Kraken! (A More Colorful Steampunk Outfit)
Haven't been around the blog-o-sphere much lately... been working on Halloween costume commissions, but managed to squeeze some artsy fun in this morning (hand decorating an umbrella with acrylic Painter's Pen) and some dress-up... it's been forever since I played with costuming and clothing!
In Steampunk, the tendency is for blacks (punk/goth influence?) or browns (the whole sepia-tone old timey thing, or maybe that it goes so well with brass?)... but punks like to stand out, and why shouldn't a steampunk wardrobe? I've trended towards the black and purple, as well as the browns, but this was a fun little variety. Since I was commissioned to make a (brown and brown) Mrs. Fitzsimmon's ensemble, it wasn't much more work to make two vests and two skirts at the same time, so I pulled this interesting sage-ish stripe upholstery fabric and this chinese print quilter's cotton from The Stash. The print on the skirt did end up busier than I thought it would be, but I sort of like it.
-Blouse: I made a few years ago out of an old bedsheet for a casual steampunk outfit
-Fingerless Gloves: made from quilter's cotton to go with my first steampunk outfit a number of years ago.
-Hat: from my Steampunk Birthday Party outfit, only trimmed out with red instead of purple.
-Neck Decoration: Strip of red lace.
-Skirt: Quilter's Cotton, my bustle skirt design
-Vest: Sage-ish stripe Upholestry fabric, brass buckles, laces up sides with ribbon through brass eyelets, my Mrs. Fitzsimmon's Supportive design
-Nylons: Dollar Tree! They of course, ripped the moment I put them on, but that's okay for steampunk style...
-Boots: Funtasma Victorian, costume-quality boot (my first... yes, I said first, as in I have three pairs of Victorian Style boots (one of which is a very nice leather pair) even though I don't yet have decent shoes to wear to work everyday for the winter...)
-Umbrella: I decorated this morning while taking a break from the sewing and house chores for an artsy moment. (I used to do more 'art' than 'craft', primarily drawing and painting, but now I definitely sew more than I delve into fine arts.) Black acrylic Painters' Pen (love these!), free-handed.
oh I don't think you understand how bad I want this entire outfit right now. Like now. In my closet. Go. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, that vest is especially amazing and I love that skirt, and the umbrella is beautiful. :-)
Ooh, I love it. You remind me a little of a friend of mine- she used to freehand draw on everything. I don't think you could leave a blank surface in her home that she didn't turn into art.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking just this week about how browns or goth black dominate the Steampunk genre. I was specifically thinking about expensive dye extraction, bleach, and how difficult it was to make something like the zero point garment of today- a white t-shirt.
I love the idea of running with the fantasy and individualism and doing your own patterns and colors! That Chinese print looks gorgeous. I had never thought of doing a bustle skirt in print and now I want to try it with Japanese quilter's cotton. *_*
I applaud how you're expanded beyond the usual black-brown palette in Steampunk. It not only draws attention, it adds visual appeal. Your creativity is attractive.
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