Let's Craft Something!

Alright, I know I promised a new theme and here it is:  Steampunk September!  While I suppose I should have been using it on my starfi -- wait, I can say it now -- Staryu headpiece, I didn't want to use it before September began.

Steampunk September is named as such because of our upcoming anime convention.  Instead of dressing as traditional anime characters or the like, we enjoy steampunking.  It's the one weekend a year I get to lace up in my corset without people pestering me with questions about it hurting/being uncomfortable/etc.  (By the way, corsets are not uncomfortable to me; in fact, they help my posture and my back.)  Also, I rather enjoy alliteration.

That being said, I began sewing this week.  I found a full sized bed sheet in this pretty buttery color.  It was $1.95 at a thrift shop.  It wasn't until I got it home, however, that I noticed a large splotch of yellow marker on it, too.  It kind of made me wonder if the sheet was originally yellow, but whatever.

The yellow sheet was made into a full-length skirt; I used elastic for the waist band because it would be hidden underneath my corset.  I want to make another skirt in blue to go on top of it.  The blue skirt would be bustled.


I thought that the hem of the sheet itself would be great for the hem of the skirt; I wouldn't even have to do anything to it!


Then, I noticed that if I doubled it over, the elastic for the waist would fit inside well, so I decided to use it as my waistband instead.  I doubled it over, sewed it together, and sewed a top stitch to make a little channel for the elastic.


For my bottom hem, I rolled it up about a centimeter, ironed it to make a little pleat, then rolled it up another centimeter for a small hem.  The stitch is along the top of the hem.


I won't bore you with all the details; it's a simple, two panel skirt.  If anyone needs help with figuring out how to do one, I'd happily help.  It's a freaking rectangle, after all, but i wanted it to be long and rather straight.


Here is a close-up of my elastic channel.  You can see the stitches where the bed sheet was orignally hemmed.  If it were something that would show, I would take a darker thread (or maybe even white) and sew some zig-zags between the two hems at the bottom for decoration.


Of course, I can't do anything without at least a little help from this Booger.  He worked well in weighting my fabric down so I could pin it.

This idea is for my Steampunk Misty cosplay.  I'm not that into showing off my legs, and there is no way I would be seen in public wearing a belly shirt and short shorts.  Sorry.  So, when I thought of steampunking her, I envisioned the yellow of her belly shirt, the blue of her shorts, and the red of her suspenders.  I knew there were also different version of her outfits throughout the series.





The yellow color is not only representative of the shirt, but it is also close enough a skin tone that it could also represent skin.  The blue bustle is obviously representative of her short shorts.  My corset is red, which is for her suspenders.  This is for the middle Misty, which is from the anime.  It could just as easily be for the Misty on the right.

I am also considering making a jacket for this ensemble, though I haven't decided the color.  Any suggestions?

Also, I have been toying around with the idea of dying the yellow either with tea or brown dye just to darken it up a little.  It seems pretty buttery and bright to me.  What do you think?

I know some of this is hard to envision because all you have to go by is the bed sheet skirt, but it will come together! I promise!