Peredhil

Trying to hide a badge in my sleeve.

This is the gown I made for the Hobbit premiere. Since it's got elements of both Elven and human gowns I've decided it's Half-Elven - Peredhil, for the nerds.

I'd bought some swirly metal elf ears since I am not the ideal pretty Elf and don't like the thought of picking latex glue out of my ears for days afterwards either, but ended up not using them. I have too much hair, and they didn't show. Instead I braided in pearls in my hair - not that they show much either.

The skirt drapes well and it swishes so nicely when I walk. I added two extra gores in the back (cause someone's been doing research into medieval and norse clothing). The gown looks very simple, but there's room for a small circus inside that skirt.

I didn't bother changing into normal clothes after the con and travelled home in costume. The convention was in Larvik and I live in Tromsø. It's quite a distance. So far it was the best travel-home-in-costume experience I've had. Loads of compliments, there were interesting people on the train, security at the airport didn't even bat an eye at my attire, and the driver who drove me home from the airport didn't think me weird for accidentally giving him the wrong address. (Tired, so tired.)

And my best friend waited up for me even though she had work early in the morning after, she's the best.

Rococo Ewigkeitsvampire

This was how I felt about my hair this fine day.

My Finnish Ewigkeitsvampire was worn at the second day of Banzaicon: Time Travel Trouble, and I got some better pics of the costume. Now I see I need an underskirt to keep the boning in the paniers from showing, but oh well. Wasn't in love with my hair either, but after thirty minutes of trying to fix it, I was all out of fucks to give. All in all I was in character for a grumpy creature of the night. Eternity sucks, so I'm gonna wipe out humanity, angst, etc. ad absurdum.

Of course my hair looks perfect in the back - where I couldn't see
when putting it up. 

The back of the skirt is a bit boring, so I might add something, I just don't know what yet.

The best part of the con happened outside the convention centre. My group went out to eat, and at the restaurant we randomly chose, there was a little girl having a birthday party. The kids were stunned as we entered, and the birthday girl got pictures and we sang for her, which was awesome.

Know when to fold 'em

Less than a week before Banzaicon I realised their Time Travel Ball would be held on Friday - the day I'd planned not to wear a costume. Couldn't have that, so I set about with plans to make a gown based on this evening gown from 1912.

Only the red ones, mind you.

The fabric came from my stash. I bought it in Finland a year ago with quite different plans, but that's life - or rather sewing ADD of a sort, always dashing off to the next exciting project.

I was unable to make sense of the period pattern, so I improvised. The pattern for the top comes from a tattered vintage dress I had lying around. The base for the top is a thickly woven cotton. It's boned in the sides and in the back. I draped the velvet over, trying and failing a few times since this was the first time I tried my hand at it, and sewed it down to make sure it would stay down.

The skirt was made from this edwardian tutorial. I think the fabric is duchess satin - it's definitely satin and not natural fiber. The back drapes nicely, and there is a short train. Underneath the skirt there is an underskirt in a cotton/polyester blend for a little support.

The skirt is just pinned on so far. Don't judge.

I started the project while on easter holiday, with five days left to con. I lost one day of sewing because my plane home was cancelled (yay, snowstorm!) and we had to drive up to Tromsø instead. Eight hours, ugh, but I met a nerd and another guy I managed to recruit to the viking re-enactment group.

Then, after sewing in blind panic for two days, I realised I don't want my hobby to be stressful. It's something I do for fun. So I put the gown aside, decided to wear the red Edwardian ensemble from last summer and felt my blood pressure normalize itself.

Say hello to Dalek.

And this is Vega.

And so the day before the convention was used to play with the cats instead, resulting in one happy seamstress.