The Crossroads of the Aether
Steampunk Stitching Association
Information
A united association for seamstresses, tailors and crafters of the steampunk variety from all across the globe and sky. Come in, sharpen your scissors, thread your needle and enjoy conversation with fellow creative types!
Location: The Aether
Members: 611
Latest Activity: on Friday
1. Be Excellent to each other!
2. Advice, suggestions and Instructions may be freely dispensed here, providing that your words and your work is your own. Otherwise, credit the creator.
3. Feel free to promote business and trade! If you'd like to share your wares, or solicit a commission either is fine.
4. Please don't slander anyone else's work, mock, "spork" or otherwise condemn another person's creation. Criticism should be constructive and you never know who's going to look at something you say on the internet so it's not very nice to giggle and point at strangers.
Nothing everyone didn't know already, I'm sure!
Discussion Forum
Fabric
Started by Ethyl Cannes. Last reply by Rt Rev.Hammer, Archimandrite on Friday. 41 Replies 0 Likes
Greetings, all.While in general I find that a Steampunk look is created by form, I'm curious what fabrics people have chosen that they feel help create The Look. I'm a huge fan of quilting prints,…Continue
What's in YOUR project basket?
Started by Sair Blades. Last reply by Professor Argon Bats Jun 7. 481 Replies 3 Likes
/end cheesy moodWhat all has everyone been working on lately? Any cool projects in mind? Any freshly completed?I'm working on my first corset commission... now I'm an Amateur with a capital A for my…Continue
Online Patterns and Tutorials
Started by missjulie. Last reply by Andrea Sanford May 28. 54 Replies 2 Likes
Post online patterns and tutorials here.Please indicate if they cost anything, just so we know. Otherwise we'll assume they're free ;)Continue
Some of my projects
Started by Lady White. Last reply by Lady White May 24. 4 Replies 0 Likes
Ello ladies and gentlefish. how are we all today? I have been working on steamed items for a couple of months now and im quite pleased to say that this project ive been working on is coming along…Continue
Tags: industries, toxic
Sewing non Clothing items
Started by Miss Ernesta May. Last reply by Rt Rev.Hammer, Archimandrite May 14. 3 Replies 1 Like
I do occasionally help with a coat or waistcoat project or alter an existing item for myself with added lace and ruching and the like.But my primary sewn product is my hand sewn dolls, I've done a…Continue
Frock Coat Tutorials?
Started by Rev. Luficarius Ratspeed. Last reply by Rt Rev.Hammer, Archimandrite May 5. 22 Replies 1 Like
There have been lots of threads on the group but none that I've seen that do more than chip at the edges of men's dress. And there always comes the periodical plea of "Frock Coat Tutorials" or "Frock…Continue
Butterick #4669/A
Started by Miss Phoebe. Last reply by Rt Rev.Hammer, Archimandrite May 4. 2 Replies 0 Likes
I just finished this today. I found a fabulous cream-colored silk blouse with a big bow at the neck at the Salvation Army for less than $5, and I think this little piece will look fabulous with it.…Continue
Another great idea brought to you by Dr. P.H. Huff in Stuff
Started by Jonathan Harker. Last reply by Rt Rev.Hammer, Archimandrite May 4. 6 Replies 0 Likes
Hey guys and ladys of the world of steam, someone should do a sewing magazine for steam punk out fits. and how to's ......... like how to make a bustle, so on Continue
Steampunk Accessories for sale!
Started by Katherine Yore Mar 6. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Many beautiful fascinators, hats and cocades available at my Etsy store:https://www.etsy.com/shop/seamstressofsteam…Continue
Corsets, corsets, corsets...
Started by Rev. Luficarius Ratspeed. Last reply by Professor Argon Bats Jan 22. 40 Replies 0 Likes
Do I understand the popular notion here is 'it ain't steampunk unless it has a corset involved!' (?)I thought it best that I spin-off this from the other previous conversation started by…Continue
Comment Wall
Comment
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Comment by Phineas Wotan Sprockett, O.C.C. on May 5, 2013 at 4:30am -
Quiet interesting. There seems to be a lot here I can use. Thanks.
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Comment by Professor Argon Bats on May 4, 2013 at 2:25pm -
Phineas, I don't have the book, but have seen it referred to once or twice. There is a video "flip though" that gives an idea of the content. Please do let us know whether you found it helpful.
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Comment by Phineas Wotan Sprockett, O.C.C. on May 4, 2013 at 1:54pm
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Has anyone out there seen this work? I just ordered it. It's supposed to include patterns included plus instruction on period tailoring practices.
The Victorian Tailor by Jason Maclochlainn
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Comment by Professor Argon Bats on April 19, 2013 at 9:38pm
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and this one is so our home...
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Comment by Professor Argon Bats on April 19, 2013 at 9:26pm
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If you need a laugh, I thought these lines hit the nail on the head (ever mind the Ryan Gosling "Hey girl" thing)
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Comment by Professor Argon Bats on April 14, 2013 at 11:59pm
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Common mordants include ammonia and metal salts, iron for instance. Using the same dye/plant/fungus can yield completely different colors depending on what you heat your concoction in, such as a copper pot (unlined) vs. an iron pot.
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Comment by Professor Argon Bats on April 14, 2013 at 11:55pm
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I believe there is also a mushroom, natural, alternative for purple, actually. I will inquire as to the species for yellow and purple and their occurence in northern America. Fungi are truly amazing in chemical complexity. A quick googling yielded this site and this.
Dharma trading also has a section on natural dyes from plants and insects, and sell a variety of them. I don't know which are appropriate for time period you need.
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Comment by Shahbanoo Pantea on April 14, 2013 at 8:29pm -
mmmmmm....
Maybe I should have mentioned in the first post this is a historical thing, not a steampunk thing. But all the people I do reenactment with work in the 19th century department (usually mid to late), and modern non-natural dyes were well into the public's grasp by that time, so none of them have ever dyed anything "naturally".
Hence why I came here for help.
I know Steampunk, as an aesthetic and artistic genre, is full of people who are way creative, so I figured I was more likely to run across someone here who had tried natural dye techniques than at my reenacting group.
If I dye it with anything other than saffron, then I might as well have just bought polyester/rayon "linen-look" and then died it with artificial colors. Then machine sew it....
Which I have done before, but that was for a Greek party, and I showed up as a Persian just to be a pain.
But since this is for a VERY important event, there can be no corners cut. The only "modern" allowance I will have is the purple, because I have no access to little sea snails, nor can I ever manage the process to turn their glands to dye on my own even if I did.
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Comment by Professor Argon Bats on April 14, 2013 at 3:12pm
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Using saffron for this seems like a waste to me! Better cook with it, if you ask me.
My mom has dyed wools with plants, fungi and lichen for many years. Lucky for you, yellow is one of the easier to get (unlike, say, green or purple). I may have to do some research, but various lichens come to mind.... very colorfast. Certain mushrooms used for dying don't even need fixatives or chemicals to prep the fibers, which most plant dyes do; those tend to be toxic and/or corrosive, typically metal salts. If you want, I will ask my mom for advice. However, the process may be quite different for linen than for wool, which is what she has specialized in.
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Comment by Ryan Grimm on April 14, 2013 at 7:58am
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There are natural fixatives you can use, I believe salt, vinegar and alum...be aware that vinegar will not work as a fixative on cotton.
Google mordants/dye fixatives.
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