Are you going to Scarborough Faire?

Click to visit SRFestival.com

Next month begins one of my favorite times of year – the time we get to go to Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, TX!

This year, the hubs and I are dressing up. (In past years, we’ve dressed in costume, but not every year.) My guy’s going with a green man/wild man vibe, and I’m finishing up the dragon fairy costume I started making a couple of years ago.

Here’s the hub’s inspiration:

Luckily, between my mom and I, we happen to have a plethora of furry and leather trims and fabrics to use. I’ve made a couple of “found object” necklaces with things I had lying around. Now, I’m working on creating a headdress.

I didn’t want to pay for a bird skull, so I created one from some black Sculpey and whitewashed it.

Wire wrapped beads and arrowheads on leather cord make manly, rustic jewelry.

Here’s my costume so far:

My version of a rag skirt, with silk, taffeta, tulle, lace, and other fabrics. It has a bit of a bustle in the back to allude to a “tail.”

I’m also finishing a little choli vest to wear (and secure the wings,) and a matching utility belt for the essentials. I can’t wait to test the makeup! I’m going to try to create “scales” using fishnets as a stencil.

Reversible cropped vest with lace up front and sides.

Follow our Costume List Pinterest board for more inspiration on these and other costumes we plan on creating! 

Click this makeup inspiration image to go to our Pinterest board.

Are you dressing up for a fair or festival this year? Share in the comments!

Gentle hugs,

Chels

.. Because I can (can-can!)

Every girl deserves to go to a ball.

Ok, maybe not a ball, but at least a formal, a masquerade, or a themed dance.

For me, that’s the upcoming dance here on campus, “A Night In Paris: Dance at The Moulin Rouge.”

I know – I’m so excited! Maybe you’re not as excited as I am, but that’s all right. I get to dress up, and give me an excuse to dress up and I’m there. They’re having a costume contest for best Victorian and/or Steampunk getup, so, naturally, I’m participating. I found the most lovely black Victorian-esque shirt at Thrift Town last weekend, and I already have a black bustier that I’m beading, some black velvet to make a skirt, peacock and ostrich feathers for a fascinator, and matching fabric to make a bustle, plus plenty of trim, beads, and a beautiful cameo my mom let me have. Now all I need are shoes (I think I may splurge for once,) and I need to buy or make a top hat for my honey. He’s going to wear his kilt, and I may make him a Victorian style vest.

Did I mention I’m excited?

Here are some pictures of a few of the details of my ensemble:

I’ll put up a tutorial or two later.

Remember, even if you don’t have anywhere to go, you can always put on a dress and dance in your living room!

*Update: To look at the completed costumes and other inspiration, go to my post, “An Evening in Paris.” 

Gentle hugs,

Chels

Hi, I’m a geek.

My husband likes to work out. I mean, he reeeeallly likes to work out. He lifts rocks and logs and scales walls and things like that, and it give him this crazed satisfaction.

I make stuff. All kinds of stuff, but especially costuming (cosplay) and making props and acessories give me the same type of crazed satisfaction.

Tom and I are going on our yearly trip to the local ren faire, Scarborough Faire, at the end of this month. When I checked the site for special events, imagine my elation when I read there’s going to be a costume contest! Not just any renaissance costume contest, though, but a time traveler costume contest. This means anything from Dr. Who to steampunk time traveler. Now, I love Victorian and Edwardian style, but I’ve never really done anything steampunk, though I’ve admired it from afar (drooling.)

So, that’s what I decided to go with, because I’m crazy and I like a challenge. So far, I’ve made my skirt, a couple of pairs of goggles, a mini tophat, put together our outfits, and started on some weapon props and a wearable time machine.

If you’d like to learn how to make the mini tophat, you can check out my other blog, Buy Me Love. It’s all there, with pictures and a step-by-step tutorial.

If you just want to oggle my goggles (I couldn’t resist,) here’s some DIY eye candy for you:

Mini Tophat

 

Baubles and beads on the back of the tophat.

 

Guns and goggles!

 

Tom's time machine repair goggles.

 

Tom's costume. I changed the buttons, and added a heart at the breast of the vest.

 

For quick, inexpensive costumes, using mostly things we already had around the apartment, I don’t think they’re half bad. We hit up my favorite thrift stores to find the skirt I’m using, his scarf and belt, went to the dollar store for swimming goggles, and Wal Mart for the knockoff “Nerf” guns. All in all, we spent less than $25. The rest of the stuff we found in our toolboxes and my and my mom’s craft rooms. (For instance, the “bolts” on the goggles are actually furniture tacks with the tack cut off. Tom did that part.) Believe it or not, the tophat is a plastic cup and a circle of wire covered in fabric. I can’t wait to wear it all to the faire! I’ll post pictures of the finished costumes later.

Gentle hugs,

Chels