[UPDATE 7/17/23: The project is back on! Whew! The director and management got approval from SAG to proceed during the strike. Whew!]
Original post:
Add this to the list of things I never thought I’d be saying one day: The SAG-AFTRA strike has shut down the movie I’m working on this summer. That is the current update on this project I’ve been so excited about. The law junkie in me wants to know how an organization (SAG) can enter a formal agreement for a movie project, knowing in less than a month, it is going to essentially pull the rug out from under the project by prohibiting its members from reporting for work. It happened quickly. One day I was splitting my time between the wardrobe room where I helped fit, repair and modify historical costumes; and …
… standing by on the movie set with sewing items in hand for quick fixes.
Then the next morning I woke to network news stories about the SAG-AFTRA strike. There were video clips of Hollywood A-Listers coming out to support ‘the cause’. When I arrived at our little set, they called all of us into a meeting, and the director told us the project was on hold. The room was full of stunned workers and volunteers of all ages. One of the producers led a prayer. It was that kind of emotion. There were sniffles all around the room. Now we wait.
The thing is, I support in general what unions are supposed to accomplish for their workers. But the collateral damage, wowza. Don’t get me started. Anyway, I hope my next update will be that the project has been given the go-ahead to proceed in spite of the strike. And hopefully that will be coming soon; as soon as this week.
Now, some views from two days of filming in 100 degree heat. These pictures are not from the actual set, which is not allowed, but from around the site as people get ready to be called to the set. I don’t have any with people or costumes, because unfortunately all of my costume photos show the set. I’ll try to get sharable costume pictures next time.
I’m having a great time helping with this project. More to come.
Happy birthday, United States. Here is a transcription of the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776.
In Congress, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Want to read more about these and other documents? Click here, or on either of the pictures to go to the National Archives page.
It’s been a week of finishing garments for the start of filming. Filming is now underway.
Over the weekend, we re-created the lady’s outfit in this picture. More about this scene in a future post.
Later this week I will assist with fitting and readying actors and extras in their costumes for a scene portraying a gathering of people. I’ll also be one of the extras, wearing this 2-piece 1870s homestead dress. I’ve spent the past two days getting my dress finished and fitted. Below is what it looks like now, and the ‘before’ picture for reference. The lace tie will become a detachable collar. Once that’s done, I’m pronouncing the outfit complete.
Below is a close up of the fabric and lace.
Meanwhile, a new Wes Anderson movie was released in theaters last Friday. I’m hoping to go see it tonight. It will be full of Wes Anderson-style scenes to feast the eyes on. Hopefully the story is excellent too, but I plan to enjoy it regardless.
There on the floor in the corner of the secondhand fabric store, was that tell-tale red handle sticking up, like a unicorn. It’s a 1977 Bernina Nova 900.
This is the machine I used to swoon over in the sewing shops in the 1980s, when I was young and working my way through school. Cute, stylish, and not as expensive as the now-iconic Bernina 830.
It has a wrap-around case that also serves as a toolbox, with a holding place for each of the tools and accessories in plain sight.
The Nova has this adorable round foot pedal that is actually a very useful design. You can step on it from any angle, without having to make sure it’s lined up a certain direction under your foot.
It came with the basic stitches, and a few decorative ones.
Like most vintage Berninas, this model has a capacitor that can eventually go bad; although this one is still working fine. If/when it does go bad, it’s a $10 fix with a new capacitor, a tiny bit of solder and a soldering iron. The tutorials are out there.
[Screenshot]
I tested out the Nova on some of the historical sewing I’m doing for my Summer movie gig. The machine works flawlessly.
Summer gig update!
It’s been an adventure, sourcing fabrics and coming up with authentic designs for the late 1800s. I’ve constructed several garments for the 1870s-80s time period, They are unfinished until fittings can be done.
The nightshirt I was cutting out in the prior post is ready for fitting. This is one of the garments for the male lead.
This will be one of my outfits as an ‘extra’.
This is the start of a dress for another actor.
I’m using this pattern for the dresses, although I’m modifying the dress into two pieces–top and skirt. I’m also eliminating the ruffles. It is an excellent pattern to work with. It’s from the long-established Past Patterns company (pastpatterns.com).
The first scene where I’ll be an extra and the dresses will be worn, will be filmed later this month. Stay tuned!
School is out for the summer (yay!), and now the extracurricular fun begins. I’ve been asked to assist with costuming for a historical movie being filmed this summer! There are some details I can’t reveal yet. I badly want to reveal the title, location and more, but all in good time. The movie is based on a book I read about 15 years ago. I absolutely loved the book. This is a SAG (Screen Actors Guild) production, with several familiar actors from other movies and TV shows. I can also say that my first ‘assignment’ is to construct an 1800s men’s nightshirt.
The nightshirt needs to look something like this, but mid-calf length (image from ebay):
Where to come up with a pattern: I had this vintage pattern from when I made my brother a button-down oxford shirt for his high school graduation. The pattern size is too small for the actor, and not right in the sleeve and several other aspects, but it is close enough to give me guidance for neckband, shoulders and sleeve dimensions.
Click on the picture to go to the site where it can be purchased. (No affiliation with my site.)
The fabric is unbleached muslin, prewashed and tumble-dried to be soft.
More assignments and details will be shared as I am able.
And now for some New Music!
A show that I love, Ted Lasso, is about to wrap up it’s 3rd and reported final season. I didn’t provide a link, because I don’t advise starting to watch at the end, or reading articles about it. Just start at the beginning and take the journey. It will be the ultimate binge, I promise. The final episode will be released this week on Wednesday, May 31. This past week, the second-to-last episode ended with the premiere of this wonderful new song by Sam Ryder, featuring Brian May (of Queen). I’d say it has set things up perfectly for an emotional finale.
You are driving down the highway and suddenly there’s a rattle or a scrape coming from under your car. You pull off the road worried that you’ve got a real mechanical problem. Nope, it’s just a piece of loose plastic. I had it happen this weekend while driving on the Kansas Turnpike. Naturally, it was after dark. I pulled into the next fuel/food stop, found a safe place to park and look under the car. Yep, it was a piece of loose plastic, hanging down and scraping the pavement.
My car is a 2016 Honda. Not an old car. No dents and damage. It shouldn’t be falling apart. But tell that to the scraping part, and Honda.
So, I got my pack of zip ties out of the glove compartment, and started looping. Usually there’s a screw hole in the plastic to loop the tie through, The screw hole is probably where the plastic should be fastened to the car, but it stretched out or the screw fell out. (Are you reading this, Honda?) There’s likely a secure piece of metal nearby that the tie can loop around to hold the plastic up. Sometimes there’s a need to chain some ties together to reach the secure piece to loop around.
This is not pretty, but it was a windy January night in the Kansas Flint Hills. I didn’t care to spend any longer than I had to, laying on the ground reaching under my car. It got me home without hearing my car scrape the pavement for 50 more miles.
It took several ties chained together, to reach the secure car part. Then I cinched them up to make it close.
How did I know to carry zip ties in the car? Well, this isn’t the first time I’ve needed them for a loose piece of plastic. Or the second time. (Are you reading this, Honda?)
Anyway, the temporary fix is that simple. Carry zip ties in your car. I’ve just ordered some more. Because there will be a next time. Sigh. I’m going with this assortment. It will help to have an assortment of lengths. https://amzn.to/3WdaJY8 (affiliate link)
If you get caught out with a flapping car part and no zip ties, don’t despair. They are probably sold at the nearest convenience store on the road. Dollar General carries them. They are carried just about everywhere, thankfully. You’ll probably only pay $2-$5 for a pack.
It’s been awhile, but I don’t want to miss the chance to write well wishes for the holidays and a happy new year. It’s been a year full of new adventures, sewing projects, new recipes, home projects, and more to write about…as time permits.
Last year I stuck my toe back into teaching, by becoming a substitute. I thought I’d do it once or twice a week as a break from my regular work. Well, I enjoyed it so much that I substituted every day of the school year. Then, I accepted a full-time teaching position for this year. Every day has been a new adventure. I arrive home at the end of each day exhausted with nothing left in the tank, but happy and looking forward to the next day. I don’t want to sound smarmy or magnanimous as I say this, but honestly, this feels like the most important work I can do right now.
Now that I have a full semester under my belt, and time to prep for second semester, I’ll hopefully have time to do some blogging again. I miss it. Until then…
Have a lovely time, however you celebrate these special days.
Tortilla chips at Aldi have gone from 92 cents a bag to $1.42 per bag. Dollar Tree items are now $1.25, instead of $1. Milk and gasoline were both $1.59/gallon less than two years ago. Milk has doubled since then; gasoline almost tripled. We can all do the inflation math. I’m splurging less to keep my budget in line.
And now turning attention to this product:
Photo from Walmart website
I’m not specifically recommending this brand of dishwasher detergent, because what works for one household isn’t necessarily right for another. Water hardness, dishes, pans, food and food preparation routines all factor in to what works. The range of positive and negative reviews on one retailer’s site shows that this detergent is great for some households, and for others it doesn’t clean and leaves a hard residue on the dishes. https://www.walmart.com/reviews/product/19653258But this product works in my household, and finding a detergent that works consistently for me has not been easy.
For the past couple of months, I haven’t been able to buy this product anywhere. The shelf where it resides at the store has been bare. Today it was back, but look at the difference from my old bottle:
Same price, but the new one has been hit with a shrink ray. Grrr. I’m calling you out, Palmolive. This is an outrageous price increase. I didn’t realize the size disparity until I got home and set it next to the old empty bottle. I’ve tried before to make my own dishwasher detergent, and wasn’t thrilled with the product, but now I’m fired up to try again. Stay tuned.
Not related to the topic above, but from a time when I don’t think people bought much dishwasher detergent because well, most homes didn’t have dishwashers yet. Here’s a long-forgotten song from 1969 that I heard this week.
Happy Spring Break! August 31 was my last blog post until now, because that’s when the school year started. That matters this year because I am substitute teaching this year. Sound awful? It’s not. I’m having a blast. It was the break I needed from my office/home office job. I put myself on a self-imposed sabbatical from my regular ‘day job’, and am very happy with my choice.
Of course, a few days have been nightmarish. I’m now afraid of 2nd graders. 😉
When this school year started, most of the students had not been in a formal classroom since spring break of 2020, when the pandemic shut down schools everywhere. For 2nd graders, that meant they hadn’t been in a classroom since Kindergarten. For 5th graders, which is the age group I started the year with, they hadn’t been in a classroom since 3rd grade. In other words, there was an extended period of easing in of the classroom structure, behavior requirements and expectations. The expectation to ‘sit down at your desk and be quiet and listen’, had been long forgotten. The classroom settings needed other options. I was inspired to see how some teachers arranged their classrooms, with diffused or dimmed lighting, curtain panels to separate sitting areas, and floor seating pads, to make calming and comfortable environments.
Since those first two months, I’ve spent most of my days in high school FACS (fka Home Economics) classes. It’s as enjoyable and rewarding as when I was a full-time salaried teacher for those first few years after college. I consider this subject matter to be ‘survival skills’, and I approach it that way in the classroom, and I feel that teaching it is important work.
There is a dire shortage of substitute teachers in public school. That is in part because of the pandemic, but also probably because substituting pays a wage similar to the fast food sector, with no insurance or other benefits. If school gets cancelled for snow or other cause, substitutes don’t get paid; not even those of us who had already committed to a sub job for that day.
On the positive side, a substitute can generally choose what days to work. You can choose your job day-by-day. And because of the sub shortage, there are a lot of jobs to choose from each day. You don’t have to work days you don’t want to. I’ve worked every school day but two this year. I didn’t expect to work every single day, but was having fun from the start, so it’s been an easy choice to keep going. I now have my favorite schools in the district, where I enjoy working the most, and where I look first for sub jobs.
In Kansas, the substitute shortage is so dire this year that they relaxed the requirements. You are now eligible to apply for a substitute teaching license if you are 18 and have a high school diploma. Normally, the requirement is a minimum of 60 college credit hours.
This is what I’ve been helping sewing classes to make: Pajama pants, a hooded wrap robe/cardigan, and hand-sewn plushies. All are free downloadable patterns and instructions. Pattern websites below:
run | sew | read 