In light of inspiration, ideas, and comments by a certain
someone (you know who you are), I decided to make another pair of steampunk goggles (excessive, yes, I know, but the other ones couldn't be looked through, and my sister is 'borrowing' them, anyway.. so, I need another pair. I then decided that this was the perfect thing to blog about- except, of course, that the blog didn't even cross my mind (sorry!) until I'd already finished with the hardest (but not most time consuming) part- the lenses.
I will attempt to convey how they were made, but I have no pictures of that step. Everything else has, if anything, too many pictures taken, but not that part. sorry.
So.. To begin. The lenses look like this:
This is the underside, or back (the part that faces the eyes)
And this is the front, or top (the side facing everyone)
I made these (there are two, even though I only took a picture of one) out of plexiglass and plumbing pieces that we had lying around. (Don't ask me why we had plexiglass lying around, since I dont know.)
Metal plumbing bits can get really pricey, so I used some plastic ones and spray painted them silver, since we had silver spray paint lying around. Ideally, I would have done it a bronze-er color, but there we go.
Then, I cut a bit of denim out to use as the goggle lens-holder-thing-a-majig. The edge is hemmed, and I made it long enough to fit around the edge with about an inch to spare. It's about 4-5 inches wide, also.
Ideally, one would use leather for goggles like this. In fact, I've never seen any pair (except my own) that wasn't made with it. However, I had no leather lying around (and leather, in case you've never looked for it, is the absolute priciest part of making Steampunk paraphernalia), but I did have a denim skirt that I never wore, and I thought- 'hey, that's a neat idea', and here we are, with a blog post. Knowing the end result, I'd say that they're great for headgear, like on hats, but, sadly, the denim doesn't hold its shape nearly as well as leather, so they aren't really still enough to use as goggles.
Anyway, here is what I meant by the 'goggle lens-holder-thing-a-majig'. It wraps around the lens to hold it in place, and is also the part that goes up to your face/eyes. I wrapped the denim around as tightly as it would go, and then pinned it there while I prepared my next steps- this is pictured a few times.
This (hopefully) is what it will look like when it's finished.
This is the inside view of that same step, in case you were wondering what that looked like. Really, though, I have no idea why I took this picture, but it was there, so here it is.
In case you were wondering what kind of thread I used for all of these things was- I have absolutely no idea, but it looks like this -->
I just grabbed the first black thread that I could find out of our thread bin.
Now. For this part, because it's the most important that it not fall apart, I quadrupled my thread, and made a sewer's knot. This entails wrapping the ends of the thread around your finger at least three times, like so <-- , and then rolling it down and off of your finger while pulling it tight. It takes a few tries to get the hang of it, but once you do, you should be able to produce a knot like so V (that's a down arrow, in case you didn't know), anytime you like.
Here is where you get to see the needlessly large number of pictures I took of this step. I first started sewing the edge of the denim where it overlapped, then went down along the edge of the material until I ran out of thread. Make sure you don't sew the pin into the material.. not that I would have any experience with that, of course.
Here, of course, is where you give me a funny look and say, 'Why is a picture of a tube of glue in the middle of your post?', and I say, because I'm no good at tying end knots when I sew, and so I decided to tie my non-holding knot, and then reinforce it with this glue. It acts like uber-strong super glue. do not get it on your skin if you can help it, as it will stick and not come off for hours, even under constant rubbing. Or in your hair, as you might pull your hair out while getting it out. Not, of course, that I have done either of those things.
While I had the glue out, I figured that I may as well reinforce the denim sticking to the lenses, and so I glued around the edges. And on the stitching, too.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, the safety pin is in my tube of glue in place of a cap, which I managed to glue to the tube's nozzle... and then I accidentally tore the nozzle off of the tube. Like I said, this stuff is stronger (or, at least, faster drying) than super glue. I couldn't have it all over where I keep it, nor could I let it go to waste (it cost a whole $5-7, I don't remember which !). Hence, the pin.
This was me looking at that poor, desiccated skirt and seeing how I could use it, again, to my advantage.
And what I did to it. Yes, that's right. I cut off the waistband. What's in a waistband that I might want, you ask yourself. Well, says I, there's elastic. And, since I'm not using leather, and am lacking a buckle, this is what I am going to use as that backstrap/headband to my goggles.
Yes, I cut it.
And again, this time measured to my head's length.
FYI: make sure you put pins in each side, as the elastic (as always) will try to escape you and your nefarious plans by burrowing out backwards and/or trying to not be so stretched out. Trust me. Keep the pins in until you have thread holding the elastic in place.
Next, you cut the 'goggle lens-holder-thing-a-majig' to fit your face, like so --> and so V (remember what I told you about those? good.)
just in case you can't fathom why I did this- the long part goes towards your ear, and the short part faces your nose, as you look through them. from this point of view, ^ that one ^ would go, just like that, over your LEFT eye.
More views or the same thing.
This, basically, is what your goggles (or mine, at least) will end up looking like. However, one critical piece is missing: the nose piece. True, for people like me (and, maybe, you), the eye-pieces are big enough that sewing them together would allow them to fit your face, but that doesn't exactly look stylish, now does it?
So, I cut a 3"x3" piece of cloth, and folded it in thirds, like so V
And then I sewed it to the ' goggle lens-holder-thing-a-majig', like so -->
And this is what, attached to both sides, it looked like. Of course, you may be wondering, and I will tell you. I used doubled-up thread this time, not quadrupled thread. I just didn't place the same importance on this, I guess.
More views of the same.
Now, these were taken after I attached the headband. I used doubled thread for that, also.
So... this ^ and this--> are what the final product will look like. Of course, however, no blog post would be complete without a hat (or, at the very least, this one wouldn't be), so here we are...
Me, posing in a hat, and a hat, posing as itself. how attractive, don't you think? I can almost imaging the hat smiling.
Here, of course, is where you give me a funny look and say, 'Why is a picture of a tube of glue in the middle of your post?', and I say, because I'm no good at tying end knots when I sew, and so I decided to tie my non-holding knot, and then reinforce it with this glue. It acts like uber-strong super glue. do not get it on your skin if you can help it, as it will stick and not come off for hours, even under constant rubbing. Or in your hair, as you might pull your hair out while getting it out. Not, of course, that I have done either of those things.
While I had the glue out, I figured that I may as well reinforce the denim sticking to the lenses, and so I glued around the edges. And on the stitching, too.
