Do you know Otto and Victoria? If you do not, you should look up the beautiful artwork from Brian Kesinger :-)

So this is Victoria in one of the many lovely outfits from the book “Walking Your Octopus” and her dear pet Otto, the octopus.
I made Victoria’s Wrist Warmers and Victoria’s Tricorne to match the outfit.
Although she did not wear a hat in my reference picture I made her one, because like a real victorian lady she would wear one when going outside ;-)

To finish the outfit there is this amazing leather corset made by my dear Eric Aisling. This outstanding work of art is beyond anything I can do with leather ;-)

Photos: Michael Ernst (2017)
Composing: Nina Ernst (2017)
Leather Corset: Eric Aisling
Jewellery: Sandra

* back *

The leather corset already existed, so I just had to design the rest of the costume around it.

For the blouse I had some liberties in its design, because my reference picture shows not much of it except for the sleeves.
As a starting pattern I chose the blouse pattern from Simplicity 1301, just because I liked the collar so much. To get the sleeves right as in the reference picture I had to make some mock-ups, but I am fairly satisfied with the outcome including the blue bows.

The skirt was a challange, as it often is when choosing drawings as references instead of photographs of real existing clothes ;-)
To get the ruffles as close to the original, I had to double the fabric, that is three rows of baggy ruffles, all of them double and gathered. The picture shows one of these rows before sewing it onto the skirt and gathering ist.

I used 13 meters of fabric for the blouse and the skirt altogether! And the skirt is heavy!
But since the fabric is soft and flowing the skirt moves prettily and the blouse and the skirt are very comfortable to wear.

The overskirt was done quickly. It is made out of a coarser cotton and with a self-made simple pattern that has a tiny cul-de-paris included ;-)

Completed: 2017

I sliped into the role of Victoria for the first time at the Anno 1900 Steampunk Convention 2017 in Luxembourg and carried Otto around all day because Otto&Victoria belong together. And Otto has found some new friends there ;-)

Status: in my Klamottenkiste and I wear it at very special events ;-)

Photo: NeedMoreCoffeeMan (2017)