New Items (listed left to right)Black Lace Mini Top Hat, Two Color Lace Mini Top Hat, Celtic Elf Choker, Embroidered Gibson Girl Blouse, Elfsheet Belt, Chainmaille Beaded Hairsticks, Embroidered Small Steampunk Purse

The two Mini Lace Top Hats are embroidery machine free standing lace. They measure 5.5 in x 4.75 in x 2.5 in. They are wicked cute and perfect for a steampunk, gothic lolita or burlesque outfit. I will be making more embellished hats as well as the unembellished are available if you want to customize one yourself. It’s actually quite a bit of fun. ON the black I made the ribbon rose and the trims were all just bits I had lying around and the gem was from an old piece of costume jewelry I have.

I’ve also been wicked into chainmailling lately; the belt and the choker are both two connected rows of elfweave creating what is commonly known as elfsheet. It’s a beautiful weave that is very fragile and collapses easily until you add more rows to it.
The choker is made from bright aluminum 18 ga 3/16″ rings with a hand carved (although not by me) bone celtic knot charm. It measures 13.25″ x .75″ and closes in the back with a tube clasp which has quickly become my new favorite type of clasp.
The belt is also elfsheet but made of bright aluminum and red anodized aluminum 18ga 1/4″ rings. The belt pictured measures a bit over a yard. It is a completely custom item. I really enjoyed making the belt. The only issue I can see with them is that they take sooo many rings.
I have another belt (simpler and so less expensive) ready to be listed once I take pictures and once I am able to make a very large order for more rings I will have more belt designs ready.

I also finally got around to making the Gibson Girl Blouse which I have been dying to make since I was a teenager. I also put a slight twist and embroidered the yoke with a skull cameo (tone on tone) I think it looks awesome. If skulls aren’t your thing, it can come without embroidery or if you want a different embroidery there are tons to choose from.

I also made Embroidered Steampunk Purse”. This one is fairly small but it’s the perfect size to carry the necessities, wallet, phone, it can even fit an as well. It is very very durable and washable. It is made of a golden poplin and lined with a chocolate brown poplin but interlined with cotton canvas. It closes with a drawstring to keep your items secure and also with a magnetic clasp on the flap. I can also make it as a belt pouch if you would prefer.

The hairsticks are a momentary inspiration. I was at my local bead shop and saw these sitting in a jar and thought, “Oh how cool!”. So I picked them up. Eventually I would like to try my hand at carving my own hair sticks eventually but for now I will just decorate the tops.

I have a few more items on my to make and to do list: garters, chainmaille chaplets, purses and bags (have to get my stash smaller), and I plan on learning how to make my own tatted lace too.

Same choker used with the converter and without

I’ve been loving my chainmaille lately. It’s fun, and something that I can do in the living room. I also love my chokers but wanted to wear them has headpieces as well. So I developed the converter piece. Now you can make any of my chokers into headbands. It is made from metal rings (can be made from copper, aluminum, bronze or stainless steel), metal clasps coordinated to match the rings and a soft cotton elastic.

Available at both my Artfire Shop and my Etsy Shop

Chainmaille supplies

For a long time (since I went to my first Ren Faire at the age of 14), I have lusted after chainmaille jewelry. Of course I wanted the more expensive chokers and chaplets. Being the crafter and creative person, I would rather learn how to make it instead of purchasing it. So I put it on the back burner since clothing came first as fabric and a mentor were readily available to me.

Flash forward 11 years and a few months, I breakdown and find a ring supplier and a place with wonderful tutorials on weaves. I ordered two different sized rings, a bag bright aluminum and a bag of mixed anodized (colored) in each size. With much help from my friend Diana of Nightmaiden Designs and supplies from The Ring Lord, I started my first project:

My first Row

Chainmaille European 4-1 Bracelet

Chainmaille European 4-1 Bracelet (clasp)

The first row (above) came out pretty well so I start in on the second and the results can be see to the left, right and below. The pattern is called European 4-1 as it is built with 4 rings all connected with 1 in the middle. It is a fairly simple weave (from my reading this and the byzantine are the two best to start with). This was made with 18ga 1/4″ rings aluminum rings.

Chainmaille European 4-1 Bracelet

My initial response to this is “Oh my god, new obsession!!”. I, for one, am happy with this reaction since it means when I cannot bear to look at another piece of fabric I have a good craft to go to and one that is a bit more portable. Although, I believe my husband may be less than thrilled. I have many other projects in mind for this new obsession.

Fairy Top with Corset

Fairty Top and Cincher Skirt

The Fairy Top is by far the most popular item I make and for good reason; it is beautiful, comfortable and versatile. Made from 100% cotton in any color, it has dramatic belled sleeves that flutter in the wind like fairy wings. It has an elastic neckline that can be pulled off the should for a flirtier look and gathers at the upper arm to accentuate the drape of the sleeve (also with an encased elastic for comfort).

To the left is is paired with the custom corset and the Essential Renaissance Skirt (fitted waistband). To the right it is paired with the Cincher Skirt and is made in a cream cotton.
Purchase the fairy top here and Check out my Artfire Shop for all my items

Corset Front

Corset Back (pardon the brown lacing, the black wasn't done)

The corset started in this post is finished. I am not entirely pleased with the way it came out, but first the specs.

It is made from black polyester satin brocade with silver chrysanthemums all over it, and lined with black cotton duck cloth. It has 14 pieces of 1/2 inch wide spiral steel boning with 30 hand set grommets in the back. Black satin bias tape binds the top and bottom. The busk is of the split front and made of spring steel. Cotton corset lacing (brown in the pictures as the black lacing hadn’t finish drying from being dyed).

Now why I’m not happy with it. Most of it is fairly nit-picky, it fits ok, but the bust is just a little too big for me. It would definitely look great on someone who is at least these measurements:
Bust: 36″
Waist: 28″
Hips: 36ish”
I am a 34″ bust and it just doesn’t do anything for them, next time I need to have someone lace me in properly for my fitting. Also the grommets aren’t perfectly evenly spaced and the the fabric ripples a touch at the waist. It is definitely wearable and would look fantastic for a New Years outfit (especially paired with the skirt in my head that has yet to even make it to paper).

Some things I will change for the next corset.

1. make it 3 layered, have the fashion fabric and duck/coutil layer be one, and line with cotton broadcloth
2. use at least one piece of spring steel along the grommets in the back (instead of spiral)
3. have someone take the time and lace me into the fitting corset properly

After this weekend I will have the corset for sale (with the improvements) in my shop for $300, made to measure, those will be made with corset coutil instead of cheap duck. This corset is for sale, as is (well with the black cotton lacing instead of the brown of course), no refunds or exchanges for $160 (that includes shipping).

I hope to have a corset for myself by New Years Eve. I better sell a lot of stuff at the Fall Fest!

Corset Fashion Fabric

So I have decided I am going to make a corset. I’ve wanted a real corset with steel boning and steel busk for a long time and simply do not have the funds to buy the corset and I have the basic skill to be able to make one. I have tried in the past with less than stellar results but I have read and heard from countless others that it takes many many tries before you make a corset that is truly wearable. I have adored corsets since I was young; it probably stems from my love of period fashions.

Fitting Muslin Front

I have also finished the lining as much as I can until I order the supplies to finish the corset.

Fitting Muslin Back

I am using Simplicity 9769. It’s a very simple design and I also have 5 copies of the pattern and I can ususally replace it if need be for $1.99 (I never buy Simplicity, McCall’s or Butterick for more than $2. If you are interesting trying it, a kit that bundles all the notions together except for the thread and the eyelet setting kit, but if you make other items with grommets then either you have the 00 setter or it will come in handy anyway.

I am tweeking the design a touch, using 1/2 inch wide spiral steel along the seams (and down the side) and will either put 1/4 inch spiral steel bones in other spots or just remove those all together. This will also be a two layer corset made of cotton duck and polyester brocade Satin

I have completed the fitting Muslin. It has no boning it in at all and fit me perfectly (except for the bust which needed to be tweaked just a touch. As a note, this is the first time I made a muslin fitting first and frankly it seems to have been a good idea. I was able to realize I need to make the seam allowances slightly biggs so I can make those into the bone casings instead of using twill tape or bone casing and so save some money. Also highly suggest buying a yard of the eyelet tape to baste into the fitting muslin since you can just rip it out and reuse it again and again.

Corset Lining Fitting

I have also completed the lining as much as possible until I get the rest of the supplies. It fits like a dream and even though we couldn’t lace it tight as I only basted the eyelet tape (again good investment) and there was no boning next to it, it still took my waist from 28.5″ to 27.375″ over an inch of reduction!! I don’t plan on going smaller than 25″ as the smallest my waist has been naturally is 26″. So I’m going to make up the fashion fabric (seen at the top of the post) and then wait until I can order the rest of the supplies. I will have another post or two documenting the rest of the journey and hopefully it will have a happy ending.

Green Poet's Shirt

Pirate Bloomer Pants

So I had a couple new orders the past two weeks. The same woman who ordered the celtic tree of life cincher skirt and fairy top ordered a Poet’s Shirt for her hubby’s costume and Pirate Bloomer Pants to complete her elf costume.

The Poet’s shirt is made from 100% cotton with silver colored metal eyelets and hand dyed brown cotton lacing. The Pirate Bloomer Pants are made of chocolate stretch poplin (cotton/spandex blend) with elastic cuffs and waistband. They come down to just below the knee.

Shortly after I finished the above order I received an order for another cincher skirt. This one is also green but lined with black twill and with the triple crescent embroidery in black, white and silver with antique silver grommets.

SinBonnet Sue Flask

This Side Up Flask

Custom Embroidered Flasks are my new item of the week (or the next couple). They are made of cotton twill glued with industrial epoxy to stainless steel 8 oz. hip flask. They can be embroidered with anything as long as it no bigger than 3.75 in wide by 4 inches tall. I love my Sinbonnet Sue (that’s what is says below the girl, I just didn’t think about black on black stitching when I was deciding on colors, oops!). You can find them for sale in my Artfire shop for $25.