Friday, March 08, 2013

The Schedule Keeps adding UP!

I received official word the other day that I will be "room" vending at Steampunk World's Fair.  I am so very excited.  First of all my husband will be accompanying me which should be fun - there are sleep number beds, so he is excited, it's my first SPWF and if Wicked Faire was any indication - SPWF is going to be a blast.  I've never done room vending before so I'm not really sure what all to pack for display pieces but I will eventually figure it out. 
It occurred to me while writing this that many of you are wondering what Steampunk is - most things you can look up and get a cohesive idea of what I'm talking about - Doctor Who is of course a TV show, Star Trek - most people know, Comic Con - well - the gathering of the geeks and nerds but Steampunk?  Now it seems the Steampunk community enjoys arguing about the definition - I'm going to tell you what steampunk means to me - (that way no one can argue with me, right?) 
Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite place on earth is and always has been, Cape May, NJ.  I have been going there since I was 4 years old -
I love Victorian architecture, decor and yes, the clothes.  I love tea and manners and hats.  But I also love science fiction, medicine, and ghosts (things Victorians were enamoured of as well.)  I love anything English.  Steampunk wraps all these up and puts a little spin on it.  Imagine if we all still wore Victorian clothes to do our daily jobs; what would that look like?  And instead of gas - our vehicles were still run on steam?  Instead of throwing things out and replacing them - we took them apart and repurposed them?  What would the world look like then? 

This is Steampunk -
Steampunk is inclusive - don't pay attention to the bickering that goes on in some groups - I hesitate to even mention it, but it does exist as it does in any group where people congregate - but there are people from all walks of life - kids up to - well, I don't know how old the oldest steampunk is, but I can imagine that maybe they were alive when these clothes really were in fashion!!  I have seen people up into their 70s at least and many of us are middle aged.  Some people buy their costumes, some make them, some repurpose from Goodwill - some (me) do all 3!  Steampunk has awakened my love of sewing again! 

And as many that look at me askance when I tell them what I've been into lately - they listen -  and some jump the fence to the darkside, where there's tea, and scones and many tasty treats - 

One more thing - Corsets - don't knock it till you've tried it - they are amazing for your body - comfortable if they fit right and when you're working the floor of a con - they keep your back from hurting - really!  I seriously wonder why we ever stopped wearing them!  I do so much better at shows when I'm wearing one.

See ya next week - when I am panicking about how much I have to make yet for Zenkaikon!!

6 comments:

Susan Belloff said...

Wonderfully said !! Steampunk adds another layer of fun for people to dress to...and don't we all enjoy some make-believe, some dress-up, some play-acting in our lives !!

The amount of creativity I've seen in SP is astounding !!!

Susan From Dress Your Dreams...
"don't dream it, be it !"

Camryn Forrest said...

What I like about steampunk:
1) there are no hard and fast rules; you can create your own history and your own future;
2) it takes the best of many eras and combines them into a new reality (think the Jetsons family having tea with Queen Victoria;
3)creativity is applauded, as it should be;
4) re-purposing items into new creations stretches how we view things - not what something is, but what it might be ...

Karen said...

I spent a day at SPWF last year, and will be there for the whole thing this year! I look forward to meeting you!

Diana P. said...

I can't wait! We are going to have a blast!!!

Austin Sirkin said...

Great summation of Steampunk. =)

Meleenia said...

Wow! Thanks Austin! And everyone else -thanks for posting and pointing out the importance of creativity. I have looked for creative outlets my whole life - Jewelry is just the latest (lasting over the last 10 years.) But I believe I've been steampunk a lot longer than the past year, I just didn't know what to call it and what great people I would meet!