It's not knitting but it is pretty cool.

Oh good grief!  Has it really been this long since the last post?!?!  I've been in the middle of a bunch of stuff so not much to show knitting wise.  However, I have the great fortune of being friends with Amanda Williams, one of the lovely and talented Ladies of Mischief.  Their book, Needles and Artifice was released this past fall and I get to attend the official launch party next month.

Soooo... I need an amazing and steamy outfit to wear.  I contemplated to going the corset and bustle route but decided to indulge my childhood swashbuckling fantasies instead!  I shall dress as a mercenary for hire, ready to go where adventure and money take me.  What does such a person wear you ask?  Well, in the perfect world she'd wear thousands of dollars of stunningly tailored clothes but this is reality so I'm dusting off my sewing skills and seeing what I can scrounge together.

I already own a pair of great boots so they were the starting point for the outfit.  My next task was to sort out a corset/vest type item.  After much thought (and sticker shock looking at ready to wear corsets) I remembered that I owned a red leather dress that I bought for a $17 at Ross about 15 years ago and never wore because it never fit right.

 First step was to remove the lining and cut off the facings so I could alter the neckline. 

 

I took off the lower section and opened the seams part way to create vents.  After much consideration, I decided that the best way to lower the neckline and create the exact length I wanted was to lengthen the shoulder straps so I opened those seams too.  

I cut the front to a more flattering shape for me and attached buckles.

I cut strips from the removed lower portion to create the longer shoulder straps.  Here it is complete with grommets for the buckle and some of the grommets for the vent lacing.

I see a whole lot more grommets in my immediate future.  I also bought a long dress at Goodwill to be converted into a coat, started a knit shrug, and will create a waist cincher/belt thing from the remaining red leather.  More photos coming soon!