Looking back at 2016 and forward at 2017

There is much to say about what happened in the world in 2016, but here I will keep away from that and just sum up my costuming year of  2016. As I had decided that I was more inspired by steampunk and cosplay than by historical, I did not take part in Historical Sew Monthly this year.

My first big project turned out to be historical. It was not at all planned, but some friends of my was so enthusiastic about the Natural form era that I could not resist it, and as usual, after looking at fashion plates I was sold. I landed in 1876. I had to do quite some work to figure out the skirt supports, as it was a new era for me. It also was a bit tricky as 1876 had a transition fashion between the bustle and the slim natural form. When I started at the actual dress, an injured toe at a vacation meant that all the hand finished trim was done a lot sooner (and in larger amounts) than expected.

After this very feminine dress, I went to menswear steampunk, inspired by English 1500's gowns and the BBC series Wolf Hall. Here is my steampunk Tudor crossover. I made the gown and hat, and decorated the bag.

I also made my first cosplay: a Star Trek Voyager uniform. I was not attempting to have every seam and fabric exactly as in the series, but I am happy with the overall look. As a big fan of Captain Janeway in Voyager, I have wanted a uniform like this for a long time! Here shown cross-nerding (yes, I do like to make up new words!) with a Doctor Who Tardis at NärCon in Linköping. (At which I felt a bit old - some of the participants was probably not even born when Star Trek Voyager was first aired...)

 Then, more steampunk: the ghost detection backpack. It was both challenging, scary and fun to work with hard materials and screws and glue instead of fabric and thread, but the box still has not collapsed, so I guess it worked out :-) I worked quite a lot on this leading up to the steampunk convention in Gothenburg in the beginning of November.

 

After the steampunk convention, I had a lot to do at work, so I was too tired to do any sewing at all. Now, I am slowly beginning to get my inspiration back. I have unusually few plans for next year thou. I will most likely be going to another steampunk convention, so I want something new to wear for then. I am currently planning a crinoline gown that is half forest fairy, half mechanical. We will see later how the turns out. I am currently in the phase when the gown is so amazing in my head that I am afraid to begin sewing and see it with the inevitable flaws of reality.

The not so amazing drawing of the forest mechanical gown, along with cryptic annotations in Swedish. And weird arms. I am not that good at drawing, but I think I draw arms even worse than the rest of it. 

 Except for the forest mechanical dress, I have no ideas at all. I should make myself like two or three historically inspired blouses for modern wear, as I never find anything I like in the stores, but that kind of sewing never seems to happen - there is always a more inspiring costume up ahead. Let's see what actually happens in 2017! 

Star Trek Voyager Uniform

This summer have been much hiking and biking (including a very nice trip to the Swedish "High Coast", Höga kusten), and not so much sewing. I have made one project thou: something I have wanted for a long time, namely an uniform from Star Trek Voyager. I have watched the 7 seasons twice, and am a huge fan of Captain Janeway. (I also like the cybernetic, hive-mid Borg of the series a lot, but cosplaying them would be a significantly larger challenge! )

Photo by Iza Palm

The uniform is made from a black jumpsuit which I already had, which I picked apart and remade. Just getting rid of the pockets took several hours, as they were very sturdily attached ( it was a work-wear overall, after all, not a cosy lying-in-the-sofa Onesie/Onepiece...). The main changes was to make it a lot slimmer, and putting on the colored yoke. I removed the sleeves, shortened it at them waist, and then using my standard bodice patter for a template of how much smaller the bodice needed to be. Then I recut the sleeve holes and sleeves, put on the yoke on sleeves and bodice, and attached the sleeves again. All in all, I think re-modelling it took just as long as starting from scratch would have done, but it felt easier to start with something and just pin it in until it fit, rather than cutting toiles and trying. 

I also made a combadge from plastic which I cut and painted. For rank pips, my husband found perfect magnets, the right size and very strong. I also had to make a deviation from what they wear in the series: the uniform has no pockets, and they almost never wear bags, as the spaceship is so sofisticated that there is no need for money or keys. My world however requires me to keep keys and money and phone (that communication badge is still not working…), so I added a hip bag.

Photo by Iza Palm, cropped and lightened a bit to show more details.

I like the result, and compared to the 1880’s dresses which needs corset and bustle and underskirt, it almost feels like cheating to have a costume this comfortable. Now I just needs to make up more excuses to wear it! Also, I would like try my hands with make-up, and paint on Jadzia Dax' markings and cosplay her.

Dual fandoms - Star Trek and Doctor Who! Here you can see the added hip bag. 

The facts:
What is it? A uniform from the science fiction series Start Trek Voyager

Fabric? A remade jumpsuit of very sturdy cotton, and some polyester for the blue-green yoke.

Notions: Metallic zipper, a communicatior badge made from plastic, rank pips (strong magnets).

Pattern: I used my basic bodice pattern as a guide for the bodice. The pattern for the yoke is the same as I used for my Star Trek jacket.

How historically accurate screen accurate is it? It looks decent, but I have not cared whether the construction methods are the same as in the films, or not. My jumpsuit has a waist seem that is not in the series ones, and some seams in the back are different as well. Also, the "real" uniforms used wool twill, which would be almost impossible for me even to find, so I used cotton/polyester instead. I think the overall look is good thou.

Total cost: 8 Euro for the zipper and magnets, 10 Euro for the blue-green fabric (I only needed like 20 cm of the 1 m I bought, but the rest is probably not useful for anything else.)

Hours to complete? A guess is 10 h for the jumpsuit and almost 2 for the combadge and fiddling with rank pips.  

First worn? At the NärCon cosplay and game convention here in Linköping a few weeks ago.

How did I research this? Looking at pictuers, and reading the very good (but very long) costume analysis by a pattern company who apperarantly have done their homework well (found on this page).