madamemodiste

(mm)
I had such a great time with bauhausfrau and padawansguide at SalonCon this weekend! We had connecting rooms, which made hanging out so much easier, too.

Where to start? Friday night was the Steampunk meetup, and wow, did everyone bring out their best! I was very impressed and we had a great time chatting with new and old friends. As we were plum tuckered out from the drive up, we made it an early night and went to bed by 11:30pm.

We attended the "Underwear Breakfast" Saturday morning at the hotel restaurant. Not a ton of people participated, but a few did, it was fun! Especially since there was a soccer convention at the hotel. Tons of young men wondering why there are ladies about in corsets and petticoats!

After breakfast, I changed into my Tissot striped bustle gown while L and M changed into 1830's gowns. Headed down for registration and the early Salons. After oogling costumes and participating in mutual admiration and photographs, I attended the ballroom dance salon. We learned the gothic dance and the traditional waltz. As I was a single lady (J stayed home from this convention), I was paired up with a single gentleman also wishing to dance. I was nervous at first, but soon it was clear he knew what he was doing and helped me along! It was so much fun! After that I attended Loren's Hats and Shoes salon, where we learned how to mod hats and shoes as well as tips on creating them from scratch. Oh, I almost forgot! L and I attended the "Period Details" salon, to which the speaker never appeared. L and I ended up hosting it and did our best to answer questions about Victorian clothing period details.

Then it was time to change for the Cream Tea into my 1830's gown and hair.

Oh my...this gown and hairstyle was SO much fun! At first, I forgot one of my hair decorations, and L reminded me to go get the fan that was supposed to be incorporated into the sculpture on my head. Some photos have the fan and some don't, so keep an eye out for it. I had a blast with this hair and can't wait to do it again! After Tea, I attended the Steampunk Primer salon hosted by squirrelmadness and jaborwhalky. I learned much about the beginnings of steampunk, and how it got to where it is today. A very fun and informative salon!

We had a rest, champagne back at the room, and changed for the Chrono'Nauts Parade (steampunk costume contest). So many people showed up to both participate or watch, and I think it was the hit of the day! Everyone really went all out and hammed it up. People performed hilarious skits, and there was much silliness going on. L made a mini top hat from scratch that had a working clock built into the hat tip. It was such a show stopper and she looked great! Somehow, I got chosen for the top 3 and then went on to win the Single Female (not in group) category! I won a lot of really cool prizes like books, DVD's, an art print, Lip Service products, BPAL, and a Pretty Pretty Princess makeup kit. I was so honored and thrilled! My new friend Stu won the Single Men's category with his Steampunk German doctor costume and skit. Yay, Stu!

After that, we perused the vendor's room where I got a pocket compass that looks like a pocket watch when closed. L and M came away with hats, shawls, and other lovely goodies.

A break for dinner and to change into our ballgowns, and we headed down for Abney Park and the "dancing hour" afterwards. Unfortunately, Abney Park went on so late that the DJ section of the evening was canceled. We ended up sitting around waiting for the show to start, which made us all realize how exhausted we were, and we lost steam. When the Abney Park show was over at 1:55pm, we headed up to bed, pleased with a great day of costuming and friends!

Now that you've been so good as to read all about my weekend, I will reward you with pictures!

SEE THE PHOTOS HERE

I'm sure bauhausfrau and padawansguide will post lots of pics, too, and you can see more over at salonconvention as people put them up.

I want to get my outfits straight in my head for Saloncon.

We're attending the Steampunk meet-up Friday night (therefore revealing our steampunk outfits before the big parade Saturday)?

How many gown changes for Saturday?
~Underwear breakfast
~possible early afternoon gown, OR??? will we change directly into...
~tea gown
~Steampunk parade ensemble
~Masked ball gown

So tell me what your plan is, guys!

Is there a gown you guys are hoping I will bring?

This afternoon, I popped by the hair store and got some 18" long human hair and setting lotion. I plan to play with it tomorrow or Thursday and see what I can do. If it seems too hard, I'll bring it and maybe between us all, we can achieve something nice.

OK, enough procrastinating on the short paper I have to write for tomorrow.

x-posted

Other than bauhausfrau, padawansguide, jehanni, vienabelle, jaborwhalky, and squirellmadness, who is going to SalonCon this year?

I am wearing 1830's to the afternoon tea, and I have a new steampunk outfit for the contest. Other than that, I'm not sure what I'm bringing. I will probably bring my Buccaneers gown for random wandering, and I've begun my first NF Victorian evening gown, so I'll probably wear that to the evening gala.

I need more information on the Steampunk contest because I'm attending the Tea and don't want to miss it. When is it?


What are you planning to wear?

I am going to make this like a 'real' journal entry so that I can read it later and remember what happened. Otherwise, I forget most of it as I have a poor memory. Feel free to skip to pictures if you like!

SHOPPING IN GETTYSBURG
Upon bauhausfrau's advice, I stopped in Gettysburg, PA on the way to VA. As it's famous for Civil War battles, they have a lot of shops that cater to history buffs. That means SHOPPING!!! I bought a tiny ladies pocket watch that opens. Isn't it tiny and pretty? Now I need a watch pin so I can wear it on my bodice. I also bought a fan holder chain. It has a special clasp at the top that hooks over a waistband and at the end of the chain is a clasp to attach your fan (or lorgnette or whatever). I love this thing! I saw a lot of reproduction mourning jewelry, but though it wasn't super expensive, it was still more than I could spend. The "In memory of" pin I wanted was $52.00. It was really crowded because it was "bikers weekend", so I didn't drive and re-park the car to visit all the other shops in town. Next time I'll leave earlier so I can do that.

ARRIVING AT bauhausfrau'S HOUSE
About an hour after leaving Gettysburg, I pulled into the farm where L and her family live. Breathtaking!! 300 acres of farmland, rolling hills, trees, a pond, and deer. Not to mention a house to die for. Part of it was built in 1750! She welcomed me, I met her two boys, and we had dinner by the pool (bar b que chicken, fresh fruit, and salad) with her dad (who lives in another original building on the property).

After dinner, (we had changed into bathing suits) I watched everyone swim while I soaked my feet in the pool. I didn't want to get my hair wet so that it would be good for using a curling iron the next day. So wonderful and relaxing!

After dinner, she showed me her sewing room. HUGE!! Several mannequins and so much room! I saw the pattern, fabric, and trim stashes as well as her cedar-lined walk-in costume closet. After I was done turning green with envy, we talked about projects and general costuming stuff.

I also met L's husband, who is handsome and very nice! Poor guy was getting sick, though, so we didn't bother him much. Her two boys were the picture of perfect behavior, and so adorable, every minute I was there.

18TH C. TEA PARTY
Woke up at the crack of dawn (I slept in a circular room with a million windows for a panoramic view). Outside the closest window, I watched birds and deer in the early morning mist. It was incredible.

Spent the morning ironing the tablecloths for the tea as well as L's gown and underskirt and my petticoat. padawansguide arrived around Noon, and I was so excited to finally meet her in person! Such a sweet lady! I spent the next hour curling my hair and she helped me to arrange it when it was done. She was also gracious enough to offer help with my hat, which I couldn't get to sit quite right. She stuffed the crown with some tissue paper and advised me on how to angle it just right. Perfect!!

By this time, many of the ladies had arrived and we were all getting into our gowns, so there were chemises and stays and shoes and wigs and hats everywhere. It was heaven!

We then adjourned to the 1750 part of the house for tea, which holds the formal dining room and sitting room.

( Here are some pictures )

Many more photos can be seen here, thanks to padawansguide.

Later on, we shed our gowns, and changed into swim suits. It was over 90 degrees, so we deserved a refreshing swim!
( SEE US IN THE POOL )

Attention Steamppunk fans! The 2nd Annual Time Traveler's Picnic is to be Saturday, August 2nd at the NY Renaissance Faire!

Info here:
http://community.livejournal.com/timetravelpicni/profile

Who's going?

Here are Forrest's photos from the Victorian Party. Enjoy!

Click on picture to go to photo gallery generously provided by Forrest!



(Thank you, Forrest!)

Here you can see my Buccaneers gown finished. I am wearing the LM trained hoop underneath. It was 90 degrees that day, so we were all suffering in the heat, yet having fun!

The brand new Ruth and Raymond G. Pearlman building, an expansion of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, has opened!! It's located about a block away, and is home to the new Costume and Textiles exhibit.

"All of the approximately 50 objects on view—from a Neoclassical dress with whitework embroidery from about 1800 to a futuristic T-shirt designed by Belgian artist Walter Van Bierendonck in the 1990s—are part of the Museum’s permanent collection of costume and textiles. Remarkable for their depth and breadth, these holdings currently number more than thirty thousand objects, making the collection one of the largest in the country. Acquired thanks to the generosity of numerous donors both of works of art and of funds for purchases, these recent additions illustrate the continued growth and amazing scope of this valuable public resource."

Who wants to dress up to the nines and go see this new exhibit next Saturday, November 17th?

http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/294.html

and info on the new building itself (so you can find it!)
http://www.philamuseum.org/perelman/

(mm)