Phantom Pains...

Hello Dhaaarlings...

Princess has still not recovered from a very gruelling run up to Oklahoma!

With the usual post production flu and weeks of sleeping to make up for all the endless hours of sleep missed.

The time spent putting the show together wasn't without it's usual pressure but this year I felt there was even more unnecessary pressure due to lack of communication and over stuffed ego's among the production team.

The move to the new venue I think brought out some of the worst in the attitudes of the leadership team helping them to lose their focus from being about the kids on stage to being more about themselves.

Many of the Drama's were orchestrated by the leadership without any thought to the people that were actually effected by ad hoc decisions made... resulting in much unrest, resentment and disillusionment among the volunteers and parents. 
Platitudes about how great the costumes look isn't cutting it for me anymore... I know I can make great costumes and have a keen and eager team of parents behind me that also see the vision and are more than prepared to put in the long hours required in bringing them to life. 

The thing is...
 I can well do without the added stress of orchestrated drama by the leadership team and after this years effort have to question whose needs are being met? 

Currently I am re evaluating my ongoing involvement with the theatre group and unless things change through addressing some of my major concerns i will not be available for future productions

To top things off, before Oklahoma had even opened a "Surprise" announcement was made to the production team that the core Leadership group had procured the rights to perform "Phantom of the Opera" next year!

It seemed that I was the only one in the room that was surprised! Given the discussion that followed with other members of the broader production team obviously having prior knowledge and the decision being presented as a fait acomplie!

It was then announced that all of the costumes would be hired from another theatre company.

I expressed my major concern that the "To be hired" costumes were made to fit performers from an Adult company and many of the costumes would need to be altered to fit teenagers.... Something I doubt the hiring company would approve of and hadn't really been thought through by the team.

The response from the self proclaimed head costumier (Remember her?) came immediately and looking directly at me stated...

 ""We" can just make copies of the costumes in the sizes that "We" need"...  using the royal "We".
Meaning... "You" (Princess) can just make copies of the costumes "I" want copied...

Needless to say I was unimpressed feeling that I'd been once again left out of the loop.
I also have concerns in knowing that the volunteer sewing team that I have brought together, nurtured and supported over the years continually express their refusal to work with her due to her abrupt manner... lack of support and point blank rudeness toward them in the past... and have indicated that if I'm not involved with costumes then they won't be either.

She is still up to her old tricks of cherry picking only lead characters leaving the ensemble cast to me and the extended team and then turning out ill fitting/ugly costumes leading to last minute remakes and fixes, either initiated by me or at the directors request... the Director still refuses to address this issue despite being totally aware of it and the amount of extra work/ undue stress it creates for me and other members of the sewing team.

The week after of the show finished I requested to meet with the Director to express these concerns about next years show... I'm still waiting for a response...2 months later!

~oOo~
Exhaustion is still ruling my life with one day being reasonably good where i am at least able to function and get some work done around the house and garden and then the next day needing to spend time resting.
I'm still suffering chills/ running temperatures and have achy joints and muscles. My GP still keeps telling me that it is a virus? but can't be specific...
I'm seeing a new GP today.
Hopefully i will get some answers, but i really have to force myself to do anything at the moment and will fall asleep as soon as i sit down... Living like this is driving me mad.

~oOo~

In other news ... word seems to have got about that
I am able to do the "impossible" when it comes to odd shaped or Plus Sized  brides... I've been approached to make another wedding dress for a bride to be that cannot find a gown to fit her "off the shelf".
So despite still feeling unwell I am currently in the process of designing and making her a wedding gown for early November

~oOo~

I also have a dress to alter for a Niece for her debut. Fortunately it shouldn't cause too much angst as it really only needs alterations to remove the "Disney Princess" sleeves and some repairs to a bit a lot of the beading on the bodice. The beading is done using antique pearl seed beads which i have been fortunate enough to match!

It was an op shop find and I think will do the trick nicely... 
I'm off to see her for another fitting at the weekend, hopefully the rains will hold off long enough for us to make the trip. Last weekend we were planning to go for a visit but the weather was against us. Road closures from recent rains causing flooding prevented us from travelling so we had to cancel..
There is more rain forecast for the end of the week so I'm just hoping that it isn't enough to close the roads again as time is running out with the debut  happening in mid October which doesn't leave much time!


Sorry to inflict such a sad tale of woe upon you darlings... but that is just how life is for me at the moment..


You know I'm usually a "Glass half full" kind of gal but at the moment the bottle just seems a little bit empty...

I need to restock!

Bottoms Up Darlings...