Ironically what drew me to this cosplay was that it was a variant of a Victorian riding habit with a split skirt and major fullness. So I elected to build Mr. Franken-hoop.
This is the front view of Mr Franken-hoop. In reality it was fuller and I did not attach the the various tapes that held the hoop in shape. Also for those who notice it those are not extremely thick seam lines that run down the sides. Those are bone tapes because I added 7 vertical tapes and bones. They are not in place for the photos because I actually do not remember where I put them. (the cosplay project was started over four years ago :P )
As a fun note the yellow thing on the floor is the cats' Cat's Meow. Normally that puppy is the main attraction until Mr Franken-hoop went up. ALL THREE cats have spent time under it and batting at the hanging tapes that remain. And when it was laying flat on the floor hilarity ensued. One cat fits between the bone channels and it looks super funny to see a cat going round and round under it!
Here is a side view. Yes the bone channels are not perfectly strait. BUT they are not as off kilter as they appear in the photos. I will not lie this project dose fall into the shame category. I was very quickly done at the last minute for a convention.
To tie back into the make do spirit of the challenge is that the top three hoops are at least 15 years old. They could very well be far older as I purchased a three bone hoop from a Goodwill store. The steel bands still are not rusting or showing any signs of decay!
Just to add in a bit more make do history. The black fabric I ordered from Ebay was terrible! Literally the cheapest crap polyester fabric you can imagine. Take a picture of it at close range with a flash and it looks white. BUT I was able to use that fabric as crow's costumes for a Lebanon Jr. High production of The Wiz. On stage it look perfect for making a humanized version of a crow!
Here is the historical garment that is my inspiration. It is in the Manchester City Gallery in the United Kingdoms. This is the only image that was available on their website. It is dated 1873-1875. Along with this very brief discription.
Accession Number: 1947.3712
Image Copyright: © Manchester City Galleries
Credit: Purchased
Physical Description
Medium / Material
horsehair, cotton, steel
Description:
Image Copyright: © Manchester City Galleries
Credit: Purchased
Physical Description
Medium / Material
horsehair, cotton, steel
Description:
Striped material woven of black horsehair and white cotton. Braid waistband fastening centre front with tape ties. Back stiffened with steels and lined with brown cotton, with lacing inside.
Dimensions
Type: Length Height: 96.5 cm (38 inches) Type: Hem Width: 198.1 (78 inches)
This is the current link to this item (1/13/2014)
Type: Length Height: 96.5 cm (38 inches) Type: Hem Width: 198.1 (78 inches)
This is the current link to this item (1/13/2014)
I went into a local fabric store just to "case the place" And I fell in love with this fabric. It is not as dramatic as the original, never mind that it is not made of horse hair and white cotton. Love to know if you could buy that now a days. But I love it and therefore it is my fabric. I have not yet decided what color my binding will be, but it will be something that complements my fabric. I am leaning towards gray or silver.
Now I am going to reclaim the bone casings and the bone. Next post will have my research and construction notes.
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