Good Stuff I Did:

• Got the Punk Rock Kimono to a fitting place.  It doesn’t fit the way I’d hoped and I am really, really disappointed.
• Got a pattern drafted and supplies for a friend’s costume and had a good time doing it.
• Cleaned up my new work area and assembled all existing pieces
• Went to the best fabric store this side of NYC, according to Yelpers, and got a few items (stretchy black knit, velvety patterned knit, and black Russian millinery veiling).

Bad Stuff I Did:

• Poked around on the internet, looking for more ideas
• Slept
• Added more projects to my list
• Didn’t take any pictures

The current list is:

• Punk Rock Kimono (which I may break up with for a few weeks while I figure out how to save it)
• Punk Steampunk (whose elements change weekly)
• Steampunk Bellydance (probably the closest to finished, mostly need to adorn the coin bra and make the brass dangle chains, and get the scrappy skirt going.)
• Daytime psychobilly comfortable ensemble (hence the knits and veiling purchases)

I may strike Punk Steampunk and reprise last year’s Polonaise ensemble.  I really like the idea of exploring the punker side of steampunk, but I’m just not finding the fabric I want for the pants, and I think boldly patterned pants need time and consideration to do well.

I’m hoping I can find the joy in this again soon.  I think I’m just stuck in the midpart between the fun planning and supply buying stage, and the point-of-no-return you-just-cut-your-fabric-to-pieces stage.

It is exhilarating.

You can’t tell me I’m doing it wrong!  There are no directions!

So, I began with the binding, because I have a particular way I want it to sit off the shoulder.

Working with the muslin is really informative.  I can see through multiple layers to add seam allowances.

It’s also really soft and fun to rip along the grainline!

I draped/drafted the front panel first:

Looking at it again, I think I need to nudge it up a little and carve out the armscye a bit, instead of the traditional straight lines.  This is Punk Rock!  I don’t have to be traditional unless I want to.

It’s a little hard to tell in the pictures, but this is also a knee-length garment.

Next I drafted some sleeves.  Very blocky sleeves.  I’m not really sure how modern Western sleeves work, I’ve just cut them out and fitted them into bodices.  They can be tricksy.  In this project, I’ve decided to be OK with the idea that the underarms may not connect with the sides.  This is not entirely untraditional, and definitely is Punk Rock, and might be nice if I get a little warm!

I also discovered a great place to put pins.  Can you see where in the pictures above?  No?

In my dressform’s neck!

Next time, I will show you how the back works, and I’ll work on a distinctly non-traditional obi.  It’s a hybrid between a corset and an obi, and is designed to enhance rather than hide curves.