Playawear Work In Progress 2015

[AliCat903]

Skirt mostly done, need to fidget with the hem some more. Corset was purchased, really wanted to make one for this year but not nearly enough hours. Podbelt is new, still working out the balance on that. Breaking in the boots because I'm afraid my old ones are going to die out there this year. Planning on wearing this at night, so I want to make some sort of scarf thing that lights up to go with it. Still not sure there. All in all, I am pleased.

[Ratty]

You look marvelous!! Great job.

[AliCat903]

Awe. Thanks Ratty!

[trilobyte]

it's been a nutso busy summer, and I've been slacky on posting about the progress on our playawear. Earlier in the year I posted about the 'march hare' ensemble that my sweetie wanted for herself, we finished that in time for a spring fundraiser shindig for Airpusher and Serpent Mother. Planned to come after that and in time for this year's burn is my new airship pirate coat. That's been a more difficult piece to come together, it's been something I've been thinking about for a few years but mostly it's just a collections of notes and scribbles, as well as previous research and design cues from some virtual clothing designs we made for Second Life a few years back.

We just need to come up with something that does all the things I want and looks insanely cool!

Back in around May we started talking about it meaningfully, and the project started pulling itself in the direction it wanted to go. My girlfriend specifically wanted to check out a range of fabrics from one of her suppliers and test some design ideas, so we sat down and picked out colors and we ordered in some swatches. SO MANY SWATCHES! It was an overwhelming amount, I had a small pile of them on my desk just staring at me, mocking my inability to make any decisions for a few weeks there. Then I think in early June I started going through the swatches, trying to find some combination that worked for the ones I liked most. No such luck, but then when I thought about it in terms of how the whole outfits would work, it started to make sense. Two different jacket color schemes immediately jumped out, with fabrics for pants and waistcoat as well. Well, most of the bits that were needed. A trip to our local fabric place filled that gap, we were able to find the materials we needed for lining and whatnot in fairly short order, as well as the various threads we'd need as well.

Life was so much easier when much of what I wore was black. Color matching was easy, and you never had to worry much about finding the right thread. It's more of a challenge, but I think the payoff of getting it just the way you want is huge. Necessity dictates considering something other than black at Burning Man. By day the sun and the heat are crazy enough as it is, made even worse if you're out in it wearing black. And by night you're that much harder to see, and if you're wearing black then that doesn't give any cool lighting you come up with anything to really play off of.

So yeah, fabrics and colors. The space pirate coat we designed way back in 2006 (after a couple years of design/research) is phenomenally awesome, but it's also kind of heavy to wear. Not just heavy, but oppressively hot on all but the coldest of playa nights - and in the last few years there haven't really been that many really cold playa nights (not that I'm complaining). I wanted something lighter and more colorful, as we worked out the design I was imagining that of course an airship pirate would want a lighter coat. Not only in weight (every pound counts when you're taking to the skies hehe), but in colors. In my head I imagine an airship pirate captain being very over-the-top and garish, a cross between regular pirate and something like Rik Mayall's Flasheart character in Blackadder.



Yep, silks/brocades. Bonus points for being less likely for playa dust to stick to it, and we tested it against several different colors of LED light and love how it reflects different colors of light. Hopefully there will be time to do some on-board LED lighting, and eventually it will definitely have some kind of high tech LED fun going on, but that's a future project.

I had been stressing a bit about the buttons. After looking through a couple hundred button designs at our local place, and digging around online, I wasn't really feeling anything I was seeing. On the original space pirate coat from 2006 we ended up designing our own, then resin casting and painting them. Great look, very tedious and a massive pain when a button comes off/gets lost. My initial thought at this point was to 3D print something, since we have ready access to a 3D printer. The down side of that is that 3D printed plastic is about a third as strong as regular plastic, and then of course it's plastic, so there'd be some finishing work involved to get the right look. Another option would be to have the 3D print design sent to an output bureau to crank it out in metal... but that would be cost-prohibitive. I was kind of stumped, and my gf told me not to worry about it, she had something coming in. That alone gave me concern. She has spectacular taste and style, but she's usually the one who struggles with those details and has a lot of trouble getting that part sorted out... but she seemed certain, so I trusted her. Man, when she finds a great button, she finds a great button - look what she got!



And now it's all coming together quite nicely. While I've been working on the bulk of the camp's build and art fabrication, she's been rocking it hard on the Juki. Here's the nearly-finished piece (the one on the right).



I say nearly-finished because there's still a bit of work to be done with the collar, and then also some LED lighting stuff I'm hoping there's time to do. It's currently parked while the pants are coming together. I couldn't be happier with where this jacket is at. Sure, you can only carry 4 beers in the pockets (the space pirate coat, as with Utilikilts, can carry a 6-pack), but I think it's certainly manageable and I like the style and the feel a whole lot. I'll try and post updates on the rest of it, but I'm still scrambling to get the camp builds wrapped before starting on the pre-coooking and packing before we ship out in a week and a half.

[lucky420]

Gorgeous work. You and P are so darn fancy. Fancy smancy!

[trilobyte]

Thanks, but no... fancy shmancy are the s'mores night. Still no idea when she'll be planning to do that (there will probably be several, and at least one may also involve a flamethrower).

I did get orders placed for "interim lighting" which should arrive Monday, and be stitched in with plenty of time to spare. Hopefully the collar gets sorted this weekend..

[Joeln]

Awesome coat and buttons - way to go Pani!

[daizy]

Any suggestions on how to make my old goggles dust proof?

IMG_20150815_233702~01.jpg

[KnotJim]

Here is a vest I'm working on

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[sadie]

Daizy..
I can't tell from your picture if it would work or not, but I used Sugru to close up the holes/vents in my welding goggles. Worked great last year and still holding strong.
Or maybe cut strips of gaff tape/duck tape to fit the gaps..an inside and outside piece to stick unto themselves and stick better??

Cool vest KJ!

[mgb327]

I have been working on my black kilt, adding some metalwork. Simple stuff....then I bought THIS last night! Oh crap, I am going to hurt myself here.....

[lucky420]

Just couldn't help yourself, huh?

[mgb327]

Nope, so I got 2.

[Ratty]

Daizy, I did this pair a year or 2 ago. Knock off the old spong. White glue around the hole and press on an over sized piece of fabric. I used some very thin fleece. (Like the cheap kids pajamas that you can't stand to touch.) Really any fabric will do as long as it keeps out dust. Let it sit till completely dry and trim around it. It ain't pretty but these goggles fit me and have a great clasp in the back that opens. If you like your old goggles save them. Don't buy new ones.

[Ratty]

Trillo, WOW. Knot jim, I'm very impressed. Figures with a name like that you can even sew knots on yourself. MGB we will be changing your name to 'Paw' after you sew all your fingers together. Is that thing scarey fast or just a workhorse?

[mgb327]

I don't dare to fire it up...yet.

[gaminwench]

So jealous of all the craftiness.

I did get some new 'social booties',
and adopted a new/old 2-6am weight suede/fur full length coat.

Braids installed.
Patches/bling sewed onto day hat.

*sigh*

[Akela]

Working on my ladyfriend's fire mohawk...her dad welded the frame and brought it with him to the burn last year, we met him there and I wrapped the wicks. We never had a good method of attachment though, just an impromptu, half-ass system of velcro straps. It worked, but was unreliable and sketchy as hell (always desirable traits in something on fire and attached to your head). Will be much better this year--today I did some wick maintenance and made an adjustable, clasping strap, connected to a duvetyne liner.

[trilobyte]

Lots of fun stuff. Daizy, I'll just point to what Ratty posted and say "that sounds good!" but I'd most likely just rig it with gaffer tape myself.

mgb, wowzers on the industrial sewing machine! That thing looks awesome, probably good for sewing sail cloth and saddles as well as other stuff fast.

Great vest, KnotJim. The knotwork does a great job of offsetting the pattern of the material.

I was able to get some little simple lighting in for the airship pirate coat (the pic shows a couple other pieces of lighting for another project).



Hooray for that getting done, and the collar getting finished, but unfortunately the pants are a no-go for this year's event. Wires got crossed between measuring and pattern-making, and after so much awesome work went into some amazing pockets and detail, I went to try them on and no way they'd fit. After cries of anguish, I made the call that we should just table the pants until post-burn. If we come back feeling excited to do stuff, maybe we can get them done in time for decompression, otherwise get them done in time for something around the holidays. The design is too good to simply give up on, but as things stood it would take nearly starting from scratch (and getting more of the material) to make it go. Not only is there no time for that, but I can wear that jacket proudly with any number of other great pants at the burn. No need to stress about it.

Pandorra also got some lighting figured out for her march hare outfit that she made in the spring, she's very excited about that. Damn, it's getting to be time to actually get things packed up!

[hug+kiss]

After trying to force these lights on a coat that just wasn't working, I thought "tutu!".

[BoyScoutGirl]

That tutu looks great! Good idea

[lucky420]

looooooooooove that tutu!

[mooserider]

Does anyone put cooling systems in their daytime garb? I've acquired some costumes that might be a little too warm for daytime usage, and I'm trying to figure out how to add a cooling system (swamp cooler on a hand-towed wagon?).

[lucky420]

No, I think I would just save those for the evening...

[Ratty]

Mooserider someone here would be glad to 'blow smoke up your skirt' if that would help.

[hug+kiss]

I made the Tutu, which really is more of a petticoat, lighted with those tiny seed LEDs on the wire. I'm so in love with these lights. I hate the bulkiness of wires. I only wish they could individually blink/twinkle or chain flash. These are only steady on or flash. If anybody knows of wire lights that do more please post.

[gaminwench]

beautiful.
My LED seed lights only do on/off.

It is enough.

[EmilyD]

I have been working on my black kilt, adding some metalwork. Simple stuff....then I bought THIS last night! Oh crap, I am going to hurt myself here.....

Ooooooo, ahhhhh, mmmmm power! You scored, she's a beauty!

[daizy]

Thanks for the tips!

Sadie, i checked out sugru and it looks awesome! but i just didnt find where i can buy it.. got so many other ideas for when i will find it

Ratty, i didnt really liked my goggles.. just rathered give them another go instead of buying new ones. so i glued some fabric as you suggested and now i absolutely love them!! thanks so much for the tip

LOVE the tutu!!!

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[Ratty]

Wow daizy. What a great looking pair! Mine are so utilitarian and yours are razzle dazzle. Beautiful. OK you gutter snipes. go ahead and make tit jokes.