World of Steam Expo

It has been a long time since I last updated. It got a little hectic back there... But things have evened out. I successfully finished three steampunk costumes for the the World of Steam Expo, which was a great success. I need to look into making business cards for the next con I go to for my costumes. Here are some pictures from the con.

This is one of all three costumes. I was hoping for better photos of the costumes themselves, but it looks pretty good.




Here is Daniel's costume (Sir Macroft, he keeps his last name a secret). For his I made the vest, the rest we went thrifty! We put two pockets on the vest so we could have both his pocket watches in use! The vest was made from a houndstooth patterned suiting with an anti-static lining. The buttons were found at an antique store.


Leyna's costume (aka our dirigible Captain!) was the most adorable; I think. We used a pinstripe suiting for her jacket and pants. The jacket is cropped in the front at the waist and the back has tails. We shorten the sleeves to 3/4 and added lace around the ends of the sleeves and the bottom of the pants. Her vest was made out of a gold brocade and the buttons (though hard to see) are little roses. I purchased the hat off of Ebay.





Here you can see her costume fully. It was fun to make. I'm really happy with her costume! (Yes that's me in there... I didn't make the corset, that honor goes to Decadent Designs. Check her out on Etsy.)




On to my costume aka Countess Phaedra Lockheed! The jacket was completely designed by me. I designed the jacket, then drafted the pattern (it took five tries to get it right), and then put it together! I can't tell you how proud I am of my jacket. I also designed my little top-hat!

And that nifty brass chain, my idea too! I took two necklace chains and attached them, one silver and one gold-ish. I attached a broken watch, a locket, a bobble, and three keys to the necklaces. I tried to make the watch work, but I do believe it is unrepairable. =(

A fun view of Daniel and I. ^^ I bustled the overskirt and merely gathered the underskirt. It was a long project, but I'm pleased.


From design to finish I would say my costume took about 5 days (as in five 24-hour days over the course of several months). I pulled the whole costume together by working on it for about 9 days at about 3 to 4 hours a night. It doesn't help when you are stuck at work 2-hours after quitting time. Leyna's costume took about 12 to 18-hours. Daniel's costume took a mere 5 hours! How lucky for him. XD

I'm hoping to post these costumes onto Esty and see if I can't drum up some business. I need to build a "photo booth", I realize that's not what it's called but it's the name that came into my head. A mini photo studio as it were... I haven't figured out how to build it. I will be taking a few more pictures later this week to help with the views.

My next projects include: 3 (or more) bandannas for my step-dad; vest for a friend; prepping for the ren fest and FaerieCon; and possibly hemming a dress for a co-worker. I do think I'm going to make some business cards, but I need to think a little more on that. I don't know where I would put them and I don't go to enough cons to be noticed. =\ I need to figure out a plan... I suppose that's all for now. Hopefully I will be updating more frequently now that my workload is down. Laters!

Been A Long While...

Well I suppose it's time for an update! ^^ It has been a long while since I blogged! I have "successfully" designed and drafted my first pattern. I say successfully in the fact that I achieved my goal of designing and drafting the pieces. I now am set to the task of putting everything together and cutting out the fabric. I'm a little nervous... I think it will all go just as planned, but if they don't I will be really sad. I also discovered that I didn't buy enough buttons for the jacket! >.< I need to make a trip to my local Joann's, but they are moving so chances of them having the buttons is slim.

I'm currently having a debate with myself about whether or not a parasol would be appropriate for my costume. If I bought one I would add watch gears to it to add a little something extra. I have yet to decide, but come April I need to figure it out. I will have to get batteries for my camera and take some pictures of the pattern pieces and if I get a parasol those will be included too! Tonight I'm hoping to start work on Daniel's vest. It's a really easy pattern so I hope I can punch it out between tonight and tomorrow. That would just make my day!

I have other projects I'm working on as well! Well actually one project is completed! One of my coworkers brought in a quilt his grandmother made and asked if I could fix it. It took me some time but I did! I foolishly forgot to take pictures of the before and after, but it turned out extremely well. I had to cut a lot of the quilt off because of how bad it had gotten, but I took those scraps and put them into pillow cases I made and poof!! we have throw pillows that match the new back of the quilt! I also hand-stitched some of the more tattered squares back to health. I was really happy with the result. It was hard to do, but totally worth it.

Another project is a surprise for one of my other coworkers. He's so funky and fun, and I stupidly didn't do anything special for his birthday last year. So... Last year after Halloween he gave me a canvas tablecloth with skulls and crossbones and such on it. Said I could make something with it. Well he's so funky that he wears vests with shorts and climbs up the sides of buildings and many other things. So I'm now tasked with turning that fabric into a vest for him. He'll be able to wear it to work and still look somewhat fancy. But shhhh.... He doesn't know I'm doing this! Unless he watches my blog in which case he now knows, but he'd better act surprised when he gets it!

I also bumped into an old coworker/friend and he mentioned he's going to the Renaissance Festival for the first time! I told him I make costumes and that I would be happy to make him one. He's terribly excited and has asked/agreed to have me make him a costume. I'm really excited too because it's going to be a more noble men's costume than what I've made before. I really hope he's happy with it. Ah yes... And my mom and sister have both requested another costume for the Ren Fest as well! I'm still trying to decide if I want to make my costume based on one of Jessica Galbreth's faeries again or if I want to design a faerie ballgown! Your thoughts are totally welcome in this matter, since I'm having trouble deciding.

And that's pretty much it... I think. ^^; There could be more!! Well I suppose this is sufficient for now. I should probably go back to work... <.< What a silly thing work is!

Open for Business!

I have wonderful news! I was finally able to open my Etsy store! Yay!!! Feel free to pop over and check it out. Right now I'm only offering a few custom items, but as the year progresses I'm hoping to expand my inventory. And I have sold one pair of pajama pants. What a great way to start the day. ^^

Sadly I have not had the chance to make my boyfriend's vest because our Joann's is moving... Slightly annoyed about that. I went in to pick up fusible interfacing and there was none available. The only way to buy it online is to buy it in bulk, which I don't really want to do... T_T I am the sad. At least in April we will have a shiny new Joann's and hopefully with a much larger inventory!

Anywho!!! Let me know what you think of my shop and if you are interested in anything just send me a message! I realize how short this blog is today, but I'm busy working on my pattern for the steampunk convention. O.o A wee bit overwhelming!

PS- Here's the link:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeccaBuckle

Update and Stuff

So it's been a while and I suppose an update is called for. I have not opened my Etsy store. January ended in a blur so it made working on sewing projects pretty hard... The new goal is to have the store open Monday February 8th. So far I have some bandanas and handkerchiefs to go up for sale. I also will be finishing those pajama pants this weekend. I'm also hoping to make Daniel's vest for the Steampunk convention. Lots to do this weekend!!

I also started working out again this month- though you guys don't really want to hear about that!

I started to play with my serger! It's pretty exciting. I have to pick up some more thread soon... I'm having fun using it, even though I've only really used it once. ^^; I'm still learning!! I will probably finish the pants with the serger to get the hang of it before i try it on the vest. Though I can't start the vest until he decides which pattern he wants me to use.

This week I'm planning on buying a bolt of muslin so I can get my dress pattern put together. I'm very excited! At the very least I will be putting together the pattern for the skirt... I'm going to wait until March before doing the jacket... Since I might lose some weight working out, probably not but I'm hopeful. ^_^ I have picked out the fabric I want to use and I'll be getting that by the end of the month, plus I have to purchase a corset but I need to double check the sizes on that before I jump...

So here's my to do list for February in order of how I hope to get them done:

1. Pajama Pants
2. Mens Vest
3. Buy bolt of muslin
4. Finish Dress Pattern
5. Buy Fabric for Dress
6. Buy Corset

I can see a couple of those falling into March.... I also have to find a good design or design my own for a friend's jacket for the con too! So much to do!! After all of this have to start thinking about the Renaissance Festival and Faerie Con! O_o So crazy... But for now I will look forward to tonight! Chinese and video games with my girl Megho! :D Now I should get back to work and plot some more for the costumes!

Mini Top Hat Update!!

Bonsoir!!

Good news! I finished constructing the hat! :) It was most put together by hand-stitching. It's a wee bit lopsided... ^^;; It was the first attempt at my own pattern for a hat, so I didn't expect it to be prefect, but it's pretty darn cute!! Since I'm still waiting on the swatches of fabric for my dress I can't finish the hat. I have to pick the dress colors before the ribbon colors. Plus I need to buy some feathers. The ones I purchased from the store aren't exactly what I had been hoping for. They will do the trick if I need to use them.

Also.... I won a serger on Ebay!! Wooo!! ^^ It was a big surprise because I had decided the night before that I wasn't going to get one, but when I saw how low the bids were on it I decided to try. I left for lunch and then when I came back bam!! I had won the auction. I'm pretty excited. I hope it's an amazing little machine! I will have to try it on something once I read the manual... >.> Not reading the manual could be bad.

I've also come up with the design for the skirt and overskirt, but I've been wondering whether or not to buy the patterns... I think I can make these patterns and this jacket, but I've never done something this big. Plus look at the lopsided hat I made... Well you can't look yet, but you know what I mean. Maybe I'm not ready to design a pattern... I have only been sewing for a little over a year and a half. Blerg... What a way to end this post! =( At least I made a hat!! I think I can treat myself to a brownie. ^_______________^

Night!

Mini Top Hats...

This weekend was supposed to be all about me trying things for my soon to be Etsy store... In reality it was filled with games and shopping. The shopping was planned and turned out ok. I found lots of pretty brooches and pins for the hats. The gaming was planned, but a lot longer than I had planned...

Sadly the hat is not going well. I designed a pattern that seems just fine, but I can't figure out how to put the hat together. Now I'm concerned that I've done something wrong. Some of the tutorials I've found suggest using bristol board or posterboard for the skeleton. I didn't really want to use that, but it looks like I have no choice at this point. I am hoping to finish the hat tonight, but we will see... I've also had this great idea of using canvas instead of wool. I have to figure out how I would put the hat together. Whether I would stitch the fabric together then put it over the skeleton or do it in pieces.

I find it really helpful to talk about what I'm doing because it actually helps me to see the pros and cons of each side... I think I know what step I will take now. :) Thanks for your help! Or at least thanks for listening to me ramble on!!

In other news I have only an hour left before this serger I'm bidding on ends. :( Sadly I don't foresee winning it, but I am still hopeful!! Along with the hat making tonight I am also planning on finishing up the design for the dress. I hope it goes smoothly. There are a few things I am unsure of, but I will figure those out as a continue working. Speaking of work.... <.< I should get back to it. I will let you all know how the hat goes!!

Making a Pattern

Hallo!

So I am trying for the first time ever to make a pattern. I think I've got the basic design that I like sketched out... But making the pieces that's something else; we'll see how that goes. My boyfriend and I decided to go to a Steampunk Convention this coming May (exciting I know!), but we need costumes. I'm going to making my costume based on Irene Adler from the Sherlock Holmes movie (if you haven't seen it you should!). I say based because I'm changing some things. Here's an idea of my costume:

1. A choker that will be accented with a peacock feather and some brass buttons, I think... Still up in the air on the buttons.

2. A 1881 Dinner Bodice design. I'm going to add some lace and such to it. This is the piece I am currently designing.

3. An underskirt, which I haven't figured out what design to take with this... I'm also wondering if I should include a hoop in here somewhere.

4. An overskirt that will be gathered and have draping in the back.

5. A mini top hat! I'm going to try making one tonight if I can pull myself away from the computer. :)

6. And of course... Undergarments!!! Such as a corset and some pants!

Daniel hasn't decided what he would like to be. We're going to go hunt through some antique stores and see if we can't find things to use and accent the costumes. I am extremely excited because will will put another costume (or two) under my belt. Not to mention mini top hats!

I'm actually looking into getting a serger. I don't know if anyone out there can help but, feel free to give advice! :) I'm not sure what brand to go with. I have a Brother sewing machine that I love, but I've heard that Janome is a good brand and there's of course Singer. I was debating on with or not to purchase it from EBay... I would like a new one, but it's kind of pricey. I do hope to have one before February1st. There's a lot to do before then. I hope I don't disappoint myself by demanding too much from me. I guess we will see!

Now that I've glanced at my sewing table I realize that I still need to organize my patterns.... <.< What a mess!!! I suppose putting it off won't do me any good... ^_^ But I think I will for another moment or two.

Have a fantastic night!!!