Artisans Promenade Fascinator Class

Despite being crazy busy with work yesterday, I was able to make good on my promise to host a fascinator making hour at the Artisans Promenade.  The ladies that attended were super fun and creative, and I had a great time!

I ended up adding some feather pads and a buckled bow to a customers hat during the event, and of course I forgot to get pictures, but it ended up super cute, IMHO.

Small costuming update

My sister gave me this awesome brass ball pocketwatch which will become part of the outfit.  The lid is empty, so I may come up with something awesome to put in there.  :D

My ties came in the mail the other day, and I like them a lot more than I thought I would!  I'm excited to figure out how I'm going to end up using them.  Decisions, decisions!

I also found leather wings at the Steampunk Artisans Promenade yesterday - It's down to those, or a pair of white doll wings my sister spotted at JoAnns the other day.  I'll paint both of them, and once the hat arrives, I'll figure out which one looks better.

Just now I went through my stash to find some fabric for the bustle, and wouldn't you know....I can't find fabric that I'm totally in love with.  I found a few options that will work in a pinch, but since we sold some fairies over the weekend, I might take that money and see if I can find the fabric on sale.

To Be Continued........

Steampunk(ish*) Genderswapped Cosplay

“What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a
major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.” 
― Terry Pratchett, Going Postal

Despite the slightly disturbing title, I am pretty excited about this project!  There are a few events coming up this year that would call for a victorian/steampunk outfit, so this may fit the bill.  (Also - my intense desire for yet another bustle.....!)

To bring it all up to speed, I'm planning on doing a femme version of Moist von Lipwig - specifically, the 2010 British TV version (It's fantastic - watch it ASAP!) post-dastardly con man Spangler; pre-suit of gold Post Master.  To that end, I've been shopping!

The exact design of the jacket/vest/skirt is still on the 'to be determined' side, but to give me a head start, I ended up purchasing a selection of Truly Victorian patterns to hack and slash and smoosh together to (hopefully) come up with something that'll work: (.....and has nothing to do with the fact that these have been on my wish list forevs...!)

TV163 1887 Imperial Tournure
TV403 1872 Vested Bodice
TV290 1889 Draped Skirt
TV428 1880 Jacket Bodice
TV560 1880s Late Bustle Coat
TV464 1883 Riding Habit Bodice




As far as the hat goes, I've been torn between taking a pre-made hat and gold-ing it up, or making one from scratch.  I've been perusing victorian-era hats on teh interwebs, and haven't found an appropriately feminine version that I like yet, so I may just go with it!  I'm particularly concerned with the hat, as it is most likely going to be the one defining characteristic between "eccentric female explorer/victoran catlady" and actual cosplay.

I ended up purchasing a plain black cap from Costumes International - if it doesn't work out, I'm only out about $20.  I'm probably going to be making the medal out of Sculpey or something similar.  I'm still trying to find a close-up of the front of the cap from the movie, or 'official' badge, so I can get a better idea of what the badge actually  looks like, but so far, no dice.

'Going Postal' movie poster art

'Official' City Watch badge

Badges of the GPO

'Official' Post Office Regulation Key fob

If I do end up making something up, I'll be using this collection of real Royal Mail badges, the 'official' badge of the Watch, the 'Going Postal' poster art, and the 'Regulation Post Office' key fob (which I may need to complete my outfit anyway...) as a starting place...

For the wings, an extremely important part of the whole ensemble, I'm going to try to find at a craft store for a (not necessarily a real) wing set, but something that looks like wings. If not, there are plenty of more options of the real/taxidermy variety (albeit most likely more expensive!) on etsy - so all is not lost, I think.

I've been on a mad hunt for the perfect fabric or tie for the neckerchief for quite a while, but have come up empty.  The closest I've been able to find (at an affordable price, that is!) is this one:

...the underdog can always find somewhere
soft to bite.
― Terry Pratchett, Going Postal

An ebay find - from 'Goodmaker'

I wish the dots were bigger and /or paisley, instead of dotted, but alas and alack, it is not to be.  I'm getting 2 ties to franken-tie into the final neckerchief. Not too bad for under $20!

Strangely enough (or not, since I cannot throw out old clothes to save my life), I already have a bright-ish yellow shirt that may fit the bill, as long as it doesn't clash terribly with the yellow of the tie.  (I'll find out once the ties arrive)  If it doesn't work, I am unsure of whether I'd go looking for a pre-made shirt, or if I'd actually go through the trouble to make one.  (I'm thinking.....not)

Shirt: Some sort of button-up yellow shirt from the depth of my closet
Waistcoat: Red brocade with a slight diamond pattern and chenille warp
Jacket collar:  Purple velvet from the depth of my stash
Jacket body:  Brown wool with slight pattern & flecks of red and purple
Skirt/Pants:  Lightly striped brown linen
(I'm not quite sure on this one! If I find a different fabric I like better,
I have another project in mind that will be perfect for it, so I don't feel bad having it in the stash!)

Now, to actually start working on things!  I have the patterns and the fabric, now I just need to figure out some solid designs and find the time to start working on it!**

And, finally, for your viewing pleasure.......(I dare you to watch this and not smile, at least a little bit!)

*The exact nature of the 'Steampunk' element is yet TBD.  It will be something clever and fabulous.  I hope.
**This post brought to you by being stuck on the couch working all Saturday long.  Win?  (At least I'm almost done - I may have Sunday free and clear!  Too bad there are a million other things I ought to be doing before digging in to a personal costuming project.......

Dickens 2012 Recap

I realized that I never posted here about Dickens, other than the "Oh crap!  Got LOTS TO DO!!!" posts.  Long story short, it was really fun spending that much time with my sis, Holly ended up hanging out with us for most of it (thank goodness!  It was so nice to have a third person!!!), and we won "Best Womens Costume".....we didn't even know there was a contest!  Lol!

Holly ended up wearing my red velvet gown and my purple 'Cranford' gown (Although I only have pictures of the red velvet):

Both Melia and I wore my 'old' green plaid gown (at different times, obvs!), and Melia ended up wearing her 'Red Queen' gown (minus crown) quite a bit:

I mostly wore the red plaid gown that I made specifically for Dickens, although I still regret making the sleeves smaller than they ought to have been!  The last-minute apron (seriously Last Minute!) worked well enough, but one day, I want to go back and make a better version.

All in all, we had super good fun!  Melia and I were quite silly the first few days (we entertained our neighbors with silly sing-alongs and crazy dancing....don't ask......), but our collective energy waned as the days passed.  :)

Let this be a lesson to myself - take more pictures, and post in a timely manner!

p.s.  The power went out multiple times on the last night, and that was quite a bummer.  

Pinterest and the New Project

I have seriously found my favorite use for Pinterest!  (my least favorite* being the addictive, hoarders-esque gathering of all the 'beautiful people' blogs and all their darn talent that I'll never be able to match!)

In the past, I've made excel spreadsheets, made folders of links, printed out lists, made electronic and physical inspiration boards, kept mental checklists, and any and all of the combinations of the above to make an 'inspiration board' for current and future projects, but Pinterest just blows everything out of the water.  (I wish reorganizing the location of things were easier, but alas, some bad with the good!)

Visual references, direct links to the products I'm looking at buying - pretty much all 'round awesome.  (It also doesn't hurt that I can bring up Pinterest on my phone while out fabric shopping to do some easy reference work!)

Anyway, all this to say, I'm thinking about starting a new (non-SCA, not-period-at-all) cosplay/steampunk-ish outfit.  I'm kind of excited!  But first, before I continue - have you seen Going Postal?  You haven't?!  I'll wait.  (It can be found on Netflix.  If you don't have Netflix, it's worth a one month subscription just to see that one movie!)

Ok, back?  It was AWESOME, right?

As much as I love 'Ms. Cripslock' and her fabulous hat and awesomely ridiculous puffy-sleeved patent-something purple dress, I am obsessed with doing a femme Moist von Lipwig.  Specifically the post-dastardly con man Spangler; pre-suit of gold Post Master.

I'm pretty sure I've seen other blogs have a pretty little link (with pics) to specific boards, but I'm having a hard time figuring it out at the moment.......Anyway, here's the board I'm using for Lipwig.  With any luck, I'll actually get some traction on this project, and have updates soon!




*Least favorite in the manner that too much of any one good thing is!

Val's Gown - Bethany and Robert Investiture

Remember this?  It did, eventually become a gown!  Many, many thanks to everyone who pitched in (Melia, Gypsy, Astrid/Theresa, and even Val herself!) to get everything done!

I did not stay for the entire event, but the Investiture went smashingly well - I do hear tell the remainder of the event was equally as awesome!  I keep saying it, and one day it will actually happen, but I really do intend to be around more....

Look!  It really *did* get finished!

Great tutorial!

So, this tutorial is for metal tipped shoelaces, but how awesome would it be for aiglets?

Source: seriouscraft.com via Noelle on Pinterest

New project for BethaVal

One day very, very soon, this pile of fabric will become an investiture gown....

Dickens - Down to the Wire

I did end up piping the waistband....and I really like the way it looks!

If I'm ever in the market to do this type of dress again, 

I'll certainly be doing piping everything!

Because the universe has conspired against me in the last two weeks, I'm not going to be able to finish nearly as much as I had originally planned, but we both should have new dresses!  Last night I finished up the buttons on the bodice (still need to do the wrists, though), and started attaching the skirt.  I dug out my petticoats, and decided that re-doing the waists and properly starching everything is a project for another day.  

I cut the sleeves much narrower than I would have liked,

because I was worried that I would not have enough fabric for the skirts.

What I ought to have done was to leave the sleeves for very last....as I 

had plenty of leftovers, I could have made the sleeves any way I wanted. 

Oh well.  Lesson learned!

My good friend Strid is letting me borrow her boufty wedding petticoat instead.  Not the best solution, but certainly the easiest.  I'll re-do the waistbands after Dickens so they'll be ready for the next time I need emergency petticoats!

I ended up piping the curved back seams, the waistband, collar, 

and the sleeves.  I think it gives it a  nice finished look.

(And also somewhat hides some of the less-than-perfect 

pattern matching...)

I'll also probably re-do the buttons at some point, they're too big and white - and too closely spaced for my taste.  I think they'll look a lot better as something darker that will blend in, rather than 'pop'.  But that's a project for another day....my goal is to be able to put the dang thing on!

I really want to get a lace collar and cuff done, but if it is not to be, I'll be OK.  I'm not particularly worried about someone snarking my garb, I would like to be as accurate as time allows, if nothing else, for my own satisfaction!

....And here is the whole bodice - before buttons and skirt attachments.

Melia and I also raided my hat stash last night, and came up with a cute lace cap & bonnet combo.  As much  as I wish I had a bonnet as well, I have a pretty spiffy antique lace cap that I am going to wear instead.  Not the right time period, but considering the suggestions for headwear in the vendor packet, I don't think there is any room for complaints!

We also found my old black crochet sontag for Melia to use - I have the feeling that it is going to be pretty bitterly cold in there!

Dickens Gown 2012

I would say my Dickens gown, but since Melia and I have such similar measurements, we're going to be trading off gowns throughout the fair.  I'm making one new gown, and refurbishing my green gown so we both have something to wear.

I haven't quite decided which seams will be piped (at least sleeves and back curves and neckline - maybe waist and wrists as well?), so I just made a whole load of piping, so I would be ready for whatever I decided to do down the road......

I used 2" wide strips of bias, and using a zipper foot, sewed against a core of cotton cord (some cheap white off-brand cone of cotton crochet yarn I bought about eleventy-billion years ago, like Sugar & Cream, but cheaper!)

I ought to have taken pictures while I was doing it, but here is some awesome paint illustrations... :) The easiest way, I've found, to cut a moderate amount of bias is to open up the fabric:

and fold so the cut edge is matched up to the selvedge:

And at this point, you can cut the bias starting on the fold.  If the fabric is thin enough, you can fold one more time, and cut through 4 layers.  (Cutting bias is SO MUCH easier with a rotary cutter.  I'd highly suggest using one!)  The first cut on the fold should be 1/2 the width of the total width of the bias strip.  Every cut thereafter should be cut the full width.

Alice in Wonderland Tea 2012

Finally, some pictures of the Tea!  I was awfully sick, and should not have gone (I hope no one caught my cold!!), but I am so glad I did!  It was so fun to have a large group of friends there, including Jannean all the way from CA, and Holly, even though she had so many other obligations that day!

Here are a couple of quick pics from my phone:

Quite a blurry pic, but honestly the best one of the bustle!   Melia makes quite a fine Queen of Hearts, does she not?!  Jannean and Holly make an accidentally matching pair - CUTE!  Jannean had the most AMAZING hat - she's lucky she made it home with it in her possession, I was planning a liberation.

There was a professional photographer, Pete Hanson (who is really awesome, btw) hired for the event and he got some really great pictures.  (See here for the full album)

Here are a few of my favorite pics:

The Art of Ironing

The (Short) Tale of the Last Minute Pansy

This is by far the most theatrical thing I've made in a very, very long time, but heck it sure was fun!  I really wish I had occasion to make more pansy hats, as I have some ideas on how to improve the method.

Basically, what I did was this:  (And by "I", I mean, directed Melia and Holly on what to cut out, while I sewed button holes and sniffled through a head cold)


Cut 2 large petal shapes of one shade of purple
Cut 1 large petal shape of another shade of purple
Cut 2 small petal shapes of yet another shade of purple

The pieces look like this:

 The pieces, when assembled, should look somewhat like this:

I zig-zagged down the center, attaching all the pieces, like so:

I put some hot glue in the center and shaped the flower.  After that dried, I put a drop of hot glue in the center of the yellow circle, and squished it all together, and then glued that in the middle of the flower.

A couple of things I would do differently if I ever have the occasion to do felt pansies again: 

-Take the time to stitch the petal shaping, rather than using hot glue (hot glue works, but it's messy, and not quite as exact as I would like)

-Make the yellow center just a teeny touch bigger

-Potentially do more shading on the petals, either with embroidery, markers, or layers of different colored felt layered.

To make the hat, I glued each flower facing outwards on the outer edge of a fascinator blank, making kind of a 'top hat' shape out of the natural shape of the flowers.  I stuffed some green green netting in some empty spaces, and filled in the center of the fascinator with some more of the flowers.  As a last-second addition, I threw some green tulle as a veil at the back.  (Which totally makes the whole thing, IMHO!)

Melia's Red Queen Gown

This is a really quick post, as the construction is pretty much all old news at this point!  :)

I haven't been posting update pictures of Melia's gown - all we have left is the buttons, and potentially some neckline options!

Here's the basic gown:

And the gown, with the over skirt (which actually, still needs permanent bustling, come to think of it!)

 I need to speak to Melia about it, but here are a couple of neckline trimming options:  (I'm leaning towards the lace)