Upcoming projects for Steampunk World's Faire 2012

Because, clearly, I don't have enough to wear...

On a recent fabric buying binge, I got fabric for three potential Victorian/Steampunk costumes. I went through my stash yesterday and I was please to see that I had some great accent fabric to compliment the two large bolts that I purchased (at an obscene discount).

First, a mourning outfit.

Yes, I know, I have sworn off all-black costumes, but this one will not be all black. It will be black and the Victorian mid-mourning color of purple. Hopefully, this will be enough of a contrast to sew, show, and photograph better.

Here is the fabric:

I have lots of the purple mystery fabric with the black reverse (which doesn't show up great in the close flash shot... hmm... something to test). It was billed as "antique satin" and I have no idea what that means.

The brighter purple is a double faced silk satin which I have had forever. Surely I can work that in somewhere. I have about 3 yards of that. Then I have I have about 2 yards of black dupioni and about 1/2 yard of silk-backed rayon velvet from another project (which I totally should have documented, but didn't).

For these fabrics, I will make a giant fancy skirt from Truly Victorian with the bolt of purple as the base fabric. This skirt will need to be supported by a bustle.

I'm going to start with the Laughing Moon trained bustle (upper right in the image below) and extend some of the bottom boning into full hoops and attach it to a skirt so that it works like TV's Grand Bustle (second image down). If I can't manage that quickly, I'll just buy the TV bustle pattern.

For the top, I am going to make a jacket from Ageless Patterns. It's got lots of places for extra trimmings, so I should be able to incorporate the four fabrics.

Second, a snazzy day dress

I also wanted to make something that could be worn out of doors, meaning no train. I've got some great tone-on-tone blue striped fabric that I bought on the fabric binge, and it turns out that it goes nicely with the left over burgundy silk from the Airship Hostess costumes from last year's SPWF. Hooray!

The top will primarily the blue with burgundy accents. I will make TV428:

The underskirt will be in the burgundy. I will make TV221, because it works, and I've already made the pattern. This time, I will NOT be adding the ruffle. It was much more difficult than it had any right to be last time.

Lastly, I will be making TV326 for the over skirt from the blue stripe (yes, stripe). I am hoping that I can get the stripes arranged so that they are not dizzying to look at. If the ARE dizzying to look at, I will start/join an Ivy Hissplepenny society and figure out how loud I can make a "matching" hat.

This outfit does not require a giant bustle, but I will probably use a bustle pad to support the heavy over skirt.

Sooooo... I should be busy between now and May.