Steampunk comes to Springfield

The Hartness House Inn recently hosted the second Springfield Steampunk Festival with all manner of things Victorian steampunk.


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Steampunk comes to Springfield By BRANDY TODTSeptember 29, 2016 The Mechanical Meow. Photo by Brandy Todt The Mechanical Meow. Photo by Brandy Todt SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The Hartness House Inn recently hosted the second Springfield Steampunk Festival with all manner of things Victorian steampunk. In the vendors’ tent, steampunk enthusiasts could purchase a variety of wares, from fairy-winged necklaces from The Fairy Stitch Factory, corsets and bustles from Victorian Secret, pre-gnarled items from Phoenix Reed Organ Resurrection, elaborately decorated top hats from The Mechanical Meow or purchase industrial-style lighting from Plumb Crazy Lightsmith. Events began last Friday night and continued through Sunday. Plum Crazy Lightsmith, located in East Putney, specifically designed gas-inspired lamps for the festival. Owner Seth creates lights from black iron pipe and Edison bulbs. This was his first year at a steampunk festival. He used to be a Revolutionary War re-enactor, but found that dressing up in steampunk garb has a lot more freedom of expression. The Mechanical Meow by Karrie-Ann Versace is passionate not only about steampunk jewelry and decorated top hats, but also about animals. A percentage of all her proceeds she sends to help local animal rescues. The Fairy Stitch Factory began because Janel Norris did not see the style of jewelry she liked and began creating it for herself. Her designs, which now encompass shoes, wings, costumes and dolls, are inspired by the Art Nouveau style. Her work can be purchased on the Internet site Etsy.com. Before there was Victoria’s Secret, there was Victorian Secret. Specializing in steampunk attire, the four designers under the personas of Athena, Persphone, Diana and Eos want to make sure every woman has a corset and just the right amount of bustle. Curiosity Heirlooms by Keith Mailhotte sold bracelets and necklace pendants filled with maple syrup and gears. A few tips on how to nail the steampunk look were given: 1 – Start with Victorian garb, i.e., corset, bustles, top hats, waistcoats and monocles. 2 – Traditional fashion rules do not apply, the quirkier the better. 3 – Mix and matching fabrics and patterns is a big yes. 4 – Steampunk is not meant to be historically accurate, so always add more to the outfit. To view some steampunk aficianados outfits, watch the fashion show from Saturday on the paper’s Facebook page, @theshopperkma