With Gencon coming up in a couple of weeks, I have yet to decide what costume I am going to wear. I have a few options and I thought, who better to ask? Keep in mind that it is a gaming convention, but manga, anime and film costumes are apparently appropriate as well. (I hope the poll works, but if not, just comment for me please :P)

Poll #1454324 Gencon Costume Options
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6

Costume options:

Do I cosplay?

If I cosplay, do you find it lame when people just stand on stage for photos to show their costume (apparently this is acceptable and I would be too nervous to act as an individual)

And here we are again. Friday. Another work week draws to a close and I am quite happy to be home and relaxing after traipsing into work this morning. Thankfully I managed to get away early this week (gotta love those flex hours). But, as it is Friday, I again prettied on up in a Lolita ensemble. And even better, as you can see I managed to get a photo this week as well. (It shall be my aim until I have photos of all my different Lolita pieces).
 
Outfit rundown:
Blouse - Handmade
Skirt - Metamorphose
Shoes - One Day in Paradise
Bag - Metamorphose
Bloomers - Handmade (They are pink too)
Hairbows - Metamorphose
Brooch - gift
Jewelry - etsy and handmade
 
As you can see, I guess that I kinda went very one brand today. I even took my Metamorphose room print parasol so that I didn't get too hot or sunburnt walking home today. Though, I really need to get off my butt and make a couple of blouses. To begin with, a white one and a black one.
 
As for my weekend, I am booked up again. After thinking that this one would be an at home and quiet weekend (brother will be away the whole time), I am heading out in Lolita in Saturday and then dancing again on Sunday. I think it might be time that I start my extra sewing projects in the evenings. Namely, I really need to get this new Regency dress done. It shouldn't take too long, I just need to get motivated. Oh and I promise to take many photos this weekend. :P

And just when I thought that I had a free weekend, something new pops up. On Saturday I headed into the Roma Street Parklands to meet up with some fellow Steampunkers for a picnic. Now, since I don't actually have a complete and true steampunk outfit, I went rifling through my costume wardrobe for something appropriate to wear. I came up with an ensemble using my bustle ball gown skirts (I replaced the flowers with a piece of steampunk jewelry), my black velvet Padme bodice (without the embroidery), some bits of steampunk jewelry that I picked up on Etsy and my Mrs Lovett sunglasses. I think that for a last minute effort it came together pretty well in an aristocrat sort of theme. And I do like my steampunk to have a cohesive theme about it.
 
I did manage to get a few photos of some of the different costumes there, and I have to say that I am rather in awe. And now desperate to finish my steampunk costume. I mean, I already have all the fabric for it and a couple of the accessories that I want to use. I even have the bodice part cut out, so it seems like the perfect time to actually get something together. I am determined that I will have a full outfit for the next meet that I go along to. And I will definitely make a concerted effort to remember sunscreen. Yet again, I roasted my skin at a costumed event. But it seems that even when I do have sunscreen, I am so uncoordinated at putting it on that I end up with patchy sunburn in the places that I missed. Thankfully it is all healing up now with a liberal smearing of heavy duty moisturiser.
 
But enough about all that, onto the photos...
( Click for pictures... )

And another of my July projects is complete.

( The costuming continues... )

And I am now on holidays. Only for a few days, but still, better than nothing. And I do have a couple of days off next week as well. But the ultimate goal of this extra time is to actually complete all my sewing projects in readiness for my weekends full of July costuming. I think there are only two complete weekend days in the whole of July that I have nothing on. And one of those is only because the thing I was going to go to has been postponed.
( But onto the real stuff... )

I had someone at work asking me if I knew someone who would take commission sewing. (I don't - all my friends sew for themselves only) but she said that she had paid over $200 dollars for a work skirt. My first thought was who in their right mind would pay that much for a work skirt. And then it hit me; I would. It's amazing how I am horrified and refuse to pay more than $30 for work pants or skirt yet I will drop $200 for a single Lolita skirt. And spending $60 on a blouse is considered cheap. And lets not take into account that on top of this there is the exchange rate to deal with. This fashion has totally skewed my view of what I am willing to pay for my clothing.
 
On another note, this Saturday there is another vintage fashion fair at Souths Leagues Club http://www.vintagefashionfairs.com.au/ at West End. It starts at 8am and there are the fantastic West End markets outside. I am thinking that I might make a trip over. If anything I might be able to find some pins and brooches. And of course there is the never-ending supply of vintage hats on offer that I am just addicted to. Plus, I could get some fruit and veggies outside before I go home. Hmmm... it bears consideration.

Anyone want to come with?

I have had an exceptionally productive weekend. I got stuck into it and stayed up late sewing my little heart out. I didn't get as many items 100% completed as I had hoped to get, but I did get a lot of work done. First off, my Dad's costume got the bulk of my attention. I just finished his pants this evening. They would have been done on the weekend if I had actually remembered to buy buttons when I bought the fabric. At any rate, I went up to Lincraft at lunch time to get his buttons and finish them off.

 ( Click for pictures and munchieness... )

I can tell you now that I have been overly slack, so I thought that a thorough update was in order...

( the update... )

And the long weekend has finally rolled around. I am looking forward to getting lots of work done on my costuming this weekend. I do have a couple of things planned, but in the meantime I have every intention of knuckling down to work. I had the afternoon of work yesterday, so I was able to come home and make a good start on my upcoming projects. The main thing was getting some cutting out done so that I can actually start sewing up some more of my stuff.
( And on, and on... )

And the progress has begun. My maid dress is almost finished. I have been focusing most on getting it done so that I can make a start on my next outfit. My mum is busily covering buttons so that I can finish her blouse, and in the meantime I have been hand sewing. Why does it always seem as though there is a never ending supply of hand sewing that needs to be done. But I do have photos of what my dress looks like over the top of my petticoats.

( Pikatures... )

Stupid that I am, it really hasn't hit me until just how much sewing I am taking on in the upcoming months. All of it for July; there will be 8 outfits in total. Thankfully one of them will only require a new jacket, but still, I am really starting to dread the limited amount of time that I have to get everything done in. So, I have decided that I really need to start getting focused. No more vintage or lolita sewing until I have all my projects completed.
 
To be fair I have actually made a start on all of them, some more than others. And I think the best way for me to get my head around everything is to just start at the ones that I need done first and go from there. Which translates to Newstead House on the 11th. I need three outfits completed and this what I have left to do..
 
Mum's 1850s day gown:
Garibaldi blouse - sew sleeves to blouse, add buttons and button holes (mum will cover the buttons for me)
Skirt - need to add trim (I am loosing the detail I added in the skirt and I need to add 'ribbon' to make it stand out)
Bonnet - it is all cut out and I have done some of the machine sewing, I just need to start wiring and gluing it together
Reticule - cut out but this is really quick to make up
Bum pad - I still need to draw up a pattern, I just keep forgetting.
 
Dad's 1850s day suit:
Vest - hand sewing on inside and buttons and buttonholes
Pants and Jacket - I need to cut out the pattern so that I can cut the fabric (at least I have all the fabric now)
Cravat - I need to cut this out (thankfully it is just a long strip of cotton)
 
My 1840s maid gown:
Dress - hand sewing on bodice, sew skirt in at waistband, hem, sleeves and add eyelets down the back
Apron - lots of hand sewing hems
Cap - need to find my pattern and cut this out
 
So really when you look at these three, there is not that much the needs to be done. And I am slowly making progress. At least the hand sewing is semi-relaxing to do and I can watch TV while I do it. Mum's outfit is by far the furtherest along and I think she is really looking forward to me getting it done. But then again, because my maid gown is so simple and has zero trims on it, it has been rather quick to go together. And I promise that as I get the bits and pieces done, I will strive to post photos of my hard work. It helps me as a sense of accomplishment.

That being sent, I got so caught up in my current book tonight that I have done nothing more than waste time. Though I am considering taking Wednesday off on flex, my boss will be away for a few days and it kinda works out for timing. Hmmmm, bears consideration.

And yet another busy weekend passes me by. Saturday was by far the most eventful as I attended a Lolita picnic. We had originally planned to go to West End and picnic in the park, but after all the rain and the upcoming forecast, it was decided that instead we would do an indoor picnic. I didn't get any photos but I did have a great time. Lots of nummy food, froofy petticoats and girly dresses. And of course, when I got home, all I wanted to do was shop for more Lolita outfits. And I have to admit that I put in an order for a skirt that I have been eyeing off for quite some time.

After picnicing, I went home to finish off my vintage dress so that I could go out dancing again with Kerry. They run these dances every month, so we are going to try to attend them from now on. This time I took along my dad, mainly because he loves to dance as well. Again, fun was had but I was exhausted when I got home. Oh, and I did get a few photos of Kerry and I. Kerry in her blue and cream dress and me in my new one. I am determined to get some full photos next time I wear, complete with the hat I made the dress to go with, but for now...
( Retro Ladies )

So, yesterday saw me head off again to another historical house down south with Kerry, Cat, Donna and Georgia. We were asked to attend by some of the dancers that go to the heritage dances. It was at Wolston house, this beautiful old farmhouse that was built in the 1850s. So, yet again we were dressed in our crinolines. I didn't get many photos on account of not feeling so crash hot (head cold and stomach bug have both hit at once). I did get a couple of shots of the dancers, but we had an aspiring photographer with us who took a whole lot of photos, so I will have to get a copy of them. But here are the few that I did get...

poisonedkitty.blogspot.com/2009/05/wolston-house.html

And even though I was sick, I still had a really good time. It was great to catch up with everyone again and the house was beautiful. Though, now I am thinking that since I have worn my pink crinoline a few times, I would like a new one. Plus the downside of using a loose weave cotton like my pink dress is that after a little wear it starts to pull apart. I do have some very nice blue cotton/linen that I bought a while ago. I just might have found a use for it. Though, that is going to have to wait until after I get my July projects finished.

Yesterday, I took my mum along to a craft fair / fundraiser at Rockton House (In Ipswich). Of course, we were dressed up for the event in historical costumes. Most of us were wearing crinoline, but there was bustle too. I was a little dissapointed with the size of the markets - I really thought that there would be more there, but the house itself is rather beautiful. As for costumes, I wore my pink crinoline outfit, this time with the bonnet. I think with the amount of pink in my outfit, I almost radiated the colour. Not that, that is a bad thing. I did get called a 'pink lady' which I find rather amusing. But over here are my photos of the day...

poisonedkitty.blogspot.com/2009/05/rockton-house.html

So, after a long day out I came home to cut out both my 1840s maid dress and mum's day gown. But best of all, I actually slept last night. This past week I have had insomnia, unable to sleep until around 3 or 4am. And then I feel like dozing off at work. On the bright side, I actually caught up on some reading and I watched some nice black and white movies. Hopefully one night of good sleep will trigger me to sleep well this week. I really don't want to be tired again this week.

Though, waking up refreshed this morning, I got stuck into some productivity. I managed to finish my 1840s petticoats. The best thing about finishing this is that I realised I now never have to make another ruffled petticoat again. I have 1830s through to 1860s covered now.

poisonedkitty.blogspot.com/2009/05/1840s-petticoats.html

I am realieved that I am done with the undergarments for my maid costume. I really am excited to get started on making up my actual dress. Especially now that it is all cut out. I really want to get mum's done too. I changed my original plan a little bit, but I think this new idea will work really well. So now it is back to the machine.

And my long weekend comes to a close. I kind of feel like I have not really accomplished much this weekend. I worked up the patterns for both of my mum's dresses (day gown and ballgown) and both of my upcoming dresses (Maid gown and bustle ballgown), so at least that step is complete. I also managed to go to the movies and see Wolverine. I thought it was pretty good, I especially like the beginning credits - very stylised. And my only other accomplishments are making a start on my petticoats and my zombie dress. I also managed to get a lot of baking done this weekend. I tried a few new recipes including chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and Hazelnut Chocolate Cupcakes. These ones are particularly good, they are a vanilla flavoured cupcake with ground hazelnut through them. The icing on top however, is made of Nutella, Cream and Frangelico. Oooh, and they taste really good.

P( Cupcake!!!!!!!!!! )
But now, I am hoping to get some more sewing work done this week. I also realised that I need to make a fabric trip so that I can make a start on cutting out my July projects. Hmmm, maybe Thursday night late shopping will do the trick.

Comment on this post. I will choose seven interests from your profile and you will explain what they mean and why you are interested in them. Post this along with your answers in your own journal so others can play along.

Asked by </a></b></a>faerie_mistress :

Beehive:
Basically one of my favourite hairstyles. I adore the big hair of the 1960s, and given the opportunity, I actually wear a beehive myself. I do wish that I was able to get a bit more height in my beehives, but that would require more teasing, and I really do not want to wreck my hair. Lately I have even started encorporating a small beehive style into my lolita as well. The biggest inspirations are movies - 'The Hairy Bird' and 'Hairspray'.

Cheese:
Two reference here - if you have met my family, you would know that we eat a lot of cheese. It would have to be one of those favourite foods. My particular favourite is a stong Vintage. The other reference is to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Yes, I am a huge fan), at the end of Season 4, the man with the cheese appears in each of the dreams. My favourite line is "I wear the cheese, the cheese does not wear me."

Grease:
Sounds totally disgusting, but it refers to my love of the movies Grease and Grease 2. When I was in primary school, I had them recorded on Video and would watch both movies every weekend. They are definately on my all time favourite lists. I even have the Frenchie Barbie Doll with the pink hair, and I so plan to make this outfit next year for International Women's Day fun run.

Lego Games:
Sounds strange, but this is my love of the Lego console games. I own and adore the Star Wars, Batman and Indiana Jones ones. They are just so cute and so much fun to play. And I love the humour in them. If they bring out more, I will be so there to buy them.

Sharp Objects:
I felt a bit weird about wirting knives on my list, but I have a strange kitchen obsession with knives. It is so nice to cut vegies with a good knife that just slides through like butter. My favourites would be the furi knives. I even bought a couple for my Dad as a gift (we share this strange liking).

The Spanish Inquisition:
"Nobody expects the spanish inquisition!". One of my very favourite sketches from Monty Python Flying Circus. I am a rather huge fan, ever since my Dad introduced me way back then. I even made one of the costumes for my brother.

Zombies:
I am a zombie movie buff. I love me a good zombie movie. The more gruesome the better. I am planning on doing the Brisbane Zombie Walk this year in full zombie regalia. But my zombie hilight was doing the makeup for the Brisbane promo work when Dawn of The Dead was remade and released on DVD - there were zombies skating around the city handing out flyers. Give me a good zombie movie any day.

And voila, I am making progress on my next project. Originally I was going to be doing steampunk next, but as I am not going to the event, I am putting that project on hold. It will get made later in the year, but I would rather put my time into all my projects for July. But the purpose of this post is to say that I have finally finished another part.

 ( Read more... )

It has been a bit of a busy day today, and my back is rather stiff tonight. Not only did I try my hand again at making icecream (this time it is cookies and cream - made on oreo cookies), but I sat down and cut out a heap of fabric today. I am needing some new vintage dresses to wear to work (I only have 2 at the moment), and I recently bought some chunks of fabric. And not only did I cut out dresses, I had chosen fabric that acutally matches some of my cintage hats. My aim is to have complete outfits, to put my hats to use. I also cut out my dress that I will be wearing to the Brisbane Zombie Walk. I need to make a bit of a start on this, mainly because a date has not been selected yet, and knowing my luck, it would end up happening when I am busy preparing for another event. But I am determined to go this year. If you do not know this about me yet, I am a huge fan of zombie movies, so given the chance to dress up as one, and I am there. Plus the makeup is nifty and fun to do.
( As for Saturday... )