anything but housework...

The fourth installment of the Wild Things: YA Grown-up three-month long themed reading challenge is drawing to a close. I'm in third place among the posted competitors. Alas, I am not destined to complete this challenge in full.

One task I've been particularly excited to complete, however, is this one:

4.25: Read any YA book and do 2 of the following:
written response to the book
drawing or other art form inspired by the book
character interview
poem
make a photo collage or slideshow that represents the book to you
make a book trailer
make a music playlist inspired by the book
Or pitch your own idea!

I chose the book Boneshaker by Cherie Priest. It's the first in a series called "The Clockwork Century" and features dirigibles, gas masks, Seattle, and zombies. I knew immediately I'd be making an article of clothing as one of my creative responses. Thus began "The Boneshaker Vest" saga.

Hiccup 1: Pre-washing my fabric for the vest was a nightmare (I had forgotten why I usually skip this step) as I ended up with a huge ball of loose threads and a twisted tangled mass of fabric scraps. The ladies at the sewing circle gave me a great tip (after the fact) to zigzag my loose edges before I wash.

Hiccup 2: I had the brilliant idea to use a combination of bleach pen and freezer paper stencil to discharge an image of a dirigible and pack of zombies onto the back of the vest. Either my iron wasn't hot enough, or the ironing time was too short, because upon contact with the sticky-messy-icky-pasty bleach pen the edges of the paper loosed themselves from the fabric and bleach bled right through.

The fix: My backup plan consisted of again using the freezer paper as a rough embroidery guide and I spent an entire sewing circle meetup stitching in the complicated outlines of my zombies and airship. I also made these swell faux leather pieces to use for the welts on the front of the vest. I bleached a strip of my main fabric and cut out the MW design (with a little feedback from the author (((squee))) about the shaping of the symbol).

So here's where I'm at:

I scored these awesome pewter buttons cast from the naked insides of a vintage pocketwatch and the project is due by the end of June if I'm to collect the hard earned points for it in the challenge.

The Major Problem: I find myself disinclined to finish it.

I can't figure out why. Maybe it's because I won't have another sewing circle meetup between now and the deadline. I've grown rather fond of those, to the point that sewing in my little nook feels a bit lonelier than it used to. Maybe it's the accumulated hiccups, even though I've essentially solved all of the problems they presented. Honestly, I think I'm nervous about showing off my work on this one. I've got goodreads group-mates who are anxious to see it, and sewing circlers, and I've even contacted the author of the book (((gulp))).

Never fear. I will finish it. As the bunny indicates below: I'm determined.