Time To Let It Cool

I integrated some of the older particle work, mesh just isn't suited to that sort of draping.

Shoes may be a little wide, even though they look long, I measured a couple times.

I forget what version I'm on

Entirely mesh, except the eyeballs, hands, and tail. Yup, the avatar body is mesh too.

Between gowns and these, they're my benchmark I think for where I'm at in SL ability.

Needs more stuff. Will see about putting the system of particles in I had on the prior version, linking all the meshes into one for colour change. Also thinking of a veil.

And anklets, keep forgetting the anklets.

Evolution

Mesh mesh mesh mesh mesh mesh.

Every Time I Hit The Gas

I discover I still have an inch of pedal.


That's actual prim broach, something I made in... 2005.

Now I want to make my own avatar. That's like discovering I have a pre-regulation destroyer class solid fuel recoil booster in the trunk. o.o

And a Jacket

Needs some trim, maybe a broach.




I can't believe I did this layer by layer.

It's Coming Together

And gloves.


lol. Upskirt.


I made boots too.

Boots were made for another project, otherwise we're up to three days work for this far.

It Grew a Gown

Schlep.

The Schlep

This essay kind of helped me over a hump.

Anyway, experiments in mesh, a corset. 'O course a real corset might as well be a solid sculpt with no give whatsoever, it's just that an AO that will in any way cooperate is becoming increasingly rare, and few give a damn anyway. So, I used a bendy AO to show the flexing properties.

There's even shine on the bones and high shine on the gromets. Yay! :D




And that's basically how things get done. You get in there and grind away. This was about 8 hours work.

Steam Con 2010

Maybe a pipe wrench next year.
Myself and Lucien.
Myself and Tehanu.

DERP: I had that titled as SLCC 2010?

On Masks

Since I obviously have a fascination:
http://sahillavingia.com/blog/2010/11/05/wearing-a-mask-being-more-confident/

Got Steam? (MOAR)

Tensai Hilra and Nabila Nadir.



Tensai Hilra and TotalLunar Eclipse.

Got Steam?

Clockwise from the top left: Jaelle Akula, Vivito Volare, Fogwoman Gray, JJ Drinkwater Kamilah Hauptmann.

Victoriana on the Cheap

From a conversation with Serra Anansi and a belated fulfillment of a 'kinda' promise to Kaye Robbiani and/or Scotti Lyle.

Also known as: How to toss together a passable costume for Victoriana, fast and cheap.

Disclaimer, I haven't tried this, it's just an 'idea' from what I've learned about 19th Century fashion and might come close to late Victorian natural form.

Text here:

Go to any plus sized dress store and find something conservative.

Get two full length dresses.

Same one, one will be a parts sacrifice.

Then to the fabric store for ribbons and notions and tassels and stuff.

That match.

You'll need a store bought crinoline. Pirate your old wedding dress maybe.

You'll also need a few yards of stiff crinoline, but that's pretty cheap too.

That will be bustled up and attached to the main crinoline.

More butt. :)

Now you have a dress and a dress to tear apart. What you do with the sacrifice one is pull the bodice off, and hem it. It will become an overskirt, tie it up with ribbons on the sides.

Take the sleeves and poof em up for some poofy shoulders, sew them over the main dress.

Add frills to taste.

Steam Con

I'm booked.

New Face, New Beer

Hot find! A place that sells masks manufactured by the suppliers to the Cirque du Soliel!

I got two such masks, both cat. This is the more masculine 'Feline', reminiscent of a lion or panther. The other is a 'Puss in Boots', and is much less stern looking, and they have nose holes, I can breathe in them.

And of course, a big honkin' bottle of beer.

Egad, I've grown such a mane. And by now I feel I've cemented myself as 'one of those internet weirdos'.

Hook and Eyes, Not Recommended

Checklist:

• Work on the fastenings, reinforcements under the bust, and a better fastening up at the collar.
• New wig and wig cap, poor thing's about had it.

This is Simplicity 2887, with a few alterations.

The velvet was just too bothersome to stitch well so I took the leftover taffeta and stitched lace around the tabs. I may weight them with some ornaments.

It's over corset Simplicity 9769 and the hoop skirt and petticoat Simplicity 9764.

All in all I found this challenging but not out of my novice reach. Many thanks to the internet and all you wonderful people who post tutorials.

I Love It When The Sleeves Go On

It looks more like a dress and that I wasn't just wasting fabric and thread.

Lessons learned:

• Velvet is a bitch to sew.
• Those dots are there for a reason.
• Sometimes you need to ignore the dots and put it on 'wrong' to make it look 'right'.
• Wrong and right have entirely different reasons when all caps.
• Use lotsa pins if you're not sure you don't quite understand the directions.
  

Getting Ready for SLCC 2009

Getting ready to rock the SLCC's costuming again this year!

I made this corset. :) It's Simplicity pattern 9769. I found a great company that made kits of everything I needed. Canadian too. Bonus. No getting held up sending several kilos of metal strips over the border. O_o They even had coutil, a very strong fabric for corsetry. I think I may have enough left for a second corset.

Several kilos of boning for one corset? Surely I must jest! Er, no. The majority of it was for this hoop skirt. Simplicity pattern 9764. Cotton/Poly broadcloth.
Casualties so far, two sewing machine needles, a seam ripper, and thankfully not much blood this time around.

Extra tools I needed, aviation snips to cut the hoop boning. And I've never before this skirt and corset ever used a power drill and a hammer to assemble a garment. I also rather than using hook and eyes for the clasp I broke apart an adjustable strap from the hardware store and used that instead. Not even remotely period, but if anyone looks up my skirt on such an inspection, they'll get a pointy boot up the left nostril.

I'll point out that none of that was difficult. But it took time, and it took an extra set of hands from time to time. Sewing that much casing tape into a skirt was bonkers and took a great deal of measuring and pinning and despite the mistakes I made (I fixed the horrid ones) it's very forgiving.

Last year's costume fit over it just fine, but with the corset needs to come in a little bit, also, the front dips and the back is a little high. I may pinch it in the back to take it in and force the draping backwards a bit and see how it works.



Adjustment here, adjustment there, perhaps another skirt layer under the main to mask the boning better, and I'll be set.

Next stop, Simplicity 2887 with a few modifications.