The Art Deco ACG Christmas Party

So the last event of the year for costuming was the Annual Christmas Party. This year, we went deco to Brisbane City Hall, which was built in the 20s.  I've not found a 1920s style that I just LOVE on me, so I went with 1930s, and a NEW! DRESS! We met for a tour at 11.30, and took a tour of the newly renovated City Hall, which was fascinating!



Then we wandered into the Shingle Inn for lunch.  For those not from Brisbane, the Shingle Inn is a teahouse that was established in 1938.  It was an institution in my childhood, whenever Mum took us shopping in the city (usually at Gardams - 3 levels of fabric... Well two really, the 3rd level was brides dresses... Also an istitution that is no longer the same) we would have tea at the Shingle Inn.  It was removed when the plans to develop the building into a new shopping plaza were released.  The interior was heritage listed, and the intention was that it would go back into the same space into the building once it was built.  Well the shingle inn was "lost".  HOW do you lose a whole teahouse I ask you? When the plans to restore City Hall came out (it was sinking!), the Shingle Inn was FOUND!  And they planned to put it back into the City Hall. Which they have.  So while most of the group was wearing 1920s frocks (since the City Hall was built in the 20s), I wore 1930s for the Shingle Inn.. :D



We had a lovely lunch, which was made more special by the fact that there were a couple of oldies in the house who came past and told us that not only did we look wonderful, but we took him back to his childhood when he used to come to the Shingle Inn.  The girls also presented me with a thank-you gift for all the work done behind the scenes in the ACG so that we can have great events such as this one.  <3... Bless them! The final part of our massive day was heading up into the Museum in the City Hall to see Hollywood Costumes.  Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos inside.  But we caused a scene in there too.. -snicker-
 

And then we had the obligatory group shot on the main stairs... Not before there was silliness.. :)
 

For the occasion I made a new 1930s frock.... Completely from my stash.  -fistpump-  Turned out pretty well too, considering I didn't mock up, I just measured and went.  I made it out of a polyester linen-look since I was worried about how it would look, I didn't want to use any of my really nice fabric.  I must say, the jabot is awesome.  If you spill some of your lunch on it, you just readjust it and voila!  nobody knows.  Not that I did that of course.. -cough-
 

 The 2014 wrapup will happen possibly later tonight, or tomorrow afternoon.  I'm busily making my annual BIRTHDAY DRESS! And baking also for afternoon tea I'm putting on for 18 of my family and friends.. :)

Brisnova 2014

So I've been DYING to update on Supanova, but I wanted to catch up first on the other events I had done prior to Supanova.

You'll remember I was tossing around whether I would do Cinderella, despite having everything I needed to make it, and all the accessories.  In the end, I gave the haters the middle finger and did it anyway.  That was on Sunday, so I'll talk about that in a minute.

I had been ridiculously excited about Supanova after deciding on my costume lineup, and it would be close, but I figured that I would get my three costumes for the weekend done.  W was coming on Thursday night, and having my bestie around always makes for an awesome weekend. 

Thursday was tracking ok, it was thanksgiving, so hubby was cooking the foods this year (he worked from home that day), I was getting out of work early so I could come home, work on my Missy costume before I head out to the airport.  Well the weather had other ideas.  I got caught, in my beautiful car in the massive hailstorm that hit Brisbane on Thursday evening.  I had no sooner left the carpark in town, driving down the road and was waiting at the traffic lights when it hit.  Baseball sized hailstones, without exaggerating, hit my car.  I managed to get into a carpark, but not before my rear window was smashed, and I have significant panel damage to my baby.  To the point that it's still not known whether they're going to write it off or not.

So I managed to drive through the hail (thank goodness I've driven on snow, since that's what it was like!), cross a road with some flooding and get into the carpark.  I'm still not sure HOW I managed it considering I was shaking like a leaf, it was the scariest thing I've ever been through.  I seriously thought the roof was going to cave in and I was going to die.  Once I got to the carpark, I got out to look at the car, while the road I drove through got higher and higher.  I assessed the damage to my baby, and my heart sank....



That hole is one of four in the back window, only the tinting is holding it together at this point.  One baseball sized hailstone hit on the lip of the windscreen at the front, narrowly missing the windscreen, and one an inch away from my driver's window.  There are MASSIVE dents everywhere.

Long story short, it's a good thing that flights out of Sydney were delayed for a couple of hours, because that's how long I spent in the carpark.  When the storm FINALLY passed over two hours after I first left work, I decided to head home.  Knowing there were holes in my window, I waited out the rain, and went home through the tunnel.  Yeah, it cost me money, but I had peace of mind away from other drivers and out of any potential rain.  It was a mercifully quick drive home, since I was still really shaken up.

The upshot was that I haven't finished Missy to a point where I'm happy to wear it.  I pushed through on Friday night and got it made, but I don't like it right now, and I wouldn't be happy wearing it.

So!  On Saturday, I needed a boost.  I had my Disney pinup group costume to wear.... which was a 1950s version of Jane...



And I had my besties!



So it was all going pretty smoothly, other than that one person that has to make drama where there shouldn't be.... (DRAMA-LLAMAS!)

After lunch though, we changed me into Gruzinkerbell.... And this happened...

And I was loved on.... ALOT. 

So Sunday was the grand unvieling of Cinderella...  With  my very own Fairy Godmother!





Highlight of the whole weekend was having little girls come up to me with wide eyes saying "YOU'RE CINDERELLA! Can I have my photo with you Cinderella?".. Then they would hug my dress (or me when I bent down - one nearly strangled me.. haha)... Every.single.one. melted my heart.  It was just so good.  Getting costume-love from adults is great, but it's the kids that makes it so worthwhile.

Really.REALLY glad I did it.

The Marburg Festival

Really close to the end of the year, things are slowing down and I'm catching up with my posts...

Also in October, the ACG went off to Marburg for the yearly trip.  There was a reasonable number of us again, and we had a lovely time as per usual!  I wanted to wear turn of the century, so I pulled together my white lace blouse, the high-waisted skirt from my Mina Harker outfit, decorated a hat, and voila!  New outfit.. :)

 

 

We arrived, got dressed, walked in the parade sharing some lollies around with the crowd... After our formal duties were over, we were able to wander around the markets, have some lunch.... Have some photos at the old Marburg church, then head off to the pub for a cool beverage before heading home.  It's always warm out there, so I'm thinking that if we go next year, I might need to make something really really really really cool to wear.

But, it was a lovely day with the peeps!

The Victorian Spring Picnic

On a super bright and sunny day in early October, my reenactment group hosted their Spring picnic at Fort Lytton, which coincided with a firing of the 64 pound guns.

I had a new bustle dress for the occasion, and some excellent company!  I don't have a photo of just me with this bustle on just me as yet, but that will come.. :)  So here's a couple of photos of the finished item...



It turned out beautfilly, and I have a hat cut out to match.  The joy is that while I had to buy the rich tomato colour for this, I have a skirt half made in the stripe, I still have enough to have a day bodice in that colour and evening bodice in the stripe.  Not only that, but this colour also perfectly matches another checked silk I have in the stash.  So I'm going to have some killer mix and match outfits!

The reenactment group started out the weekend doing some kit repair, and then we camped out overnight at the fort.  I was shattered, and kept falling asleep at the dinner table, so was told to go to bed.  But.  I had THE best night sleep.  I crashed, and woke up bright and early, ready for the day. 

Since we were the only ones out there, I managed to spot a couple of the fort lytton hares... Which are HUGE! And a big scruffy looking..



We had a great day... we had the cannon-firing, so the guys were there to play a rousing game of cricket as well.  The company was excllent, the food and drink plentiful, so all in all, a very successful day!

A couple of new pieces for the wardrobe...

Hehe!  So I'm on holidays and I have new things finished!  These were things that were cut out some time ago, and I thought them good projects to kickstart the November sewing rush before Supanova... So there's a circle skirt made out of a Japanese print Drill, and a dress from Simplicity with a border print.

I do love a border print!

  

My next task is to change out the black backdrop for something less black.  Thankfully I have something in the stash for that!

Condottieri, the travelling reenactment group

So, also back in September, Condottieri went to Sydney for the St Ives Medieval Tournament.  It wasn't our full camp, neither was it our full group, but it was mostly an awesome event.



I did end up sleeping all weekend in Courtney's tent instead of my own, on the friday night I curled up in my tent and ended up not being able to breathe.  The tarp that I use for the floor of my tent is one that needs 24 hours to air before you sleep on it.  So, it would have been fine the 2nd night, but I didn't want to risk it after the night I had on the Friday night!

Other than that, and one of our group having a run in with a self-entitled Council worker (don't ask!), we had a great time.   I had made a new fancy parade Cioppa...



And I got to see sewaddicted as well..



But best of all, the ladies got to relax a bit, while the guys worked hard.  We didn't cook lunch either day, choosing instead to buy from the many vendors there, so we did some impromptu fingerlooping displays, went to the tavern and generally had a lovely time (and we got the guys to do the washing up as well!)

Brisbane's first look at Oz Comic Con...

So I had originally planned a whole weekend at Comic Con back in September.  Then I ended up seriously sick.  So there were no new costumes, even though I wanted to do Cinderella for it, and possibly a dieselpunk outfit.  Neither happened.  In fact, I couldn't face the whole weekend either.  So, I did the disneybounding thing.  I wore my blue Cinderella wrap around skirt, the matching fluffy top, and I did my hair and accessories like Cindy.  I met up with my Costuming Hubby, Michael, who looked AMAZING in his diselpunk.  Nyssa showed up, then we managed to catch Mel and Abi as well.

I couldn't do the whole day, but took a bunch of photos in front of a makeshift black backdrop.

   

 

I had a great time, even though I didn't end up lasting all day.  I was kinda stoked with how my hair turned out, and it's inspired me to finish Cinderella in time for Supanova at the end of November.  I think I'm being a little crazy.  I'm doing 3 new costumes I think, a costume for a group thing that will be revealed, Cinderella and Missy from Doctor Who.  I have a week off in just over a week, so we'll see how it goes!

As for the Con, I am looking forward to the next installment of Oz Comic Con!  Should be great!

Trip to Adelaide - ACG Ball

So, back at the end of August (eesh FAR behind again!), I went to the ACG Ball in Adelaide.  It's a great chance to go off to catch up with ALL the Aussie Costumers... It's such a great night out, and I love that I get to catch up with W as well.  This year, we did our own thing really, deciding that we wanted to actually see some more of Adelaide.

We did do our usual fabric shopping with all the peeps, but decided that at lunch we would head to the beach.  Man oh man am I glad we did. D, W and I went to Henley Beach, where we had a really delicious lunch, followed by walking on the beach (and some paddling).  We had such a lovely day!

    

Then we had dinner in our room as we got dressed.... There may have also been a couple of drinks as well before we went to the ball.  Last year we did a group entry into the competition, and after that I vowed and declared I wouldn't do that again so that we could do things like stroll along the beach and paddle in the water.

We had a great time at the ball, even though we have decided that we'll have to take our own food from now on since there really isn't anything appetising for us to eat.  Even though I didn't enter the competition, my Idris managed to take out a best in hall award.  Many people have told me I should enter again, so given the format of the competition has changed for next year, I've emailed the National President to find out what is involved.  As long as I can still do my shopping/tourist trip on the Saturday, I may just do it.  Anyway, a couple of the photos....

 

On Sunday, D had to leave early, so we missed seeing her mores the pity.  W and I had decided though that we would head to Maggie Beer's farm.  Maggie Beer used to host possibly my favourite cooking show that is no longer on the air, and her farm is where it was filmed.  We had lunch, and a really good walk around.  It was really lovely.  We think we'll go back next year, and possibly head to a couple of wineries.  It's a beautifully stunning place though, and they put on dairy/gluten free food for us which was delicious!