Garb or Garbage?

I have a love/hate relationship with Wool. There are times Wool has such wonderful flexible properties that I can mold it with ease just like clay or butter. And then there are times that Wool decides to defy my instructions and takes a course of action that I find to be insolent and rude.
Could it be that the sheep the Wool has come from had this type of attitude and it lives in the very cells of the hair itself? I am beginning to believe this hypothesis.

The latest project is a costume for the Southern Pleasure Faire. For those not versed in Renaissance talk, that is the Grandaddy of Renaissance Faires. It is located this year in Irwindale California. Which is in the middle of Orange County. I found a plane ticket for $135 round trip. Have a Very good friend that will let me crash on her couch for the 4 day duration. I must say I am looking forward to evenings with her and the dogs (got to get in my dog fix while I am there) and just chatting… . . .Love ya KO!!!

Not only do I have a Ren Faire to go to. . BUT. . .I will be within 27 miles of my favorite Corset supply shop and fabric stores. You can bet I am going to spend a bit of time there. . . .and probably money too!!

Back to the costume. . . I will be attending the Faire on my birthday weekend, which of course is May Day. So with that in mind I designed a “Greenman” bodice. Now. . . I have had the back of this bodice in an incomplete stage for about 2 years now. And as inspiration does. . .I tend to take these half done projects and look at them with new eyes.
Here is the back it is a "Tree of Life" pattern. . .note it is done in the Fall tones with a sleeping maid in the center. This has embroidery on it as well as Wool felting and quilting lines with the sewing machine.



Here is the front, in the green tones and the maid is awake, you can’t see her face too well and I am considering making the thread a bit darker so it will show up better. Her face is smaller on the front than the back.
This bodice laces on the sides so as to not disturb the focal point. This also makes the bodice not very shape friendly. In other words. . .I won't be showing off any cleavage.
Now here is where my love/hate is at work in my design. I can felt down the “leaves” but as wool will do. . .it will lift off if you rub too much against it or even in some cases pill up, like your sweaters do. I have hand felted it and machine felted it. I have not done the Wet felting since the garment has stays in it that makes the wet felting impossible. I wish there was a way I can make the wool REALLY stay down even when you rub. I mean rub like where your arm swings by your side, that is where the lifting happens. I defiantly won’t wear this in the car while driving, the back will get totally screwed up.

I made a green and Brown skirt to go with it, out of linen. and I intend to put along the hem a row of felt leaves. The bodice will also have "tabs" with leaves on them around the waist. Remember this is a work in progress.

I intend to wear this with my Greenman mask and headband and for a while there I considered crocheting a snood. . . . then I gave up. I can crochet but I was getting frustrated with building the right diameter to fit all my hair. Sigh. Maybe this is a sign that I will find one at the faire to purchase!!! Yeah, I like that idea.