Getting back on the horse

I seem to have taken an unintentional blog holiday but I've decided I'd like to try and get back into it so here goes!

My big project at the moment is trying to come up with costumes for Hallowe'en. I can't even think how many years it's been since I dressed up properly, certainly not since I left Canada which was over 20 years ago! I miss proper Hallowe'en a lot, here in NZ it's a pretty lame affair to be honest, with very little thought or effort put into costumes and the vast majority of people ignore it completely. BUT, there has been a Hallowe'en event held at MOTAT for the past couple years that looks like it might be fun AND it looks like people put some effort into it too. Hazel and I thought we'd like to go last year but it kind of crept up on us and it was held the weekend before Hallowe'en so it slipped by. I promised her we'd go this year though. But costumes? I had an idea I'd like to try Steampunk which fascinates me for some reason, I think maybe because of the sheer inventiveness of the costumes and the concept of it. It looks like a lot of fun! Hazel decided that she wanted to be a pug. "Pugs aren't very scary though are they?" said her dad, so she suggested going as a Steampug. Also not very scary but quite amusing and it would match my costume. At this point Mat decided he might like to come too, if I would make him a top hat and a vest. Men have it a lot easier when dressing quasi-Victorian!

So, what do you need to be a Steampunk? I needed a skirt and jacket and corset of some sort. I got this pattern but have ended up buying a corset (which still hasn't arrived and I'm getting annoyed) and a blouse at an opshop. I've also drafted my own spats. I've started buying things because I've had a nasty case of vertigo due to an inner ear infection for the last two weeks and it has really stuffed up my already tight schedule!

The goggles and hat for Hazel (and me and Mat) are being made from Lost Wax's patterns here and here. The videos are worth watching just for themselves! I will also make Mat's top hat from this pattern. I was going to make one for me too but then I just bought a cheapy costume top hat from Spotlight.

Hazel's costume will probably be a white top and leggings dyed to a puggish shade of beige, with a curly tail, a flight helmet with ears sticking out the sides, goggles, and face paint. We were going to make a onesie style of costume but not unsurprisingly, that shade of beige isn't all that popular in fabrics! 

When I forced him to look at men's costume ideas on Pinterest Mat decided that he quite liked the Regency style of vest, with the high collar at the back, so I ordered the 1790 - 1850 Single-breasted Man's Waistcoat from Patterns of Time. When it came I was a little overwhelmed with the historical accuracy of the pattern instructions and method of construction so I'm really (really really) hoping that putting it together with no consideration for authenticity will make it not all that bad. I mean, it's not exactly a complicated garment! He wants View C1. At least I hope that's what he wants as View C2 has a vast quantity of buttons to sew on!

So what do I have so far? I have a helmet and goggles partly finished. The goggles need painting and antiquing still. Putting on those little circles for screws was like a comedy act, with them sticking to my fingers and then to the hand I tried to take them off with and then to each other and then to my fingers again. I'm glad no-one was there to witness it in person!



The helmet is actually too big for Hazel so I need to make another one which is a drag. I also forgot about the need for ears on hers so it won't have the vents on the sides. But how cool is it though? You'd never guess it's made from cheap old craft foam.





Today I'm starting on my skirt and tissue-fitting the jacket which will need a FBA on a princess seam, so that should be interesting!