Pattern Info
Instructions
A big work surface for cutting fabric is helpful!Difficulty:
Category: Sewing
Type of item: Costume
For: Women
Style: Funky, Retro / Vintage, Victorian / Steampunk
Materials
Midnight blue taffeta (black satin back), silver braid, silver thread, antique buttons.
What was your inspiration?
I made this for my sister as a Halloween costume (2011) as well as a birthday present. The costume has three parts: jacket, skirt, and bustle. The jacket by itself can be worn with jeans and a skinny t-shirt to create a fun and funky outfit for a night on the town. I gave her some steampunk goggles and she looked like a page out of an H.G. Wells novel!
What are you most proud of?
All of the ruffle edges are custom finished. The pattern said you could use a serger or zig-zag stitch -- since I didn't have a serger at the time, I used the double zig-zag stitch option on my machine. It took HOURS and my machine developed a squeak because of it! But the finished effect is stunning.
What advice would you give someone starting this project?
This is not a beginner project, but it's not nearly as difficult as another steampunk costume that I will post here on Craftsy at a later date. Definitely give yourself plenty of time to complete the project -- there is a lot of yardage and the ruffles are more labor intensive than you might think. I also ended up not using as much fabric as the envelope suggested (I think I cut it more efficiently than their layout).
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