Preparing for King Richard’s Faire

Renaissance Fair Season is upon us! I love spending a day out in the woods with the  fairies and jesters, celebrating the late summertime magic. The first Fair on my list is King Richard’s in Carver Mass, and to make sure I make the most of my Fair day, I am adding a few new pieces to my costume wardrobe. The most ornate of which is this handy little bag. This small glitzy purse was inspired by the Habib Bags offered by long-time fair vendor “Moresca.” Their work is beautiful, but hardly within budget when I can make some of the pieces, or something similar myself.

All of the fabric for this purse, the red tassels, black and gold trim, and the broach were all things that I already owned in my craft bins. The only things I had to buy new were the multi-colored loop trim and the very ornate gold curtain trim with tassels that you see running through the middle. However because I only needed a small cut of each, and could pattern the whole thing myself, this bag cost me under $10 to make! Not counting my time of course. It even has a lining.

I also recently made a new belt and mini-bodice which I wore to Connecticon. Made from green brocades and satins, with black and gold trim. Hand beaded and laced with black suede through brass grommets, this matching set is extremely versatile–especially the belt–because it is fully adjustable. I can wear it over leggings or a petticoat and two bustled skirts and it sits just fine.

To spice these two pieces up for the fair I added some black and gold chains to the belt and the bodice. I’m banking on warm weather for fair day so that I can wear these chains on an open midriff. I’ll wear a shawl if I have to but the chains do not look as nice over a chemise. Anyone have any other ideas on how to winterize this bodice? I have arm socks or I could always go full cloak, but I don’t really want to cover the whole costume up. Side note–I got these chains on ebay for wicked cheap and they’re REALLY nice. I think they’re aluminum. Very pliable and easy to work with, however they are a nice thick gauge and feel quite strong when tugged on! I’m more concerned about my stitches failing than I am the chains, which is more than I expected for such cheap ebay notions.

My favorite method of preparation for the fair involves spending more time outside. This is such a lovely time of year, and feeling a nice breeze on my skin every once and while keeps me motivated. The only other pieces of my costume that I want to update now, is to add a simple black fringe apron to sit under my fancy bag. I think it will frame it nicely and add an even more heavily layered look to my already voluminous skirts.  I’ll be sure to post more pictures when the whole outfit is done!

Don’t forget to subscribe to my main blog for more posts on ALL things arts, crafts, and sewing (not just the cosplay stuff).

Thanks for reading. 🙂

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Connecticon 2013

This weekend I will once again be exhibiting with Faire Trimmings in the Artist’s Colony of Connecticon 2013. Held at the Connecticon Convention Center in Hartford, CT, Connecticon is already in its 10th year!

The artist’s colony is located on the first floor, in the same giant exhibition hall as the dealer’s room. There will be large crowds of people flocking to it, so really you can’t miss it. I will be in booth AC-37, which to my understanding is right next to the information booth near a major isle. That should make us pretty easy to find.

We will be selling one-of-a-kind costume accessories made from leather, fabric, feathers, and more. There will be jewelry, masks, and prints to sift through. If you’re a fan of steampunk, cosplay, crafting, or period clothing you should come check us out!

Artist’s colony will be open Friday 12-8pm, Saturday 11-7pm, and Sunday 10-4pm.

Kelley and I will spend the weekend at our booth in costume. So come by to take a picture or to say hello!

Hope to see you there.

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Large Leather Armor

Hey Everyone,

Long time no see. I have been busy getting ready for the Holidays, finishing up my holiday open houses, and of course, making some of my first large scale leather armor pieces. My Etsy shop is finally filling up with the sorts of impressive armor I aim to be known for.

All the armor featured in this post is made from 100% natural vegetable tanned cow hide. At 4-5oz this leather is firm and durable yet retains a degree of flexibility to conform to just about any body. I patterned all the designs myself which means you won’t find the same items anywhere else. All pieces were hand painted using a waterproof acrylic ink, and sealed with a waterproof varnish. Now all I have to do is get my hands on some models so I can photograph these on the human body.

I am also looking for suggestions as to what people would like to see used for body straps. At the moment my shoulder armor is the only thing sold in my etsy I that does not included all the necessary straps too wear as is. Everything else comes with all the ties and fasteners needed. Don’t worry, the price of the shoulder armor doesn’t include the cost of straps, and never will. I plan to have folks buy straps separately. But what types of straps are you looking for? Do you want to see belts of military webbing, real leather, fake leather? Options for all three? Poll at the bottom of the post.

Now, some of you may be thinking, “what even are these things?” Well, they are all different types of wearable leather costume armor, made personally by me for the upper body. To find out more specifics about each item, how they were made, how to wear them, and what they are selling for, you should probably click on the pictures! Again, this armor is designed to fit a wide range of people from petite to really really large. However, if you are looking for something made specific to your measurements and with a custom design, you should get in touch with me either through my Etsy, by leaving a comment, or through my website. Thanks for reading!

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Steampunk Photos Bushnell Park, The Final Installment

Finally, the last Steampunk Photo Shoot post from Bushnell Park. This post has one extra picture than the others, because I wanted to wrap things up here.

Here is a nice one of Kelley and I posing in front of the fountain looking super cool. By now the wind had let up a little and the sun was starting to make things a little easier for us. That is why I think that the fountain pictures came out especially nice. The colors were all really fantastic around us, even for late fall.

I think this is a nice dynamic shot. If you have been reading my earlier postings of photos from this shoot, you will see me talking about my strategies to look slightly off balance in an effort to get a dynamic shot. Well, I was certainly off balance here, but tried not to let my face show it. That nice wind that made that awesome line with my skirt also almost pushed me over.

This is another nice one for its density of detail. Look at all those things to look at!

A very epic shot in front of the fountain.

And finally, the perfect lens-flair shot. We got this one on our first try. It looks just like a movie poster to me. Thank you for reading!

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Even More Spectacular Steampunk Photos!

Alright, two more steampunk posts to go until I have posted all of the photos.

We will start here with perhaps my favorite shot of my costume from the entire shoot. I am not even looking at the camera and this shot came out to say everything I wanted to say about this costume and this character. Well composed, well lit, and the wind was finally taking a break. You can see every part of the costume here and everything is moving together. So glad we got this shot.

Here is a nice one of us walking across the field in our outfits, and what a green field it is.

Here is another really nice on of kelley posing with the statues of the fountain, looking just as majestic, herself.

And another one of me crossing the fountain.

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Steampunk in Bushnell Park Continued

The third installment of our steampunk photo shoot in Bushnell park!

I love this shot. I feel very glamourous in it and I loved that doorway because it shielded me from the wind and the sun and allowed me to actually pose with my face as well as my body. This is one of my favorite shots of my costume as well because everything is behaving and falling just where it is supposed to. I think the shadows are great, and the composition awesome.

This is a shot of Kelley’s behind. She spend a lot of time in her butterfly bustle, and wanted to be sure to document its wings.

Here is another cool shot from in front of that cool old wall. In this instance the wind was actually working in my favor to give me some movie-star hair. I also like that I managed to keep my eyes open. You may notice some differences between this costume and the same one which I wore to New York Comic Con. Here I decided to trade in my adventure boots and leg warmers for some heels to create a longer leg. It works better in some shots than others, but I do like the look.

Here is a fantastic shot of kelley crossing the fountain. Very glamourous, very colorful, and very well lit. More on the way!

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New Steampunk Pictures Are Here!

Hey all, I finally have all the pictures back from the recent photo shoot of my new steampunk outfit. The photo shoot was conducted in Hartford at the beautiful Bushnell park. Many of the park’s landmarks were built during the victorian era, giving the shoot that extra touch of authenticity. Now, as exciting as these photos are, you know I can’t give them to you all at once! I will post four pictures at a time, as to not make the posts too long. So check back all next week!

This first picture is of me in my American-gypsy-cancan costume. In steampunk, it is customary to invent a character on which to base your costume. Mine is of an American pioneer dancer. Though this photo shows off the costume really well, it was terribly windy that day, and a good chunk of my shots featured my hair all in my mouth and over my eyes.

This is a shot of our lovely behinds! This photo shoot was of both myself, and my friend Kelley. Also an American character, but in this case, she is a former soldier. Both of our characters are said to have fled the states after getting into some sort of trouble. That’s about all of a backstory we needed to make some pretty unconventional steampunk outfits for our unconventional characters. Despite all the frills and lace, they are strong, risqué, and independent female characters for this conservative alternative era.

This is the front of Kelley’s costume. Again, she looks great here despite the wind and the freezing cold temperatures that day.

And the last photo for this post; the two of us together. These photos are just a little teaser for you. There are plenty more spectacular shots to come! Thanks for reading.

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Steampunk in the City: New York Comic Con 2012

Finally, I have gotten the photos back from New York Comic Con. This  year I headed into the city with a big group of friends to get our nerd on. All the ladies in the group, four in total, attended the convention in steampunk. Below is my costume, mixed in with some group pictures including the other lovely ladies of my cosplay group, MetaCosplay.

I find New York Comic Con to be too crazy and crowded of a convention to cosplay a popular character. There is no room to have your picture taken anyhow, and the days are so long that not having to worry about a wig or high shoes is really the only way to make it through. New York City is exhausting, so a comfortable steampunk or street clothes is the only way to keep me in a good mood after a long day of crowd-wading and line-waiting.

This Steampunk is my own original design, imagined through an effort to make a steampunk the likes of which I have never seen before. The character is an American “business women” from the western frontier, who got into some “trouble” and had to “flee the country.” She is now essentially a high-class gypsy, traveling with friends and associates from both the U.S. and England.

Our group was supposed to meet up with a photographer from Nerd Caliber on Saturday of the con to have some better pictures taken, but in the madness of the con and the lack of cell-phone service at the Javits, we never connected. Which is just as well because I have some edits I would like to make to the accessorizing of this outfit. If the weather holds out a little longer, the ladies and I should be able to arrange a real photoshoot in early november. But for now, these pictures are all I’ve got.

The convention itself was a great time, but mostly because of the good company. As I said, the convention was too crowded to take pictures at, so I don’t have much else to report! Again, I will hopefully have more, and better pictures of this costume next month.

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New Leather Jewelry and Costume Accessories on Etsy

To kick off my new line of leather costume pieces, we have some leather necklaces and bracelets in the Etsy shop! All super affordable and 100% hand made. What’s most exciting is that these are just the beginning. I start pushing out armor next week! Check it out.

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Princess Kraehe & Princess Tutu at Connecticon 2012

Finally the photos from Connecticon 2012 are ready! Here are a few highlight pictures from my Princess Kraehe cosplay, with accompanying Princess Tutu. You can find  more details on the construction of the costume on the Princess Kraehe Page! So be sure to check it out!

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