SANT SWEATSHOP UP AND RUNNING

It's starting to be crunch time for hula sewing. No matter what I do or say, every year it is March before I have fabric and costume/pattern ideas cemented and I can get started. (The luau is the last Saturday in June.)

This year I have a lot of sewing to do. I have to make 9 (or 10 if "Uncle Gene" persuades Kuulei to count Molokini as an island) holokus to make. (Formal fitted mu'umu'us.) These are going into Kuulei's collection and are partial "payment" for my daughters taking hula. Kuueli is making her Luau this year a Lei Day celebration and so she will have a queen and princess representing each island (different colors) and one for the Queen in white. The king will need a large cape and the standard bearers will need smaller capes.

For the ladies who hire me to sew for them, I am making new awana (modern hula dances) dresses for them. We are roughly using this pattern:

If you look closely at the back you can see that it will be a bit tricky to add the sleeves that the ladies so desperately want. I think that I will be making 10 to 15 of these.

The ones who still need their ancient costumes will get peasant tops, pau skirts, pantaloons, and large sashes that drape across the body. I just will have 3 to 5 of those to do.

The keikis will wear kekepas that are painted like the tapa cloth that the ladies wear. I am NOT painting anyone else's tapa cloth. It takes ALL day to paint one. In any case, I think I will be making about 12 of those.

I may also sew for her Couer d'Alene students. Kuulei has about 40 or 45 dancers this year.

I will also be gone for more than two weeks in April and I was recently suckered into teaching a class at the Stake Family History Seminar in April.

In the meantime:

I sewed Sari a new pau practice skirt. She outgrew hers from 4 years ago. Go figure.