Feels good to be sewing again.

We recently moved into a new house and so my sewing sat on the back burner waiting for space to open up and things to calm down. We have finally gotten mostly settled in and about %80 unpacked. I even spent an evening organizing my fabric and actually labeling the plastic containers that the fabric lives in so I know where various things are. My new sewing area is still a work in progress, however I have a lovely bay window with a seat. I'm having to use the dining room table for a cutting table, but I'm finding that works rather well as long as I clean up my mess afterwards.

I am currently working on two projects, my steampunk corset and a new ionar for my friend Daniel.
I have a couple of other things I am also working on but these two have the immediate deadlines.

Progress on Steampunk corset:

Pieces cut. I used the Laughing Moon Dore Corset Pattern because I really like how it looks and it's comfortable.

Khestral my sewing nemesis.

Busk inserted and basic seams all sewn. Shiny shiny fabric

Corset Challenge #1 a drawer full of boning and none of it is the correct size. I am weighing a few options including fining my cutters and cutting boning from the roll I have, using plastic boning, or driving myself the 10 miles to Sac Dry Goods and spending the money on new boning...

Project Two: Ionar for Daniel. Daniel had a very specific vision for a nice Ionar and so I have employed my long dormant hand work skills for this piece.

Very cute on my female dress dummy...

 I have been working on an Ionar for my friend Ash as well, however 4 layers of coatweight wool did not make my sewing machine happy. I have gone out and bought heavier duty needles and am going to give my trusty Singer another go at it. If it fails then I plan to drive to San Jose and beg the use of my friend Laurie's industrial monster. Which has the added benefit of getting to spend a day with Laurie.

And here is my first finished piece since the move. I have always wanted an apron and this fabric really seemed to want to be an apron. So Ta da!

More updates to follow since I now have a sewing area, and my computer area. Happy projecting everyone.

Steampunk Musings

I have recently begun hanging out with the local Steampunk Group in Sacramento. I have to say the people are just wonderful and welcoming. I have never done Steampunk before although I have seen some amazing costuming done with a Steampunk flair. This led me to a great deal of thinking about what Steampunk meant to me and how I would like to portray it. I have decided that since I do so much with historical Victorian that I am going to base my Steampunk around that. Since it's by far more about the fashion than the gadgets for me personally.

April 29th there is a Steampunk Ball here in Sacramento and so I am working on my first Steampunk outfit for it. Here are some pics of the kernal of an idea.

What I have here is the underskirt for my 1870's ball gown. Still needs the ruffle and rouching on the bottom. Robert's 18th century Pirate coat. And I will be making a corset out of some lovely fabric that my friend Maricica gave me for my birthday for that purpose. I have a riding hat that I never got around to actually decorating, a pile of peacock feathers for the hat, and a gold cord on the shoulder. I also will most likely have a black silk sash where I will be hanging my replica Derringer. I may find a way to lift the skirt up as well to show off red petticotes.

Everything is a bit wrinkled since I just kind of pulled it out of various boxes and threw it together. But I think it will be a fun little project. My goal is to create various Steampunk looks by using pieces that when put together differently are outfits that I could where to more historically focused events.

First step will be to make the new Corset.  Updates will follow, only 2 weeks to pull this off.