Neovictorian Enchantment

Steampunk Belly Dancing

2011-07-23T23:55:00.001-07:00

It's really late and I'm really tired but I have this to share with you. Love, love, love the costumes. And the music. Must watch this again when I'm not so tired.
But I have archery in the morning so it's off to sleep.

The Steampunk Archer

2010-11-24T21:34:00.000-08:00

Recently I got some leather to make a quiver. I want to be a Steampunk archer so I'm making the whole kit. I want to emboss some sort of design on the leather but I haven't figured out what yet. I'm still researching steampunk and what it is and what it isn't.

So I need to make an outfit, and a quiver, and arrows, and a bow. Big project.

Just Can't Connect

2010-11-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to meet people over on the Steampunk Empire. So far not much luck. I like one guy named Jack, but he hasn't been on much and when I bumped into him today he wss on the phone and I never did get to say more than hello to him. I keep meaning to look up Steampunk on Meetup.com, so I can get on with meeting some real life people and doing Steampunk stuff, but I can't remember my password. I guess I'll be all alone in my pursuits for a while more, maybe forever.

One person in the Steampunk chat seemed interested in my art, but when I pointed her to my Etsy shop, she stopped talking to me all together. I don't know if she'd judged me and found me wanting, or was so busy mulititasking I no longer held her attention. But when someone else came in the chatroom and said hello to her she started talking to them, ignoring my last five attempts at having an art conversation.
I think it's fair to say the people I've met there so far are on the snobby side. I'm about to give up on the place.

What I'm Going for Here

2010-10-23T23:25:00.001-07:00

I'd be happy to have any of these costumes. And where do they find that great music?

The Steampunk Empire

2010-10-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'll learn more about Steampunk now that I've joined http://www.thesteampunkempire.com/. Look for me under the name Theodora Sterling.

I'm designing some Steampunk belly dancing attire right now. I hope to share the how-to's in a tutorial when I have time. October sure has been busy.

Magnolia Pearl Summer "One" Fashion

2010-08-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

Making Bloomers.

2010-06-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working on some bloomers with lacing made from salvaged sheets. It would have been much easier if I was thinner, because I'm going to have to do some piecing I hadn't planned on. It's hard when you hit a roadblock in the middle of a project. I lost my motivation. Sometimes getting to my sewing machine seems next to impossible. Sometimes it's physically impossible, other times my mind is just not in the right zone. I hate it when I lose my motivation. Without motivation nothing gets done. I need some inspiration. I see a lot of people have checked out this blog. Sadly, they don't comment so I don't know why they were here or what they wanted. If you don't tell me I don't know.

Trim and fringe

2010-05-19T23:10:00.000-07:00

I lucked out and bought the trim for my belly dancing costume at a liquidation sale yesterday. Each bolt would have been $35.00 but it was 90% off so I paid $3.50 a bolt. Woot. Fringe!

Steampunkers V Leprechaun

2010-03-17T12:13:00.001-07:00

Tricky buggers those leprechauns. Happy St. Patty's Day.

Cool Steampunk Gadgets on ODDEE

2009-12-05T17:53:00.001-08:00

http://www.oddee.com/item_96830.aspx

I wish I could make cool stuff like this.

I'm Definitely a Bricekateer.

2009-09-21T11:20:00.001-07:00

I just coined the term Brice-ka-teer because of my love for all things Rachel Brice.

Be Still My Heart

2009-09-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

I am in love with this video. It is my favorite Rachel Brice video ever.

A Bit of Inspiration

2009-09-07T16:44:00.001-07:00

Some Neovictorian inspiration and a few examples of Steampunk belly dance costuming to tickle your fancy. And finally a use for rayon fringe and pill box hats.

Shredded Fashion

2009-07-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Someone in chat mentioned shredding wedding dresses for Halloween and I'm intrigued. I'd love to try that. Just what is the best way to shred a wedding dress anyway?

I'm also in love with a skirt on the Pussy Cat Dolls video called 'I Hate This Part'. It looks rather like the skirt of a gauzy shredded wedding dress. It's ivory /off white in color. I'll see if I can find the video.

Sorry it's a remix. Embedding is turned off for the other version.

I found a video of where they filmed it, and you can see the skirt much better. There is only one person wearing a skirt. Can't miss it.

Steampunk Fashion Show

2009-07-01T16:02:00.001-07:00

I am loving this fashion show I found on youtube. If you can't glean any costumes from this you must not be breathing.

Twibes

2009-06-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

On Twitter you can join up with others of the same interests. So I joined a Twibe for Steampunk and made another one called Neovictorian. Hopefully that will help me learn more about this new interest of mine. I have lots of good ideas but I can't seem to get off of top dead center with them. You can follow me on Twitter here: rakgothique.

Artfire Fires Back

2009-03-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

I heard back via Artfire and they justified their actions by saying, "Since you hadn't posted anything, we freed up your name (which they kept for themselves to use)." I think they are just rationalizing their actions but I would suggest that if any of you do have an Artfire store you list at least 1 item or make a biography or something. I think since they really wanted the name they would have taken it anyway. But I made it ever so easy for them since I hadn't added listings yet. I was going to have a grand opening and list 10 things at once and I haven't finished them all yet. They saw my store sitting empty and snaked it out from under me. Not sure I will stay with Artfire after this. If I can't trust them with an issue of integrity not involving money, how can I trust them with money?

Artfire Burns Me Up

2009-03-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

I'm mad as a hatter at Artfire today. They took away my shop name, which was Steampunk, and stuck me with Steampunk1 so they could use the name Steampunk as a group listing. Burns me up. They neither asked my permission or informed me that they had changed it. Heck, they didn't even give me a chance to make my own 'new' shop name. Nor can I call them because their business offices are closed until Mon. Frell.

Steampunk Chatroom

2009-03-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

There is always someone in Etsy chat willing to talk about Steampunk with me. There are jewelry designers, clock makers, lamp engineers and costume mavericks. I'm trying to get a regular Steampunk chatroom going but I can't be online all the time so others will have to open it when I'm not around. Let's face it, most people go to the Etsy chatroom hoping to make a sale, so we all gravitate to the one or 2 rooms that are stuffed to the rafters. But often those rooms are not really on a topic we are into. So if we stick together we can make our own always open steampunk chatroom. Know what I mean? So if you ever see me in Etsy chat flag me down and we'll go make our own room. Rock on.

Beaded Spiders

2009-02-19T13:31:00.001-08:00

I've been making beaded spiders which I will definitely incorporate into my steampunk fashions. Amazing what you can do with a little wire and some beads. I gave my boyfriend the first one I made. It now lives on top of his computer monitor.
Here's some of the other ones.

Steampunk Coat Designer

2009-02-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

Loving this Steampunk jacket my friend made. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18772290 Or course it doesn't hurt that she chose a gorgeous guy to model it. Rawr!!! She makes such fabulous stuff. Most of it isn't in her Etsy shop because she takes it to things like the Pasadena Designer Fair and pagan fests. Some of her coats I like more than others, but I've never not liked any of them.

Upholstery Fabrics and Jewelry Bits

2009-01-26T11:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I hit the mother lode at an estate sale where I picked up a bunch of upholstery fabric, mostly in browns and golds and a mayo jar full of old jewelry bits. Hopefully I'll be able to make some clothing and jewelry both for myself and for my Steampunk shop on Artfire. How delightful. What I don't have is gears and clock parts. But Rome wasn't built in a day. Patience love, patience.

Leather and Chains

2008-12-31T20:09:00.000-08:00

http://zenchantress.today.com/2008/12/31/steampunk-on-a-shoestring/

That link is to a blurb I wrote about DIY steampunk costuming. But I couldn't get the photos to post to my blog for some reason so I'll put them here instead.

I Signed Up For Artfire

2008-12-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

I just opened an Artfire store called Steampunk. So now I need to make jewelry and other items to list in it. I thought I'd better snap up that name while it was still available. Register on ArtFire.com If you use my referral link I might even get my account for free.

I also have another shop there called Hypnotic Treasures. But I will probably put things in my other shop first.

Making a costume

2008-12-25T14:11:00.000-08:00

I found these great patterns at Joanne's from Butterick and I can't wait to make my Steampunk costume. I talked about it more here:
http://zenchantress.today.com/2008/12/25/steampunk-costuming/

Butterick Patterns for Sewing

2008-12-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

To my delight Joanne's had their Butterick Patterns on sale for $1.99 limit 10 and I actually got 9 because the other one I wanted was out of the size I needed. Seven of them will work for Steampunk as they are turn of the century looks. The other is a robe of sorts which will be perfect for belly dancing because it looks quite a lot like a sleeveless turkish coat. It's not quite right but it's close enough for my needs. I'll take photos tomorrow. Shopping has me worn to the bone tonight. The maniac bagger at the grocery store put 5 2L soda bottles in one bag and I couldn't even lift it, much less carry it in. My back hurts so all I want to do for the rest of the night is park somewhere.

Steampunk supplies

2008-12-12T12:30:00.001-08:00

Today and this weekend is the Gem Faire at the OC Fairgrounds and I'm hoping to find some steampunk components for jewelry and costuming. I'm sure other artists will be looking for the same thing. I normally go on Friday to get first dibs and to get in free and get free passes for the weekend. But my boyfriend wants to go to so we are going tomorrow instead and paying the gate fee to get in.

I think I should also be making regular visits to new Goodwill across the street and the Salvation Army down the street for things like vintage jewelry and chains and old vests and lace.

First Post

2008-12-11T23:15:00.000-08:00

I've been smitten and bitten by the Neovictorian Steampunk bug. I've fallen in love with the band Abney Park, and I've always loved Jules Verne, the Time Machine, the Wild Wild West and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I love the elements and the freedom of combining the past and the future, science and sci-fi. I'm hardly an expert on it. I'm exploring it along with everyone else. Even though the elements of Steampunk have been around since the beginning of television, it's only recently become labeled in a way that we could wrap our minds around it. And I can't get enough of it.