Friday, October 30, 2009

Fox Costume: DAYBEW!

Done done done done done FINALLY. I have no NO idea how it all came together or when but suddenly magically it was there!

The dance was a blast and the woodland duo was the talk of town, sort of speak.

Now to bombard the lot of you with pictures.














Unfortunately, I got no shots of the flowers I sewed into my wig, or of the train down, of of the back, but I am re wearing this to vampyrs!!

I will do the award thingy some other time, Eventually XD


Friday, October 23, 2009

Foxy Costume: Fails and Wins.

Somehow between the crunch of getting Anton's Doublet finished and this weekend, I have managed to get my foxy gown done, sans a couple hooks and eyes here and there and wee little additions here and there.

Lets start with my chaos of the mask.

I bought the crackle kit I had my eye on. I bought the paint colors that I thought would work. I bought a substitute for gold leaf I found acceptable. I had a plan.

And it all. Seriously. Failed.

First, I had no idea how to use the crackle kit. The directions were less than helpful, and I was started to feel the stress.

Behold the plethora of products:





Topcoat


Undercoat


And my base color

These things combined would not make a crackle to be seen. Then I figured out after reading many a tutorial that i needed two colors. Oh. That would have been very helpful, directions!!

So I decided to make a base coat of gold and the russet would crackle over that. Worked great, kind of.

Then I tried to paint the black on the inside of the eyes, and the gold on the raised filigree. This did not work at all, so I just started throwing paint and gold on there and mushing it all about in frustration, then ended up with this.



So Im probably going to hot glue some pealrs around the edges and some jet beads or what have you and turn it into something somewhat presentable.

-DEPRESSED.- I do not do masks.


Enough of that, onto the dress.

I got bored and decided I needed something to do at work so I started beading the bodice with jet beads and tiny little pearls. Don't question my sanity, its done and it looks great.


Veeery subtle but nice.

I also did it more sparingly on the apron over skirt.

Then it was time for the final bits, the pleated ruffle on the bottom which I decided to do in knife pleats and not box pleats, which in the end proved to be a wise decision as I barely had enough.





It looked great, but I felt like it was missing something.

OH RIGHT!! LACE AND MOAR PEARLS!! MOOOAAARRR!!!

So I spent a day at work on the downtime sewing oh id say well over 100 pearls onto some lace. It also had a purpose besides looking pretty, it kept the lace tacked up so it didn't flop over like my regency gown.







Tada!! Now the gown is set, stunning, and as over the top as I can possibly make it. It is a ball gown after all and it is a masquerade afterall. I have just a few more additions to make, like this



And possibly some flowers on the sides of the over skirt. I know I will have some in my hair. I have to manage woodland y!!


Well thats all for now. I suppose I will have some event pictures somewhere down the line.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Doublet-in-action



Too bad he could hardly breathe or move. Live and learn.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Boy's Nobs, please be done already!

The end is so close, I can almost taste it. It tastes like brown fabric..Whatever that may taste like.

As Folsom creeps closer I am scrambling to get things done, but some things just cant be rushed. Like profuse beading.

Anyhow, on to what the lot of you want to see; pictures.



So here is a nice shot of the whole thing from the front. It doesn't really fit Abby but you get the gist of the idea.



Back. See I spaced out the beating as much as I possibly could so a. it didn't look cramped and tacky and b. there werent masses of threads on the inside.



So I used plain off white pearls in a diamond shape following the dots on the fabric, and a small amber glass beat in the middle. The pattern all over the doublet looks fantastic. Though it was very time consuming.



And of course the sleeve caps have to have something interesting on it!



And the collar too. I added a double layer of velvet ribbon for the ruff around the neck to help it stand better and sit higher on his neck. It gives him a very dashing profile. I did only a single layer on the sleeves.



And a front view. I went back and decided to do two buttons on the collar to keep everything standing nice and straight. The sleeves are almost done but they have not been photographed yet. All that is left to do on this whole outfit is to sew the sleeve ties on the sleeves and sew the rings on the inside.

I am so glad this will be over tonight. I need to fix my own ren fiare garb, AYE!

And work on the bustle gown.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Flyin' Foxy

I've been catching this horrible cold, but while its miserable when its 60 degrees outside, it makes me low key and able to tolerate the diddly crap in sewing, like pearls and pinning and hand tacking things.

So monday night since I skipped class I did some more work and started my waterfall overskirt which by now is near completion, YAY!

It went so much better this second time around with the waterfall pleats and I love how it is hanging. The fabric also falls nicer than the cotton, which was a bit stiff. I have found that this silk with the embroidered vines is positively a dream to work with!



I could have gotten a better picture but this shows reasonably how its hanging, over my big ol bustle butt.



I shortened up the apron in the front by a good 6 inches about. You couldn't tell though now because my dress form is midget sized, god damnit. How am I supposed to hem things now?!? I never even got a chance to hem anything because the stupid crap broke before I got a chance to.

/grumble. Anyhow, the shorter length in the front I feel looks nicer in the end.



This fabric falls much better than the other fabric did, as well, the swags look so much better.

Anyhow, the whole thing is coming together in my mind very well.


Now I just need to make the fearful trek into the mask on my own, im terrified. Time to bother the people at michaels and see if any of them know wtf they are talking about.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Light at the end of the tunnel.

I am so so sorry tiny wee fan base!

It has been a crazy couple of weeks, between misplacing my camera, then the camera cable, then the camera again, not even getting sewing done and the insanity of work and school I havn't even had time to BREATHE!!

But now I can. And while breathing I will update on my two time sensitive projects.

Anton's Doublet!

This is what I had as of the pictures taken (but in real like I have the skirting on the bottom sewn on too as well as the shoulder caps. )



front


back.


I did all the buttons as well, six sets of two down the front (two space, two space, two space etc etc.). The biggest problem I am having with this doublet, is trimming it! I have a velvet ribbon in dark brown and in creamy yellow, but nothing seems to work with the fabric.

So mutually Anton and I decided to just forgo the trim for now, and I get to have free leway with sewing the pearls on. Come on, hes nobility. He gets pearls. And a ruff. (which I believe I will make out of the brown velvet. )

So that is that, the construction is done, now I just need to trim it and get up to date pictures.


So for the foxy bustle gown. I was such a slow poke about the bodice. Then out of no where BAM it was one, then BAM the parlor skirt, then BAM the apron, and im tilting my head going..where did this come from? Not nothing but the parlor skirt and kind of the bodice are totally wearable yet, and I dont have pictures of the apron.

But I will give pictures of what I have so far!



Mmm silky and pretty. That silk makes that parlor skirt fall beautifully!



Sans bustle pad.

I still have to hem it and add all the decorations to it.

Bodice!



All of that beautiful trim looks much better in person, the pearls really stand out.



A little better.

If I get done ahead of schedule I think I am going to add some little jet beats and little pealrs randomly on the vines on the bodice and apron. I mean really spaced out though, just to add that wow detailed interest.

Im ahead of time anywho, strangely.

Oh yeah and my dress form broke. Now I can't raise her to my height. Cheap ass mechanism.