Submission

Cathy gave me a copy of Jane Austen Knits.  I am a bit too large to wear most of the designs but would if I were smaller.  I designed a dress with leg 'o mutton sleeves to wear to my sister's first wedding lo those many many many years ago.   The way some of the garments in this issue are constructed is very intriguing to me.  I think I have leafed through the mag at least 5 times, always noticing my ad under New York stores.  All of a sudden a Call for Entries near the front popped out at me.  Now this magazine came out in November so I thought, well let me go look, but probably it's too late.

Amazingly, the deadline is for Tuesday, January 31, 2012.  I actually had a design in mind that I have always thought had an early victorian (1837+) feel so could also be late regency period (1795-1837).  Sure enough when looking on the internet at clothing for that time I saw items that were similar in scope to my design.

Now this was on Thursday afternoon, January 26. The package had to ship by today to make the deadline. Less than 2 days to get it all together - hmmmnnnn.   I was also on a self imposed deadline with my latest Knit Picks' sample.  It's a shawl that, of course, takes longer and longer to get through a row the larger the shawl gets so it is taking way longer than the shawlette version I made a few months ago and way longer than I estimated.  The plan was to be mailing that shawl out to them today.  Well that was the plan, but I neglected to factor in the blocking and finding someone to model so I could take some pics.

There was my dilemma.  Postpone completing the shawl to get a submission in to Jane Austen Knits or bag it?  I had to admit my own deadline on the shawl was not reasonable.  Once I faced that little fact, postponing its completion by 2-3 days didn't seem like too much.  

However I did need to make a nice sized swatch for the Jane Austen submission and make time to do that as well. PLUS - Putting together a submission package takes me at least a day, usually more like 2 but that comes from adding up bits and pieces done over a week or so.  I needed to gather and print good photos of the finished garment, put together a cover letter, an updated short designer info section, put the pattern into the format needed for whomever wants it (and that changes for each publisher), and write a compelling reason why my design fits into whatever category is being asked for.  Then it all needs to be collated into a neat readable good looking portfolio.

Parts went easily and well.  However then I found myself not getting much done. I realized this was because I felt rushed.  So I absconded to town to have lunch and knit with Cathy for an hour or so.  I knew the break would do me good but really had to talk myself out of being guilty.   After lunch at least a half hour was spent picking out the portfolio cover.  The last few entries seemed stuffed so I wanted something with a bit of space, yet compact and professional looking.  I think I have found the answer.  Its a hard cover report cover with a nice clippy thing inside for holding pages.  I put all my pages into sleeves and clipped them into the cover.  Oh and the cover is frosted so putting a pic of the completed project on the first page looks intriguing peeking through.

By 7 last night I had the swatch completed (only needed to frog it once) and then blocked for overnight drying. I loved how it looked this morning.  YES!

Writing the cover letter is always hard for me so it's left 'til last when nothing else can be done but that letter.  This morning it went faster than I feared so all the parts were ready to go, spell checked and all.  PayPal multi order shipping has a section for new orders so I used that to make out the shipping label and wha la.  All ready for pick up with the other packages going out today.

They are supposed to let me know by mid-late February.  This would set a record for Interweave but I am optimistic and ready to believe it might be by March or April.  I'll let you know.