Issue 21!

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"Am I Right, Ladies?"

A sense of humor is sexy.  It just is, especially when it matches your own.  Laughter is sexy, and it feels fantastic.

I attended a comedy show where Mr. Snapper & Mr. Buddy performed this evening.  I've been to enough shows at comedy clubs to know how they run.  Hell, this evening I was accurately speculating on some of the jokes we'd hear from people I'd never seen perform before.  But I'm a good person to have in the audience because I laugh loudly and applaud loudly, and I'm polite enough that I don't comment on the things that I don't like during the show.

I sat with an acquaintance of a friend at the show, not someone I knew at all.  I chit-chatted before the show with this fellow from flyover country who had never been to a comedy club before.  I thought he knew what to expect, but obviously he didn't.  You see, he got up during the second-to-last comic's set and shouted at the comic, then threw his water bottle toward the stage before storming out of the club.  He didn't like being picked on, especially when it came to jokes of a sexual nature, and he apparently had no idea how comics work.

Two things about comedy shows:

1. Comics often pick on the audience.  I think it's pretty cheap to seriously rag on the people who are paying for your performance opportunity as your material, particularly people you don't even know.  ("I bet that guy in the trucker hat knows how a dick tastes.  Am I right, ladies?") Talk about your mother, your menses, your terrible relationship (all things that also irk me as topics, but you have to talk about something I guess), but don't get too douchy with the people who are feeding you laughter or they may just stop laughing.  (Gently ribbing friends is acceptable in my book.)  Or they may get up and yell and throw a water bottle in the direction of the stage.  Comics, time to creatively mine for some new material.
2. Comics often pick on the audience.  If you're going to attend a comedy show, know that at least one comic will pick on the audience.  The smaller the audience, the more likely it will be you -- more than once during the course of the show.  Don't take it personally.  The don't really know you, and neither do the other people in the audience.  Unless you're on a first date and are afraid that sex will be removed as an option directly and only because of an interaction with a comic, just let it slide.  (And if you are on a first date, maybe make a stupid joke to your date on the way to the car.  "So, that lady comic said she wanted to jump on my dick.  Hilarious, right?")

One thing for audiences:

1.  You are there to see the show, support the performers, and interact with them when invited.  Even if you hate the jokes ("Am I right, ladies?), you should still strive to maintain an interested and supportive demeanor while you are in the audience.  If they are so horrible that your facade cracks, go to the bathroom until their set is over.  It's much better to leave the room and check your text messages than be that guy.  

In closing, if you're the victim of a drive-by heckling, acknowledge and move on.  The audience is just there to be entertained.  Get the show back on the road.  "Am I right ladies?"

Gift Repurposing

When I was in Arkansas last year in November, the wonderful Diamond Dames gave me a very considerate gift.  They picked up this gown for me to repurpose, knowing I would do something interesting with it.  It was a bit too small and had some rust stains on the skirt, but I kept it in my wardrobe until I could figure out how best to use it.  I'm so glad they thought of me when they found this gown.

Thursday night I finally had a plan.  I would take apart the gown and use it to create the bust panels and skirt for my new number.  Sure, the gown will no longer have the same silhouette as the original gift, but it will work perfectly for my new project.  Some clever rigging, some hand painting and rhinestoning fun, and the gown will have been fully repurposed into something that will work well for me.

Down Time Fun

I like to stay productive.  When I have down time, I still like to get things done.  This apron was my down time project, all stitched on my spare sewing machine.  (I also stitched two corset mockups in the week I've had the spare machine.

I made this apron because I like cooking, especially when I have time to really make a hearty meal.  I also like being naked, but my kitchen window exposes everything above the waist to my neighbors.  Now I can cook in nothing but an apron.

These simple sewing projects are strengthening my sewing skills, giving me speed, filling in gaps in my sewing education.

Replacements

I've noticed the longer I do a number, the more replacing and reconstructing I have to do. Tonight is our 5th Annual Tarantino Tribute, and I've been in every show since the beginning.  I replaced my tear away pants and swtichblade in 2010.  I redid my Blonde gun over the weekend since the one } got in 2009 went missing and my replacement looked fully lame (hot glue & gold glitter).  I reconstructed the pasties last night before bed.

The last time I wore these pasties was when we performed for Tarantino. When I took them off, the spinners finally broke.  The pasties were looking a little wonky, warped from wear and tear, crusty from spirit gum. I didn't make new ones when we took Pulp Fiction on the road, wearing a pair of merch pasties instead.

I hadn't planned on making new pasties until about 8pm last night. I used spare stones and made them a little perkier than the old ones.  I hope these bring me as much luck as the former pair.

My Little (Work)Pony

I bought a second sewing machine for cheap on Amazon.  My fancy machine is a Brother, so I opted for the least expensive full-size machine because I could swap out presser feet with my fancy Brother.

I had several reasons for getting a second sewing machine.  First, I do a lot of sewing.  A lot of sewing.  I've wanted a sewing machine to keep at my day job for lunches when it's too hot or rainy to go on a walk, or for slow days when I've gotten all my work done and I would rather stay productive than thumb twiddle.  I can't do everything on this machine that I can do at home, but I can do straight stitches, zig zags, and buttonholes.  Good enough.

Second, I need a backup machine if I'm going to do more commercial sewing.  If my fancy machine needs service but I have a client who is waiting for a costume piece, I have to be able to get the work done.

Third, there are times when Andrew and I both have sewing projects.  Usually these are puppet projects or little Snapper sweatshop puppets for Crocodile Rock.  Andrew knows how to use a sewing machine, but the simpler models are easier for him to operate.  This little workhorse is perfect for the types of sewing projects he encounters.

This little sucker isn't as quiet as the other machine, but it works well.  I stitched part of an apron and another vintage repro swimsuit on it this morning.  Next week I'm going to finish the apron, put together a corset mock-up, and maybe even finish the swimsuit on it.  (Then I can work on my own costumes at home.)

High-Low Hem Skirt Mockup

Buster really tried helping drape the back.

As part of one of my upcoming costumes, I'm making a skirt with a high-low hem.  Because I drafted the pattern from scratch (using this tutorial), I wanted to make a mockup before working with the actual costume fabric.

I drafted the pattern a couple months ago.  It took less than an hour for me to cut the pieces and stitch the skirt (no waistband & no hem).  I may decide to weight the train, depending on how I use it onstage.  I can use this pattern for the actual skirt.  It makes my ass look amazing, so I think I'm going to make more bias-cut skirts.

My next project for this costume is to order a corset with a generous gift certificate I got from a friend.  There are some props to deal with, making the act debut likely for next year.