Balloon-a-palooza Dress

Tess (R), the Con Chair for the Alaska Steamposium, challenged me to a Battle of the Bustle.  I'm (L) the Masquerade Director for the convention.  Since neither of us are eligible to compete in the costume contest, she thought it would be fun to compete against each other. (Photo courtesy CBLightworks)

Creating A Steampunk Persona

The following pdf is the entire powerpoint from my Creating A Steampunk Persona panel, debuted at the Alaska Steamposium Steampunk convention on April 16, 2016.

Uhr Drache

Meet Uhr Drache (pronounced oouh dra'-kha), the McCormick clan's Drakkar class airship.

Allow me to acquaint you with her story...

Pink Plaid Perfection!

The pink plaid dress is complete!  I found 4 yards of pink, white, and brown plaid cotton on a rare excursion to Walmart about 5 years ago.  I honestly don't remember how much it cost. I was blinded by my favorite color...PLAID!...

 Photo courtesy of Tony Batres.

Military Steampunk

Master Avery decided he'd like a military Steampunk outfit.  A trip to the thrift store landed us a treasure trove of goodies to work with...

Steampunk Fairy Costume

I've been following this site for several years now. This young lady is an amazing costumer and I'm in love with her Steampunk Fairy costume. Check it out!

A&G Ohio

In March, we zipped over to a great con we've been going to for 4 years. Shiho, our first of 6 Japanese exchange students, came back to visit and we dragged her a long. I don't think she was prepared for American Otaku! (Otaku in Japanese is an over the top fan of Japanese comics(called manga) and cartoons(called anime). The difference between here and there is that otaku nerds in America brandish the term like a medal of honor. Where as, Japanese use it as an insult. Funny how things get lost in translation!

Here is Shiho on the left, with Miss H dressed in her Suu costume, The Doctor (11th)(he was an impressive character...always on the ball with the right lines), and Miss G on the right. She offered to be a companion, but Amy and Rory were already waiting in the TARDIS. ;)I went in my travel outfit on Friday and didn't feel like wearing the hat, so I just plopped the goggles on my head.Shiho went shopping with our neighbor on Saturday, and we went back to the con. Miss H wore her Sakura costume from Tsubasa River Chronicles, and Miss G wore her cherry Lolita dress.The girls love mochi...which is a rubbery, slightly sweet, rice flour blob stuffed with a slightly sweet red bean paste. I don't mind the mochi, but the red bean paste is kinda disgusting. They love the melon flavored mochi and always get a big box in the dealer's room to share. It's their con tradition.I completely forgot to take pictures as we roamed around the con! Finally, I forced the girls to do a mini photo shoot just so I'd have something to post. First up, is Miss G in her black cherry Lolita dress...Next is Miss H in her Sakura outfit. She made this herself and won first prize in her division at Sugoicon. Unfortunately, we missed costume judging for this one but it's still a great costume!The girls decided it wasn't fair if I didn't get in on the fashion show, so here we go. This is my purple and brown Steampunk costume.There are tiny keys and clocks stitched all over the bustle.They insisted I had to get a "twirl" picture too.Thought I'd throw in a couple of hair pictures too. This started as a ponytail in the center back of my head. I made several pin curls and plopped them all over my head. Since I was going for am elegant messy look, I left an end poking out here and there. I wove in a silver necklace, a large medallion, small jeweled barrettes & hair pins, and a feather pick to finish it off.Miss G couldn't join us on Sunday and Master G had never been to a con. He isn't allowed to go until he turns 14. I made an exception because he's die hard Brony and there was a My Little Pony panel that day. (Guys who are fans of MLP are called Bronys and girls are called Pegasisters in the fandom at large...goofy kids.) We loaded up Shiho, Miss H, and Master G and headed to the con.I gave Master G my pass and went to lunch with Lord McCormick while they attended the Pony panel. Miss H is big fan of MLP too. Lord McCormick and I snuck into the panel near the middle and I was amazed that the guy to girl ratio was about 50/50.They watched the new episode, talked about the evolution of the series, gave away pony related prizes, and discussed pony traits. Master G LOVED the con. He dressed in his Steampunk attire. I think Shiho had a good time overall and thinks Americans are waaay too excitable when it comes to anime!Coincidentally, McDonalds has MLP prizes in their happy meals at the time...so of course, we had to stop there for lunch...and dinner!

The Masquerade That Wasn't

I made a mask for Mr. Wonderful for a masquerade ball we were to attend...but alas, we're getting a little fuddy duddy in our old age and decided to skip it since it didn't even start until midnight!

Scarlett's Hat

May I present the photographic evolution of the Scarlett's Gone Steampunk hat. It started with a 25 cent straw hat.

Steampunk Symposium 2012

We headed up town to the Steampunk Symposium last weekend. Alas...I didn't take a camera. :( Lord McCormick accompanied me and managed to snap a photo or two with his phone...which isn't the best. There were workshops, airship races, shopping, and dancing. Not to mention all the mingling and photo ops!

Scarlett's Gone Steampunk Teaser

I found these gorgeous green moire curtains at the thrift store for $24. This much good quality fabric would easily cost over $150 at the fabric store.  The green reminds me of Scarlett Ohara's green drapes gown in Gone With The Wind. So, this dress is called Scarlett's Gone Steampunk.
 There are four 92" panels with gold tassels along one side. They're lined in white cotton. Then there are 3 huge triangular window scarves that are lined in deep pink moire with the gold tassels along 2 edges. Finally, there were a couple funny little rectangular pieces that could've been tie backs? I'm planning on making myself another Steampunk dress out of it. My goal is to have it finished by the first of November so I can wear it to a convention. We'll see.
 Here's a sneak peek at some of the skirt details....

The Crew of the Airship, Uhr Drache

We donned our Steampunk attire to attend a cinematic presentation of Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows last Friday. Dinner out, with many a stare from fellow patrons, and an engaging movie are just what the Doctor ordered after a long holiday season! We received many questions and compliments during the evening...including an artist who asked us to sit for a sketch!
Lord McCormick, Airship Captain...
Lady McCormick, Cache Curator...
Miss Juliette Bellafoxe McCormick, Engineer...
Sir Avery McCormick, First Officer and Bodyguard...We even managed to coax a smile out of him!

Steampunk 101 Links

Here are links from my Steampunk 101 convention panel...just for you! These are just the tip of the iceberg to whet your whistle and certainly not a definitive listing. I encourage you to peruse and poke around the aether. I know you'll find something wonderful that fits you perfectly!

Temporal Displacement Indicator

This new Steampunk gadget, just off the elf's work table, is a Temporal Displacement Indicator. It's purpose?...detecting rifts in time. Useful for tracking rogue time travelers or predicting time storms. Wielded by Sir Avery McCormick, ninja, knight, and royal bodyguard.

Steampunk Watch/Compass

EZ Mod Collars, Gratitude, and Progress

Thank you so much for the words of encouragement from my last post, ladies. It means a lot to know I'm not alone in cyberspace. I was also uplifted by this lovely thread on The Steampunk Empire. Thought you'd enjoy it too.

I also found this easy, no sew tutorial on changing shirt collars for different looks....with lots of great pictures. I tend to want to make things more difficult than necessary and this is a great reminder that simple is great!

Currently, I'm working through my disappointment by providing technical guidance to my daughter, who is constructing a Sakura outfit for the upcoming con. It will look something like this....

And, I'm cleaning the pit of despair(my studio) in order to regain my sanity. It currently looks like a hurricane and a tornado went dancing together. I actually prefer to work at the kitchen table when painting or crafting, making it too easy to let the beast get out of hand.

Next, I'll be sewing a new Jedi outfit for Master G using
Simplicity 5840. He finally outgrew the last one, but didn't outgrow his love of "the force".

The Elf's Creations Unveiled Part 1

TaDa! Here they are...some of the new pieces I've been cobbling together for our SP family outing next weekend.

The Steampunk Elf

The Steampunk elf is hard at work getting ready for an event in two weeks. Here's a sneak peek at the work table. Lots of gears and glue and fun stuff happening.

Corset? Are You Crazy?

Ahhhh...the dilemma. Should I subject myself to the horrors of a corset for the sake of being period correct whilst sashaying about in my Steampunk attire or buck convention to be comfortable? Hmmm...lets delve a little further into the evolution of my thinking on this subject.

First, I must tell you that I rarely do anything just because somebody said so. I'm slightly stubborn that way. Now if said person were to give a sufficient explanation as to the benefits and/or consequences of said requirements, I'd be more than willing to comply. Most of the time I just jump in and learn by doing. So it has been with the corset decision.

I wasn't interested in learning to make a corset. I'd looked at several patterns but just didn't want to give it the time or energy required. I went ahead and made a Victorian style dress without a corset. Unfortunately, the bodice just doesn't sit quite right. Its a little slouchy where it shouldn't be and I just could not achieve the crisp, pulled in silhouette of a classic Victorian bodice. I thought about adding some boning to the bodice and began researching what kind to get.

After surfing the net for information, I learned that plastic boning isn't great for larger size ladies...of which I am one. Steel boning was going to be necessary. There's flat steel and spiral steel boning. Both of which are more expensive than plastic boning. I decided that boning in the bodice just wasn't going to get the job done. A corset was the only way to go. But the more I read the more I began to dread making one. Then I stumbled upon a conversation about corset companies and perused a few sites. I found a shop called Corset-Story based in the U.K.. After figuring out the cost and hassle of making one vs buying one, I gladly clicked the buy now button!

I found an under bust model on clearance for $40 with all spiral steel boning and a steel busk(which is the front fastening system). These were all good things according to what I had read. Well, it arrived today and I wore it for a while. I love it! I can't believe how comfortable it is and how much it helps my posture. I'll have to practice wearing it as it's tricky to move around in.

I'm pretty impressed with this corset. The fabric is good quality and there isn't a piece of plastic to be had. The sizing was right on. If you decide to buy one, definitely check the sizing chart. It even fit my daughter who's waist is almost 6 inches smaller than mine. I received it in about two weeks and the shipping was quite reasonable. I'll definitely be ordering another one from them soon.

I'm excited to start working on my new Neo-Victorian dress now!
Front....Back...Inside....

My Deer & The Bicycle Gear Hat

Here's our adopted baby....well actually, she adopted us....My daughter named her Daisy. She's been living in our back yard all summer. Sleeping under the stairs or trampoline and eating everything in sight. Her mother isn't around much, but we see her once in a while. We haven't fed her or tried to touch her, but she's happy to munch the grass when we're outside as long as we don't get within 10 yards of her. Its been fun to watch her grow.

I'm working frantically on new Steampunk attire for the family. There's an event coming up in September and I want a family picture for our Christmas cards. So...today's offering is the hat I finished for my daughter, Juliette Bellafoxe's Steampunk Lolita outfit.
I had some butterflies in my stash o' stuff which I threw on in various areas. There are also tiny watch gears scattered about on the petals. This is the front.
I wanted it to have the feel of a small Victorian lady's hat with some minor imperfections because she's an airship mechanic. The round shape was dictated by the cool gear I found at the thrift store for $1!
Here's a look at the inside.
This is one side. The red flowers are hydrangeas with cream roses interspersed.
Here's a look at the back.Her skirt is made of the same fabric as the hat. It features a brown taffeta ruffle with embroidered brown fleur de lis, which is also used in the newly added hat ties. The corset/bustle is made of red brocade and is reversible with a simple gold brocade on the other side. The shirt came from the thrift store and benefited from a little tailoring.