Part 1: A New Year…And 4 Months

Another long pause since I was last here.
​As much as I'd have liked to post regularly about fun events and the pretty things I've made, and Insta / TikTok kinda took over for a bit, motivation was difficult. But overall life has been looking up on the personal front this past year and a half, and has inspired me more than I've been in a long, long while.
Despite so many heartbreaking and horrific events caused by evil people running rampant, and my father passing last April, there was one bright light during it all; I met Tisha.
She is truly my person, my love, my fellow nerd, supports my dreams and creative antics, and loves to join in whenever she can. We'd missed a connection 8 months previous, and by chance met again. We didn't let each other get away this time!

Through Tisha, I also met an amazing group of new friends within the lesbian and queer community here in Seattle. They have been instrumental in helping me feel grounded, part of a caring crew, and starting to form real friendships beyond the epic dance-offs and gatherings. We're hitting the town and dancefloors multiple times a month it seems. Though Tisha had to miss a good chunk of it this year due to not feeling well, Pride weekend this year was the busiest and most fun in a long time (out and about nearly all 3 days!) It's hard enough making friends as an adult, let alone as a neurodivergent lesbian woman in her 40s, who had not only returned to Seattle in 2019 as her authentic self, but to a drastically changed city, friend groups and social climate. Some people and places I reconnected with as easily as breathing, some took a bit to find again, and many I had outgrown or had become totally unfamiliar. And that's ok.

There hasn't been a ton of time to do a lot of sewing besides a couple of things I did for a few events, and for DragonCon '25, due to being happily distracted. However, there will be more soon this summer. 
Including a return to burlesque!! Stay tuned, it's gonna be a doozy.

I also missed the last 2 Vampire Ball events in PDX. Not only did it happen way too close to DragonCon 2025 and I was just out of steam, but I'd also started a new job and didn't want to miss any more work from possible exhaustion lol!

So, here’s some photos of life from late Spring 2025 to this past NYE 2026.
I'll post a part 2 soon!

At the Merc

Prom date!

Renaissance Faire

Halloween! (1980s 'Uptown Girl' video theme)

Our 1993 Super Mario Bros. group cosplay at DragonCon 2025!
I'll post more soon about the dresses I made for me and our princess Daisy.

My Arcane Season 2 Caitlyn 

LoveTrek!

Happy New Year 2026!

Hello Again!

So uh, yeah. It’s been a while!
If any of you are still here (besides the spammers and bots) and/or have been following my other socials, I’ve continued as best I can with the costuming, cosplay and other dressed up adventures in life.
Life certainly threw me a full-force shoulder check over the last 7+ years, but that’s a story for another time.

With the impending possibility that TikTok could vanish, IG is still frustrating and damn, do I miss this style of ‘blogging’, I may just start posting here again. Granted, I have some major cleanup to do in the spammed comment sections :|

I have a photo dump from at least the last 5 years on the way that may or may not include context, depending on how I feel 😆 Stay tuned.

Portland Vampire Ball - May 2024

An Evening at The Bohemian...

The only clear photo so far, of my new velvet riding habit thanks to @minervasci13 A bit of color correction on my part to get more blue 😉 but I hope to do an outdoor shoot in this ensemble soon! #ridinghabit #swagger #silktophat #masculinefemininity #victorianstyle #sewingwithvelvet #dickensfair2016

A photo posted by Vienna La Rouge (@viennalarouge) on Dec 7, 2016 at 1:09pm PST

Time Flies

My gods, it's basically been a year since I last posted over here.
Perhaps some of you have been following me over at my Warm Ray Gun blog, but I feel this page has been neglected.
So here's a quick update regarding a current project!
In my usual last-minute and late night inspirations, I've decided to make a royal blue velveteen riding habit in the style of the 1840s.
It's going rather well, actually, and it may be done in time to wear to Dickens Fair this Saturday.

I'll elaborate more on a future post when it's done and presentable. While it's nothing fancy yet, here are a few progress shots via my Instagram page.

The fabric; a rich royal blue cotton velveteen from Renaissance Fabrics.

Whew, the silk satin collar and velvet revers are nearly done. Tough part round one; done. Up next...sleeves. As experienced as I am, setting in sleeves to a bodice or, in this case 'jacket', still makes me squirm. #finishbyfriday #victorianstyle #1840sfashion #victorianridinghabit #sewingwithvelvet #fearisthemindkiller

A photo posted by Vienna La Rouge (@viennalarouge) on Nov 29, 2016 at 7:48pm PST

Continued work on the 1840s velveteen riding habit; fitting the seams and adjusting the pleats on the jacket's back. #sewingwithvelvet #equestrianstyle #rakishwomen #dickensfair2016 #swagger #1840sfashion #victorianstyle

A photo posted by Vienna La Rouge (@viennalarouge) on Nov 27, 2016 at 12:20am PST

Lots and lots of cartridge pleats. Making my version of an 1840s blue velveteen riding habit skirt. It will get its debut the third weekend of Dickens Fair (next weekend) ❤️ #earlyVictorianstyle #masculinefashion #equestrianstyle #swagger #sewingwithvelvet #rakishwomen

A photo posted by Vienna La Rouge (@viennalarouge) on Nov 25, 2016 at 7:34pm PST

A Fragrance Review Part II - Crimson Peak

A house that breathes, that bleeds, and remembers.
A house like this, in time can become a living thing with timber for bones and windows for eyes.

My second purchase from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab arrived yesterday, and yet again they did not disappoint. The feature-titled scent from the Crimson Peak collection is sure to be a favorite on my shelf of fragrances.
Their description of the scent is thus; "Snow marbled with blood-red clay, frozen over the scent of decayed wood."
The first impression is almost a sharp 'rain' scent, but tinged with something smoother that reminds me of crisp cold air in a forest. Almost a leafy green note but softer, much like snowfall on evergreens.
As it warms to my skin, the spicy warmth of amber with a metallic hint like wrought iron emerges. The combination is like red clay oozing from the ground, soaking and mixing into the snow-like notes. Over time, the warm wood scent comes forward, with barely a breath of cool florals.
Hours later it's all still there, continuing with a delicate floral, slightly warm, powdery finish.

When I wear it I keep sniffing my wrists, it's a beautiful fragrance.
Like the 'Sir Thomas Park' fragrance, I would gladly wear this daily. Layering the two would make a wonderfully heady scent for nights out on the town.
Of course, I plan on slowly adding more of these CP themed scents to my collection.

I also decided to splurge a little on one of the limited edition jewelry pieces inspired by Crimson Peak, and created by The Black Phoenix Trading Post. Each creation  is limited to 300 pieces, and I had a hard time choosing between the Sharpe family Coat of Arms and the Family Crest.
In the end I went with the truly unique Coat of Arms, with its not-so-hidden skull design.
When it arrives, I'll be sure to model it and share photos here.
I may still go back for the twin dragon Family Crest, the 'Fear' monogram, or one of the memento boxes. It depends on how my wallet is fairing after the holidays!

Thanks to a friend giving me an early Xmas gift, I also now own the absolutely stunning "Crimson Peak : Art of Darkness" hardcover book.
I plan on doing a quick review of that here as well.
XOXO

The Scent Of Temptation

A few weeks ago, I had discovered that Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab had released a line of fragrance oils inspired by the Gothic romance film, Crimson Peak.

Needless to say, I was ecstatic. I would even say, as long-time acquaintance Jillian Venters of Gothic Charm School described her reaction, "my flailing glee reached new levels".



I spent a good part of the day off-and-on scrolling through the list of the inspired mixes of scents, with names like \"The Waltz\", \"The Manuscript\" and of course \"Crimson Peak\". Scents named after the characters were included, too.

Considering my own tastes when it comes to perfume, and my experiences with scented oils, I wanted something simple. Additionally, I wasn’t able to smell them prior to purchase and at $30 per 5ml bottle, I had to be careful. Too many ingredients, and I might end up just smelling like the entire shop, and I’m not generally a fan of patchouli.

For the most part, I trust BPAL’s expertise, so I chose \"Sir Thomas Sharpe\"....

"Give in to temptation: black amber darkens a pale fougere."

It arrived today, and I happily discovered that I made a very good choice.

Gothic Charm School\"s review described this scent as such;

"The sweetness and warmth of amber, overgrown with moss, ferns, creeping vines, and every other wildly-growing green thing. As time goes on, this becomes more and more enticing."


Since perfumes and scents can vary and change on different people, I\"ll share my take on this mixture.

Right away, there is a definite amber top note, almost brash in its sharp sweetness.

As it melts to my skin, it softens into a glowing warmth. Almost like someone with an ulterior motive discovering they’re actually falling in love.

During and after the drydown stage, a spiciness comes forward. There are faint notes of floral greens and a powdery finish, like a stolen kiss while leaning on a dusty workbench.

It almost has an air of what many like about the classic Old Spice aftershave, but softer, less obvious. It has much more versatility as a unisex fragrance, and I could easily wear this daily.

I also separately ordered another bottle from the CP collection, also titled \"Crimson Peak\".

When it arrives I\"ll review that one as well, so stay tuned!

XOXO

The Making of a Crimson Peak Inspired Ballgown

As mentioned in my previous post, the San Francisco Edwardian Ball is coming up in January.
This gives me plenty of time to make something new just for the occasion, and Crimson Peak is full of inspiring material.
Over the weekend, I was able to track down a lovely synthetic duchess satin that didn't break the bank, at $4.98 per yard. Though I wanted so badly to buy silk, I need to be frugal this year. On the plus side, since it's synthetic it will be easier to wash after an evening of revelry!
The other nifty thing about this particular weave of fabric, is that it behaves like a heavy silk and while slightly springier, it's without the overly shiny surface many polyester or acetate satin fabrics have. I'll just need to really utilize some good shirring and tacking stitches on the bodice to get it laying nicely if I do any pleats or gathers for texture.
Initially I planned on finding a nice pale gold, but the only thing I found that I liked, and was bright enough without being too saturated or dusty, was an expensive silk. So blush it will be...

Indeed, I could just do an all-out cosplay and make a copy of her ballgown, but there are things about it that didn't really woo me. The fit and length of her bodice for one. This gown is the one costume in the film I feel that could have been tailored more appropriately for the era it was set in. Everything else about it was lovely; the minimal straps were fine for the era, including the pearl decoration and that spectacular matching evening cloak.
Additionally, I kind of want to do my own thing with this.

 

After comparing a warm, super pale blush color, to a candlelight ivory (both similar to Edith's ballgown in the film) I decided to go with the ivory.
I also want mine to tell a different story. It's one that follows Edith's dreams after her escape from Crimson Peak; incorporating the stain of blood red on snow and skin, and her waltz with Sir Thomas. How does a person just walk away from a traumatic and heartbreaking experience like that, and start over? Simple answer; you don't, not completely. It haunts you, and like some sage advice given to me once on the subject of grieving and trauma, "You carry it with you. The trick is *how* you carry it".
Edith indeed has a strength and resiliency that we don't see much of in female leads, particularly in historical drama and Gothic romance. But while she will obviously be able to carry on and be happy, how have her dreams changed when she closes her eyes each night?

As you can see in the above on-set images, the color of her dress changes with the light; sometimes almost ivory and other times more pink, it's warmed by the candlelight in the room. Hers was a very soft ivory blush duchess silk satin, and the photo of my blush fabric isn't quite accurate either, and more pink due to lighting.
This is another reason I wanted to go with as pale a color as possible, like the candlelight ivory, to keep me from resembling a walking Valentine's day card. I'm combining it with a rich red velvet, and a few other details I'll divulge later.
Since I don't have a nice evening coat or cape earlier than 1940, I'd like to try and make a version of her cloak, too. Especially with that amazing shirred stand-up collar!

As for the patterns I'm basing this gown off of, I've decided on two by Truly Victorian.
The 1903 trumpet skirt (works for 1901 too) and possibly the 1890s ballgown bodice, the latter of which I'll alter a bit to fit my needs and be more Edwardian. I may not need it at all.
I nearly went with the 1893 Bell Skirt, but after having made that skirt up before, I realized it's a different silhouette than the sylph-like lines I want for this gown.

The paintings by Boldini were a big inspiration for me, and I imagine nearly all the gowns shown in the ballroom scene of Crimson Peak. If you look at more of Boldini's works featuring women, a good portion of them were represented in that one scene in the film. Particularly Edith, and the rival ladies vying for the attention of Sir Thomas. Even works by John Singer Sargent such as this one, acutely resembling the rival's mother.
It's always interesting when life, or in this case film, imitates other types of art in a wonderful way.

XOXO