FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Inn-Sewer-Ants
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
This entry is inspired by Twoflower, The Disc’s First Tourist! Twoflower, an inn-sewer-ants clerk from the Counterweight Continent, appears in the novels, "The Colour of Magic", "The Light Fantastic", and "Interesting Times", all instalments in the Discworld Series written by the inimitable Sir Terry Pratchett, OBE.
Twoflower is a tourist, and therefore, is described as being ‘dressed very oddly in a pair of knee length britches and a shirt in such a violent and vivid conflict of colors….’ which caused me to elect to make a design that is not fantasy medieval, but instead fantasy Regency. Done right. I may come under fire for this choice of eras, but I’ve always pictured the Discworld as being vaguely Georgian-Victorian, due to the whole ‘Vetinari-dragging-them-kicking-and-screaming-into-the-Modern’, plus, Clacks. I mean, come on, Clacks?
Outline the construction…
The shirt is made from Poet’s Shirt Pattern #217 by Folkwear, in a tropical print shirting fabric from that paragon of crafting suppliers, JoAnn’s. The britches are made in a mixed synthetic fibre, mostly Rayon(?), upholstery fabric, also from JoAnn’s, from Pattern #127 by Laughing Moon Mercantile. All are sewn on a 1938 Singer Featherweight machine.
The hat is a simple straw number bought ages ago from Zook’s, a purveyor of fine goods for Plain Folk in Pennsylvania, with matching hatband made from the violently delightful JoAnn’s shirting. The Iconograph, whilst not a true Eastman Kodak Brownie Box, is indeed an Ansco Shur Shot, a World War II era family heirloom, along with The Luggage. The Luggage is indeed not made of sapient pear-wood, as whilst greatly encouraged on my family’s property, unfortunately does not do very well, and therefore, this particular rendition is also a family heirloom from the attic, a small wooden traveling trunk covered in deerskin(?), and lined in some local newspaper dated 1830.
Love it! This perfectly embodies Twoflowers zest for life and I totally agree with your time period placement – Clacks, duh! Awesome work!
If I had truly thought of it, there would be more of an Counter-weight Continent flavor to it, but the mental Clacks only go so far so fast – and on the subject of Clacks, I know they’re meant to be commentary on dial-up and such, but I always pictured a sort of Pony Express-meets-1920s-telegrapher in a Frankenshteen’s Monster sort of way
I…. Love the energy that’s happening in the modelled photo hahahah Really well done!
Thank you! (now if only that were the everyday as well…oh well)
It’s well deserved! The full outfit is really well executed! (Oof … if that ain’t a mood tho)
this project is a delight! i adore that pic of you hamming it up for the camera. more than that, I think your design is smart and well considered. and i envy your vintage photography supplies and luggage! i need to reacquaint myself with discworld…
good luck, from craftyroo/icarus!
Well I’m glad someone enjoyed the pigs feasting on set dressing (my sister, who isn’t sentimental, didn’t understand), and a well-appointed attic is a blessing and a curse!
Great completed look, even without the accessories! That print really works with the shirt and the result is beautiful and so wearable. The britches are a perfect complement to the shirt
It is fun, and I shall have to remake it all for actual daily use, I was a little hasty in finishing because otherwise I would have royally procrastinated
Well done! The mere concept of a Georgian Hawaiian shirt is fun, but the ensemble together with the props (and modeling!) brings the character to life in a fabulous way. The lining on the trousers is a well-chosen touch, too.
I thought it was delightful, and my thoughts and justifications are all in a video on my YouTube! (if only he could have written in the Interwebs to the Disk….)
OH MY GOD. This is amazing. (GNU Terry Pratchett.)
Thank you! Going Postal was my first true Pratchett, after reading Good Omens. I might have to do Moist von Lipwig next, because I can get my hands on the perfect hat!
Great character styling yet a very wearable, practical and comfortable looking outfit too! Thank you for homage, I’m a Pratchett fan. Wonderful set design also. Love that you made it on an old machine, something very ‘truthful’ about that and really fitting for your philosophy and indeed the outcome. I know that no one would know that if you walking down the street but it adds to the mojo of it, if that is the right word. I really like it, well done. 🙂
Thank you! The sets are just the upstairs sitting room at my grandparents, which I’ve commandeered as a sewing room, and I’ve found that I simply enjoy working on an old machine, because I don’t have the computering degree that seems to be increasingly necessary to operate a modern machine.
Twoflower! I love it! You have perfectly captured his essence, and the accoutrements really complete the package. The only downside is that I am now entirely too tempted to make a similar shirt for myself. So no downsides at all!
GNU Terry Pratchett
DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!
The turtle moves
Saw the picture, knew who it was before reading the story – you nailed it.
Ah ha! My plot revealed! Thank you so much, now I have to go design costumes for the rest of the characters…..
This outfit is wonderful! I love the fabric you chose for the shirt! And your energy in the photo definetely made my day!
I’m so glad! It was fun to make.
Ahh I love this! Regency fantasy should definitely be a thing, that shirt is just fabulous! The vintage accessoires are also very cool, such great family heirlooms, and really fit in with the Twoflower aesthetic, you totally captured his energy in the pictures too! Great work!
Thank you! Regency fantasy is fun, I suppose it held over from the very SteamPunk take they did on the Going Postal adaption, although I guess another take could be the Blake Edwards period comedy approach (Those Magnificent Men And Their Flying Machines, The Great Race)
I know nothing about the books you mention, but I just got such a chuckle out of this wacky Hawaiian Regency tourist. Very clever.
As you should, now get thee to a bookshoppe and purchase thyself troves of Sir Terry’s books. I would recomend you start with Wyrd Sisters or Going Postal
We all know how expensive sapient pear wood is, so great choice on the trunk. I love everything about your creation, down to the tiny buttons. The only way to tell you apart from Twoflower is by the amount of eyes. 🙂
You would not believe how much it is via Clacks. Although, I did have the wrong pair of extra eyes on for the iconographs, but by the time I realized, it was too late
This is adorable, Paul! Great job and your delighted expression makes me smile! I have to say, at first, I thought of Jurassic Park and I’m not totally sure why, because my brain was blending 2 JP characters into one. I think this is great!
It was the the startled delight of a tourist facing a monster thought dead – although I intend to keep working on more costumes
Looks like so much fun was had and will be had in future adventures! Love the mix of patterns/eras.
A great deal of fun was had, and I ten out of ten recommend doing the same!