Monday 16 September 2019

Seppa first attempt at putting it all together.



The other day, I put together the rough idea of the components that I did already have (currently lacking any quality embellishments) for the Seppa character and here are the pictures I took of the ensemble as placed on my dressmaker's form.

Regrettably, it presently reads feminine to me, and as I'm non-binary, this is generating some 'bleh' that I'll need to remedy before April 2020/E1. Gender pronoun badges notwithstanding.


On to the descriptions and explanations...

The Front view:

Some of the elements need editing, such as the metal dangles necklace, it's currently too short to wear over the scarf, so I'll need to lengthen that.

I didn't include the off-white cotton boxing arm wraps or the grey wool felt leg wraps, because there's nothing for them to cling to.


I also need to make the camel-brown boiled wool waistcoat that will go between the off-white-almost-ankle-length-scapular and the long-sleeved hippy granddad shirt. The shirt's chest pocket isn't visible, but I have now removed said pocket and the neck label tags, because when I wore it camping on a very hot (for England) day, the labels were scratchy and irritating.


The circles panel is a strip of curtain fabric remnant that I liked the printed pattern circles. I will probably fix it to the fabric portion of the warskirt, and add some embroidery/stitching to it to give the circles extra texture and visual interest. I don't know if this will become an item-of-worth, or it's just a decorative feature that helps busy hands when waiting, or when sitting in conclave. Another thought's just come to me, that I could stitch the panel onto the scapular after the remnant's embellished, and that would protect the back of the remnant from wear-damage.

Skywise Seppa - idea for the front


The Right-side view:

The metal plates belt and the peacock beaded brown shawl came from Quercus' Emporium. I haven't yet decided how I'll attach or place the metal plates belt, which is too short for me to wear around the waist, so it was just hung to the belt as a 'thing' (ie tat).

The wooden beads looped on the belt is a curtain tie-back. I've used detachable rings to allow me to move and adjust. I think when I've settled on placement that isn't a nuisance, I'll give it a permanent attachment to the future warkskirt.

Speaking of the warskirt, the red base the pigskins and deerskins are attached to is the wrong colour for the Skywise brief, and this warskirt will be dismantled. The red base will recycle for NPC/barbarian/slave kit.


Also, recognising that I'll probably sweat/freeze, there is a wooden cup on my belt to remind me to drink water. Relatedly, I need to test to see how difficult/easy it is to use the tiny loo cubicles with the kit on. From my observations, Imperial Orcs are never seen half-dressed.

Skywise Seppa - idea for the right side

The Back View:

Recycled from my Freeborn character, Ieri, is the large brown leather belt pouch. I have tried crushing it a bit and twisting it some to help soften the leather as it has been quite stiff. I use this pouch for my mobile phone, my character notebook, and rustic pencils.

One will see there's a second grey-sand mesh scarf. I bought this in H&M several years ago and it was another that I was going to discard due to disuse... but dammit, I like it, so I kept it. The scarf will get purpose amongst Seppa's kit.
Skywise Seppa - idea for the back

The Left-side view:

The smaller brown pouch and the stoppered wooden bottle on a thong are reused from Freeborn Ieri's kit. The smaller brown pouch has also had some crushing and twisting to help loosen the leather some; it also came with a flaw of the buckle-tongue was about 3mm too long and it was skin-lacerating sharp, so the Dremmel came out to cut off the too-long tongue and then grind the edges to remove the burrs and blunt sharpness. The purpose of the smaller pouch might be anything from pocket-watch to car keys to meal and drink tickets.

The wooden bottle is another of those 'I bought it years ago and I don't remember where' but it is lined to make it drink-safe and watertight, and the cork fits well. I use it to physrep potion bottles. It rides on a popper-strap to make it easy to take off and use for play.


Like the off-white scapular, the cotton satchel comes from Burgschneider, and the strap is far too long for my too-short torso, and during the Long Dark, I will be shortening the strap and probably adding some blue stitches to embellish the satchel and its strap. I have another satchel of the same company make and model, but in green that I've used for Ieri. Similarly, this satchel will probably get songbooks, an OOC-bag to contain touch-up makeup for hands and face.

Skywise Seppa - idea for the left side


Other notes:

The white martial arts trousers have taken some work to stain with the likes of grass and dyes that bled onto the fabric so it's not so discordantly white. I will look at taking some abrasion tools and rubbing the knees and then finding some different-stained canvas to patch the knees to give them some character. I'll have to see about finding something rusty and mud-staining to rub into the knee areas.


Orcs in general tend to have well-worn and rustically patched, mended, and embellished garments; everything shows signs of wear, but they value things that have a history of use.


I will add that I have several more beige, stone, sand, and the like coloured scarves. I might take one or two and turn them into a möbius head-shawl to give my head a respite from a hot sun or a cold wind.

To-do list:

  • Warskirt onto blue/beige/brown belt panel
    • White Raptor Wing motif painted into a brown fabric panel to attach to the warskirt in a prominent placement
    • Metal plates belt and the wooden bead curtain tie-back turned into permanent warskirt features
    • Add the horse motif for ancestor item-of-worth
    • Add the antique brass ring and battered hawk bells for ancestor item-of-worth
    • Find more tat in the bronze palette
  • Decorate and personalise the orc mask
  • Scarves turned into a möbius head-shawl
  • Metal dangles necklace - lengthen strap
  • Make the boiled wool waistcoat for a torso-warmer
  • Embellish and attach the circles remnant to the scapular
  • Abraid and stain the white trousers' knees
  • Shorten the satchel strap and embellish the strap and bag with blue and brown threads/floss
  • Test going to the loo with all the kit on

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