Chance Encounters: Scrap Metal Statues

I was wandering in Birmingham's Christmas Craft Fair earlier in the month and encountered these amazing metal statues of the iconic Alien and Predator (from their respective franchises). I've since managed to lose the business card from the stall, but going through the camera memory card, I still wanted to share the photos.

This is where I discovered there's quite a quite a few metalcrafters working in the scrap metal sculpture business (this blogpost got delayed as I was lost in the pages of Metal Art and Yumimodal). I think the stall I saw might have been affiliated with Robosteel (who were featured in Wired no so long ago and are based in the UK), but the name doesn't ring familiar, so I'm really rather baffled. So if you recall wandering in the streets of Birmingham, do share. And yes, aren't they awesome?

A few more photos under the cut.

A Surfeit of Steampunk Buttons

It's more or less Boxing Day, so it seems appropriate to open with a belated "Merry Winter-related holiday".

I picked up the big box of steampunk buttons the other day, so I'm currently staring at thirty gross of them in gunmetal grey (they're all in a giant ferrero rocher cardboard box, which led to an amusing incident with my cousin). A lot has come about because of these cog-and-screw buttons and it does feel somewhat appropriate that our first big order of buttons is of them. Needless to say, we'll be seeing them on an awful lot of garments in the near future. We'll probably be starting with a number of waistcoat prototypes and we'll see from there, but if you fancy anything with these buttons on it, don't hesitate to drop us a line.

Commission: Dashing Asymmetrical Coat

Apologies to all about the month-long absence. I spent most of it running about the country and failing at Nanowrimo. We've also been plagued by various post-related problems, including late parcels, lost parcels and returned parcels. It's all really rather discouraging.

I had vaguely intended to post this coat on Jane Austen Day but we didn't manage to get the photos (or the coat, for that matter) done in time.


The coat is based on an asymmetrical naval coat that fascinated me at Macau Maritime Museum (photos of the original naval coat under the cut). It's part of a commission for a military uniform; there's a waistcoat, breeches and boot-toppers not pictured. It's made from a dark blue wool, lined in bright red. It features bright gold buttons and some rather subtle black ribbon around the buttonholes.

It's most interesting feature is its odd asymmetry of the folded tail on one side and the exposed lining on the other. The two visible pockets are ornamental, but it does have another two in the lining to compensate.

Meant for a man taller and broader than myself, the coat doesn't exactly fit, but I thought passes for a thigh-slapping sort of look, not unakin to Elizabeth Swann in her bright red British uniform in Curse of the Black Pearl.

Photos of the Maritime Museum exhibit and a few more of the coat under the cut.