Book Review: Steampunk Style Jewelry

Linked from Amazon, sorry if the link breaks in future! Click for the original.

The next book that I looked at was Steampunk Style Jewelry by Jean Campbell. This book is much more like Steampunk Emporium , (than the previous book I looked at – The Art of Steampunk) and is geared (har har) towards making your own steampunk-style jewelry.

There are a number of interesting projects, each interspersed with a sidebar about a different aspect of steampunk culture. The sidebars include topics like the roots of steampunk and science fiction origins, steampunk music, steampunk on stage, gears, goggles, finding materials to work with, and many others. This is really interesting, though it does mean that compared to the other book, there are fewer projects, and each one has slightly less detail in the instructions.

For the projects themselves, there are bracelets, rings, necklaces, and earrings, however the different elements could be swapped between different projects as well. (For instance the dangling element of one earring could be hung as a pendant instead.)  I found the amount of instructional detail ok – if you have never picked up a pair of needle-nose pliers before, it might not be enough for you, but if you have made a few other jewelry pieces before, this book includes more than enough detail.  My only preference for the Steampunk Emporium book is that it covered techniques I haven’t tried yet (and thus the high level of detailed illustration in that book was great), where as this book doesn’t really do a lot of projects that are new to me.  (Your mileage may vary!)

Although I really enjoyed the sidebars about Steampunk culture, I wondered if a book devoted to jewelry was really the best place for these items, or at least the quantity and length of them.  I would have loved to see them in a book about Steampunk culture itself – with chapters devoted to stage, dance, costume, artwork, jewelry, animations, goggles, rayguns, etc, but the length devoted to the subjects in this book is hard – they’re too short to give anything more than a taste, and I feel ultimately that they take away from the book I was really trying to read – one on making jewelry.

There is also a brief gallery of steampunk jewelry designs near the end of the book, with some lovely and well-photographed pieces to serve as inspiration.  Some are very similar to the designs in the book (at least in terms of tools you would need, techniques to use, sources for supplies, etc) while others are far more ambitious, and likely the work of trained jewelers rather than crafters.

As with all of these kinds of “project”-based books, supplies are vital, and if you want to capture the same look as the author, getting the same supplies is important.  There is a lengthy supplier list at the back of the book, along with artist biographies and credits (with links) for the artists and performers in the culture sections.

So, what do you think?  Have you picked up Steampunk Style Jewelry?  What did you think?

Book Review: The Art of Steampunk

Linked from Chapters, sorry if the link breaks in time! Click for the original

After taking a look at Steampunk Emporium  I thought it would be interesting to see what other Steampunk books are out there. Well – there’s a lot!

One of the ones I picked up was The Art of Steampunk by Art Donovan.  This isn’t a craft book in any way; instead the book profiles a number of steampunk artists and their creations.  The book starts out with a bit of information about steampunk, what it is, and how the author curated an exhibit at the Museum of the History of Science in the UK.  The introduction is followed up with an essay on Steampunk by author G.D. Falksen.

The rest of the book is devoted to the individual artists and some of their creations.  The book is mostly focused on showcasing the art, with a brief biography on each artist.  The majority of the pieces (some functional, some simply for display) are beautiful, but with the high level of skill from the artists, the pieces are less inspirational than I was hoping for.  I think this book really seems like an extension of a book found at a gallery or museum exhibit, and less of a stand-alone book to introduce people to the art of steampunk.  With that being said, the book is certainly well-done, and the pieces selected within it are exceptional, and really show off that true artists (rather than crafters) are deeply passionate about this subculture!

Have you picked up this book?  What do you think?

Blocking flat felt

Flat felt blocked on a head block

A little bit ago I tried out blocking flat felt from the fabric/craft store (as a more easily accessible alternative to purchasing felt capelines and hoods).  This is 100% wool felt (not the acrylic mess) and although it shaped wonderfully with the steam (you can see my little kettle in the corner) the result is far too soft to hold it’s shape.  I had read somewhere about at this point painting the inside of the felt with glue to ‘size’ it, and add the stiffness needed, but instead I blocked buckram on the same headform, and will end up simply covering the buckram with the felt.  (Since I don’t have access to the headform anymore; it’s gone back home to my millinery instructor!)  Maybe in a future post I’ll have a finished hat to share!

Cut! – The Duchess – Military inspired

Oops!  I thought that I had shared all of the costumes from the Cut! exhibit from The Duchess, but when I was looking through page two of my drafts – I found the last (I hope!) one that I had overlooked!

The military-inspired dress from The Duchess

This is the military-inspired dress from The Duchess, worn when she was campaigning for Charles James Fox.  The movie is set in England in 1774-1784, and the poster reads as follows:

Poster, click for the full version

“The Duchess is based on the life of Georgiana Cavendish, Duches of Devonshire.  Whiel the duchess’ beauty and charisma made her famous, her extravgant tastes and appetite for gambling and love made her infamous.  Married young to the older, distant Duke of Devonshire who was platently unfaithful, Georgiana became a fashion icon, a doting mother, a shrewd political operative, an intamite of ministers and princes and the darling of the common people.  Cosume designer Michael O’Connor described his process for creating the right look for the film:

‘Eighteenth century clothes were really quite extraordinary, but in the film the characters are speaking dialogue that needs to be paid attention to.  You can take inspiration from the past, but you have to play down large patterns and bright colours.  You don’t want the clothes to distract, though in reality they were probably extremely distracting.’

Dark blue silk chenille is used for this military-style day ensemble.  The jacket has leather trim with gold braid ‘frogging’ and brass buttons.  To show her support for the Whig party at a political rally Georgiana wore this suit lined in orange with a buff leather waistcoat since blue, buff, and orange were the colours of the Whig party.  Fox fur was used for her muff and hat to illustrate that she was campaigning for Charles James Fox.”

Sleeve cuff

Fabulous cuff detail.  There appears to be several layers of white lace at the sleeve edge, a similar fabric to the jacket/skirt body used for the cuff turn-back (the description suggests it’s leather, but it doesn’t look like leather to me…), with layers of gold braid highlighting a white bound buttonhole and large non-functional brass domed buttons.  More trim on the cuff edge as well.  The sleeve also appears to have been cut on the bias, since the welts of the chenille are on an angle.  (Bias cut sleeves also fit better and have more movement in them… though take a lot of fabric!)

Waistcoat and jacket hem

The waistcoat is in the buff leather with brass buttons, navy blue piping and blue bound buttonholes.  The jacket has a drastic cut away, with the same contrast blue fabric reverse facing, and the elaborately braid-trimmed white bound buttonholes and non-functional brass buttons as the sleeve cuff.  You can just barely see the bust dart from the jacket edge to the bust point, to shape the jacket.  There is also the top of what I’m calling the ‘garter’ – of course in 18th century England, stockings would have been held up by a ribbon tied around the leg, not by things hanging from the waist like a modern garter… but I don’t know what else to call these!  Not to mention, I have no idea what they are ‘for’ – other than to look pretty!  (Can anyone fill me in by leaving a comment?)

Jacket and waistcoat

Another shot of the waistcoat, jacket, ‘garters’ and the top of the skirt.  I didn’t really get any specific shots of the skirt, since it seemed generally unremarkable.

Another shot of the 'garter' (?)

Here’s a full-length shot of the ‘garter’.  Although it looks elaborate, it’s really a black grosgrain ribbon, with a number of brass filigree elements added on.

Close up of 'garter' (?)

I should have gotten a better photo of this – sorry!  But, here’s the ending to the ‘garter’ – with the cameo hanging from the end.  You can also just barely see some of the hand stitching holding the brass filigree elements to the black ribbon.

'garter' (?) and jacket lining

Although the garter is out of focus, this shot is mostly to show the orange lining of the suit.

Hat

A shot of the impressive wig and hat.  I really would have liked to get a better photo of this, but the display was on a stand and impressively tall, too tall to get a closer look or a better photo.  Here too is a closer view of the jabot, with a big white bow and loads of white lace (like the sleeve cuff).

Photo from the Jane Austen Film Club, click for original

And finally… a publicity photo from the movie – this one found on the Jane Austen Film Club blog, showing the costume in action.

Book review: Pattern Magic 2

Image from the publisher - sorry if the link breaks in future, click for original

In a previous post I looked at the first Pattern Magic book by Tomoko Nakamichi, and this time around I’m taking a look at the second Pattern Magic book.  Like the first, the book is terribly ambitious, and highly inspirational.  Again, it’s like origami for clothing, with some very wearable designs, and some designs that are pure fantasy (and likely best left to the pages of the book instead of being made up in full-size to wear!)

The book is organized in a similar way, and offers a half-scale bodice block to start playing (sized to fit a medium Japanese woman) and detailed illustrations how to take the pattern from the basic block to the design pattern.  Of course, there aren’t many instructions for actually constructing the garments, but I think that if you’re ready for the challenge of these drafts, you’re probably skilled enough to figure out the construction as well…

The designs themselves are grouped into three categories; playing with geometrics, decorative structures, and ‘it vanishes’.  The ambition of the designs really reminds me of a friend of mine – quirky, thoughtful, and sometimes a little TOO smart for her own good… haha

In my post about the first book, I commented on my favorite designs. This time around, I like:

Wearing a balloon – The collared version.  It’s just so clever – something that looks simple at first glance, and then when you start to look at it, it starts to unveil it’s funky secret…

Sprouting at the back - The end result looks very elvish and monk-ish at the same time. With that being said, I wonder if it would end up just looking like an unfinished hood?  This is something I’d love to see someone else make up…

Just like a stole - I’ve seen this before in 1950′s dresses I think – very cute and sweet.  I wonder though if the result is worth the extra pattern drafting and construction work?  The overall effect could be achieved with an additional piece of fabric…

A ball-shaped accordion – I’ve had this kind of thing in mind for a bag actually (or something vaguely like it), though the author shows it as a sleeve which is interesting as well.  I really like the shell-effect pulling the accordion diagonally, though I don’t know how this could be used…

Like a jungle – although it goes against my love of symmetry, I like the concept behind this design, and could see it looking very interesting if the pieces were strategically placed on the back of a dress.  I also wonder how it might work if the pieces were to lace across like a corset back?

Cowl neck & application of the cowl-neck design – I love cowl necks, but it’s not something too unique (since I’ve made up several over the years) but I love the application, turning the cowl into a vest front with lapels (this would look beautiful in a halter-neck I think…).  The straight-front Regency-style jacket is less interesting to me though.

Like the first book, you can get Pattern Magic 2 from the publisher or, if shopping in Canadian dollars, from Chapters/Indigo.

On my wish list is Pattern Magic for Stretch Fabrics, which hasn’t been published/distributed yet by the looks of things, but is available for pre-order from Chapters/Indigo for May 2012…  I’m fascinated by the idea of all of the structure from the designs in the first two books interpreted in knits!

Book Review: Pattern Magic

graphic from the publisher, sorry if the link breaks in future. Click for original

Most books I’ve seen I’ve filed under “inspiration” – however this one I’ll file under “ambitious” instead.  I first read about Pattern Magic  from the blogosphere (I don’t remember which one(s) and now that I go to look for my favorites, I can’t find the reference…) and finally found both #1 and #2 in the English (from Japanese) translations.

Pattern Magic is ambitious because it presumes that you understand how to draft your own basic blocks, and then that you know how to alter the patterns, and how to construct garments from those patterns.  For an average home sewer who relies on patterns by traditional pattern companies (Vogue, McCalls, etc) this is probably more ambitious than they could easily tackle.  I studied pattern drafting in college, and this is far beyond the scope of what I learned – however I can see how tackling one project at a time (with lots of patience!) could be very rewarding.

The designs in the book are like wearable origami; full of fascinating angles, confusing curves, and shapes emerging from areas where we’re unaccustomed to seeing these shapes.  Some of the designs are very adaptable for different garments (for instance translating an effect from a bodice to a skirt) while others are less so.  Some of the designs are wearable (at least by someone who doesn’t mind a little extra attention) while others I can’t imagine seeing on anyone off the couture runway.

The book includes half-scale bodice block patterns to start out with – these are graded for different (Japanese woman) sizes, but aren’t fitted – so just scaling them up likely won’t actually produce a wearable pattern (unless you happen to have ideal measurements by Japanese standards…)  Luckily, all of the designs show the actual development of the pattern rather than just the finished pattern – meaning you can take a block designed for your measurements and adapt the design from there.

My favorite designs?  

The gathered hole – pretty simple, but in an unexpected place.  I think it would be cute as shown on the hip of a cami, or on the shoulders of a jacket.  I like the look of it on the waist-side of a dress, but that’s totally not wearable for me!

The drop hole - not at all wearable as far as I can figure, but amazing. I can’t even think of a way to translate it into something wearable, but it’s gorgeous and noteworthy.

The bamboo shoot – lovely and pretty.  I can’t see wearing it on the front like in the example, but I think it would be lovely on the hips of a funky dress or on the back of a sundress.

In an ideal world (you know, that world where I have time to try these things) I’d love to try out some of the designs even in half-scale just for the challenge and the beauty.

So – have you made anything from Pattern Magic? Include a link of your creation in the comments below!  I searched the blogosphere, and found some of the following bloggers have made up their own versions…

• Very Prairie (Looks fantastic, but it seems like a lot of work for the result…)
• Goldfinch & Eagle (Made up in a small scale for a full size interpretation.)
• Handmade by Carolyn (the Gathered Hole dress looks cute on her, but it would look terrible on me!)

Order from the publisher, or find it in Canadian $ from Chapters/Indigo.

Cut! – Jane Eyre – Jane’s undergarments

Costume Poster

My previous post about the wedding dress from Jane Eyre gave a little sneak peek of the undergarments used to create the look for the dress itself. It probably is no surprise that I found the undergarments way more interesting than the dress itself.

Need a reminder?  Here’s that sneak-peek photo again, showing the dress in the foreground, with the undergarments in the background – complete with a chemise, corset, bloomers and hoop skirt/support.

From Jane Eyre

And below… the full version of the undergarments.

From Jane Eyre

I don’t know why the hem on the hoop is red – but I can remember several references (none of which can I find on short notice!) talking about petticoats and other underskirts being made of red flannel or red serge (both wool) so I imagine this has more to do with trend or fashion than practicality.  After all, a woman would have used one hoop under several different skirts, and I would imagine that a flash of red from under a more somber coloured dress would have been interesting… if you know the reason – please fill me in in the comments below!

From Jane Eyre

Above is a close up of the chemise, with a narrow ivory ribbon through a wide trim of lace, lots of tucking and lace insertion, and pale pink feather stitch embroidery. Tiny self-covered(?) buttons trim the front

From Jane Eyre

Here’s a photo of the top of the corset, with a wide band of red embroidered white cloth to bind the top, and hand-stitching also in red at the end of the bones.  I wish that the corset back was visible, and I would have liked to see this in different lighting to get a better idea of some of the lines of construction for the corset too.  Ah well!

From Jane Eyre

I found the adjustable center front for the top of the hoop skirt kind of interesting, and although hoops haven’t been my area of study, I really haven’t seen this before.  This is another area I’ll ask for comments about.. do you know what this is for?  It would appear that the hoop below the lacing panel is fixed in circumference, so the lacing only can affect the shape of the two upper-most hoops.  Would this have been done to change the shape?  If so, I can only imagine it changing slightly – so what’s the point here?  Also, why is the panel in the front versus the back?

From Jane Eyre

A close up of the red twill tape connecting the hoops and the leather strap used to create the lacing panel.  I find it interesting that eyelets were used instead of rivets on the twill tape to create the straps for the hoops.  I wonder if this was intentional?  (Or a make-due when someone ordered lots of eyelets and not enough rivets!?)

From Jane Eyre

A shot of the red panel at the bottom, softening the final edge of the hoop.

So… I have a few questions about the hoop – can you answer them in the comments below?

Cut! – Jane Eyre – Jane’s wedding gown

Costume Poster

Not too long ago Jane Eyre (or rather, a 2011 version of Jane Eyre) was on TV, and I actually watched it.  (Well, ok, I watched most of it, I came in about half an hour late.)  I know I’ve seen this 1996 version before, but although the story is easy to remember, it’s not exactly memorable.

In short, I really don’t like the story at all, and I can’t say that I like the costumes much better – though the details are rather nice, even if the overall look is rather bland.

The poster for this wedding dress says that the dress was worn by Charlotte Gainsbourg as Jane Eyre in this 1996 production set in England in the mid 1800s.  It goes on to say:

“This is a simple yet appropriate wedding dress for a young woman who must work for a living while searching for equality in an unfair society – and for true love.  This one-piece dress of deep cream silk in a matt (matte) finish is partly overlaid with tulle trimmed with fringing (fringe) and blond lace.  It not only indicates Charlotte’s (Jane’s) station in life but follows the desire of director and designer to reflect the film’s somber gray atmosphere. 

Compared to the other costumes in this exhibition these three examples are masterful in their simplicity and restraint and fully illustrate the subtle messages about class and wealth that costumes can convey.” (corrections mine)

From Jane Eyre

The first shot is a bit of a teaser – the undergarments worn to create the silhouette of the dress (shown in the foreground).

Jane's wedding dress

Overall, the dress is pretty plain and ordinary.  I like the waist treatment (though what woman would wear that?) and you can get the effect of the tulle over the silk a bit in the skirt – though overall it doesn’t really read as anything special.

Jane's wedding dress

It’s in the close-up photos that I think the dress becomes more appealing.  The waist treatment is still lovely, (though unwearable) but then you can see how the tulle goes over the bust, leaving an impression of a v-neckline, over the silk.  The tulle also adds some softness to what is otherwise a pretty ‘hard’ dress considering.  I think the little decorative (non-functional) buttons are rather silly though personally… though it does have the “wedding dress” feel of modern dresses with their hundreds of little silk buttons down the back (which are likewise decorative rather than functional for the most part.)

Jane's wedding dress

In this close up you can get a better impression of the tulle over the skirt – though the colours are so similar that it almost seems redundant.  The cuff is simple and lovely though with just the little touch of matching lace, and the tiny wisp of lace inside the cuff.

Jane's wedding dress

I really do adore the little pleats inside the elbow though, to allow for sleeve shaping and movement…

Jane's wedding dress bonnet

… and the best part about this outfit is the bonnet in my opinion.  It’s rather interesting, draped all in tulle.

So, what do you think of this costume?  It definitely suits the mood of the film/story…

Cut! – Howard’s End – Meg

Costume Poster

Another costume from the Cut! exhibit that I took some photos are from another movie I haven’t seen yet – Howard’s End which is from 1992. The movie is set in England in 1908-1910, and the poster describes this costume. (Click the image for a full-size version.)

“Emma Thompson steps out of her roll as an enlightened bourgeois and humanist free thinker to step into the role of step mother dressing for her step-daughter’s wedding. This black dress with white lace bodice grew from the director’s desire to make the world of Howard’s End seem genuinely inhabited and the costumer’s wish to show ‘real clothes made in an authentic way’. It illustrates how original pieces of detailing such as the lace on the bodice can be blended with new but period-correct fabrics to make an outfit which looks exactly as it would have in 1908-1910. The skirt of this dress is cut on the bias and was draped on Emma to ensure that the folds fell correctly on her and looked natural. Mauve velvet flowers at the neckline and a straw bonnet with a cream silk crown complete the ensemble.”

Meg's costume from Howard's End

I couldn’t really get a full-length shot of this dress, so this is the best that I can do!  It doesn’t really show off the bias-cut skirt very well, but it gives a decent idea of what the costume looks like.

Meg's costume from Howard's End

A close up of the lace at the bodice.  I found the cut edge really interesting – how it looks as though it’s part of the bodice, and yet separate at the same time. However, looking at the size of the netting connecting the embroidered/couched motifs, the netting in the overall netting looks much larger than the net where the flowers are.  This shot also shows a bit of the pleating at the waist on the black silk.

Meg's hat from Howard's End

I was much more interested in the hat for this costume than the dress itself – a straw hat with a wide black velvet trim at the outside edge and black hatband.  Then the hat’s crown is covered in ivory silk –with how poofy the silk is, I imagine that there’s also a tulle support under the silk.  The description calls this a ‘bonnet’ – however from what I understand, a bonnet has ties to hold it on.  This one doesn’t have ties, but I’m not sure if the ‘ties’ thing is accurate or not.

Meg's hat from Howard's End

In this shot you can see the black hatband, covering that the poofy ivory silk is actually gathered onto a small band of ivory silk.  There is also a ivory silk… flower?  (with the black stem) I don’t entirely understand this… or perhaps I’m just not seeing it right.

Meg's hat from Howard's End

I also really wanted to get a shot of the underside of the hat, but unfortunately it doesn’t give me quite as much as I would like.  I had thought if it was unlined, I’d be able to see if this was just built on a straw directly (since I could see the straw crown), but since the hat is lined, I can’t really see anything – other than the ivory (silk?) lining.

Promo photo from Howard's End from Cheddar Bay. Click for the original source.

Cut! – Phantom of the Opera – Carlotta

Costume poster

The Phantom of the Opera from 2004 is set in Paris in 1870. The costume shown here is from the character Carlotta, played by Minnie Driver. The costume is described in the poster to the left. (Click for a larger version.)

“There was an obvious desire to create a larger than life look in the costumes for this film and this is seen especially in the costumes made for Minnie Driver. The eye is drawn to this striking day ensemble by the bright green grosgrain overdress with striped shot silk lining and cuffs. The mock waistcoat with enamelled buttons is edged in dark red velvet that matches a large bow at the back. The skirt is of warp printed silk, maroon with orange, pink, and yellow flowers.”

Carlotta's gown

I didn’t really like this costume in person, though looking at the photos of it, it’s growing on me a little bit. The part I don’t really like is the colour combination for starters, and the colour green in general. I also don’t really like the floral silk – the colours or the print either. However what I do like about this costume is the overall shape, and the incredible detail put into the dress.

Carlotta's gown

I really love the way that this bodice is cut – there is so much shape and so much detail in this bodice. I like the false ‘tabs’ which hold back the lapel for starters, and all of the shaping at the waist, bringing in all the fullness of the bust, narrowing the waist, and then flaring back out all of that fabric for the hips/skirt.

Carlotta's gown

Above is another shot of the bodice, showing off the wonderful cut at the waist. There are also horizontal lines of fullness at the waist as well, drawing back to the bustle – I’m not sure if this was a fit issue or if this is part of the design itself.

Carlotta's gown

The false waistcoat has dramatic points at the hem. I really love the lush velvet for this part of the garment. The warp-painted silk has a similar ‘soft’ appearance because of the warp-painting, which produces soft figures, rather than precise or detailed patterns.

Carlotta's gown

On the topic of the details of the gown, I love the striped lining of the cuff, the way the sleeve is lined with the same red velvet as the waistcoat, and then the fluffy white lace sleeve. So feminine! Again though, still hating the green!

Carlotta's gown

Here’s an alternate view of the cuff showing the tab, which appears to hold the cuff back, and still lets the edges of the cuff fall forward to show off the beautiful lining.

Carlotta's gown

The incredible back of the dress rivals the beautifully cut front. Again, I hate the green and the colour combination, but isn’t this lovely otherwise? Look at the way the bodice is cut to make the waist appear so narrow with the angled lines from the shoulders down into the waist center back.

I love the billowy bustle too, and the way the back drapes, showing off the striped lining. I don’t love how in this photo the striped lining really just looks purple – in the photo of the cuff you can see that it’s really more of a burgundy and silver-ish stripe – but from the distance it turns into something more light purple…

I also really love how the dark red velvet emerges in the bustle as well, bringing that colour to the back rather than just having it in the front. Mind you, I also just really love red velvet!

Carlotta's gown

Again more detail!  There’s a trim inside the skirt of box-pleated burgundy.  Based on the way that this hangs, I think it’s actually on an underskirt, rather than attached to the warp-painted silk.

Carlotta's gown

Side shot of the gown, showing off how HUGE that bustle is compared to the bodice of the dress.

Carlotta's gown

Close up of the side-back, showing the seams in the bodice back, and the red velvet bow sitting above the billowy bustle.

Carlotta's gown

Close up of the red velvet bow above the bustle.

Carlotta's gown

Another side shot of the fabulous bustle!

The big poofy pink confection worn by the Christine character was also in the Cut! show, but I didn’t like it at all, so didn’t get any photos.

So, what do you think?  Let me know in the comments below!  I think this would be amazing to recreate in a Steampunk fancy dress costume – just with better colours!