Royal Steamline The Blog | Inspiration for Brides & Grooms

Steersman Moodboard

Steersmen

As Admiral Smythe-Hutchins once astutely noted, “The finest ship of the line doesn’t mean a thing without a steersman at the helm.” The history of the steersman predates the recent revolution of gascience; the first Line steersmen were former captains of sailing ships. Modern steersmen are, of course, not exclusively men as women have been helming airships for decades (the name has remained with the blessing of the female pilots). After four-year apprenticeships as cadets, potential steersmen undergo a series of written and oral examinations (including rigorous etiquette and presentation tests) as well as flight drills. The most infamous of these drills, the Guide Star Loop, has been mastered by only less than 15% of cadets; those that pass the drill as instantly conferred as Commodore Steersmen.

{This entry describes a class of officer, artisan or mystic that populates the fictional Royal Steamline airship fleet. It was written to provide some context for the types and styles of one-of-a-kind dress badges that appear in the Royal Steamline Etsy shop. Also, they were just a lot of fun to write. Please do note that the classes and subsequent descriptions are the intellectual property of Royal Steamline.}

Devolver Moodboard

Devolvers

“In the years that immediately followed the revolutionary discoveries of Chas. Darwin FRS, several noted scientists conferred to debate a hypothesis: if men shared common ancestors, would it not be possible to communicate with animals or even manipulate genetic material to realign genes to produce, either permanently or temporarily, certain animal features or traits? It was an ambitious project, but the Royal College of Devolution has achieved results that even its founders wouldn’t have thought possible. Modern devolutionary scientists (commonly referred to as “devolvers” by crewmen of the Line) use a complex combination of pheromone synthesis, non-verbal sound reproduction and expert pantomime to communicate with a range of birds and mammals (only the most adept have been able to reach other animals such as fish and lizards). Devolutionary scientists report that these communications take the form of “intents and impresssions,” never sentences or conversations. While rudimentary, these connections can result in birds being persuaded to roost when they otherwise might interfere with an airship’s launch, or the discovery of human fugitive hiding in a disgruntled wolf’s den.

However, some devolvers have gone far beyond communication. Some adepts–known as “science monks” due to their monastic hermitage in one of the Crown-granted Genetic Cloisters–have been known, through an arcane combination of meditation, foods, drugs and conventional devolver techniques–to transform their bodies into those of primates, large cats or even stranger beasts. While such transformations typically last anywhere from two days to two weeks, such changes are ultimately unpredictable. While the appellation “science monks” has captured the imagination of the proletariat, it is a gross misnomer as many experienced devolutionary scientists hold distinguished posts in the government of This Great Nation. Typically, devolvers are tall and very thin due to the enormous caloric volume needed to conduct their craft.”

{This entry describes a class of officer, artisan or mystic that populates the fictional Royal Steamline airship fleet. It was written to provide some context for the types and styles of one-of-a-kind dress badges that appear in the Royal Steamline Etsy shop. Also, they were just a lot of fun to write. Please do note that the classes and subsequent descriptions are the intellectual property of Royal Steamline.}

Weatherstichers Moodboard

Weatherstichers

“Of all the ranks of the RS, none are more mysterious or controversial (with the possible exception of the Helle Eingänge) than the weatherstichers. The only position that remains open only to women, every RS vessel carries a complement of at least three weatherstichers. (Larger vessels will carry more, although only in odd-numbered groupings.) While the selection and training of weatherstichers (or ‘Cailleach’ as crewmen and commonfolk often call them) is mostly still the realm of speculation (since the Crown granted limited autonomy to Salem County–ancestral home of the weatherstichers–as part of the Treaty of Reconciliation), their power and importance are obvious and unquestionable. As The Times has often quipped, ‘Cailleach control the air in the water and the water in the air.’ Large councils have altered growing seasons and caused flowers to bloom on St. Stephen’s Day. Naturally, such abilities have proved to be invaluable for His Majesty’s Steamline. Indeed, many claim This Great Nation’s victory over the Prussian Fliegerkorps was the result of dramatic shifts in air current caused by the council aboard the RS command vessel, HMA Industry. Conversely, some recent essayists question the place of such mysticism in our modern nation; it is no surprise that leading devolutionary scientists commonly voice the most strident protests. However, the Crown shows no indication that it will cease annual conscription of 15% of all weatherstichers residing in Salem County. To this day, it remains a minor but punishable offence for any citizen of This Great Nation–particularly officers and crewmen of the Line–to directly or indirectly refer to a weathersticher as a ‘witch.’”

{This entry describes a class of officer, artisan or mystic that populates the fictional Royal Steamline airship fleet. It was written to provide some context for the types and styles of one-of-a-kind dress badges that appear in the Royal Steamline Etsy shop. Also, they were just a lot of fun to write. Please do note that the classes and subsequent descriptions are the intellectual property of Royal Steamline.}

Wrenchenfolk Moodboard

Wrenchenfolk

“The Lowcounty people say that ‘tools come to our hands as the aether comes to our lungs.’ While not all wrenchenfolk hail from the Lowcounty, it’s widely believed most–such as the infamous Archwelder Wm. Greeley Sykes, Foundry Master to the Baron Cormorant–do. Eschewing traditional guilds, wrenchenfolk are familial, learning metalcraft, woodworking, pneumatics and gascience from pater and mater. Most wrenchenfolk parents present their journeykin when they reach age 23 (or sooner if the young mechanic achieves certain notoriety or status, such as Siobhan ‘Chiseler’ McReynolds following her team’s win at last year’s Duchess Cup). Only after a decade of split-knuckle service either amidships or at a Royal Cloud Harbour can wrenchenfolk seek status as Archwelder, or Master Mechanic, of their vessel. (Currently, the Royal Census recognizes 33 active Archwelders.) The process of investiture is known only to the Archwelders themselves, though some posit advanced metallurgy bordering on alchemy may be involved. Know an Archwelder by the hexagonal stitching on his or her belt and tool satchel.”

{This entry describes a class of officer, artisan or mystic that populates the fictional Royal Steamline airship fleet. It was written to provide some context for the types and styles of one-of-a-kind dress badges that appear in the Royal Steamline Etsy shop. Also, they were just a lot of fun to write. Please do note that the classes and subsequent descriptions are the intellectual property of Royal Steamline.}

Whether it’s a clip-on or self-tie, there’s a lot to love about these vintage bow ties. Who says neckties get to have all the fun.

From top left:

1. Secret Code Freestyle Bow Tie at xo Elle
2. Vintage 1973 Simplicity Bow Tie Pattern at Crafty Paneen
3. 3 Vintage Bow Ties at Max & Chloe Vintage
4. Vintage Honeycomb Bow Tie at Stiletto Girl
5. No Bombs n Bows 1950s Clip-On at Nashville Fille
6. Vintage Satin Beau Tie at Rich lady Originals

We’re on the countdown to Halloween season, but you don’t have to wait for Fall to start celebrating. Here’s an ode to some of our favorite body parts on Etsy…

From top left:

1. Industrial Heart Pendant by Monster Kookies
2. Skeletie by Toybreaker
3. Heart Tie Tack by Tilly Bloom
4. Brain in a Jar by Your Organ Grinder
5. Tin Woodsman’s Heart badge by Cici’s Stash
6. Crochet Oxygenated Blood Cells by Concertina Pieces
7. Tell Tale Invitation by Royal Steamline
8. Anatomical Brain Placemats by Girls Can Tell

New Royal Steamline Wedding Invitation: The Tappan Sea

“We’d all heard the legends and we all agreed that such a thing was impossible. Our investors didn’t care if we believed in ghosts or not, they only worried about securing their trade routes. Thus, we gathered in Tarrytown in early October to make our crossing. The crew was mostly German, some Dutch and, aside from myself, only one sailor born in this new country. We had nearly reached our port when, on the morning of the seventh, we spied a strange frigate to the east. The sun was not yet above the horizon, but the vessel glowed with an unnatural light. The other American and I were the first to see her and she vanished as soon as we began hailing the rest of the crew. Neither Mr. Irving or myself could explain what we had seen…”

When I first started talking to J about our wedding colors, his initial reaction was indifference. We were having a small, non-traditional wedding and he didn’t understand the fuss. As a designer, I found choosing these colors an essential first step in planning our wedding. And as a woman who has carted more than a few bridesmaid dresses to the Goodwill, I took this task rather seriously.

It didn’t take much to get J on board. Our goal was to keep things simple. We didn’t want to drive ourselves or the wedding party crazy by trying to match swatch colors or forcing them to wear colors they loathed. Finding inspiration from the comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, we agreed on a color palette of muted tones, and zeroed in from there. It made it much easier to design the centerpieces and other wedding accoutrements with the palette as our foundation and everyone seemed happy to have a range of colors to choose.

Our wedding color palette

Here are a few tips to help keep everyone involved in your wedding (including you) sane and stress-free:

1. Choose a color palette, not just a color. Rather than selecting one, two or three specific hues, try creating a color harmony by choosing a family of colors. You can even have fun naming your own color family (such as “Midnight Dreary” for a family of dark grays and off-whites).
2. The rules of color: There are no rules of color. Well, not exactly. There are no right or wrong ways to use color. Some color combos work better than others, but there are many ways to mix and match. That said, sometimes certain colors (usually the most striking, vibrant or discordant) are best in small doses as an accent or secondary color.
3. Get ye to a library (or your favorite used book store). “They just don’t make ‘em like they used to” certainly applies to books. Antique book and jacket design is an art form. You can discover color and design inspiration from a range of classics, such as 1930s H.G. Wells novels or early 1960s Mainline Mysteries with jackets by Remy Charlip and Arthur Hawkins.
4. Think like a designer. Designers have an array of books and research tools available to them to help inspire great design. Now you do, too! Websites like Kuler, Colorbe and Daily Color Scheme give you the tools to create your own color schemes or download an array of palettes to use as your own. Colr.org even allows you to upload your own images and create a palette directly from the source.

The bottom line is that it’s your wedding and your colors should match your vision of the day. If that vision involves your bridesmaids in mustard yellow dresses, then that’s what you should choose! (Just don’t fault them for making future Goodwill donations!)

Kuler

Daily Color Scheme

Colr.org

Astrolaberor Moodboard

Astrolaberors

“The navigators of old had the luxury of only navigating in two dimensions. Modern navigators, officially recognized as Astrolaberors to the Crown, must plot courses in the aether. Together with the airship’s steersmen and weatherstichers, astrolaberors guide the airship to smooth currents and favorable conditions in peacetime and strategic advantage in times of conflict. Conferred astrolaberors possess the best memories in This Blessed Nation as they must recall instantly an almost infinite number of star combinations and arrangements. Geometry and optics are also specialties of this rare breed of officer.”

{This entry describes a class of officer, artisan or mystic that populates the fictional Royal Steamline airship fleet. It was written to provide some context for the types and styles of one-of-a-kind dress badges that appear in the Royal Steamline Etsy shop. Also, they were just a lot of fun to write. Please do note that the classes and subsequent descriptions are the intellectual property of Royal Steamline.}

{Nature vs. technology}

This menagerie of images and colors inspired one of our favorite invitation designs, Mécanique.

The Mécanique story…

“Now that I’m retired, I don’t see my creations very often. In my younger days, when I fashioned the creatures of my Clockwork Menagerie, I was surrounded by all manner of beasts: tigers, bears, lizards. I even made a school of wind-up fish for Marchesa di Saluzzo. I would emerge from my workshop to present my animals to the famous and infamous, to presidents, statesmen and even the crowned heads of Europe. Eventually, I sold all of my steam-powered wonders…all but one: Larentia le Raven. She sits in my library, watching over me with her beautiful obsidian eyes. Of course, kings have offered riches and title to have her, but I refused them all. For they don’t know her secret: while my other creations were simple machines, moving and reacting as their natural counterparts, Larentia is much more. The wonder of the electric current laid the foundation for Larentia to think and even reason. She even speaks to me on occasion. No, I’ll never part with her…”