Bodacious & Sundry #20: New McCall’s Steampunk Corset Patterns

Bodacious

The Cosplay by McCall’s Brand Collection continues to expand! This is my fourth post on McCall’s cosplay patterns site, and my second on the Brand Collection.

Last time, I shared Flight, an amazing pattern for a pair of angel wings, Trenched, a faux leather trench coat with many style possibilities, and Cloak X, perfect for cosplaying a priest, wizard, or member of the Night’s Watch. All of these can be used to great effect in steampunk costuming.

Recently, McCall’s added two new corset patterns! Few clothing items for women say Victorian, Wild West, and steampunk like a good corset.

For a look that really shows off era-appropriate stitching detail, there’s Laced. The pattern is ranked as “advanced” as it requires pre-shrinking fusible interfacing. It also explains how to create appliqués from lace fabric, which involves choosing the fabric and carefully cutting around the desired motifs. Due to the use of lacing you choose yourself, there are endless possibilities for what you could do with this pattern.

The next is Shapeshifter, another advanced pattern. This corset uses fabric with sequins, allowing for the flashy look of a steampunk world celebrity or airship captain. Each pattern has instructions for tying the laces in the back so that you can choose the method that you think looks best.

Periodically, McCall's works with specific designers. Anachronism in Action, an LA-based company run by costumer Kelly Cercone, designed Laced and Shapeshifter. the brand strategy behind the Cosplay by McCall’s initiative.

I would love to see these out in the convention world! I may be currently single, but my next serious girlfriend just might enjoy these corsets.

I will continue to keep you all up on what Cosplay by McCall’s is coming out with. To be sure you’ll get the news when I post a related blog, sign up for the newsletter.

Sundry

Wild West Steam Fest in Santa Ana, California was a blast! My son and I had a lot of fun enjoying the booths, music, costumes, and more. I finally met in person friends from the Star Wars Steampunk Universe whom I’ve interviewed previously in this blog. I was introduced to the music of Deus Ex Vapore Machina and Steam Powered Giraffe. The day could have been very hot, this being Southern California in April, but most of the day there was a nice breeze, so even dressed up in our steampunk finest, we felt comfortable.

I’m going to write much more about Wild West Steam Fest soon. I have a lot planned for the weeks and months ahead, including interviews with others in the steampunk community, band features, and more. Subscribe to the newsletter to get informed when posts go live and to get free fiction, including The Obstructed Engine, a prequel story to my upcoming novel, Bodacious Creed: a Steampunk Zombie Western.