Steampunk November Festival 2016

Of course they have a TARDIS.

Regular readers of this blog know I really love Steampunk November.  So much that it's the only steampunk event I've attended this year.  (It's been a rough few years personally.)

If you're not familiar with the event, let me briefly explain it.  It's basically a Renaissance Faire, but for steampunk.  It's held on some rural property just south of Dallas in Mansfield, TX.  It's currently a three day festival of live music, dance and variety performances, and vending.

This was my third time attending and vending at this festival in four years.  (One year I was ill.) I've been able to watch the event grow from a large party to a full-fledged festival, and I've gotten to know the organizers and a lot of people involved with it.  Pretty much every time I talk to a Texas steampunk I ask, "Are you going to Steampunk November?  You should go to Steampunk November."

The new Gypsy Stage.  How gorgeous is that?

This year was definitely the biggest yet, with an entire new area of vendors and a 4th stage. There were more acts, especially musical acts, and more variety.  There were also a lot of small improvements to the site and I was seriously impressed at the amount of work that had been put into it.

For me, the experience of going to Steampunk November as a vendor is like going to a family reunion.  I know a lot of the people and a lot of them know me.  But I talked to quite a few new vendors over the weekend and they all expressed wonder at how welcoming and friendly everyone was.  It's normal to see someone walking around looking dazed and saying "this place is incredible!"

Unlike some other steampunk events, this isn't a convention.  The focus is on performers and vendors rather than educational panels.  The line-up for performers is long and consisted of musical acts, belly dancers, sideshow acts, and other comedy/variety acts.  Since I spent most of my time in my booth, I only really got to see the acts performing on the two stages in the original central area.  And even then I heard the acts more than saw them.

The Phantom Sensation performing

Because I didn't get to really see the non-musical acts I'll just focus on the bands.  Besides, part of my main reason to go to cons and events is to see live music.

 My favorite bands of the weekend were Plunk Murray, The Phantom Sensation, The Long Losts, and Frenchy and the Punk. Plunk Murray is a local Dallas Celtic Punk/Rock band and I totally enjoyed their set on Sunday morning.  The Phantom Sensation is a Fort Worth band who call themselves a punk rock, southern gothic, blackgrass band.  They played several times over the weekend and I caught bits and pieces and was really impressed with them.   The Long Losts are a goth punk duo from New York and they were seriously awesome.  I mean, my tastes incline in that direction, but I loved them.  They are also both very nice people. And finally there's Frenchy and the Punk.  They were the Saturday night headliners and only were able to play one set but they were awesome, as always.  This is the third time I've seen them and they are always a great time.

Frenchy and the Punk (at soundcheck)

The selection of vendors was fantastic.  There were a ton this year, and in general the quality of the merchandise was high.  The focus was definitely on handmade items, not the kind of factory-produced stuff you see at most comic cons.  The wares covered everything from steampunk costumes and jewelry to fine art, glasswares, books, and more.

There may have been a few too many vendors there for the size of the crowd, from a money-making point of view.  Certainly there is room for the festival to grow in attendance and it never felt crowded, but it wasn't ever empty either.  From talking to other vendors how well they did ranged wildly from breaking even to raking it in.  But pretty much everyone I talked to said how much they enjoyed the event and that it was worth it to show up just for the experience.  (This is the category I fall in really.  I never make huge money at this show, but I always make some and I really enjoy it.  This year I didn't have as much stock as I would have liked due to being laid up recently.  But I made more than I expected.)

My husband and I in front of
the Steam Ingenious booth.

The only real complaint I heard was regarding food options.  The only on-site food was an Italian-themed food truck.  They had a nice variety of food available from salads, sandwiches, pasta, and fried snacks.  But the line was long and the wait for food was even longer.  I know some people got frustrated.  Everything I ate was good, though, and the organizers have said they are planning on having more food vendors next year.

The other attractions of the festival are two wine-tastings, an afternoon tea, a beer-tasting, and tea-dueling.  I have never been able to go to any of these, so I really can't report on them.  But everyone RAVES about the wine tasting (and I don't think it's just because they come out drunk.)  And I know people had fun at the tea dueling.  The tastings and tea cost extra and tickets for them must be bought in advance.

The one downside of Steampunk November is that the location isn't very convenient or easy to get to.  That's hardly unique for Renaissance events, but I think it's probably the reason the festival hasn't gotten more popular.  It's a significant drive from Dallas, but ok for a day trip.  There is camping available, but in November it's a little cool for a lot of people (i.e. me.).

But I would really encourage people to make the effort and plan to attend, whether that means camping out for the whole weekend, driving from Dallas, or getting a hotel room nearby.  It's absolutely worth it for a relaxed, enchanting, fun atmosphere with great people.

ETA: I forgot to say hi to those readers of this blog who said hi at the event!  Thanks so much for stopping to talk and I was so glad you turned up!

Con Report: All-Con 2016

I spent last weekend attending All-Con in Dallas.  I've only attended All-Con once before, back in 2011 when their theme was steampunk.  I hadn't realized it'd been a full five years until my facebook reminded me by showing pictures from five years ago.  I've been wanted to go back since that time and it just hasn't come together.

All-Con is a pretty unique con.  It has a very broad focus, as it's name implies, and welcomes fans from any type of geek culture.  There's a real focus on costuming and maker culture.  Many of the panels focus on DIY skills, which is one of the reasons I love the con.  When I go to panels, I want to learn stuff.  All-Con typically has a laid-back familial party atmosphere, I gather.

My husband, showing off his spikey bowler
 in the hotel bar.

This year was the first year the con was held in a new hotel, the Westin Park Central.  The con really needed a larger home than their old hotel, but the change in venue lead to a lot of issues and made the event feel more like a first year con than one in it's 12th year.   In general, the vibe seemed off.  People were scattered all over the hotel on several floors and there didn't seem to be any center of the action.  I felt like I was missing out on the fun, whereas previously, all of All-Con was very centralized on one floor.

But I wasn't at the con for most of the time.  I've been struggling with a flare of my back condition for the last month or so, and I wasn't sure if I was even going to be able to go.  So I intentionally limited my con time so I would be able to do the things I'd agreed to do, namely, presenting three panels on corsets.

This year the con put more effort into a steampunk track and took on a new steampunk track coordinator, who is a friend of mine.  She reached out to the community to organize panels, and that's how I ended up doing these corset panels.  Which is cool cause I love blabbering about corsets to people.

On Friday night there was a steampunk music night which included Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands.   I saw this band previously about a year ago in Houston.  They instantly became one of my favorite steampunk bands.  So I was super excited they were playing this con.  I went to the con on Friday JUST to see them.

The concert was held in the Penthouse Ballroom on the top floor of the hotel.  As far as I know it was the only event held up there and I had trouble figuring out where it was even taking place.  Apparently either a lot of people did, or not many people realized the event was even happening.  It was scheduled at the same time as Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is a big deal at this con.  So the audience was really, really small.

Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands

As difficult as it is to play to a mostly empty room, the band was FANTASTIC.  They have an eclectic sound that features Crystal Bright's AMAZING voice and her keyboards, accordion, bowed saw, and on one song African harp.  The sound does have a vintage or antique quality, with several songs in waltz or tango rhythms.   But it's still modern, it's still rock, and it has an edge.  While song steampunk bands I've seen are fun for an evening, but aren't necessarily something I'd want to listen to all the time, Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands is music I'll listen to any time.

I also have to give a shout out to Crystal herself for being a super sweet person.  My husband and I were sitting at the bar in the hotel lobby before the show and she came up to us to say hi because she remembered us from the show a year ago.   And she was equally lovely after the show as people bought merch.  It's not a lot of lead singers who I end up hugging.   But I was a little ashamed that more people didn't attend their show, especially the steampunk community.  We need to support our own!

Me, in the Steampunk Cleopatra, with husband.

Anyway, on Saturday I gave two corset panels back to back.  The first was Corsets 101 and the second was Intro to Corset Making.  There was a lot more interest in the Corset Making class than the 101 class, which is interesting because at other cons it's been reversed.  All-Con's panels are supposed to only last 45 minutes, which flies by when I have a lot to discuss.  So I did feel pretty rushed and a little disorganized in my presentation.   It's always difficult to gauge what people are understanding or absorbing, but a couple of people came up and told me they'd learned a lot, so that's nice.

I stayed for the next panel in the room, which was a Victorian fencing demonstration presented by the local Victorian fencing society.  It was super interesting and fun.  I'm already a fencing fan due to the Olympics, but it was neat to see it so close and see the difference in Victorian style fencing from modern fencing.  As well as learning some of the history.

After that I attended a panel on Small Business for Creative Types.  The presenter was obviously very knowledgeable, but much of the panel involved talking to the people in the audience and got into specifics that weren't super relevant to me.  I was used as the example business for much of the panel since I had an established business.  But it did underline some things I really need to consider and focus on to get my business better organized and got me thinking in some new directions.

Event Report: Steampunk November 2015

It took me a while to get this post up.  I was recovering from the weekend, and then there was a holiday and my computer died....anyway,

This has been a rough year for me and my household.  Right before last year's Steampunk November my back went out in a flare of my chronic condition that made me bedridden for three months or so.  Just when I was finally back to my normal level of functioning, in February, my husband lost his job.  It meant a lean six months and a very very lean two more months as he worked 3 jobs at once to pay our bills before his new full-time position started paying and we got (somewhat) caught up.

So all that has meant I haven't been to a steampunk event for over a year.  I got out to A-kon in Dallas in June and vended the steampunk ball there and that was great.  But it's been a long while since I went all out and got together with my tribe.

Steampunk November isn't like any other steampunk event I know of.  It's not a convention.  This year's headliner Voltaire told a story about how he hadn't realized how different this event was ahead of time.  He didn't understand why the map showed trees in the middle of the ballroom.  And he thought these crazy Texans were driving him out into the middle of nowhere in the trees to kill him.  Until he arrived and saw the site and said "Oh, it's a RENN FAIRE!"

And that's really what Steampunk November most resembles.  It's a Renn Faire for Steampunk.  A "festival" not a convention.  (The name comes from the fact that it originally was held on November 5th: "Remember, Remember Steampunk November.")  It's held in a small town about 30 minutes south of Dallas on the private property belonging to some good friends of mine.  They (and dedicated volunteers) spend all year improving the site and building new buildings, stages, and this year, rebuilding what was destroyed by area floods.

The event has grown from a large private party to a 3-day much larger private party.  This year the space of the festival doubled, with a second vendor area, third stage, and new permanent Saloon building.

Like a Renn Faire, the attractions including a large assortment of vendors and constant varied entertainment.  As well as a fun gathering of people who like to dress up and have fun.  This was the first year they expanded to three days instead simply one day.  I was only able to attend Saturday and Sunday for personal reasons, so I can't speak to anything that happened Friday, but it sounds like it was a really good time that was well-attended.

The entertainment for the weekend involved several musical acts, belly dancers, circus sideshow acts, an escape artist, and a burlesque troupe late Saturday night.  I got to see fewer of these shows than I might have liked, since I was manning my booth.  I was located in the main area of the festival where two stages are located, so I heard several acts but didn't really see much of them.   The scheduling was handled well, though, so there was always SOMETHING going on, usually something in multiple locations.

In addition to the music and dance there was an afternoon tea and two wine tastings.  One of these years I'm going to get a ticket to one of them.  I know the people coming OUT of the wine tastings always seem super happy.  :)

The weather for the event could have been better, but it could have been worse, since we dodged rain aside from a few sprinkles.  It was really overcast and cold (for Texas) and I could have planned my outfit better for the weather.  I wore part of my Steampunk Cleopatra, without the trained underskirt (since I didn't want it dragging in the mud/dirt) and a new sweater I knit specifically for the occasion.  The sweater was super welcome, but I was still frozen from the knees down.  Next year I will have a proper winter outfit!  (And it will probably be 80 degrees.)

My husband, image by Senia Vera Photography

On a personal note, I was actually pretty miserable on Saturday due to significant back pain and the strenuous day of travel, setting up our booth, and vending.  Plus the cold.  Which doesn't of course reflect on the event, but limited my enjoyment of it.  I made one trip down to the lower area to visit the vendors and the saloon but didn't make it back down there again due to my pain.  Sunday I felt much better and was able to enjoy myself more.  There were far fewer people present on Sunday, but I actually sold more and got to talk to more friends.

I was impressed in general with the vendors, especially with the variety and quality.  Besides the kinds of wares you expect at a steampunk gathering such as clothing, corsets, hats, leather goods, and jewelry, there were varied other craftsmen, including a pottery booth with a working kiln where you could glaze your own piece and have it fired right there.

I made a few purchases myself, buying some super cute knee-high socks (to keep my frozen legs warm), some homemade incense, and some amazing hair falls/dreads from Diva Dreads. I know four of my friends bought these and we were all walking around going "LOOK AT MY HAIR ISN'T IT COOL."   I unfortunately don't have a picture of myself with my hairpieces in, because I didn't buy them until late on Sunday, but for those looking for good steampunk hair options, I'm recommending them.

Overall this is an event put on with a great deal of love and a family/community atmosphere.  It's grown every year and I know there are plans to continue that growth.  It's a great party celebrating the best of steampunk.

Con Report: A-kon 26

I spent last weekend in Dallas attending A-kon 26!  This was a bit of a last minute decision, because I was offered the opportunity to vend at the Friday night Steampunk Ball, so it made going financially possible for me.

Steampunk Social

I was totally excited because this is a con I've wanted to attend again.  The last time I went to A-kon was five years ago, when it was my very first con and very first event as a steampunk!  So this was my five year "Steampunkiversary"!  I love anime cons and prefer them to comic cons, actually.  I feel like they are lots more fan-centric rather than celebrity oriented.  The cosplay tends to be better and in general the vibe is more positive and inclusive.

I didn't get to spend a huge amount of time attending the con itself for reasons having to do with travel, other commitments, and my back condition.  I didn't go to the con Friday before the Ball because I knew I'd have to set-up and tear down our booth and function for the evening, so I rested in anticipation.  We went as attendees Saturday for a few hours, and that was it.  Sunday was spent meeting with a corset client and driving home, plus I was tired by then.

Me at the ball

But let's talk about the Steampunk Ball.  It was held Friday night in one of the hotel's (many!) ballrooms.  It was actually a lovely space, a circular room with a stage and dance floor at one end.  The Steampunk Social started at 7PM and there was free snacks and coffee and tea!  The Durian Grey steampunk troupe presented some Victorian parlour games and there was tea-dueling as well.  I was busy vending during this time so I didn't get to participate or even watch much of these activities.  I think it would have been fun if the tea-dueling was a bigger deal, maybe with multiple tables dueling to involve more of the attendees.

As far as the vendors, I know most of them were recruited last-minute as I was,  There were a couple empty tables which could have been filled to give more variety.  I was the only one selling steampunk apparel and we did very well for only a few hours, so it was totally successful for me.  I bought some awesome buttons from one of my friends' booths and we also got our picture taken by the photographer, Albertex Photography.  I was really glad to see a photo booth at the event.  Too many events lack a reasonable way to get decent pictures.  If there are photographers, they charge a large price for prints.  This time it was only $15 for a 5x7 print with photoshopped background or $5 for an automatic photobooth collage.

The turnout for the event was pretty good: not crowded, but full.  Most were in some kind of steampunk dress but there were a lot of newbies that hadn't been to a steampunk event before and us regulars didn't recognize, which is always great.  And of course some people in anime cosplay and street clothes as well.

My husband showing off the new vest-coat
 I made him and his new hat band.

There were two bands for the actual Ball portion of the evening: This Way to the Egress and Psyche Corporation.  I believe This Way to the Egress played the Ball the year before as well.  Much as we love our Texas steampunk musicians, I heard several people glad there was "something different" for entertainment as too often the line-up at steampunk events is very similar.

This Way to the Egress went on at 9PM and were fantastic.  They won over the crowd and had people dancing all over the place for their whole set.  Their music is a huge mash of styles, with a lot of swing, vaudeville, and a huge number of instruments.  The closest influence I could name is Gogol Bordello, but with a lot more swing. Check them out here.

Psyche Corporation went on later, close to 11PM.  Their sound was a big change from Egress, a lot more down-beat. (Check them out here.) The lead singer has a good voice, but the songs were dreamy and sparse, which may not have been ideal for so late at night after a day of con.  I don't think I was the only one who found myself feeling really tired.  In general they are similar in style to Unwoman, with the soaring voice and cello, but I have to say based on what I've seen Unwoman does it with a lot more energy and success.

The Ball ended fairly quickly as people left to either find beds or wilder parties, I assume.  We were out of there by midnight, though it was scheduled for DJ and dancing to continue until 2AM.

A gentleman with a serious prosthetic.

As far as other steampunk programming for the weekend, I have to confess I attended none of it.  There were the usual panels.  I intended to attend a couple of them on Saturday but I missed both: one due to traffic and parking problems and one because I decided I needed to visit the dealer's room instead once I learned it closed at 6PM.  Several of my friends were at the con promoting the in-progress steampunk film Aether, so you should check it out.

There was a Steampunk Afternoon Tea presented by Durian Grey.  It was actually a murder mystery tea with an additional cost of $35.  I was originally glad to see a tea on the schedule, but couldn't afford to attend.  In the evening was the Goblin Market, a unique role-playing experience presented by some of the steampunks.  It also had a cost for entry of $10.  I wanted to attend, but my back didn't make it till 8PM.

The con as a whole was typically A-kon: big, crowded, intense.  This was my first time at their current venue, and it's a big improvement on their old one.  The Hilton Anatole is a huge complex, so that while it's still crowded and overwhelming, you don't have to physically struggle through crowds.  There were lines everywhere for everything from getting into the dealer's room to getting food (thank god for all the food trucks, though).   I wish the temperature had been a bit cooler through the con, but it was 95 degrees out and it's a big place to air condition, so they can only do so much, I guess.  I still don't know how people in heavy costumes do it, though.  I dressed for comfort and coolness both

My friend, Moira McCrae showing her colors.

days and was still sweaty.

The Artist's Alley was awesome, with very nice stuff and lots of talent on display.  The Dealer's room was a bit of a disappointment, though.  I remember A-kon as having an AMAZING dealer's room, but this time it seemed most of the dealer's were selling the same things and almost all of it was anime or manga related.  While, yes, ok, it's an anime con, I still would have liked to see a broader selection of general geek stuff.  There was only one vendor selling games, for example, and not even much selection of t-shirts.  My only purchases were one "Welcome to Nightvale" sticker for myself and a Star Wars tee for my husband.  And pocky.  We bought a couple small things in Artist Alley for friends as well.

So that was my con, essentially.  This took me so many days to post because I'm having problems with Blogger and it wouldn't upload photos for me.  I'll have another post about some of my recent projects with more maker details.

Con Report: Weird West Fest 2014

Saturday September 20th was Weird West Fest in Giddings, TX.  This is the second year for this event, and the first time I was able to attend.  I was a vendor for this event as well.

Photo by Charles Lincoln Miller

I love the idea of placing a steampunk event in a small town with historic locations.  Small towns are always looking for more ways to increase tourism and I get the impression everyone local was super supportive of this event.  The event was sited in the downtown of Giddings, spread over several buildings withing a couple of blocks of each other: the Historic Train Depot, the 1910 Silent Movie Theater, and the modern Landmark event center.

How ADORABLE is this trio?

I spent most of my time inside the event center, where the bulk of the vendors were, and where the talks and panels were located.  It was also the only air-conditioned location, which is significant when it's 90 degrees, quite humid, and you're in period dress.  Last year the event was held in December and actually had to be rescheduled due to a huge winter storm.  It's Texas, there's never an ideal time to hold an outdoor event that can't be messed up by the weather.

Scientific displays,
photo by Charles Lincoln Miller

Although the various locations of the event were within fairly close walking distance, they were just far enough apart to discourage flitting from one to another, with the effect that events and vendors were fairly isolated from each other and people didn't really know all that was going on or available in the different locations.  In fact, I missed some of the displays because I didn't know there was anything INSIDE the train depot!  Better communication and signage as well as possibly more volunteers directing people to attractions would improve actually getting attendees to see everything.

There was a film festival as well in the 1910 Silent Movie Theater nearby.  Unfortunately, I heard the theater was unbearably hot because it was enclosed and not air-conditioned.  That's not something the festival organizers can change, obviously, but it meant that something that should have been a nice rest for attendees (sitting and watching indie films) wasn't an option for many.  And it's Texas, so temperature is always difficult to predict.

Photo by Charles Lincoln Miller

Unfortunately, I didn't get to stay after the vendor room shut down because I was in a lot of pain and exhausted.  There were several entertainers performing that night I was looking forward to.  I do think it would have given people more to do and more reason to stick around if there was more continuous entertainment throughout the day.  I think quite a few families took a quick spin through the vendors and then left.

Myself and my husband

Photo by Charles Lincoln Miller

The selections offered by the vendors was really fantastic.  I was totally impressed by both the number and quality of the vendors.  Unfortunately it seems there were actually too many vendors for the crowd, and it was a low-selling event for most.  I about broke even, but I know some vendors sadly took a loss.  This points to the real need for MORE attendees and better advertising of the event.  The attendees were definitely split into those who were aware of steampunk, and those who showed up with no idea what to expect.  Some apparently expected more of a rodeo show and were confused.

The problem with locating your event in a small town is that you have to be able to convince your audience to TRAVEL to your event.  Giddings is an easy drive from Austin, and a reasonable drive from Houston, but it still takes planning and effort for people to make the trip.  I think Weird West Fest needs to ask what it is that is going to inspire people to make the drive so that they get the numbers of attendees and the target audience they deserve.   Bigger name performers? More organized events?  I don't know exactly what would attract the masses, but this is an event I'd love to see do really well.

State of the Baroness, September Edition

I have been neglecting this blog for the last couple of weeks, I know.  I've been dealing with a bad flare of my back condition that left me almost totally incapable of walking for a few days, and then a week of recovery from that, and a new flare this past weekend.

And while typing up posts for a blog would seem like something it'd be easy to do from bed, when I'm in pain it's really difficult to concentrate enough to produce anything worthwhile.  Mostly I just want escapism.

I DO have a mostly complete tutorial to put together, but I'm missing some photos of the finished item, which require me to be mobile at a time when I have someone to take photos of me and the weather cooperates.

I also have been on a break from reading steampunk books.  Every so often I reach a steampunk overload and I get to the point where I can't keep different steampunk novels straight and I'm not enjoying them anymore. I recently have got some sequels to read of first novels I know I enjoyed, but have absolutely no memory of other than possibly, "There was steampunk?"

So I'm reading some traditional sci-fi and fantasy (Lois McMaster Bujold, right now, damn I love her.)

I am also sewing when I can, working on corset commissions and getting stock made for my next vending event.

I have had to pull out of Steampunk Invasion, which is this coming weekend in Dallas.  I was attending and presenting a corsetmaking panel, but I've unfortunately had to cancel for health reasons.  The following weekend I'm vending at Weird West Fest in Giddings, TX and I'm afraid if I push myself to go to the Invasion I will be in bad physical shape for the following weekend's event.

After that my next event is Steampunk November, which is one of the most fun events EVER and it's going to be awesome.  I applied to both vend and present panels at Aetherfest in San Antonio in November, but I was apparently not selected so I'm not certain I'll be able to attend.  Although I have loved that event in the past, I am quite worried by the chaos that seems to be surrounding its planning this year.

So that's me and that's what's going on.

What I've been doing and where I will be be

So what have I been up to?  Lots.

I vended at Apollocon, which was a fun, relaxed small con.  I got to spend some nice time chatting with friends and presented two corset panels.

Here's myself in the Steampunk Darkwing and my friend Linda of Rosewood Stitches in her awesome, hand-embroidered outfit.













And my friend Tayleb Duque in her Mexican steampunk outfit.



The other cool thing from Apollocon is that I got to attend a needle tatting panel and now I'm totally tatting my own lace!  This is so exciting because I'm rarely happy with the lace I can find and now I'm making my own.  I'm looking forward to using this lace on future corsets.  I'm obsessed with tatting right now, and I'm having a great time learning something new.  Plus, it's totally a steampunk craft.

Speaking of corsets, here are some recent creations of mine.  I'm working on several commissions right now, but don't have pictures of them.

Star Wars Comic underbust

Laser-cut faux suede over white coutil

Brown Silk Dupioni Overbust

As for where I will be in the next month, this coming weekend is the Brass Ball in Houston, where I will be vending.

And in on August 23-24th I'll be presenting a Corset Making Workshop at the Amber Inn south of Dallas.








And September brings the Steampunk Invasion and Weird West Fest.

Con Report: Comicpalooza 2014

No Friday Finds this week because somehow it's already Friday and I'm still recovering from the 4-day Endurance Test known as Comicpalooza.

My Booth

I've been procrastinating on writing a post about this event because it's really difficult to know what to say.  Much of my experience of the con was as a vendor except for the brief periods when I was a cosplayer, and honestly I didn't really get to experience the con much from the POV of the average steampunk.

Me on Friday

I was really stressed prepping for this con because I was trying to finish the Steampunk Darkwing Duck.  Which means I was still stitching on it the morning I wore it.  And there are not-perfect things about it.  I think I'll do a separate post all about the details of my costume construction woes.

At any rate, Comicpalooza is one of those weird con hybrids where it's ostensibly comic book oriented, but the guests tend to be TV stars, and the fans are all over the place.  In general it is more of a con for the general public than for the dedicated geeks, I feel.  The cosplay isn't as prevalent or as skilled as at an anime specific con, for example.

Last year Comicpalooza reached out to the steampunk community and devoted a lot of money and effort into attracting and entertaining steampunks.  Abney Park, Professor Elemental, Frenchy and the Punk, and Marquis of Vaudeville all performed at a steampunk ball Saturday evening.

This year, not so much.  I believe the attitude was that the steampunks had their event and this year it was going to be sort of fend for yourself for the steampunk community.  So there still were a lot of steampunk panels, presenters, vendors, and attendees, but there was no uniting event or location.  Marquis of Vaudeville and Frenchy and the Punk returned as performers, but they were placed in a horrible location and at awkward times.

Teddy Roosevelt and some buddies

I unfortunately didn't get to attend either band's performances, though I saw them both during the day.  Frenchy and the Punk were scheduled during peak vending hours and I was unable to get away from my booth.  And I TRIED to go see Marquis of Vaudeville but literally could not get to the performance space.  The "main stage" was set at the very far end of the convention center, in essentially another building.  No one knew there was anything over there.  I never made it to the space because when I tried to enter the building next to it I was accosted by a very aggressive security guard who denied us entry because "this area is closing."  He said we had to walk around the outside of the building to get to the concert.  Well when we did that (a long trek) all the doors into the building were locked.  People were literally being pushed out of the building and heading to their cars, unaware that there was evening programming.  After walking all the way back to the other end of the center and finally finding an open door I wasn't physically able to walk back to the concert.

Airship Nikolai

I'm not going to go into my other negative experiences of the weekend, but suffice to say this is a very poorly organized con for the size, and the prevailing environment is one of chaos and confusion.   While the programming and panels seem to be very good, the rest of the environment contributes to a less than pleasant con experience.

I also have to admit I didn't attend a single steampunk panel.  Between being overheated and physically exhausted I didn't have much energy to trek to the third floor and the other end of the convention center very often.  I was invited to sit in on a Corset Safety panel and that was great.  On Monday I also made it to a James Marsters Q&A that was wildly entertaining.

Wearing the Steampunk Darkwing Duck was fun on Saturday, although I had problems overheating in its layers and could only really wear it for 20 minutes at a time.  The vast majority of people had no idea what I was dressed as and I got a lot of confused/pondering looks.  But the people who did get it REALLY appreciated it.  My favorite comments included "I see what you did there," "omg, that's never been done," and being chased by two different people yelling "DARKWING!".

Unfortunately, since I was honestly having a rough time that day, I totally failed at getting pictures.  So I am aware now of three different photos of the outfit.  One camera phone pic by my husband, one taken at the Weird West Fest Booth and one that showed up on Tumblr.  I'm going to have to iron the damn thing and put it back on soon to take semi-decent shots for y'all.

The best part of the convention for me was talking to lots of people about corsets and getting 4 custom corset commissions.  So I have a huge amount to do now and don't really get a break.  Although CORSETS!

So I apologize for such a complaining and poorly put together review, but I'm still brain dead.  And frankly I'm missing friendlier, smaller, steampunk cons.  And anime cons.  I'm really looking forward to some of my upcoming events.

Upcoming Events for Steam Ingenious

Yes, I'm still frantically sewing in preparation for Comicpalooza in Houston this coming weekend.  Deciding to make almost an entire cosplay from scratch in two months, while also preparing to vend may not have been my best call, but how ELSE am I going to accomplish something.

I've also just looked at the 70 PAGE schedule for Comicpalooza and there is A LOT OF STEAMPUNK panels.  I don't even know if I'll get to any of them, since I'm vending plus there are celebrity events I'd like to attend. But anyone hesitating over whether to come out should check it out. Plus the amazing guest list.  And two really good bands: Frenchy and the Punk and Marquis of Vaudeville.

Anyway, because I've gotten some confirmations, I thought I'd update you all on what events I'll be attending in the rest of the year.

Next month I'll be vending at Apollocon in Houston June 27-29.  They are planning a steampunk track for this small general con, so it should be interesting to see how that goes.  I may also be presenting one or two panels on corsets, but I haven't heard back from them about that.

After that I don't have any plans until Steampunk Invasion in Dallas, September 12-14th.  I actually am NOT vending this event and don't know if I'll be doing any panels, but I'm planning to attend.

Next is Weird West Fest in Giddings, TX on September 20th, and I'll be vending that event.

I'm looking forward to joining Steampunk November again for another great party on November 8th before hopefully vending and presenting at Aetherfest in San Antonio, November 21-23rd.

Concert Report: A Dead Winter Night's Steam/ Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands

So if you read my quick post last Thursday, you know I went to Houston to vend at a concert/steampunk event called A Dead Winter Night's Steam.  It was organized by my friend Addisyn Madd as a steampunk concert night with vendors.

Myself and my husband. I'm proud of putting together
 an entirely new outfit from pieces I already had.

I'll just talk briefly about the event itself.  Unfortunately, there was very low attendance.  Only a handful of people showed up in any kind of steampunk dress.  I assume this is because it was held on a Thurday night while SXSW was going on in Austin, All-Con was happening in Dallas, and Houstonians were busy with Anime Matsuri.  Unfortunately, although the venue's other areas were packed with people, very few of them were willing to pay the $5 cover to stay upstairs.  (Don't get me started on the cheapness of hipsters.) So that's enough for general event description, what I want to talk about is Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands.

Describing music is always a difficult prospect, and probably why I tend to avoid doing music reviews other than "you should listen to this."  But fine.  What does Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands sound like?  Nope, I'm utterly failing to come up with anything.  What I will say is that whether they know it or not, this band is one of the most purely steampunk bands I've ever heard.  There's often discussion about the fact that there isn't one particular style of music that is steampunk.  And that's true.  Sometimes bands that call themselves steampunk or use steampunk aesthetics for their shows and clothing don't have anything I would call a steampunk sound.

This band's music, first of all is eclectic.  There are lots of influences from many different cultures and styles of music.  Just to list the instruments that Crystal herself plays will give you an idea: accordian, keyboard, musical saw, squeezebox, adungu (Ugandan harp), big African drum.  (I think that was it....)  In addition to these instruments, her band-mates play the more traditional drums and guitar, but I'd note the guitarist frequently switches to playing slide on a steel lap guitar that is put through some serious effects to sound really different.   Much of the music has an antique, carnival, Romany feel, at least when it doesn't sound much more like punk.  One of the things that I don't think comes across in recordings of the band is how much punk there is in their music, and how loud and bouncy it is live.  There were two stereotypical looking punks in the audience and they spent the ENTIRE show dancing, whether it was mock waltz or ska-style skanking or straight up punk pogo-ing.  And all of those were appropriate at various times throughout the show.

Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands

And it's that variety and uniqueness that makes this band seem so steampunk to me.  They have melded a bunch of different sounds, instruments, styles, and cultures together into something that really feels both new and yet somehow familiar.  It's using old things to make something totally new, that nevertheless reminds you of the past.  And isn't that practically the definition of steampunk?

I haven't even mentioned Crystal's voice, which is phenomenal.  That's something that does come across on their records, but even more so in person.  She has a remarkably clear voice with really gorgeous sustained notes.  And at one point she was dancing around the room singing with no mic and I couldn't at all tell the difference in loudness.  Girl can project.

Seriously, I can't really stress enough how exciting and impressive this show was.  I am a huge music geek from way, way back, and I don't get the chance to see a lot of live shows anymore, especially of new bands.  So it's been a long time since I saw a band that impressed me this much.  Probably the last time it happened was with Unwoman, and that's been a couple of years.

Some friends of mine.  She bought the bustle
 from me, since it perfectly matched her skirt!

I'll also say that Crystal and the rest of the band were very lovely people.  I spent a good amount of time chatting with Crystal before the show while we were setting up and she was incredibly friendly and genuine.  She was very enthusiastic about my wares and we worked a trade of one of my bustles for her cds.  (Once I give them more than a cursory listen, I'll probably write up a review.)  I also applaud them for giving such an energetic and sincere performance to such a small audience, which not all bands will do.

So, if any steampunk event organizers happen to read this, BOOK THIS BAND.  Seriously, they are the first call I would make were I looking for a band for a steampunk convention.  I'm not sure if they've really had much involvement in the community, but they fit right in, and people will love them.  They could use the exposure, and they are something most people won't have seen before, but that they will definitely remember.

And if they are appearing near you (they're on tour right now!) GO SEE THEM!  I PROMISE it will be worth it.

Recommended if you like: Dresden Dolls, Gogol Bordello, Abney Park, Tori Amos  (Throw them into a blender and get something similar to this band.)

Twisted Gears 2014

So I spent Saturday vending an event in Houston: Twisted Gears.  This is the second time this mini-con has been held on the University of Houston campus, organized by the campus steampunk group.

The first Twisted Gears was a real success, with crowded panels and vendor room, and lots of lively conversation and socializing.

Unfortunately, this event wasn't as successful, due to a really low turnout.  I can only attribute this to a lack of promotion of the event and the fact that the location was really difficult to find.  I barely found it, and really only did because I spotted someone in Victorian dress in the parking lot.

I don't want to rag on the organizers too much, since it's organized by college student volunteers.  But anyone who is presenting an event has to understand that the amount of promotion prior to the event directly correlates to attendance.  And that you're more likely to get people showing up if information about your location, hours, events, etc, are easily available and clearly provided.

For such a small event I did quite well financially, and it was nice to spend time with some steampunk friends I haven't seen in a while.  I also met a few new people who were lovely.  I managed to get a few shots of people in interesting outfits.






For my own outfit, for once I did some mixing and matching.  I admit I'm getting bored of my outfits.  So I threw some ultra-cute bloomers together right before the event, and wore them with the black overskirt of my black and gray outfit and my patch corset.  I was actually a little worried about being cold with my shoulders bare, but it was really warm that day.  And when I got home the next day my porch was completely iced over.  (*sigh* Texas)

Yes, this was the best picture of me.
I need a new camera person.

So anyway, I was a little overheated in this, believe it or not.  But I'm in love with my bloomers.  Except I only realized after I was wearing this outfit that wearing pants under a skirt and a corset makes going to the bathroom really difficult.  No, they aren't split-crotch, since I intended to wear them alone.  But it's possible I could have planned this better.  I'm so used to just being able to lift all my skirty layers that it never crossed my mind.

Upcoming Events for Steam Ingenious

Obviously there are lots and lots of steampunk events out there, and which ones you attend is going to depend on your location and means.  I'm limited to events in Texas mostly, due to travel and financial concerns.  But luckily, 2014 is looking to be a great year for steampunk in Texas.

Here is what I'm looking forward to attending this year (I'm sure there will be additions and changes to this list as the year progresses.)

First, it's a small event, but I'm hoping to make it to Sherwood Forest Faire this coming weekend for the unofficial Steampunk Invasion weekend.  I love this faire, and it's pretty local for me.  But my back is acting up, so it depends how I feel.

Twisted Gears is a one day mini-con held on the University of Houston campus on Saturday March 1st..  I attended and vended the previous Twisted Gears in 2012 (there wasn't one in 2013 due to space availability) and it was a good time and great chance to meet and socialize with local steampunks.  The panels they have lined up sound really great.  I'll be sitting in on the corset panel and vending this event.

Comicpalooza in Houston on May 23-26th is a huge general con.  I'll be vending it again this year.  They won't have as much steampunk programming as they did yesterday with the large steampunk ball, but Frenchy and the Punk are returning and other events have yet to be announced.

Steampunk Invasion - This con has just been announced for the Dallas area on September 13-14th and there's not a huge amount of info on it right now, but I know several people behind it and I expect it to be awesome.

Weird West Fest - September 20th, Giddings, TX - I don't know yet whether I will be attending this event due to its closeness in date to Steampunk Invasion (because I'm limited by my disability).

Aetherfest III  Texas' oldest steampunk convention returns to San Antonio on November 21-23, 2014. I have attended both the previous Aetherfests and it's a great con.  This year will be in a different historic hotel (that hopefully has better air conditioning than the last site) and it's still early, but I'm excited.

Con Report: Space City Con 2014, Galveston, TX

A fantastic photo of me
by Studio Five 0 photography.

This is a little bit of a difficult con for me to describe.  Space City Con is a general Sci-Fi/Fantasy con with a really broad umbrella.  I attended their last event in August and was impressed by their attendance, the cosplay, and the vibe.  This time they moved to January and Galveston, TX.  They had a cast reunion of Babylon 5 and several cast members of Game of Thrones.  I decided to vend this event.

Unfortunately it was a very unsuccessful vending experience for me and for a lot of the other vendors.  I did not end up covering the costs of vending.  Attendance was low on Friday and Sunday, and the people who were in attendance weren't buying.  In hindsight, it was perhaps predictable, being right after the holidays.  But the lack of sales was quite disheartening.  And it wasn't helped by having a fire alarm in the busiest part of Saturday followed by an evacuation of the building.  After that the vendors' room was dead the rest of the day.

Myself and two new friends in great outfits.
It's too bad you can't see their clear wings.

As for other aspects of the con the focus was mostly on the celebrities. I don't attend cons for the celebrities, so I don't really get into the panels and autographs and all of that.  I personally prefer cons with more focus on fan content.  There was a lack of variety in the panels, I felt, since they were almost all about the guests.  All my friends who did interact with the celebrity guests had awesome reports, though.  The Game of Thrones people were pretty much universally reported to be really nice and friendly.  It was pretty cool to run into them throughout the weekend, especially getting to find out just how freaking tall the actor who plays Hodor is when I bumped into him coming out of an elevator.

I briefly attended a panel on low-budget film-making by the makers of the film Frankenstein's Monster, which was filmed locally and which they call "light steampunk."  I couldn't stay for the whole panel, but I got to meet and chat with the costumer for the film, J'Nean Henderson, aka "The Victorian Lady."  I didn't get to attend the screening of the film late on Sunday because I was busy with finishing up in the vendor's room.

Otto and Victoria cosplay!  Her octopus
moved on it's own robotic base,
controlled by the attached remote.

The other event I really wanted to attend was Cherie Priest's panel.  Ms. Priest is only my favorite steampunk author, and I just finished reading her latest novel, Fiddlehead, and LOVED IT.  (Review coming.)  Unfortunately, when I went to the scheduled location at 1:30 on Sunday as it said in the program, there was no one there but other lost Cherie Priest fans.  When I tracked down con staff (on the other side of the building) to ask, I was told the schedule in the program was "completely wrong" and that the panel had been the previous day.  I'm not sure how anyone was supposed to KNOW that, since there were no posted signs anywhere about schedule changes.  So that was really disappointing, although I have met Ms. Priest before and had most of my books signed.

A very nice outfit.

While the con had a good presence of steampunk attendees, there was only one steampunk event on the schedule, a steampunk LARP.  I think it may have also been a victim of schedule changes, but I honestly have no idea if it even happened or how it went.  Once again I'm reminded that the steampunk community (definitely including myself) needs to be better at making sure we get something on the schedule.

So ultimately, I have to say the best parts of the con for me were the times spent with some of my con and steampunk friends, and not the actual con itself.  It was a reminder that I have to be more choosy about which cons I attend and vend in the future.

Love this couple, especially her ragged fabric details.