Steampunk Fish

Steampunk as a genre has been around for quite a few years now.  I am in love with this style and have made crows (last year) and now fish in the genre.  Steampunk is a cross between the sci-fi of H.G. Wells, industrialization, and the Victorian era.  It uses found/left over industrial objects such as gears, bulbs, screws, bottle caps, chains, springs etc.

A couple of weeks ago, a few of the cloth-a-dollics (local cloth doll club) gathered to make steampunk fish at one of our local sewing stores (Sawyer's Sewing Centre in Victoria).  Some of us used a basic fish template provided by the talented Maureen and/or a Frowning Francis pattern,  as well as modified fish patterns of our own making as inspired by the internet.

I now present my small school of fish (seven creatures in all).  They live in the deep Pacific ocean off Vancouver Island.  My first fish is the elusive red-eyed Gear fish:  although shy he will stop to gather gears, chains, springs and zippers wherever he finds them.

Next meet his dear companion the Cutlery fish who gathers all kinds of things from the ocean floor, including forks, spoons, egg beater, snaps and even a "hand"!:

This next little fellow is quiet but deadly, the Piranha Fish who loves chains and springs best:

Now here is a female fish known as "Tea-time Sally" as she is quite the one for a drink and a gossip:

Tea-time Sally's best fishy friend is called "Bright-Idea Betty".  She is always thinking up new schemes to fool the humans:

Both of these two gals are made using the Frowning Francis pattern and use both fabric and papers that are collaged on the cloth body.

Now the "player" of this small school is "Lover-Boy" Fish: Notice his large lips, the love tokens he carries to a prospective "lucky girl fish" and his jaunty paper hat!

Finally, the brains of this school is known as "Circuit-Geek" Fish for obvious reasons:

I made him by taking apart my husband's obsolete computer-what fun!

All of the fish were made with a cloth basic body, gessoed, painted and then embellished with the steampunk "stuff".  They are about 6" long by 4" tall and hang from fishing line (how appropriate).

I hope you have enjoyed my fish and if you are in the Victoria area, note that they will be at Pearkes arena on display (along with the many quilts and more fish) at the Victoria Quilters show on May 2nd through May 4th, 2014.