Steamcon 2012

Now with 100% more hat and owl.  I just love this costume SO MUCH.

Finished! 10/21/12

I’ll be wearing this to Steamcon 2012. I already wore it (minus the hat which wasn’t done) to work for a Dress Up Day.

Thank you to Charlene and Hannah for being Harry Potter geeks with me!

But now the hat is done, so here are pictures!

I decided to use McGonagall’s hat as my inspiration.  Older ladies tend to slow to adapt to new fashions, so I figure the “pointy witch’s hat” used to be more common in older days.  Like, say, in the Victorian time?  Anyway, that’s why MY uniform has a hat.  That, and because I just wanted to make one….  😉

The owl does have a light that blinks in his brain box, but that didn’t show up well in the bright outdoor light.

Lookit my little owl stamp!

I also made a book to carry with me.  The cover has taken from the Harry Potter “Film Wizardry” book.  That book has a ton of reproductions/pullouts in it.  (And btw, they are printing an updated version that has stuff from the Deathly Hallows in it.  So I guess I will have two copies of this book soon.  Sigh.)

But surprise!  It’s not a real book!  🙂  It is secretly a way to carry my phone, camera, etc while I’m at Con.

Video tour here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFrp69tLnX8&feature=youtu.be

 

Robe 8/24/12

The robe is done…except for hemming! 

Really, I think this is going to be one of my favorite costumes of all time.

The robe has two pockets.  A small breast pocket on the right side, just large enough for money, ID, and credit cards.

And a wand pocket on the left.  Oh, I also need to embroider a label for under the wand pocket that reads “Madame Malkins, Robes for All Occasions”.  That is the hilt o my wand peeking out the top, there.

Then, I started work on my owl. I was going to use a copper owl bank I found on ebay, but it turned out to be too heavy when it came.  However, I pulled off the eyes and copper ‘forehead/beak’ piece, and combined it with a bunch of bought/found items for my own steampunk owl.  The body is a tomato paste can!  I’m not quite done; it still needs something on its head (perhaps a light?) but here’s a peak.

The wings are the lid of the can, cut in half, turned so the brass underside shows, and trimmed with tin snips into a wing shape.

Now, onto the hat!

Bodice Finished! 8/15/12

The bodice is done, and the skirt is mostly done.  Yay!  All I need to do on the skirt is hem it, and sew the ruffled bustle on the back.

Then I can start either the outer robe or the hat.  I’m super excited about beginning both!

On to the pictures!!!

Now you can see the colors better – and see that the tie, indeed, does need to be dyed!  🙂

In case I didn’t mention earlier, I drafted my own pattern for the bodice, although I did modify my favorite skirt pattern in all the world for the skirt: Simplicity 8375.  It’s out of print, but still available from ebay and etsy.

The pocket watch has its own special fob: a golden snitch!

I put it together myself, from two wing-shaped jewelry finding (from Michaels) and a ball locket.  I bought a bunch of the ball lockets off etsy.  There is a seller who paints the most marvelous little images inside hers…I may do something like that inside mine.  Or I might do something like this.  Who knows????

And here’s the back, although that will change, once I add the butt ruffles!

And now I need your help!  Since I’m wearing this to Steamcon, I need ideas for a Harry Potter phrase to have printed on my giveaway badge ribbons.  Something cute or funny…perhaps a quote from the books?  Needs to be very short, as those ribbons don’t allow a lot of room.

Progress 8/12/12

I’ve decided to finish this in time for Steamcon IV in October.  So excited about this costume; I think it’s going to be a blast to wear!

What I have done:

The gold underskirt just needs to be hemmed, and snaps sewn on the waistband.  The overskirt needs its frilly butt bustle, hemming, and the side with the buttons needs to be finished.  Right now that side is just pinned together.

The bodice needs some binding, some buttons, and a collar.  And the patch sewn on.

Bad pics do not properly show the color.  At all.  The sun is setting outside, and I could not find a good angle that didn’t wash it out.

But it was either bad pics or no pics, and I was really, really wanting to show you guys what I’ve been doing!  I promise it’s really SO much more prettier!!!  🙂

It also will have a blouse under it.  The blouse is already made; it’s the one I used for my Steampunk 10th Doctor outfit.  And I need to dye the tie the right color (not that you can tell, but the stripes are white, not gold) and make it into a cravat like I did for the 10th Doctor’s outfit.

Steampunk Hogwarts Uniform

I am a Harry Potter addict, a steampunk enthusiast, and an ardent Hufflepuff.  So of course these things had to come together eventually.  Here’s the concept sketch for a Victorian Steampunk version of a Hogwarts uniform, from the Hufflepuff house.

Even though I have no plans yet on where to where this, I couldn’t resist starting immediately!  Due to Pottermore finally letting me in on the Beta testing (I’m HexErised30) and the it-will-be-delivered-to-me-tomorrow book: Harry Potter Page to Screen which I am so frigging excited to have, I am back in a Harry Potter frenzy.

I bought some dark grey wool mix fabric for the skirt and vest, and some faux silk in a mustard-y color for the lining and underskirt.  I also have a black wool mix for the robe itself.  Before Steamcon III, I was able to cut out most of the skirt (using my ever-wonderful and sadly out of print pattern: Simplicity 8375) and make a muslin for the vest.

Everything is just pinned together in the above picture.  I also want to make a metal “mechanical” owl for the hat, and a steam-powered broom.  I’m pretty sure how I’m going to do the owl; but the broom is still very much a thought-in-progress.  If I’m going to take it to conventions with me, it really needs to collapse – or come apart for packing.  Hmmm…..