Aug 23, 2012

Steamfest 2012 - Dunedin Steampunk Events

Here's the flyer I did for my local Steampunk group, listing all the Steam Festival events coming up this October:
Steamfest 2012 Dunedin Steampunk Flyer of events. Graphic Designer: Kura Carpenter http://kuracarpenterdesign.blogspot.co.nz/

Aug 22, 2012

Kanzashi Inspired Fabric Flower Brooches

Kanzashi Inspired fabric Flower Brooch by Kura Carpenter: http://makingmakesmylife.blogspot.co.nz
Kanzashi Inspired Brooch

Here's a selection of some Kanzashi inspired fabric flower brooches, which  I've been making for a couple of years now.

There are plenty of tutorials online how to make them, but if people are keen I'd be happy to share my methods. 



Kanzashi Inspired fabric Flower Brooch by Kura Carpenter: http://makingmakesmylife.blogspot.co.nz
Kanzashi Inspired fabric Flower Brooch by Kura Carpenter: http://makingmakesmylife.blogspot.co.nz

Aug 21, 2012

How to make a no sew Bustle Pad from an 80s handbag

No-Sew Steampunk Bustle Pad tutorial : Kura Carpenter, http://makingmakesmylife.blogspot.co.nzIf you're interested in Victorian or Steampunk clothing you'll be familiar with the bustle skirt and you may even be aware of the bustle-pad, a cushion-type device for accentuating ones...silhouette.

If you haven't tried using one with your bustle skirt I highly recommend you do. When I started working on my first Steampunk outfit I came across an excellent blogpost and tutorial on the Steam Ingenious blog "How to make a bustle-pad and why you should"

At the time I didn't have a sewing machine so I actually hand-stitched one following her instructions by hand.
Did I mention I sewed it by hand? It was worth the effort but by sheer dumb luck I've now come up with an no-sew version.

A while back I was browsing the handbag shelf in Butterflies ** ,one of my favorite local Op-Shops (thrift store), when among the black PVC bags an orange beacon of 80s ugliness enthralled me. I couldn't pass it by and I didn't know why. Slowly I realised that beyond the fulginess the bag was the same shape as a bustle pad...

So here's what you do:

First, take your 80s bag 'o ugly and stuff it with full of batting. Tie on a couple of strips of cotton - or whatever. [If the bag has big bulky handles you'll probably need to remove them, but in my case the straps were just soft cloth and as the bag was in good order,  (and not being a complete vandal) I decided not to cut the straps.]

And with an over-skirt in place, and a cummerbund to hide the ties I think it worked a treat. So if you can't be bothered sewing one, I suggest keeping your eye out for this shape of bag instead.

** If you haven't been in there, Butterflies is tiny, seriously tiny. St Patrick's day is their busiest day of the year, when ALL the Dunedin students, suddenly overcome with a hankering to dress up in green and drink green beer, descend upon the tiny shop. Do not go to Butterflies on St Patrick's day unless you want to risk suffocation by shoppers.

UPDATE If you're looking for more Steampunk ideas, please check out my

 How to Make Ruffle Cuffs mini-tutorial, 

or you might like my  

Steampunk DIY board on Pinterest.



Aug 20, 2012

A belated Welcome

Over 2 years ago I had the plan to start blogging my creative projects and...er, while I kept on making things, I didn't carry on updating the blog. That's about to change. Promise.

So anyway, my day job is a freelance graphic designer, you can view examples of my work over on my other blog HERE.

I love graphic design, but I've always been a 'maker' and when not at the computer tinkering away on Photoshop, I'd be tinkering away on some craft project - usually jewellery.

In May this year I became involved in Steampunk. Steampunk and DIY go hand in hand and pretty soon I was up-cycling belts and clothes into Steampunk outfits. To begin with I wasn't doing much sewing and relied more on *cough* hot glue to alter my outfits. If I absolutely had too I would do a little bit of hand sewing, or go and use my mum's sewing machine.

Then three weeks ago, as I was scouting through my local Salvation Army charity shop, I saw a small, retro-looking, green suitcase labelled "$40. As is". Perhaps Fate or sheer nosiness made me open the case. When I did, something within glowed...

There inside the travel case, the shoplights reflecting off its gold-plated trim, was a beautiful 1950s (?) "Empisal" Gold-line deluxe sewing machine. I had no idea if was in going order, if all the parts were there, and the 'as is' label didn't ease my mind. All I knew was from now on this beauty was mine.

Empisal Gold-line sewing Machine: http://makingmakesmylife.blogspot.co.nz