totchipanda

As some of you know/may remember, every year since 2009 we go out to Stettler, Alberta and ride their train down to Big Valley and back. We go when the big 6060 steam engine is running, because steam engines (especially really big ones; it was built to go through the mountains and snow) are cool ;) The first year, only Mum and I dressed up. 2010 had 16 people in costume, and 2011 we had 21 people. Other passengers always assume that we're staff, but we just like the excuse to dress up. We're going on a steam train; what ELSE would you wear?

Also worn during WorldCon in Reno, NV :3 (Ms Gail, I missed your Kaffeeklatch by being the first person on the reserve list :( )

I wish I had worn this like we'd planned to while taking the train from Carson City to Virginia City when we were down for WorldCon. I would have LOVED to be dressed like this on their downtown boardwalk :3

Stettler/Big Valley Steam Train
August 1, 2011

All photos by my sister.

Fort Edmonton Park Steampunk Photoshoot
September 17, 2011

Photo with dogs by: Heather McCarthy
Group photo by: My dad.

Notes & Construction
All patterns are from Truly Victorian. I used:

TV261 Four-Gore Underskirt
TV362 Wash Overskirt
TV463 French Bodice
TV550 Buckram Hat Frame

Total construction time is somewhere in the 45 hour range. The underskirt took 4 hours, not including the ruffle. The ruffle, including repleating because I messed it up the first time, was around 3 hours; it'll be shorter next time, now that I have the ratio down. The overskirt was about 6 hours. The jacket took the most time, at around 20 hours. The hat is entirely hand-sewn, and I made it the day before the trip in 8 hours. I purchased the parasol at Walmart some years ago, and spruced it up with some lace and ribbons. I think that took about 3-4 hours.

The hat is made from plastic canvas padded with felt, and floral wire :3 The felt I used is red, and for a short time, the crown of the hat bore resemblance to a small fez, much to the delight of myself and the rest of my Whovian friends whose birthday BBQ I was at while making it ;)

In the pictures and indeed, to this very day, the skirts close with safety pins, and the jackety pleats are held in place with straight pins. I hadn't finished it totally by the time I finished making the hat (at 10pm the day before the trip) and I literally could not push a needle through fabric anymore.

Contest Entry

My friend recommended that I read Soulless because it was right up my alley. I was reading it in July while I was constructing this dress. I laughed when I got to the scene where Alexia was heading out to meet Lord Akeldama in a cream ballgown with raspberry accents, because my planned decorations for this dress, prior to reading, was raspberry accents. I definitely want to put enough on the pleated ruffle to make the top of it stop flopping over, and beyond that I haven't come up with much. If I have enough fabric left over, I will make the ballgown bodice to go with it. I decided to enter this now because I don't know if I'll have enough time to get the ribbon I need, or make the ballgown bodice. If I do manage to update it, I will post new pictures and links :3