Quick and Dirty: Quirky Thrifted Jacket Quirked even Further!

Hello folks!

At long last, I'm back and have the freedom to post!  Work has settled down into it's usual routine, and remain at it's usual pace until mid-September, when it ramps up for a bit.  Today is another "Quick and Dirty" post.  My goal, with these Quick and Dirty sections, is to demonstrate how useful it is to go thrifting - you find unique pieces for inexpensive and sometimes downrightdirt-cheap prices, and with just a little bit of thought, you can modify them for a steampunk outfit.  The trick is to learn to see the potential in garments, even if, sometimes (not in this case) they are spectacularly ugly.  My hope is that by demonstrating what I have done, if this isn't something you aren't used to doing, you can learn to see that potential lurking out there in your local thrift stores!  Also, I want to reiterate, that many of these projects require minimal sewing skills.

So, today, I want to show you a very quick and dirty modification of a very funky little jacket I was able to find at a thrift store.

Part of what attracted me to this quirky little piece (other than the fact it fit!) was the use of gold-coloured zipper as trim along the collar edge, and the sleeve pocket and bright green ribbon detailing, and the dangle-ties on the front pockets.

This piece had a tangerine and green ribbon tie (shown below hanging on the hanger) at an impossible spot to close it, for the female form (across the fullest part of the bust), so the very first thing I did, even before I took photos, was remove the tie and replace it with a fancy hook and eye closure in a much better location, under the bust.

 

And the big thing to really change up this jacket was to jazz it up with a nice, Victorian tassel trim.  I decided this should go around the collar (ensuring it still showed off the glitzy, punky, zipper trim) and at the sleeves, covering the seam where the cuffs attach.   I just used my sewing machine to attach the fringe trim to the collar (with a bit of handstitching at the ends) and sleeves.

I also ensured the trim ended just inside the jacket, so it was clean-edged and tidy when closed.

The tassel trim really changed the look of the jacket.

And with the addition of a winged trilobite pin on the collar (touch of Girl Genius - I admit I'm a fangirl), voila, the jacket is done and ready to wear as one of my steampunk pieces.

Comments?  Questions?  Suggestions?  Please feel free to leave them here!  And remember, if you want to start any steampunk or steampunk costuming discussions, please feel free to do so on the Steam Wench Salon's Facebook Page, where there is a place for discussions.

Quick and Dirty: Tricking out a Thrifted Skirt

Greetings, again.

Today I'd like to post a brief how-I-did-it piece, on tricking out a skirt I found at a thrift store that was closing (which meant the skirt cost me 90¢!)

Below is the skirt, which had an Italian label and is made from 100% cotton.  

Front (taken with flash)

Back, taken without flash

The skirt was pinned up entirely randomly, at different height levels.  It also had two braided ties (?) at the sides, made of the same skirt fabric, which were very long, and in these photos, can be faintly seen, clipped up at the top to loop them.  I considered keeping the braids, but they were at a height and angle which I found difficult to work with attractively.  Since I was going to be wearing a corset over the skirt, I ultimately decided the extra bulk was unnecessary, so I unpicked their stitches to remove them from the skirt (and have kept them just in case I find another use for them).

Skirt pinned to dressform under corset.  (Braided ties still attached)

After staring at the skirt awhile on the form, I decided I wanted to trim the hem, and definitely embellish and accentuate the pinned-up portions.  So I went and sorted through my accumulated trims and buttons, etc, and ended up starting at these selections:

Trim I have from previous projects & shopping trips

Buttons bought online

I went a bit nuts, and began pinning things to the skirt on the dressform.  (I was also working on the corset at the same time, and pinned things all over it too.  See separate entry earlier on the corset mod)

I decided to attach the fairly stiff, light tan & white striped, narrow ruffle trim (which was slightly elasticized) to the hem, and use the fancy buttons to accent (and reinforce) the pinned-up sections, with some of the plaid ribbon dangling down.  

Upon deciding this, I pinned the striped trim to the entire hem.  Turns out when laid out, the hemline was a huge rectangle.  Pinning elasticised trim is frustrating (and turned out to be pointless ... once the machine hit it, my pinning was moot, as the pins took up more trim than sewing did, so my pins were all off).  After I was done sewing, I measured the hem circumference ... 19 ½ feet of hem.  Yikes.  No wonder it took forever.  After sewing, the skirt looked like this:

I wasn't happy with how much the hem now stuck out, but realized, when worn under the corset, it wouldn't be so bad.  At this stage, it took me a week to figure out exactly where to go next, what to do with the pinned-up parts, and with the braided ties (which are still in place here).

Since I only had 6 of the large fancy buttons (3 really cool, 3 slightly less cool), I decided to use small brass buttons for the smaller, less prominent tucked-up bits.  And I decided to add some coppery-ish soft ribbon, in addition to the plaid ribbon, to accent the pinned-up parts.  When attaching the ribbons and buttons, I took care to use the opportunity to reinforce the tacking, since the fabric is thin and I was worried there would be tearing eventually in the original tacking.

So, the plain cheap 90¢ skirt ended up looking like this:

And like this, when worn with rolled stockings this April at Norwescon 34 in Seattle:

So, this goes to show you can buy a cheap skirt at a thrift store, and with trim on the hem, dangly ribbons, and buttons, trick it out a little.

Thanks for listening, and as usual, feel free to comment below!

Quick and Dirty: Steampunking a Basic Corset

Once again, I'd like to present a little "how-I-did-it" piece.  This one is on the decoration of a basic, plain black corset, to give it a bit more flair and flavour for steampunk outfits.  This was very much a quick and dirty modification, since the corset is one I've owned for years, and had been given to me a decade ago, by someone whom it no longer fit. 

The corset in it's basic state is a plain black satin corset, a bit worn but still very functional.

Here is the basic black corset ... and a pic of me wearing it back in 2006, as part of another outfit.

I decided it's time to dedicate it entirely to steampunk costuming, which gives me free rein to trick it out a bit.

I decided to added some decorative brass fripperies on the upper left and the lower right of the corset, and opted to use an existing leather belt I tend to use with the corset anyway, which has a leather keyfob (made earlier) and vintage keys.

Frippery number one is this exquisite brass plate I found, with intriguing pattern.  I have no idea what it was for, it was a box of scrap brass.  But it's very pretty with its cut-out design, and a little worn looking.  I added a decorative key charm to the bottom, pinned it to the corset, and liked the look.

I was going to add actual small brass gears I have to the corset at the right hip, but I realized that real gears are very sharp, and satin is not so forgiving.  So I decided instead to opt for decorative gears, which were part of a set called "Tim Holtz Sprocket Gears" which I found at Michaels Crafts. (see link here) http://www.michaels.com/Tim-Holtz%C2%AE-Sprocket-Gears/pc1458,default,pd.html   I am not one of those who gets my knickers in a twist over seeing steampunk stuff out there in the mainstream world.  Makes it a lot easier for those of us who are making things, to source parts inexpensively.  Anyway, I pinned the gears to the corset, figured out an attractive arrangement, and decided to add an old chain from a necklace to enhance it.  I added a fleur de lis pendant on the end of the chain.

Once I had everything in place as I wanted it, I handstitched everything in place. 

I did not add the keychain fob to the garter strap loop at the bottom left (as shown in above picture of everything pinned) ... but I haven't ruled that out as an option.  I would have to sew a new loop for the fob, as the existing satin loop is sewn into the hemming at the bottom.  Perhaps a nice black leather loop, to blend in.  This would be handy, as I then would not necessarily have to wear the leather belt.  Thoughts?

Below are two pictures of it on my dummy, finished.

And here is the final look, worn with three entirely different outfits:

Again, if anyone has a comment or suggestion, or an idea to improve upon this, by all means, please feel free to comment.

Quick and Dirty: Plain Hat to Steampunk'd Lid

Welcome, good people.  Today's piece is on a relatively quick and dirty modification of a plain hat to a steampunked lid.

With luck, when out thrifting one day, I stumbled upon a somewhat louche velvet hat which fit my small head like a glove (rare) and had rather the look of having been sat upon at one point in its past.  Below is that hat.

While I loved it's appealingly slightly crumpled and abused air, it needed some livening up.  I purchased some white lace trim, which I added on top of the black grosgrain ribbon, ending at the bow.  I really loved the crumpled grosgrain bow, and decided to leave it as it was.  (You can see in the rear view picture how the hat sort of crumples to the side a bit.

Next, the hat needed serious adornment.  Fortunately, a couple of years before I was able to actually start my steampunk costuming, I had gone browsing online for old pocketwatch broken bits and parts, and was able to find some relatively cheap (compared to trying to find the same things now!) and had bought several batches.  With some of the pocketwatch pieces, a freshwater pearl and a tumbled garnet raided from my beading supplies, and some nice clockhands from Lee Valley, and with considerable amounts of Gorilla Super Glue, I made a clockwork decoration for my hat.  Warning: I got that glue on my fingers (cause I seem to lack fine motor control) and it took sandpaper to remove it - along with a bit of skin.

I firmly attached the ornament to the hat by sewing it on, using the holes that were in the various clock parts.  Below are two views of ornament and hat.

I'm not as sure that this qualifies as quite as Quick and Dirty as some of the others.  However, the hat was cheap (and I am happy it's not the usual mini-hat), the lace was cheap, the clockwork bits and gears had been cheap when I got them.  And the mod was relatively easy, with the most complicated bit being the creation of the ornament.  

However, it is proof that even a sad sat-upon hat can be turned into decadent little accessory.

Hamming it up in my louche little lid.

Quick and Dirty: Steampunking a Vest Bustier

Okay, here's another how-I-did-it piece on quick and dirty steampunk costuming.

Because sometimes, you want it fast and you want it to be easy.

Hmm ... hrm ... ahem.

So, I wanted a vest I could throw on with a skirt and blouse to jazz it up a bit.  Again, this was part of a 2-week costuming bender I went on right before a Con.  So I hit the thrift stores, and came up with this:

What I really liked about this black heavy-weight cotton vest was its fit - very snug, and very firm fabric, so it provided good support and close to corset-like shaping.  However, it definitely needed some quick jazzing-up.  Using a scrap of black leather the sewing machine could handle, and a silver clip, I made a keyfob which I stitched directly to the vest.

I had some silverish wind-up and skeleton keys, so I added them to the built-in keyfob.   I added a silver pocketwatch. 

I played with a few other ideas, tricking it out with a old medal I'd found (which I planned to mod) and a  silver kilt pin with a cluster of silver safety pins at one end and a sewing chatelaine on the other end (thimble case, needle case, seam ripper).

I wasn't so happy with it, but it suited for one convention.  

I have now removed the medal and the kiltpin chatelaine, and have replaced them with an ornament I made with a silver kiltpin and a teapot charm. 

Not sure where this will go from here, but I don't want to give up on the vest.  

Anyone have suggestions for tricking this simple and very convenient vest into a more steampunk realm?  Or is it sufficient as it is?