the Camera case project
P.P. von Hedwig with Camera on Marscon '10 adventure
Some projects happen out of practicality, for example the need for a power supply with which to etch brass and copper. Others, come from the desire to make a cool piece of art, like the steampunk burlesque fans. Still others come from the desire for original and swank jank , as in decoder dials and Madam von Hedwig’s pouches. This project was motivated out of a mix of being too jaded by my digital SRL camera to use an Instamatic and being too vain to ruin fine steampunk outfits with gear so clearly of the wrong technology.
The first step was to find a lamp base that was large enough to work with my wide lens. The idea was to be able to house the lens in a faux brass lens and have it be wide enough to not clip the edges of the lens view mounted behind it. I used a jig saw for the rough cutting and then tin snips followed by emery cloth for more finished edges. Note how I cut bendable flanges for the mounting of this faux lens.
My aesthetic choice was to have the faux lens mounted in the center of the front. To decide where this would be and the dimension of the front was to measure from the screw mount for tri pod to longest side of the camera and add a half inch for room plus the thickness of the wood I was using to build the case. To keep the case as light as possible, but strong, luann was my preferred material. Luann is really to thin to fasten without finger joints, so I used scrap of ¾ stock to glue the top and side to one another. The height of the case was set by how much space my big hands require to access the controls of my camera.
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The camera itself is mounted on an aluminum scrap out of a neighbor’s trash. I drilled holes were every ½ inch on the center line front to back in order to give mounting options for different lenses. This in turn was screwed down to a “U” of ½ inch plywood. Conveniently the tri-pod mount on cameras is a standard screw size, so a 1 inch bolt with a nut and washer on it will hold the camera in place. The screw will only go in so far, the nut and washer let me tighten the camera down with out using a short bolt.
The tripod was fairly simple, but could be tricky without a bandsaw, because of the angles in my design. Keep in mind that the platform the camera case sits on should be large enough to be strong and keep the camera stable. I chose a hexagon because the math was easy to work out for a three-leg mounting area. While in the picture of the test fitting the legs are held on by nails, for the finished project I used brass brazing rod sections. The camera case is mounted to the tri pod with a bolt through the bottom of the case, a few washers between the case and tripod platform, with a nut and washer under that. The tri-pod itself has a carrying strap attacted to one leg, the tail of which can be used to tie the legs together.
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I cut thin copper into strips folded long wise into right angle channel and glued them onto the case with Goop to masked the edges. A simple canvas strap into homemade “D” rings fixed with scrap cooper and screws make it portable. A black cloth hood is held in place with strips of black painted cardboard and staples, which the hood covers. Then I mounted a brass handle to the left side so I could handhold the unit. Found and salvaged objects further decorate the case.
The only two drawbacks I have found so far is that my access to the controls are limited, and that I often find myself desiring a flash for indoor photography. Using a hardwired shutter remote helps by letting me shoot without having to reach in to the case. Maybe at some point a mark II camera case will address the controls issue, but before that I’ll be making a wired remote flash assembly. Have a plan, but need to wait until I can afford a fifty-dollar part.
Perhaps my next tri-pod will look like this one we saw at an American Colonial living history outing.
By Madame vonHedwig on Saturday, February 6th, 2010
Update: Here is the very handsome cap of Mr. Kevin C Cooper Esq, made based on my instructions below. What a dashing fellow!
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This past Yule I made vonHedwig a smoking cap to match one of his smoking jackets. Here’s how I did it.
fabric – I started with 1/2 yard and had loads left over
stiff fabric – I just used a sheet of stiff felt
needle, thread, pins, and scissors
tassel – try the upholstery area of the fabric store. I couldn’t find a tassel significant enough for my husband, so I made my own.
To make your own tassel: yarn, piece of cardboard 2″ wide and as long as you want the tassel to be
1. measure the circumference of the wearer’s head mid- to high-forehead, wherever looks right, and measure or estimate how high you want the cap to be. I made mine 4″ high. It shouldn’t be too high, as it is a smoking cap, not a fez. (besides, a fez is traditionally felted.)
2. cut your stiff felt to those measurements, with 1/2″ or so overlap for seam allowance
3. cut your fabric so that it will entirely encase the brocade (leaving yourself seam allowances
4. connect the ends of your stiff felt and pin. Holding it in the shape of the final hat, lay it on the wrong side of the fabric and mark the top of the hat. Add seam allowance and cut it out.
5. fold the felt into the fabric cut to encase it and sew the wrong sides together along one long end.
6. Pin your fabric-covered felt into a circle, then pin right side of the hat top to the inside of the hat seam you just made, and sew it. 
7. Turn the cap right side out. Fold under the cut edge on one side of the fabric join and hand sew it shut (inside and outside of the hat), using stiches that don’t show.
8. Sew tassel on the top center, and an interesting button on top of that.
To make your own tassel:
Cut a piece of cardboard (just grab something out of the recycling) and cut it a quarter inch longer than you want your tassel and 2″ wide with indented ends.
Wrap yarn from end to end until it’s as fat as you want it.
Slip another length of yarn under one end and tie a knot around the bundle.
Slip your open scissors into the other end and cut the tassel open.
Take it off the cardboard form and return it to the recycling. Tie a second knot an inch or so down from the tied end to make a ball at the top. (you can even put a small ball inside to round it out)
This entry is part of a series, Construction of Custom Corsets» Part -1
Constrution Corset, square neck brown canvas corsets
Part 2
This is part three of a living document on making custom corsets. It will be edited, revised, and have new information and links added as readers post comments. So please post your comments, questions and tips so that other can learn from your experience as well as mine.
This is one of those projects in which precision is your friend. The more precise your work is, the easier the project will be. Deviation in this kind of project seems to multiply, causing more and more problems as you work. I over build corsets a bit, so I am going to show a heave duty method, that with one modification can be used to make a corset in which the boning sleeves don’t show on the outer layer. This one’s edge will be finished with homemade bias tape, but later I’ll try to show other edge finishing methods.
It’s time to choose boning to stiffen your corset. Traditionally, wood and whale bone where common, with upwards of a hundred staves in a single garment. Today’s cheap corset, bustier and merry widow have light wieght narrow plastic boning in them, often leading to structural failure, even with the first wearing. Perhaps if used in the hundred plus numbers still they might hold up, but in truth they’re a waste of petrochemicals. You can buy corset bones in a variety of lengths and thicknesses from companies like Farthingales. While they have nice round rubber end, their lenth selection is limited, usually comes in only half inch and they are kind of pricey.
What I normal use is steel lumber-packing band, free on the floor of the lumber yard near you. It is strong, flexible, and commonly comes in 5/8 and 1 ¼ inch width. Trim to length with metal shears, round the end and cover with a bit of electrical tape (perhaps some spray paint if you’re that kind of person) and there’s your custom boning. These days, more lumber is coming in plastic packing band, so this corset is a mix of the two weights of plastic packing band I from laying around, with a double stack of the heavy weight inside of the grommet area. The heavier weight was also used as the boning between the breast. So far so good. Thus an occasional hand washable corset.
Set aside the cover layer for a while, once your have sewn it to match the tailored backing layer.
figure 02
figure 01
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Measure the width of your boning, and add and 1/8th inch for sewing variance. (5/8’ for the boning + 1/8’ variance = ¾’ inch) Now starting on a straight edge of a single layer your backing fabric, working with your grain start marking out your boning sleeves. For example, 5/8’ inch seam allowance, the ¾” for the boning, 5/8’ inch seam allowance, repeat for each piece of boning that will be in the corset. I mark every six inches up the fabric for consistency until they are about four inches long than I think I will need them to be. I also draw the cutting lines as I connect the mark in a different color, then the sewing lines around the boning. On this particular corset there is double boning in the front center, so I made a double sleeve by skipping the center seam allowance. (figure 2)
figure 03
The boning inside the grommet, under the lacing, the back edge in this corset doesn’t really need a sleeve, but the extra sleeve you cut gets sewn in to the backing layer to re-enforce the grommets. In figure 03 you should be able to see the seam allowance markings, a space for the boning and then the grommet re-enforcement strip. The rest of the sleeves are laid out on the backing layer where the boning is desired, then pinned into place. If in doubt, look at other corsets, the picture of the corset yours is modeled after, or a pattern for inspiration. Most of the time the sleeves stop at an edge, but sometime one must make an educated guess as to where to end a bit of boning. For example, when does the desire for support end and a shoulder strap begin? On this corset the boning is in a slight fan on the front. On a simple corset, most follow the seams. I often zig-zag down the edges, for strength.
Basting helps on this step. Quick and broad hand stitches not only let the seamstress precisely align the sleeves, but also do a better job of keeping the layers’ seams aligned and maintaining the position of various pieces while machine sewing. Sadly one of my sewing weaknesses is a failure to baste when it’s optional, so I have no examples to show.
figure 04
figure 05
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Instead I just preceded to sew down the sides and top of each sleeve, leaving the bottom open. Better to make the sleeve a bit too wide than too narrow. With the right sides of the backing layer and outer layer the together, sew the grommet edges, then turn right side out. Be careful to push out this seam (with a pin or a ruler from the inside), and press, to prevent making a pocket. (figure 04) Sew down the edge about an 1/8” in from the edge. Then sew a parallel seam in from the width of your boning plus 1/8”, and a third parallel seam in from that based on the width of your grommets plus 1/8”.
figure 06
figure 07
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At this point the easiest thing to do is to line up and pin the seams of the outer and backing layer across the top and arm holes . Don’t finish the bottom yet. Sew the two layers together 5/8” from edge. (figure 05) Trim to a scant ¼ inch.
A design choice for this corset was to have boning stiching show on the front of the corset. When sewing though all layers it is important that they line up. At three points along each seam a pin was pushed straight though to check the alignment before they were pinned together. It is best that the layers’ seams are with in a 16th of an inch of each other. (figure 07) Once again basting would help.
figure 08
figure 09
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Because this is a waist-altering corset, the addition of an internal canvas belt was put in for support. (Ideally this would be between the top layer and outside of the boning for maximum effectiveness.) (figures 08 and 09) It is important the belt run from grommets to grommets, and preferably has at least two grommets in each end. This was pinned at each boning sleeve. On this corset, because one of the boning stays ends where a shoulder strap starts, the stopping point of the sleeve was double checked and marked on the backside. Sewing carefully and accurately, the boning sleeves were re-sewn, through all the layers, still leaving the bottom of each sleeve open. (figure 10)
figure 10
figure 11
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Now I made matching bias strips into matching tape, and sewed them onto the top and arm holes, in order to finish those edges. Now I marked 5/8” on the inside, from the bottom of the corset for each stay sleeve. Each boning stay should be a ¼ or an inch shorter then from the top of the sleeve to this mark. Once all your boning is in place, then it is time to sew shut the bottom, being careful to not sew over the boning. Safety glasses are not out of place during this last few steps. (That’s right, time to USE those goggles!) Trim down to a scant ¼ inch and finish with bias tape. (figures 11 , 12 and 13)
Grommet Time – but first a soapbox rant. The common fabric store grommets I have found to be an abomination. Most are light duty, made out of thin metal. Typically the two parts of these cheap grommets both have a notched barrow that fit one in another. (Good grommets – one side has a solid barrow and the other side is a washer.) They don’t fit tight, once set, so the force of the lacing is not defused and fraying is not checked. Sometimes their edges are even sharp and will cut the fabric as you put them in. After all the hard work you have put in so far, don’t start cutting corners now. If you are in a hurry, maybe your local hardware store has heavy-duty grommets. Better yet plan ahead and order some and the setting tools from a corset notions supplier.
figure 12
figure 13
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The grommets for this corset were set 1” on center and just about a 1/8” in from the first stay. Mark them in chalk, double check their alignment, then punch the holes for them. A hammered punch into a piece of hard wood works better for fabric than a hand punch. Set your grommet. Lace it up with ribbon, shoe laces or parachute cord (it comes in almost as many colors as thread from online sources) and its finally done. (
figure 14
figure 14)
Some other notes, for the curious:
A modesty panel is a 2-4” wide double sided strip of fabric running down the length of the corset behind the grommets and lacing. It is sewn only down one side. You can add a ¾” modesty panel behind the button side of a busk as well.
An alternative to re-enforced boning sleeves is to sew the back and front together to form a sleeve between the out and the backer later. This is a method I would only use for a limited wear corset, and it has to have a heavy outer layer.
Another way to finish the top and bottom edges is to sew the outer and backing layer faces together at all but the grommet lacing edge and turn the piece right-side out for hand sewing and grommeting. Topstitching will crisp the top and bottom edges, but be care about breaking needles when you sew over instead of around boning.
If people are interested, I’ll posted some examples of the other finishing variations, making you own boning, or making your own bias tape. Homemade bias tape is the bees knees, and isn’t hard to make.
Farthingales is a reliable but pricey source of corset making supplies.
Folkwear Patterns has the best pattern paper I have found.
This entry is part of a series, Construction of Custom Corsets» Part 1 was the custom pre-pattern
Part 3 adding-structure-to-the-back-layer-finishing-and-boning-in-a-corset/
Figure 1
This is part two of a living document on making custom corsets, as it will be edited, revised, have new information and links added as readers post comments. So please post your comments, questions, and tips so that we can learn from your experience as well as mine.
For this step you can you have some options for the pattern material. For years, I used newspaper because it was free. It has many drawbacks, beside the whole smearing ink issue. Notes written on the pattern can be hard to read, it does not hold up well and just ages poorly in general. Pattern tracing paper is another option. The stuff I have found in the fabric stores is wretched stuff, because it is flimsy, weak and hard to write on. Now, I use the pattern tracing paper stocked by the people at Folkwear.com. It’s not expensive and doesn’t have the drawbacks of the other pattern materials. For simplicity’s sake, no matter your choice, I’ll call it “pattern paper”.
If you are making an heirloom, a garment for a paying client, or a single layer (such as an undergarment) corset, coutil is prime choice for corset backing fabric. It is pricey, and Farthingales seems to be the only reliable source of it I have found so far. However, canvas or heavy canvas duck will work just fine for multi-layer or limited wear corsets. You will need about a yard to a yard and half for the under-layer, stay sleeves and grommet re-enforcing.
Corset can be built one layer fabric, two layers or three layers. Common retail is the two layer corset, with a cover layer and a backing layer. For this description we are using a backing layer, a cover layer and sleeves for the boning.
Figure 2
Start by marking some alignment notches, double notches, etc at different levels on both sides of the various seams. Mark the top, grain line and also label the panels (front, front side, side, rear side, rear, etc.) Now cut the duct tape pre-pattern apart on the seam lines you drew on it while it was on the client. Think about how the seam will work as you sew the (eventual) fabric back together. (figure 3 & 4) Make sure to remove the reduction curves from the pre pattern. The individual pieces should at this point lay out fairly flat.
Figure 3
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Figure 5
Now you are ready to make the pattern from the pre-pattern. You can work on the floor, but a table is better. Banish the cat. Lay out your pre-pattern pieces on the pattern paper, leaving about an inch minimal from any edge, and an inch and a half between any pieces. (figure 5) One at a time, press each pre-pattern piece flat while you trace around it. A clever seamstress can shift the pieces a bit to deal with curve in the pre-pattern, however the less experienced should probably trace them as they lie. Transfer notches, tops, label, etc to pattern. Set aside the pre-pattern. You shouldn’t need it again if all goes well, but it can be helpful for thinking your way out of a problem.
Figure 6
Once all parts are traced out use a ruler or a hemming ruler to make a consistent seam allowance around each pattern.(figure 6) For a 5/8” seam allowance I mark a ½ inch, to compensate for tracing expansion from the pre-pattern to the pattern. I use a different color marker for my seam allowance than my pattern tracing to avoid confusion. If the seam allowance overlaps from one pattern piece to another, make sure to mark the area that is going to be a bit shy and try to make it obvious. Transfer your notch marking out to the seam allowances lines. Finally, cut out the pattern on the seam allowance line.
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Figure 7
Figure 8
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Take a moment to look at what you have. Experiment mentally or physically with the pieces just to double check how they will work. For example, in figure ??? I have marked for a seam to end in a dart. For ease of fitting, I have decided to make this into two separate pattern pieces instead. After cutting them apart, because I used quality pattern tracing paper, I was able to sew on some scraps, add seam allowances, and then trim them.(figures 7 & 8 )
You are ready to start on the backing layer. Lay out and pin down the pattern piece on your coutil or canvas, being conscious of how the grain will minimize stretch and straighten the garment. DON’T CUT OUT THE COVER LAYER YET. Remember to include your notches. Once it’s all cut out, you’re ready to sew the pieces together. With contrasting curves you need to pin frequently and to pin a small gather of fabric where the seam will be, if you want a tidy seam.( figure 9 ) If you want to use a busk in the front, heavily but temporary baste that seam to gether. Do not sew the lacing / grommet edges together, however you can zig-zag stitch the edge to minimize fraying. Just keep in mind none of these seams are set in stone yet.
Figure 9
It’s fitting time. These next two fitting step are important to the process, so pay attention.
Step one is the fitting itself, and you are going to wish you had six extra steam-powered hands, and could sew the backing layer on the Client. Try the corset backing on the client. (Client here – as in the pre-pattern, wear whatever you intend to wear under the corset, if anything, and hold still! Or get stuck with pins.) Pin the top and bottom closed at the lace/grommet area. The waist will not stay pinned closed if you are making a corset with any shape to it whatsoever. Use your hands to pull this area closed as you look at the shape of the backing layer.
It should just fit at the top and be a tad loose on the hip so as not to bunch up the Client’s skin or cut in. I use pins when I can to fit, if not I use chalk marks and sewing by matching seams, removing old seams, and refitting, until I am happy. Once the top and bottom are correct move to tailoring the belly. The stomach of a corset should be flat or slightly concave if the client’s body allows. The chest is next, perhaps with some adjustment to get the cleavage where and how you want it, to allow tailoring to keep the desired position.
Then, on to the waist. It is amazing how much one can safely, and with minimal discomfort, compress the side of the waist between the floater ribs and the top of the hips. The floater ribs can only take a little compression and the rib cage itself is best to avoid, unless the client really knows what s/he is getting into. A good rule for corset beginners is, if you can just pull the back closed with your hand, the corset should be comfortable for the client. Ask to make sure.
Step two is to transfer any new seams to both pattern pieces that each new seam affects. ( figure 10 ). Measure new seam allowances off of these new pattern lines, remembering to transfer notches. Trim the pattern on the new seam allowances.
Now, you’re ready to cut and sew the cover fabric to match the backing layer. Lay pattern pieces out on the fabric so the cut out pieces will look their best when sewn, paying attention to grain and design of cover fabric. Also you can clip the seam allowance to help curves lay flat, and zig-zag stitch all the seams on the backing layer down flat, which also helps re-enforce the seams.
Figure 10
In part three I’ll show you how to finish up the custom corset.
By Madame vonHedwig on Saturday, October 31st, 2009
A vonHedwig Halloween Story
“What, exactly, does this holiday celebrate?” Pelinina asked.
“Ummm…” Philomena vonHedwig hesitated, studying the features of her turnip. “It’s sort of … well … Death, I suppose.”
“Americans celebrate Death by carving vegetables?”
“Yes,” Philomena said with conviction. “Sort of.” She sketched a face on to her turnip, the largest one from the bag she had appropriated from the kitchen of the Academy, where she (and every other scientifically promising vonHedwig since the institution’s inception) boarded for school. She and Peli, her best friend and roommate had liberated the turnips, reasoning that if they didn’t leave the school grounds, it wasn’t really stealing, and removing turnips from culinary use would be beneficial to the student population overall.
She studied the face, nodding with satisfaction, and turned to her best friend.
“It’s to celebrate everything you’re afraid of, really. To spend a night scaring yourself and laughing about it. It’s the end of summer -the sun turns pale, the nights are cold, nothing grows on the earth; everything looks dead. Hallowe’en is a way for people to prepare for death – for the death of summer, for the death of the old and sick who will die over the winter, and for our own, inevitable death.”
“What fun,” Peli deadpanned.
“You Brits have a big bonfire holiday, too, don’t you?”
“Oh yes, Guy Fawkes Night!”
“Which celebrates what?”
“Umm. Not blowing up Parliament? Executing traitors?”
“Death, in other words.” Philomena exchanged her pen for a scalpel, borrowed from the Moreau dissection lab, and began carving.
“It’s not originally an American holiday anyway, it came from Irish and Scots immigrants; the old Celtic traditions came over, they traded their turnips for pumpkins, their wicker men for bonfires. There’s lots of playing tricks on people, too.”
“Excellent! Who shall we trick?”
“Ah ha!” Philly said, “At last, my peculiar folk traditions interest you! Let us plot while we finish carving these turnips.”
“What, all of them?”
“We can’t have just one!” Philomena finished digging out the center of her vegetable and dropped a candle into it. She struck a match and lit it, turning the face to Peli so she could admire the affect.
“Horrible!”
“Thank you. If we carve them all, we can put one on every grave and tomb in the cemetery on Hallowe’en night. That will be pranking the entire school!”
Most schools do not have their own cemetery, it is true. The Academy is not like most schools.
“Can’t we trick someone into carving all these turnips?”
“If you think of a way while carving, do let me know.” Philomena handed her friend a turnip, and got back to work.
An hour later, they were in the Fabrication Hall, and 5 hours after that, they dragged a steam-powered, belt-driven, scalpel-wielding, turnip carving device up to their room. Peli had done most of the welding while Philomena had cannibalized a disused Babbage engine to make the carver programmable.
“Five different facial features – eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, fangs. Seven types of eyebrows, 8 eyes, 5 noses, 6 mouths, fangs yes or no… that gives us 480 different faces! No one should notice the few duplicates that occur by random chance.”
“That old Engine was an antique,” Peli said, “you probably shouldn’t have pulled it apart like that.”
“Nonsense! There’s a working Engine in the Lovelace Maths wing, and another in the museum. That old thing was abandoned because it didn’t work right. I could tell by looking at it that it dropped a digit every hundred-thousandth decimal place.” She speared a turnip on a carving spindle in the device; it had 6 spindles surrounding the central scalpel array. A coring blade was centered above each spindle. “Besides, we don’t have time to machine our own gears, Hallowe’en is tomorrow.”
Peli stoked the fire, and they waited for the boiler to build up a head of steam. When the coring blades started to spin, Philomena threw the lever that raised the spindled turnips to meet their fate. The immediate effect was spectacular, as both girls were covered in juicy purple turnip pulp!
Peli spluttered, scraping turnip off her face. “Why didn’t I wear my goggles? Can we stop this now? The British Student Association is hosting a bonfire next week; can we just-”
“And they’ll all be talking about the ghostly, glimmering faces that haunted the cemetery 5 days before!” Philomena handed her friend a handkerchief. “Let’s adjust the scalpels, shall we? I think I see the problem.”
*****
Hallowe’en day dawned crisp and cold, with fresh snow on the mountain peaks surrounding the Academy. Philomena woke up tired because she and Peli had been up late perfecting their device and carving their turnips. She had difficulty concentrating in Anatomy lecture, and nodded off during the discussion of cross-species organ substitution, even though that was the most interesting part.
She drank coffee after that, even though she didn’t really like it. It was strong and bitter, so unlike the delicate café au lait Chef used to make on the Schöneluft. She loaded her cup with sugar and cream, missing her family, missing their annual pumpkin-carving contest (Bettina always won by sculpting her pumpkin with explosives), missing life soaring through the clouds. She pushed on to Alchemy, where, nerves agitated by the coffee, she set fire to her notebook.
When she finally made it back to her room after dinner, she was tired, discouraged, and ready to go straight to bed. But as she put her hand to her doorknob, the door creaked open on its own. A soft purple glow pulsed and flickered from hundreds of tiny grotesque faces. She entered, entranced.
She was thinking that the cold purple-white radiance of the turnips was far more eerie than the warm orange glow of pumpkins, when the white glow shifted. The turnips were moving. Grotesque faces floated slowly into the air. The effect was uncanny, but Philomena was a scientist.
“That’s very good, Peli,” she said, “I can’t even see the strings.”
Even though she was sure her friend was there, she could not help but startle when a voice directly behind her whispered, “There are no strings!”
Philomena jumped and dropped her book bag, charred pages scattering, then laughed at herself for doing so. Peli stepped out from behind the door, laughing as well, and Philomena startled again, whirling around to see who was behind her.
She found a thin boy with a prominent adam’s apple and red hair that stuck out at improbable angles. He was looking at the floor, but glanced up at her with a grin, then examined his shoes.
Peli stopped laughing long enough to gasp, “I told you she’d be hard to scare!”
“Of course,” said the boy softly, “she is a vonHedwig.”
“Philly, this is Dietrich Getman,” Peli announced. “I met him in the Verne Library this afternoon. He’s going to help us with the turnips, because three hundred graves is a lot. He can keep a secret, he’s not afraid of ghosts, and he’s clever. He made the turnip heads float with channeled air!”
“No strings,” Dietrich repeated.
“All right,” Philomena said, “let’s blow these out and get moving. But while the candles cool, I want to see how you attained an airstream sufficient to lift a turnip!”
After Dietrich’s device was examined, explained, and admired, they shoved the turnips into sacks and crept outside, staying out of sight.
“What did Peli mean, Mr. Getman, when she said you were not afraid of ghosts? Do you believe in ghosts?”
“Please, Fräulein vonHedwig, call me Dee. I am from Detmold, in the Teutoburger Wald. If you go into the forest on the anniversary of the destruction of the Roman legions, you can hear the screams and clash of battle; you can feel the fear of the invaders who died there. I have done so many times.”
“Ugh,” Pelinina said. “Once would be more than enough for me!”
“Surely such a place invokes romantic ideas, and stimulates your imagination,” Philomena reasoned. “What sort of energy signature could last nearly two thousand years without a source of regeneration? How could the phenomenon only exist once a year? What could explain it pulsing like that?”
“I do not know, Fräulein. I came to the Academy to learn, but I did not expect to learn everything. It is to be hoped that you will have a long and successful career – perhaps you shall discover the answers to these questions.”
They reached the small stone chapel that was the gateway to the cemetery. It dated from the thirteenth century, and had replaced an even older building. It was a simple, squat rectangle, with gothic arched doorways and a peaked bell tower, added much later. Light from the school no longer reached them, although they could see lights from most of the dormitory windows. A pale moon sailed between clouds, and its light made the shadows in the gothic doorways impenetrably dark. Without saying a word, the three conspirators left the path, avoiding the chapel.
“Right,” Philomena said when they reached the first row of gravestones, “we split up here. Get them placed and lit, but don’t get in the light of any of them. We don’t want to be seen.”
Peli giggled. “I’m sorry I complained to much yesterday, Philly. This is too fun! I’ll take the west.” She scurried off. “Meet you back on the path!”
“I will take the area where the sepulchers and monuments are tallest,” Dee said. “You ladies are not dressed for climbing mossy old tombs.”
“Thank you,” Philomena said. Looking at him in the moonlight, he seemed even thinner than he had inside. She could see his collarbones through his shirt, and his cheekbones cast deep shadows on to his face. “Dee, are you quite well?”
He chuckled, though Philomena did not see what could be funny about such a question.
“I am as well as I shall ever be, fair lady.”
He turned and headed towards the tallest monuments, disappearing immediately into the darkness. Philly rubbed her eyes, searching for him in the moonlight, but found nothing but graves. After a moment, a lit turnip appeared on a far sepulcher, and she shrugged, and got to work.
The Academy clock tower chimed 11, and then half past. Peli was right, three hundred turnips on three hundred graves was a lot. Philomena worked quickly, but when the moonlight allowed, she could not help reading the stones.
Erected by Darius Clipper
In memory of his beloved son Edmund
Died 1846 Aged 17 years
–
Here lies Albrecht Sussman
He drank the wrong vial
–
Artephius
93 – 1247 A.D.
She had one turnip left, its face carved in a leering skull. She reached to balance it on a stone, when she stopped, her outstretched hand shaking uncontrollably. Dee appeared beside her, and she jumped back, dropping her turnip. Its light snuffed out, and it rolled away into the darkness.
Dee picked it up. It lit in his hand, and he placed it on the gravestone.
In Loving Memory
Dietrich Getman
1864 – 1880
Philomena’s mind reeled. She knew something must be said, but found no words on her tongue. She looked from the lantern to Dee, who was quite obviously cadaverous now; he had shrugged off the illusion of life, in the face of her realization.
“I was quite a fan of your father, you know,” he said. “My first year here was his last. A group of us younger boys idolized him, aping his fashion and copying his experiments. He was always quite gracious about it.”
He looked at her. She could no longer see his eyes, only dark holes in his skull.
“Oh.” Her voice was barely audible, but she could not help it. She could not move from shock, but stood, trembling, listening to his story, and watching him decay.
“I died trying to recreate one of his experiments, fool that I was.”
He chuckled again, and Philomena found it not only inappropriate, but sinister. She cleared her throat.
“This, um, this wouldn’t be a family revenge sort of moment, would it?”
“No, fair lady. Every man is responsible for his own mistakes. Herr vonHedwig inspired me beyond my abilities, but that is no fault of his. I have waited years for a child of his to come to the Academy. I am pleased to have spent an evening with you.”
The clock tower chimed midnight. On the twelfth note, the bell in the ancient chapel began to peel. It rang crazily, as though sounding an alarm, announcing armistice, and celebrating a wedding all at once.
“It is time,” Dee said. “You and Fräulein Gamble must go.”
“Why?” Philomena said in alarm. “What’s going to happen?”
“Tonight we shall dance. But it is not a dance for the living; you will have time enough for this dance when you are dead.”
“Oh. Good night, then.” She turned to go, concentrating on placing one foot before the other, trying not to look at the pale shapes rising from the graves around her. She was afraid, yes, but also intruding. This was a private function; she was not yet invited. She saw Peli waiting ahead, but she stopped at the edge of the graveyard.
“Dee?’ Her voice was quiet, but he answered immediately.
“Yes, Fräulein?”
“Same time next year?”
His chuckle seemed to sound from her own chest.
“Danke, my friend. It will be fun.”
She nodded, picked up her skirts, and ran back to school, back to the living.
Our dear friends 
