Yeah, so I didn’t get ANY costumes done.  And by done, I mean started.

I wore jeans and T-shirts the entire time.  I hope to do better next year.

Because doing one thing at a time is not my style.

I just realized I never actually posted this!

I’m looking to make a costume for interviewing people with, based on a 40’s newspaper reporter à la Torchy Blaine or Hildy Johnson.  (Lois Lane is just a knockoff, after all.  I’m going for the source.)

I plan to (since I will actually have a press badge next year) schedule a few interviews with some hot gamer properties, and then of course publish stuff.  With pictures.

This will require:

• a new website (what was I thinking?!)
• an appropriate outfit (and a hat, and gloves)
• good old fashioned shoes (at least they will be comfortable)
• and lots of other stuff that I can’t think of right now.
• not to mention, setting up interviews and crap like that.

My vacation takes a lot of work!

Yeah, I found the perfect shoes for the Steampunk outfit.  They’re more Victorian, and less Steampunk.  They’re by NAOT.

I found a few online stores that carry them, one of them still has this awesome paisley color.  If I can get those, I will (oh paycheck, why must you taunt me so?) otherwise I want to get black rather than brown.

You know, shoes determine so much about your outfit!  Now I’m restricted to a certain color palette based on what shoes I buy.  And I want the NAOTs because they will be comfortable enough to walk around a convention hall for 6 hours while wearing them, not to mention posing for pictures and walking to the mall for lunch and going out to dinner.  Shoes are of paramount importance, even if no one ever “sees” them.

I have a horrible tendency to go overboard, especially with accessories.  So for my Press Girl and my Steampunk outfit, I’m trying to create a total persona.  And both of those personas will need business cards.

The Press Girl needs them more than the Steampunk, mostly because I still haven’t decided on the whole Steampunk persona.

But the Press Girl really is going to be sporting a Press Badge, so I will need to set up some interviews and carry some business cards.  I would like to get some free ones for the persona stuff, but I will also need some real ones with my name that look all professional and stuff.  (Yes, I overuse the word “stuff.”  Shoot me.  It’s a fun word!)  While trying to find a place for real cards that look nice and are cheap, lo and behold, I came across this: save the date magnets.

How excellent would that be for setting up interviews?  I could mail them ahead of time, and they are actually useful.  “Save the date!  Interview with Costumed Press Girl at Gen Con 2010!”  Better than a business card, since I’d rather they remember the persona and not the crappy website that I haven’t made yet.  They have nice looking cards too, and they’re not very expensive.  I may just have to go with those instead of the free cheapo ones. I’ll have to think about it, but those magnets are pretty sweet.

Base Patterns:

   

Some Base Inspirations:

 

Only… I totally ran out of time to do all the decorative stuff.  And I broke my necklace as I walked out of the room.  And I never got around to making a headpiece.

Here’s what I ended up with:

a shift, ok white on white door is hard.

 

underskirt:

Dress views, bottom back:

Front top

 

Front bottom

 

Close up of bell sleeve

 

Top back

 

The shift had silk sleeves with lace at the end, which is impossible to see against the door, but trust me it looked really cool under the bell sleeves.

So I inadvertently insulted someone’s costume… inadvertent, as in, I was overheard.  So the only real way to escape the sense of shame that causes is to seriously outdo their costume like you said you could.

So in my history of going overboard, I’m going to start now.

Base Costume, colors: black, blue, green, or grey…:

head to toe:

• hat: buy hat form and decorate appropriately.  must search for clock parts, hinges, etc.  mongol-style and victorian-style giant keys. see: and the covers of “The Passionate Princess,” “The Sign of Love,” “Race for Love.”
• hair: luckily, I can still use my own.
• glasses: is it worth the effort of getting new glasses? i think it is.  we’ll see.
• earrings: must make something with chains, ear cuffs, and clock parts.
• necklace: must make something with keys.  also, a well-tied scarf.  white silk – ascot? also, a few handkerchiefs (one to show, and one to blow!)
• this outfit needs a vest so i can carry a pocket watch with double chains, keys, and a fob seal.  and maybe a carnet du bal, but I just might use an iphone in it’s place. will need a leather case for that.
• jacket: needs more pockets.
• pants: can’t argue with them.
• underwear: should properly include a shift, drawers, corset - see 
• shoes: black patent leather, with brass buckles.  possibly gears.
• accessories: fingerless gloves, if i have time to make them.  otherwise purchased fingerless lace mitts.
• accessories: box purse – brass hinges and findings, would cellulose acetate be easier than a book? would that be necessary with all the other accoutrements?
• accessories: laid cotton cards in vintage font.

Just making updating the list because I keep forgetting what I have.

Burda Butterick McCall’s Simplicity Vogue

Burda

8235 - messenger bag

Butterick

B4114 – poodle skirt

B4419 – edwardian style cloaks

B4838 - aprons

B5006 – sewing and knitting totes

B5061 – edwardian nightgown

B5266 – edwardian walking coat

3190 - 9 easy dresses

6630 - two Josephine-style dresses

3737 - petticoat, bloomers, bustle

4377 - cloak and medieval-ish dress

3805 - semi-historical hats

3836 - colonial-ish riding costume

McCall's

5147 - arm bands

4491 - medieval-ish overdress

4492 - medieval-ish dress

4884 - drawstring bags

M3880 - wraps

M5469 – tunic tops

M5516 – more tunic tops/dresses

M5535 – oh look, more tunic tops

M5704 – dresses that could be worn as tops

M5843

Simplicity

5062 - pants and split skirt

3832 - belly dancer costume

3869 - women's sized tunics

2837 - women's sized Zia (MCoG) costume

3782 - Elizabethan costume

7215 - civil war undergarments

2890 – corset, drawers, and chemise

2589 – Tudor dress

2621 – underthings for Tudor dress

2615 – oh look, tunic tops!

3565 – simple wardrobing elements

2614 – a skirt! and, some tunic tops.

7092 – cargo pants

4048 – lounging clothes and nightgowns

5006 – more underthings

2857 – fairy wings, just don’t ask.

New Look

6265 - sweats and yoga mat bag

6519 - vintage style chinese jackets and pants and bag

6594 – skirts

6736 - vintage style dress and jackets and pants

6737 - poet shirts and wide legged pants

Vogue

7280 – skirts

V2714 - coatdress

V8410 - jumper

Why? Because I can.  Take that blonde fairy princesses!

I have a neat batch of turquoise jewelry*, in addition to a star/sun shaped South American-looking amulet and various beads for an Inca headdress (although I will probably wimp out and just do a circlet).  I also have a matching turquoise beaded belt.

I have the pattern for the dress.  Just have to buy fabric and make** it.

I need to find/make:

• Sandals
• Time to convince my hair to grow down to my butt (not likely, but I can dream!)
• A feather cloak, as all Inca nobles had one or failing that, a Spanish style cloak (also, I like cloaks).  I was tempted to make a vicuna cloak until I saw how much it costs.
• Decide on fabric and colors for the dress (besides white linen)
• Decide on accessories (I don't think I can make a Golden Condor by August)

 

*Of course it's fake!  It's for a costume!

** Read as: "Make a half-assed effort and then have Mom fix it and yell at me for not paying attention to details."  Actually my current plan is a whole-assed effort, but we'll see.

I didn't take a shot of the whole sleeve part for some reason.  I decorated the connecting ribbon between the upper and lower parts of the sleeve.  They were supposed to be identical, but I screwed up.  :D  It looks nice though.  I need to start working on my hat.  And a bag.

Inspiration (Mary Tudor):

Realization:

 

One sleeve all done

The detachable sleeves, embellished.

Yeah, that would probably look better with a chemise under it.  Oh, in case you were wondering, the base dress is the Journe Gown by Sofi's Stitches.