warehouse 13 Archives • Page 2 of 2 • Jessica Smith Creates

June 12, 2013November 18, 2018

Busy Bee

So you know when you’re buying stuff on Amazon and you just need like twenty cents to get your Free Super Saver Shipping?

That was me today. So I bought one of these. And I don’t know what it is. Or how I’ll use it.

But I will find a way to!

farnsworth - DSC09302

I bought an altoids tin, and am working on eating the candy up, so I can use the tin.

We’ll see how long that takes!

link

Do you see that tiny looking lens in the center of the Farnsworth? I’m assuming that is the camera lens, otherwise I would have to wonder how the image is projected to the other person’s Farnsworth.

I’m hoping to use a scrapbook bubbles for that lens, on top of of a mirror-like paper piece. This will then attach to the black plastic I’m hoping to use for the black top layer of the right side of the device.

By scrapbook bubble, I mean one of those little lenses that you can put over pictures to make that part of the picture a little bit magnified.

Well, I’m sorry to report that I haven’t worked on the sweater. But I will. It’ll be happening. I hope.

But I’m happy to report that I’ve finished the altoids, and I’m ready to start working on my Farnsworth!

Edited: As of right now this project is finished. Follow it from its inception, to (this) further planning, to sanding and painting, to the wirework, to the gold detailing, to the gluing of all the components together.

May 29, 2013August 19, 2018

Oh Farnsworth, my Farnsworth

So I want to make a miniature Farnsworth for my Claudia costume, because I’ve always adored them. They’re fantastically intricate and such a cool idea, and Claudia’s is the coolest.

link

Artie gave Claudia Farnsworth’s Farnsworth. The creator’s personal creation!

It has such lovely black smooth finishes and gold/copper details, with what looks like a combination lock cover as a dial, and the top of a stage microphone for… the microphone.

link

My Farnsworth will not be full sized, as I don’t have the funds for a larger scale endeavor, and I’ll probably make it out of an altoid’s tin, or something like one. So a much smaller scale, but still pretty fun.

There is this wonderful tutorial from TLC about de-finishing an altoids tin to create a steampunk tin.

I’ll be painting the left side black, while leaving the right side as is, with a black piece of cardstock or a stiffer plastic sheet for the center divider line.

link

I’ve had some luck with making glue “lenses” in the past, though never on this scale. Normally it’s just a bit of Elmer’s glue that has accidentally dropped on a table or something while I’ve been crafting, and it comes up as one nice circle. An alternative could be finding an eyeglass lens, or perhaps the lens from a kid’s telescope or kaleidoscope.

I’ll be getting some copper wire to recreate the pattern on the left, perhaps with a black rubber pipe fitting. I’m not quite sure what to use for the tube right now, but if I take a trip to the hardware store, I’m sure I’ll find something.

For the inner workings of the Farnsworth, I’m planning on raiding the hardware store for wires, washers, dowels, etc. I’m hoping to get hold of a real used watch battery, but I’m planning on faking the other batteries with dowels and little blocks of wood.

link

I’m planning on getting either a metallic Sharpie, or some other sort of metallic marker to write and draw out the lovely details of the Farnsworth.

So that’s my Farnsworth plan. I’m hoping to start work on it soon, even if it is just in patches. I’ll keep you updated!

Edited: As of right now this project is finished. Follow it from (this) its inception, to further planning, to sanding and painting, to the wirework, to the gold detailing, to the gluing of all the components together.

May 12, 2013August 25, 2022

Inspiration has struck!

I have decided to make a somewhat major change in my costuming plans in regards to my TARDIS.

My costume was originally supposed to have a golden underbust corset with a seafoam blouse and a copper bolero. There is one problem.

That assumes that I already have a working underbust corset, but even though I haven’t quite finished the one I left at home, I am 97.4% sure that said corset will not be up to my standards to be included in this costume, even if it happens to fit. It’s my first one after all, and though I may call myself at least an intermediate quilter I am certainly not an advanced costumer. This adventure will undoubtedly contain many odd and instantaneous changes, as I find out what I can and can’t do and I will work on my skills as I go.

So I’ll be working on a new corset for this costume, to gain experience and to make a better costume.

screenshot from Warehouse 13 Season 3 Episode 11/12

I’m inspired by the outfits that HG Wells wears in Warehouse 13, when she is at work.

Particularly this one (and apologies for the blurriness):

screenshot from Warehouse 13 Season 3 Episode 11/12

This led me to find a nice pattern, as the vest laces up in the back, which makes it not quite a typical vest. I then found a wonderful corset tutorial.

link

I already have a suiting fabric that I’ll be making a working muslin with, in preparation for a golden colored corset vest. It’s possible in making the muslin I’ll decide to skip the corset in favor of a vest, but that will be seen when I start work on it.

Because I’m changing the corset, I’ve decided to look for a blouse that is a little closer on the neck, one a little closer in nature to the Victorian time period. Unless I make one. That’s still an option.

I’ve also decided to scrap the bolero, to save space in what will end up as my suitcase, to save time, and to save a minor amount of heat sweltering. Instead of wearing the bolero with the cape on top, I’m planning to make a cape like this one:

link (ETA link no longer works)

The police box banner will then run along the hood, with the instructions on the back of the cape. The cape will be held on the shoulders of the corset vest by a miniature broach-like apparatus I’ll be creating, using the drop earrings and possibly some suspender closures. We’ll see how it goes when I get that far!

I’m also planning on learning a bit about leatherwork, and creating some wristbands to supplement my costumes, and for me to wear in real life. Always a handy idea.

I’m specifically thinking about doing this because I really enjoy large faced watches, but my wrist is quite tiny, which means that not only can I not wear a men’s watch because it’s too big, but also because it’s really really too big. The clasp on my dad’s watch is nearly as long as the flat of my wrist. By making my own watchband, in a TARDIS friendly steampunk design, not only can I learn new skills, but I can solve a problem for myself.

In other news, I have bought fabric to use for my Belle capelet, and it should be arriving at home in the next few days. When I return in a few weeks I will take a picture to show you!

April 15, 2013

Here, have some flowers, and a puppy, and some spying.

Isn’t progress great?

And honestly there is a bit of progress here. Not a lot, but it’s something!

I visited a wonderful multi-floor Forever 21, and bought a few colorful camisoles. One of these will likely end up in the costume.

The store not only had the largest section of colored camisoles and leggings that I have ever seen, but also was very bright and shiny. After about an hour I started to get a headache because it was so shiny.

Over my spring break, I traveled to London and Cardiff and picked up some adorable pins, or badges, whichever word floats your boat.

Claudia tends to wear a number of pins, if not on a jacket then on a purse or messenger bag. I’ve now got quite a few to choose from!

Claudia also tends to wear a bunch of thick rings, so I’ve started my collection. I love this flying owl ring, which is adorable and lovely, and one of the only pieces of jewelry I’ve seen that acknowledges that the owl is a flying bird.

They fly people. They don’t just look cute, standing there blinking at you.

I’ve also obtained an ear cuff that will likely not be part of the costume itself, but has definitely opened my mind to ear cuffs for my costume. Now just to look for a sale at Claire’s… Hmmm… That could be a while.

See, I don’t have pierced ears. It causes some minor problems.

Well, there you have it!

Progress!

March 24, 2013

I smell fudge!

So my final costume that I’ll be making for comic con is… drumroll please…

Miss Claudia Donovan from the lovely show Warehouse 13.

Claudia Donovan is a wise cracking and crafty tech-ofile who works at a secret government institution to track down objects imbued with powers from a certain moment and emotion and time, and she may or may not be my role model.

She’s probably my favorite female character on TV right now. And I’ve been waiting since October for this season to continue. Only one more month.

Here we go:

Vest: I can’t quite figure this one out exactly. It looks like she’s taken a sweatshirt, and layered it under a white vest, in which the vest looks to be made of relatively heavyweight fabric that is fairly stiff, stiff enough for the collar to stick up a bit. I’m thinking of making the vest, and flat-stitching it to a bought sweatshirt to achieve the look, without so much of the actual layering and heat involved with actually wearing the quantity of layers. I’ll possibly be stealing the zipper from the sweatshirt to make this, as I’ll have nothing else to do with it. Fairly easy peasy. And I’ve kinda got the sweatshirt that will work to cut apart for this project, and it even has bright white zipper! The “vest” will also be elbow-length sleeved, maybe a little shorter.

Shirts: In this outfit, she’s layered a peach camisole under a black three quarter sleeve henley. I’m probably going to go with peach camisole under a black tank, knowing that the heat would start to get to me… In the interest of my personal comfort, I’m taking every effort to make this comfy. Because I can. And if I’m going to be fairly uncomfortable in the interest of heat with my other costumes, I might as well acknowledge it this time.

Trousers: Claudia in this shot seems to be wearing black jeans, or some other type of black skinny trousers. Luckily I’ve got these already.

Shoes: I couldn’t get a good screencap of the shoes, but while she was moving, I was positive that they were boots, small black combat boot kind of boots. However, in the interest of saving space in my suitcase, I’m going to go with another type of shoe, possibly my TARDIS shoes… or if those didn’t work I would hijack another one of the shoes involved in my other costumes. ~~Because Claudia would totally wear t-strap heels.~~

Jewelry: The necklace that she wears in this scene appears to be some kind of robot or alien or something, which isn’t exactly up my alley. In another episode she wears a very cute dark metal bat-wing or angel wing necklace, which I’ll be much more on board with having. Because I don’t have pierced ears, and I’m not planning on doing so, I’ll be skipping earrings, but I’m perfectly good with wearing an ear cuff. She’s also wearing what seem to be black jelly bracelets on her wrists, but I might make get a thick leather cuff to replace them on one wrist. Claudia also wears a lot of buttons, so I’ll be getting some very cute ones for this.

Purse: Claudia gets a lot of messenger bags and canvas shoulder bags, but in the interest of space, I’ll be using one of the bags for the other costumes.

*All images used in the post were screenshots of Warehouse 13 Season 4 Episode 6.

** This costuming plan is subject to change based on the final episodes of season 4. Which could change everything.

Any other Warehouse fans out there?

March 4, 2013August 25, 2022

I’m totally not being… hypocritical.

Not at all.

But I had to tell you about my fantastically big project, that can’t even really happen until I return home from my time abroad. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t (completely) planned out this massive project. Well, I guess its kinda four projects in one.

I’m going to Comic Con, or at least planning to. But not this year. No, that would require much more extensive planning, as it would only allow me to have one month of actual sewing machine and fabric time before the Con. I’m going to Comic Con 2014, as it will be both a celebration of graduating and becoming what society believes is an adult (of which I am never quite sure of), and it will be a reunion with some of the friends I’ve met while abroad.

But really, let’s face it, that’s not the exciting part. Going to Comic Con means that I have a reason to make extravagant and unnecessary costumes. So I’m making extravagant and unnecessary costumes. Because I can!

Drumroll please! (dzdzdzdzdzddzdzdzdzdz)

My first, and most elaborate, costume will be a Victorian Steampunk dress that recreates the inside of the Eleventh Doctor’s TARDIS.

(link) (ETA – this link is now broken)

Ain’t it purdy? I love the magnificent color scheme and how it all works together to bring up the fun and free spirit that exists as the Eleventh Doctor.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, watch Doctor Who. You have approximately fifty years worth of episodes to watch, but I’d definitely watch the newer stuff if you are a newbie. Its not only more colorful, but it has better special effects and monsters.

I won’t burden you with a sketch, at least not today, if ever. But its going to be awesome

My second project will be a recreation of the dress Susan wears at the end of the Prince Caspian movie in The Chronicle of Narnia series. Typically its called her Farewell Dress, as she says farewell to the land of Narnia.

(link)

Its a two part outfit, with the white underdress and the blue boned overdress.

I’d also suggest watching Narnia, if you haven’t seen any of the three movies. They have amazing landscapes and effects.

My third costume will be a fall/spring dress inspired by the Belle of ABC’s show Once Upon A Time.

(link)

In the fairy tale land, she is the Belle we know from legend and the Disney movie, but is a little more, well, kick ass. Her Beast is Rumplestilskin, which I find great, and she goes on adventures and saves lives.

(link)

In our world, she is just finding herself, and tends to gravitate towards cute, though rather bookish and vintage – inspired outfits.

So my dress will combine the two, so I have a pretty dress that I can wear without it being a costume.

My final project is to make an outfit inspired by the fantastic Claudia of Warehouse 13

(link)

This will be the only project that will require the least amount of sewing, but in theory could also involve the least cost involved, if I hunt for good deals on accessories.

For each of these, I’ll be posting about in its own post. First, though I promise I’m going to be working on a post about one of the ufos I have with me. Now I just need to charge my camera…

So in conclusion, I’m insane. This will be a set of stashbusting projects, but it still isn’t quite planned to include ufos to finish it.

Also, watch all of the above. They are all great shows, which is why I watch them of course!