FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
The Caterpillar Absolum
(click images to to enlarge)
Other Credits
Thanks to Andreas Ronge and Hartmut Klein for the Pictures
Outline the story …
I've always been a big Tim Burton fan, but when I first saw alice in wonderland in the cinema around 2010, it was the first time I fell in love with costumes.
It's been a long journey since then and I have just recently got involved in the Costume Comunity 2022.
The first idea to do an alice in wonderland inspired look came to me at my first Steampunk convention in summer 2022 and I made and wore it to the same convention a year later in 2023.
At first it was supposed to be my own alice look, but as it came together with all the layers and ruffles it reminded me more of the caterpillar Absolum.
Since I'm part of the steampunk Comunity, I wanted to show that with the detailing. So I included lots of ruffles, lace, layering, a hand written corsage and I took care in choosing the hardware.
I even managed to include a few gears.
Outline the construction…
I inherited quite a stash from my Granny which included the bright blue fabric. That may have been the starting point for my inspiration but that also meant that I had to work with what I had which just worked out.
When I cut out the last ruffles and accessories there were just a handful of scraps left.
Also the cotton for the chemise and pantaloons came from my grandmother's stash. For the corsage I tried to get a fabric like a handwritten letter (or book). When I couldn't find one I like, I dicided to buy beige canvas and hand wrote passages from alice in wonderland on the fabric myself, before I cut out the pieces.
I also wanted to include the check board in the lining .
For the pattern I partially used several different patterns and drafted the extra layers for the skirt myself. The teacup fascinator is actually a children's cutout craft which I transferred onto stiffened fabric and sew by hand before I decorated it with miscellaneous nic-nacs.
It gives big Sakizo vibes with it’s many ruffles, details and checkered lining. It is bright, fun and fits perfectly into Tim Burton’s aesthetic of “Alice in Wonderland”
I love how this turned out, the blue is very pretty and I love the checker pattern inside your shirt.
What a fabulous use of your grandma’s stash fabrics! I love how you mixed your love of steampunk with Alice in Wonderland. Lots of lovely details went into this ensemble – you should be proud 🙂
This just makes me happy! It’s absolutely stunning and looks full of joy.
This is such a fun design, you’ve done a wonderful job! Very effective use of materials.