The Singing Costumer

     Let’s go back to the Before Times. Summer 2019, I saw that anyone could send in an audition to sing at the State Fair of Oklahoma. No pay, sadly, but I thought it could be good practice for me. I sent in a clip of my singing, and they asked me to sing. It was very exciting. I used a costume I had worn before and had a great time at the fair. Then a few months later, March 2020 happened. Ugh. Obviously, there was no state fair that year. But this year, they asked me to sing on the big grandstand! Naturally, I had to make a new costume. This ensemble is in 3 pieces; the dress, the over skirt , and the cummerbund .       I didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on supplies and fabric, since I wasn’t being paid. Luckily, my local thrift stores provided some cool gold curtains and a tablecloth. The curtains are a very shiny, very light, smooth satin. And the table has a bit of a slub texture to it, and is a bit heavier. I think my total cost for this costume was less than $20. Everyth

  “I do… I did”      M y plan this year was to do a Disney Parks specific cosplay, and I am so pleased to have achieved that goal. I am delighted to introduce Constance Hatchaway, the black widow bride. If you are familiar with the Haunted Mansion attraction in the Disney Parks, you will know this deadly, dastardly lady. Somehow, any man that marries her mysteriously passes away. And of course, the grieving widow receives all the inheritance from her dearly departed hubby. In each new wedding portrait you see, she has added a pearl necklace. It’s an obvious symbol of her power and wealth growing with each husband. She’s been married 5 times, but she’s looking for husband number 6.       Haunted Mansion is my second favorite Disney attraction. (Only Pirates of the Caribbean ranks higher on my list.) There are an overabundance of happy haunts to choose from, but there was no doubt I would do Constance first. Her dialogue is basically just twisting the traditional wedding vows into very t

     On to a few construction details. The skirt of my gown has a base layer of light blue satin. Next is a light tulle. Third is another tulle, with little sparkly sequins on it. Last is a shiny organza. Each layer is 5 yards long. It was quite a chore to get that hemmed and gathered together on a waistband. But the effect is so stunning that I can’t be mad at it. This skirt was somewhat inspired by the 2015 live action version of Cinderella.  The skirt of her ball gown is made of layers upon layers of lightweight fabrics. I didn’t have the budget for the 10,000 swarovski crystals that decorated the movie gown, sadly. But maybe I can add some crystals in the future.      Her little waist poofs (I still don't know what to call them?) were circles, about a yard across. Folded in half, then stitched all the way around. Then I cut a little hole in the straight edge and turned it inside out. Lastly, I gathered it to a waistband. The only reason that these are separate from the skirt is

        The design for my gown was inspired by both the 1950 original animated film and the 2015 live action film. But mostly, the original gown. Plus a little dash of my own style, especially in the sleeves. I rarely like how her sleeves are done in the Disney Parks. Especially her previous look. Please see below. I'm sorry, but no thanks. This is not a look. (Photo found on Google for reference) The actress and the wig are gorgeous, don't get me wrong.      I have always loved Cinderella's strawberry blonde hair in the original movie. I liked that her hair color is unique among the Princesses. But in the Parks and on all the merchandise, she has very light yellow-blonde hair. Not the same at all. Now, for this shoot, I didn't have time or the money to buy a brand new wig. I styled a light blonde wig I already owned. I followed a tutorial online for a general idea of how to do an updo. I am not a stylist, and I am not happy with it by any means. but it will have to su

  I finished this costume last year and I did a blog about it, but I made some changes this year. Hence, an updated blog with new photos for your reading pleasure.  In the tradition of Tinker Bell and her friends, Rosalind is a Flower Talent Fairy from the South. She is just a sweet peach.  She, like all fairies, loves nothing more than to dance and sing and play with her friends. Also, she loves exploring and discovering new flowers and trees. I am writing down a few of her stories and might be doing some YouTube storytimes. Basically, my goal for this costume was to use up some miscellaneous pieces from my stash. I had a small stack of fabrics that looked so stunning together, I just HAD to use them all in the same project, and this is the outcome. And in case it isn't clear, this is pure fantasy.  No hint at a historical era or a specific location was attempted. I just wanted a pretty dress! The base skirt is a full circle of a smooth, thick burgundy satin, with 2 squares of fab