One of the first things I knew I would need for Steampunk was a parasol. I did some looking and couldn't find anything that really spoke to me. They were lace, which is fine, but I was looking for something with a bit more coverage than that.
I had picked up a parasol one summer at a Ren faire because I needed some sun protection but it was bright orange nylon with pink paint..Pretty hideous, right?
So the challenge became, 'what can I do with this to make it awesome'?
The first step was to remove the fabric. It took forever for me to do this as I was not sure how everything was attached and what I would find once it was done. Finally I decided to take the plunge and with the help with Fizgig von Scrufflebottom I started the project in March of 2013. She was very helpful.
It didn't take too long to get everything removed and an unpainted frame was exposed. It stayed like that for about 2 months...hey..I was in school at the time. ;) Once the weather warmed up, and I was able to work outside, the frame was spray painted copper. I learned a very important ventilation lesson that day for sure. Then it came time to find a covering for the frame, thankfully, I had some fabric for another project that worked perfectly. I decided to have a fabric/lace/fabric design.
Now a word about the lace. This was time when I was glad to use those around me. My mom is awesome with crochet and thankfully she was willing, and a little excited, to help me out. We decided to make a crochet piece for the top and before it was attached to the frame, it looked like a giant doily. This added a little more time to the project as it was passed back and forth a bit, but as the following pictures will show, it came together rather nicely.
There was another circle of fabric that was attached to the bottom (sewn on to the lace by hand) which ended up a bit bigger than it needed to be but once it was folded over to fit the frame it made for a great place to attached the crocheted ties. (not sure if this will come across in the pictures) The final step was to attach the 'doily' to the frame. This took a lot of thread and a really long needle but it only took about two nights in front of the t.v. to get it done. I was again assisted by the every helpful Fizgig von Scrufflebottom, joined this time by her 'sister' Tegra von Scrufflebottom who just had to find out what all the excitement was about.
So, lessons learned with this project? Things always are a challenge with four footed help, never be afraid to 'use' those around you as the results are awesome, and six months for a project like this really isn't that bad. One thing to always remember, not matter what type of project you are doing, every act of creation is first an act of destruction. Take a deep breath and jump in.
Until our paths cross again. - Fiona
