Author Archives: avantgarbe
Bustle skirt at the Legion of Honor
My last pre-quarantine event with the Greater Bay Area Costumer’s Guild was in the beginning of February 😦 The theme was bustle dresses, while attending the Tissot exhibit at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco (as Tissot was known … Continue reading
Captain America bustle skirt drapery
Welp, you are now going to have to wait a year to find out how this costume ends, because obviously Jordan Con, scheduled for April, has been cancelled. I am mostly done with the bodice, but can’t be arsed to … Continue reading
Captain America bustle underskirt
I’m sure you are bored by now of me saying things like “the whole skirt was supposed to take 2 months and instead is taking 3+!”. Sigh, why is sewing so hard? I’m going to split the skirt posts into … Continue reading
A late bustle era petticoat
No shocker to anyone that undergarments have to be done before you can start the main costume! I hate drafting skirt patterns (my cutting table isn’t really big enough for it) so I decided to just throw money at the … Continue reading
1880s hat
So, that Captain America bustle gown. For once, I decided to start with the accessories, because that’s what takes this from a perfectly nice bustle gown to the cosplay concept. I wanted a quick and easy win, so I decided … Continue reading
When Captain America throws her mighty shield (parasol?!?)
So to have a new costume for April, I need to start this now, because I get approximately zero hours per day to sew with a baby around. (And now is actually a month ago, when I started with accessories). … Continue reading
Augusta Stays by Scroop Patterns and Virgils Fine Goods
Back in June I volunteered to be a pattern tester for the Augusta Stays, made by Scroop Patterns and Virgil’s Fine Goods! I was very excited for this pattern, because my previous pair of stays (sheesh, 4 years ago at … Continue reading
Steel Inquisitor Vin – final pics!
At Jordan Con, I did a photo shoot with my wonderful friend Kathy of A Life Condensed Photography, so all the beautiful shots below are thanks to her! The Jordan Con hotel actually has a lot of beautiful greenery and … Continue reading
Steel Inquisitor Vin – accessories and EYE SPIKES
1840s dresses are all well and good, but what makes this a Steel Inquisitor is having spikes through the eyes! These are meant to be heavy spikes that go all the way through the head. While I am dedicated to … Continue reading
Steel Inquisitor Vin – 1840s bodice
Strap in, this is going to be a long one! So evening bodice. The base for these are basically all the same from 1830-1860 (princess seams or darts in front, princess seams in back. Hooks & eyes or eyelets in … Continue reading
