My Favorite Things - post #100!

Well, I was asking over on facebook about what I should write for my 100th post. This is a pretty big deal for me! I've never done 100 of anything before, I don't think.

I decided that this should be a post of me sharing some of my favorite things. Some of these things are 'current' favorite things, they might be different next year, next month or next week. Some of them are going to be enduring favorite things, I've liked them for years, maybe even decades.

Since I'm a writer, I think I'll start with books.

My two favorite children's books. I loved them as a kid and they still tickle me as an adult.

I loved reading this book to my son and I can't wait to see my daughter's reaction to lovable, silly old Grover.

I blame this series for my love of reading and my love of history. I learned to read  starting with Molly and she's still my favorite. My daughter got her first American Girl doll last year and I'm slowly re-collecting the whole series for her so they'll be ready when she is.

My favorite grown up books.

This may be a cliche, but Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books. I don't remember why I first read it, but I'd nearly memorized it by the time we got to it in my high school British Literature class. I still remember most of the best lines and I re-read it every year. It's a timeless classic that I think I'll love until the day I die. 

I liked Terry Pratchett before I read this book. Night Watch is, to me, the culmination of years of storytelling. From the very beginning, you feel everything Sam Vimes feels. I'd never thought you could use lilacs to set up a sense of dread but there they are, everywhere, looming over what's coming. The suspense is awful and delicious as the characters come alive and you really, truly hope they stay that way. 

My favorite movies:
These next couple might be a surprise to anybody who doesn't know me very well.

This one might just be a movie that I love right now but I do love it. I had the soundtrack in high school but couldn't track down the actual movie until this last year. All I could think after watching it was "How have I never seen this before?". Oh, and seriously? Truly yummy Jeff Goldblum.

Isn't this every girls favorite movie? I think this is what drove my love of pirates.
Who wants to be a princess? I want to be a pirate!

I love it when someone takes a story every body knows and re-tells it and does it well.  She works hard! She loves books! Did you see that dress? This movie may have been what sparked my desire to make costumes and play with fabric. Oh, and the prince has a personality. How cool is that?

My favorite music:

I've tried to deny it but I can't. I write to Celtic Thunder, almost exclusively.  This is the first year I missed the concert and I'm really sorry I did. They've gone through some changes lately but they're still my lads and I love them. 

Favorite television shows:
Now, I own a television but it hasn't been turned on in a little over 3 months. I just don't watch much television. I love boxed sets and Netflix so I can just put something on and do something else. These are all television shows I've loved and will watch over and over.

While I will freely admit that David Tennant is my favorite Doctor, I do like all the others. I hold with Terry Pratchett's view on it, as well. Doctor Who is not Science Fiction, it's fantasy with sci-fi trappings. 

Set in the Whoniverse, this is one spin-off series that is actually more intense and more adult than it's parent series. This one is definitely sci-fi and I love every minute of it. Well . . . almost every minute of it. I'm going to pretend like Miracle Day didn't happen. Ok? That work for everybody?

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is probably one of the least appreciated of the Star Trek series and also my favorite. I will freely admit that I love a little politics and religion with my science fiction and this series did it really well. 

Have you tried turning it off and on again? The IT Crowd is brilliant and funny and I love Roy. 

I grew up watching Red Dwarf and I don't say 'smeg' enough. There's really not much of a way of explaining why I love it. If you've seen it and liked it, you'll understand. If you haven't? Why not?!? Go watch it, ya smeghead!

I've read the books, I've watched the show. This is one show that makes you happy to root for a bad guy because there are worse guys out there, and he knows where they are. 

Space Cowboys!

Does anybody not love this show? I watch it with my son, the budding nerd, and explain all the science jokes to him. 

Aaaand, yeah, I'm gonna stop there. I could keep going but really? This is enough. I'm pretty sure my true colors have shown through and my status as a geek, at the very least, has been justified. What are some of your favorite things? Have any questions to ask me? Leave a comment and let me know!

Steampunk Sunday: Menswear

As much as I love Steampunk Dresses, I have to give the gents their due. Some of the men's costume's I've seen are beautiful and incredibly intricate. So, here's to the men of Steampunk!

How many different Steampunk "characters" can you find in this picture?

I love the striped shirt with the vest. I love when a man wears a vest.

Thought women were the only ones who could rock lacings? This is an awesome vest for an adventurer or rake to sport.

A very dapper gentleman sporting a very complicated looking gas-pack. I wonder what he's up to . . .

The suit looks deceptively simple but that hair is rockin'!

Oh my, is that a Steampunk kilt? Be still my heart!

I really do love the Steampunk gentlemen.

Next week I'll be showcasing Steampunk versions of some characters you may recognize and some you may not.

Have something Steampunk you'd like me to showcase? Leave me a note in the comments or shoot me an e-mail. I love supporting small businesses and artisans with a flair for the dramatic.

Making a kilt

This is not a "How-to" post. I may write one of those later, complete with pictures and diagrams. I'm not working on any right now and, with this economy, I don't expect to be doing any for a while. Most of the people who've approached me about it are generally a bit taken aback by how much it costs.

I don't make Utilikilts. They are very cool and quite reasonable in price. They are also their own company (go figure!).

The kilts I make are designed to fit the person I'm making them for. I take measurements and everything. I also use real, 100% wool tartans and I sew them by hand. It's really the only way to get them to lay just right. You can get close with a machine, I'm not saying you can't, but an iron, needle and thread is the best way.  I've been told I do it the "authentic" way but, really, what's "authentic?" A brief look at the history of the kilt will show that, depending on how far back you go, I'm doing it the wrong way.

The question I get asked the second most, usually after "How much does it cost?", is "where do you get the fabric from?"  I buy all my tartan fabric through Scotweb. They have the best quality of tartan fabric I've ever found and every tartan pattern I've ever looked for.

I was honestly surprised by what 9 yards of wool tartan looked like in the box when I first got it.

9 yards of quilting cotton doesn't fold down that small!

It was so soft and easy to work with, I just loved it.
The finished product didn't turn out so bad, either.

That's the Irish National tartan and the young man had just tried to climb a Jacob's ladder at the Renfaire. I'm surprised there's not still hay on it.

I need to make more of these. Not just because I love a man in a good kilt but because the fabric is a joy to use and soft to handle.