembly and off to the artist for painting.
I did a little costume work. Finally got the right color elastic for an old-school g-string I made for another performer. Added some rhinestones to the ties of my bathtub costume panties, so I can tell which ribbons are the front one by touch.
And I did my Challenge and finished reading Goddess of Love. I still need to take a look at her bibliography and notes before I can call it done.
Dear Constant Reader,
I’ve gone back and forth about whether I include work-out time in my count. Yes, I do it for general good health, but also so I look good on stage. In any case, every Wednesday before rehearsal I go to a barre class, and this day was no different.
At rehearsal we all did our Challenge (14 days!) and worked on acts. I spent some time on one of my magic tricks for The Faerie Queene. The trick is finally starting to be where I want it. And then I ran the act, incorporating a suggestion that Scratch had, which really improved things.
There was also a little B.A.B.E. admin work and, of course, a couple of chapters of Goddess of Love. Lili’s life in retirement makes me so sad and angry.
Dear Constant Reader,
My victory today was taking care of the issues with the Faerie Queene prop. It turns out that the employee who convinced me that what I wanted was not what I wanted no longer works there. I was not the first person to come back dissatisfied with their order. However, the fabricator is going to make good for only the cost of materials. Yay! That’s good customer service. I’ll probably use them again.
In the evening was Burlesque your Way. I think everyone left with solid ideas and inspirations for their acts. I’m looking forward to seeing the acts evolve.
And, of course, I finished off the day with my Challenge and a couple more chapters of Goddess of Love. I’m heading into the home stretch of the book. I’ll have to review it soon.
Dear Constant Reader,
A light day. I submitted 3 class proposals to the Windy City Burlesque Festival. I did my Challenge and read Goddess of Love.
There were a couple of simple costume alterations I wanted to do and easily could have done while I was watching Daredevil, but just failed to even think about it. Bad burlesque dancer; no biscuit.
Dear Constant Reader,
Scratch and I went down to RI for the Mode Merr open studio and on the way listened to Dita’s “Soundtrack for Seduction”. Does that count?
Whether it does or not, we had rehearsal in the evening. In which we tossed around ideas the group number for the next Expo. Brigitte had had a brilliant brainstorm which set everything in motion. Then we all* did our Challenge (that’s 11 days running for me!). After that Scratch suggested a rousing series of “Standing, Sitting, Kneeling”, a theatre improv game we adapted for dance. We ending up doing 3 songs.
Then we ran solos. Even though I had carted my Faerie Queen stuff over, I decided to dust off my bathtub act. Even though the tub still needs work, that’s no reason to let the act languish. I can’t wait to get my Glorious Pasties unders (I should check with Cheeky and see how she’s doing), although I’m a little concerned that the bra won’t fit over the pasties, since they’re going to be on a HardCore base. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
* By all, I mean Brigitte, Pearl, and me, because Betty is in California preparing for her Bharatanatyam Arangetram and both Evie and D.D. had family things.
Dear Constant Reader,
Light day today. I did my Challenge. I read Goddess of Love. I listened to a song Scratch suggested for my new act. That was it.
It wasn’t laziness. I spent most of the day in the kitchen at Stately Babydoll Manor assisting Red with the construction of one of these:
An enormous Napoleonic-Era meat pie. Nothing to do with burlesque, but I think it’s rather impressive. It was tasty too.
Oh, The Glamourous Life! 