This dress for the Time Travel Tea was my chance to final
make a Steampunk-esque dress and break the rules of historical costuming. The
rules were to dress from “any tea-drinking era” and our local steampunk group
was partnering with our costuming society, so I felt free to try something new!
I found a synthetic (polyester... gasp!) pleated bedskirt
and knew I had to use it for a skirt. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite understand
that it’s impossible to dye polyester without harsh chemicals and so my vision
of an ombre skirt didn’t come to fruition but rather dyed only the parts with
lower synthetic fiber content. Oh well.
Other pieces:
- I didn’t have time to make a proper Victorian cage crinoline but instead just used a pillow bustle (from my Dickens fair dress) to give my tush some oomph.
- Ruffled bodice using my Dickens Fair bodice pattern.
- Ruffled wristlets and ruffled spats from a knitted scarf I found at a thrift store. Embellished with ruffled scraps of fabric.
- A mini-top hat made from a Starbucks cup covered with fabric from my bodice.
More fun pics from the event:
