The Singing Costumer

I’ve started a new job as a preschool teacher. It’s a lot to handle. And I’ve had no energy after work. Now, I’m on Christmas break and needing a creative outlet. My sewing machine has been so lonely. Let’s change that! Simplicity S9846 is a 1960’s reprint, and still available. I’ve made 2 vintage-inspired specifically Christmas ensembles. One is a burgundy plaid 1960’s dress and coat from last week, and the other is a true red 1950’s dress. So I decided it was time to use green. The fabric is from Fabric Wholesale Direct. I’ve always had good experiences with them. https://fabricwholesaledirect.com/products/lino-italiano-polyester-viscose-linen-fabric?variant=39878267699315 This 70% polyester and 30% Viscose fiber “linen” in the color forest green was very nice. Essentially, it’s a poly rayon made to look like linen. The price isn’t bad at all. I would love to use true linen, but this is so much cheaper. Once I perfect some patterns and I know that they fit, I might splurge. This mate...

For fun, I thought I’d revisit some older projects in between new project blogs. Since it’s Christmas, I wanted to start with this ensemble. It’s a simple dress and coat. No closures on the coat, but there’s a zipper on the dress. Simplicity 1284 was the pattern I used. I had to go back in my instagram archives, because I couldn’t remember how long ago I sewed this. I made this way back in 2016. It’s hard to believe it. On my caption from 2016, I mention that that day was the coldest it had been in Oklahoma in 3 years. This year on Christmas, it almost hit 80 degrees. We never know what we’re going to get here. I can’t remember where I got this plaid fabric. There must have been a good amount, because I was able to get both pieces out of it. It’s some kind of polyester and wool blend, in my best guess. It’s lined with the cheapest polyester fabric from Hancocks or Joanns. I wish I would’ve used a darker lining for the coat. The colors clash. The dress really needs a lining also. It’s...

The Disney Princesses that I identify with the most are Belle, Ariel, and Jasmine. I have made 3 of Belle's movie costumes by now, plus another 3 or 4 AU (Alternate Universe) costumes. So I think it's time to move on to another Princess for now. And having seen a fellow white woman cosplay Jasmine, I have decided it is not for me. It just looked so odd. So, it's time for some Ariel cosplays! I made my first version of Ariel’s pink dinner gown this past summer and debuted it at the costume contest at GalaxyCon 2025. No prize, but I had fun anyway. And now I know what to change the next time I use that pattern. That's another blog for another day. This skirt was a fun little weekend project. My roommate and I went to a theatre garage sale in the summer of 2023. They were selling tons of props, tech equipment, and costumes galore. We bought tons of pieces for our theatrical group. Hidden Gem Entertainment (our group) was doing Dracula that fall, and we found some good item...

For a short time in spring 2024, I was attending 2 dance classes a week. I had tap on Mondays and Ballet on Thursdays. I was cast in a show that summer, and then caught covid again, and then life just happened. I haven’t gone back to the studio yet. I really hope to do so soon. But the point of this blog is that I really got bitten by the balletcore bug, hard. Pastel colors of blue and yellow, and especially pink and mauve. Bows and lace details everywhere. It’s just such a fun and sweet aesthetic. So I thought I’d blog about my makes in a “What I would wear to class” format. For Ballet, form-fitting clothes are a must. The teacher has to be able to see the lines of your body to make sure you’re performing the movement correctly. Simplicity 8424, the pattern that I choose, has several simply adorable pieces. For my blue top, I used view E. It’s a cute little wrap-top with long, wide ties. This blue knit was from the Wal-Mart mystery fabric bin. The pattern was straight-forward, and I h...

  Blue and pink is a common color combination you will find in Medieval manuscripts. It's not so common today, unless one is Disney-bounding Princess Aurora at Disneyland. Which is something I would do. Probably while singing “I Wonder” and “Once Upon A Dream”. Anyway, back to the topic at hand.  This outfit is partially new, and partially new-to-me. The over dress and hood were made by a dear friend, and later passed to me. The Queen of my Medieval Fair made these two pieces so many years ago. They fit me pretty well, only a little bit big, so I have worn this ensemble to a few medieval and renaissance fairs. I had to wear a dress under it, of course. The only option I had in my costume wardrobe that worked was a cream dress. I made it for this costume, but I was never a fan of the look. So I decided I needed a new under dress. I searched my fabric stash for a good option. Eventually, I found a good length of plain blue cotton. (I am happy to say that I have used most of the ...

I am pleased to return from my blog hiatus with my Valentine's Day dress from 2021. I didn't blog about it at that time, but I did post pictures on Instagram. It turned out adorable, in my opinion. It's simply scrumptious. I especially love the way light reflects and dances across the satin fabric. A lovely shade of pink, gentle gathers, and a beaded net overlay combine for a soft and romantic look. In real life, I don’t wear dresses to work or church often. I’m much more comfortable in pants. But I love sewing them and wearing them for photos! I simply had to wear my beloved American Duchess Pompadours. I still need to sew an 18th century costume one of these days. For other accessories, I wore a single strand of pearls and a pink flower brooch. One of my favorite past-times is refashioning dresses from the thrift store. Sometimes, the dress doesn't fit and I have to figure out a solution. I used a pink satin bridesmaid gown for the main dress. The gown was long, so I ...