AnachroCon Recap

So this was an especially hectic week costuming wise. (We won't talk about the hectic week at work) My Victorian Undergarments class started sewing this week AND it was the week before AnachroCon, with all the inevitable last minute fiddling. And fiddling there was aplenty...there was the "OMG...  what am I wearing to the 40s swing dance" crisis when the dress I was planning on wearing didn't materialize at the last minute. Then I got it into my head that I wanted a striped underskirt that I could hike up "steampunk style" and I found American Duchess' wonderful tutorial on how to make a portrait pin and suddenly I wanted to make one holding a photo of Nikola Tesla.

Tesla, my sweetheart

Still, I managed a good night's sleep before we left, so I felt pretty on top of things, over all.  Although, lordy, the amount of luggage dressing up for 3 days entails!  I haven't packed that heavily for a weekend since my SCA days.  Thank heavens the con was local...  I can't imagine having to fly with all the various and sundries..  hatbox (I managed to get all of both mine and Jay's hats into a single box or there would have been more) train case for makeup and hair pieces, tackle box for fiddly bits for both of us....  my skirts and petticoats alone took up their own garment bag.

Hair pieces and makeup pretty much took over the bathroom counter

AnachroCon itself was fun.  It's pretty much a steampunk convention so I took a lot of liberties from pure historical costuming.  Friday night there was a 1940s dinner, then a USO show by Bombshells United and swing dancing.  Since we ballroom dance anyway, we took a couple of swing lessons right before the con and got out on the dance floor more than once.  There were only a few couples that were brave enough to do so.  So for the rest of the weekend we'd meet people and they'd say  "oh..  you guys were the ones that danced!"

Jay as a sailor

 

Me in my last minute pseudo 40s dress I found on Lands End and an amazing hat from ArchiteuthisHats on Etsy

Saturday Jay wore a more perfected version of the steampunk aviator outfit he wore to Sunday in the Park and I wore a steampunky riding habit.

There were talks on a variety of topics (Aviation in WW1, Weimar Germany and fashion 1830 to 1850) that we went to but the height of the afternoon was the absinthe tasting.

The tasting was by Tea and Absinthe and we got to try six different absinthes. Jay and I managed to agree on one of them (thankfully) and I hope there is a bottle of absinthe in our future.  I desperately wanted one of the absinthe fountains... there is just the spot for it in our dining room, but I couldn't quite convince Jay, unfortunately.

The dealer's room was filled with all sorts of enticing things.   Jay bought a British Sergeants uniform and an aiguillette from Spencer's Mercantile and I couldn't resist a green leather over the bust corset from Pendragon Leather

I'd never worn an over the bust style before, and I think over all I prefer an underbust, which doesn't dig in under my arm, but the green leather is just too pretty and after all, isn't fashion a bit of sacrifice?

We also pre-registered for 221B Con in April.  Another opportunity to play dress up!  And we're told that next year's AnachroCon theme may be 18th century, so there are all sorts of costuming possibilities in that.  I forsee a fancy dress officer's uniform for Jay 

From Wikipedia

And perhaps a 1760s riding habit (and stays, and petticoats and hat) for me.

 From the Met

So..  next on the schedule is my chemise for my Victorian Undergarments class, then the next Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge...  then costumes for 221B Coan costumes for DragonCon...   So many ideas, so little time to sew!