Opening of the Exhibition at Bradford industrial museum

Everything was finished and installed just in time for the opening! phew! There are some pictures from the opening on the exhibitions facebook page. If you get the chance do go and have a browse, it's a fascinating museum and the special steampunk display will be in place till May 2012.

You also get the chance to view a specially made 3D film using special steampunk style viewing goggles and starring Me!

Theres also some great pictures from the promo photoshoot here

The back of the outfit for Bradford so far...

This shows the length of the skirt at the back over the cage. The mini cage is 6 sprung steel lengths, individually sprayed gold with car lacquer, taped together into hoops and suspended from two layers of brown petersham ribbon, sewn together to make holes for the hoops to slide through (they slide through before taping..)

The top hoop does not complete a full circle and it's ends are held by the two front tapes. This is so you can get in and out easily, the top hoop is quite small!

Bradford costume-the jacket

The wool is such a lovely firm fabric it made these puff sleeves a dream to create, they are made with 3 big pleats top and bottom, with the top center pleat being an inverted box pleat, and placed on a smaller straight sleeve stay to hold the shape.

Cute blouse for the exhibition!

This is the beginning of the little blouse for the exhibition costume. As it is going to be a permanent piece I shall sew it into place on the stand to give it a perfect fit, the skirt and jacket will be free to be removed...

Original sketch for museum costume

Clockwork costume for industrial museum

I've been asked to create a centerpiece for the new steampunk exhibition at Bradford industrial museum!

It's very exciting, not least because I am using a luscious wool fabric that was woven on the actual old looms at the museum.

I am going for a short cute costume with a teeny cage crinoline under the skirt. The wool is quite heavy so I've had to cut and drape it rather carefully, but it's fun to drape on the stand in the actual fabrics. Time restraints have vetoed making a toile. As it's a one off show piece I'm quite happy to work in this way for the skirt, though I shall be using patterns drafted for my me-shaped stand for the jacket etc....

The Gin Bustle out and about!

This lovely picture was taken by Martin "Soulstealer" as I arrived at the ball... He always manages to get a really lovely picture of me in my biggest frock!

This one shows the full dress, and Hubby Nik in his Union Jack waistcoat too! The hat really is rather huge isn't it, you can also really see herr Doktors wonderful key in these pictures too.

Ewa captured the lights inside the bustle wonderfully in this picture I think, there was an audible gasp as I pulled the tassel and showed off the gin! followed by requests for G and T's of course!