The Singing Costumer

  This dress. Oh boy, this dress. Where do I even start? I guess, the very beginning is a very good place to start. This dress has been in progress since 2016. It’s made of a pink quilting cotton with a blue and cream floral design. The garment consists of a separate skirt and bodice. It closes down the front with hooks and bars, and the skirt attaches to the blouse in the same way. It started its life as Simplicity 5442. It has gone through several changes since then. Originally, this was made for a college broadway revue show. I made this for Joanna from Sweeney Todd.  My voice teacher from college was teaching voice at another school and needed some costumes. This was when I was starting to get really interested in historic dress and costumes. The pattern was for a sheer dress, fashionable in the Victorian era. I used the pieces marked for the sheer layer and just made it in the cotton. The pattern has a lot of gathering and is very pretty. I knew that I wanted to keep it, ...

  Pirates of the Caribbean has always been a favorite movie franchise of mine. To me, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is one of the most quotable movies of all time, second only to The Princess Bride. Every single line is iconic. While this isn’t specifically a PotC cosplay, it is in the spirit of these films. For this look, I was a bit inspired by Will Turner in the 3rd movie. For the vest, I used Simplicity 4923, a long-out-of-print Captain Jack Sparrow pattern. (There also happens to be a Stede Bonnet lookalike on the pattern. It’s just a coincidence, since Our Flag Means Death wouldn’t be released for many years after this pattern was printed. I do so love OFMD.) I sewed this vest years ago, so I don’t remember much about the construction. But I think it was fairly simple to make. There are ties in the back to adjust the size when needed. I have no memory of where I got the fabric or the fiber content. The front of the vest is made of a different fabric t...

  I am getting back into comic conventions this year, after the blip. My roommate is a huge Lord of the Rings fan. She has had tickets to meet the actors behind the four main hobbits. I have known that this photo op would be happening for months and months. Years, really. They had to cancel their appearances for the last two years. So naturally, I waited to make a costume until the week before. Oops. My roommate and I scoured thrift stores for several hours, trying to find me something appropriately Hobbit-like. At the first store we visited, I found a pink wool size 4 shell blouse. Now, I am not a size 4 any more. But I couldn’t resist it for just $1.  I cut i down the front and down the back. For the front, I wanted some decorative elements. I found some coordinating materials in my stash and set to work. I added an extra strip of fabric down the front to add some room. Then, I topstitched a triangle panel on top to cover that mess. Then, I added some ribbon for some faux la...

I’m so sorry I haven’t updated this blog in months. This was not my intention. But life happens. I was involved with a community theatre production (Stage managing and acting), attended a major comic convention, caught covid again, etc. I’ve also been working on my Children’s Party Entertainment business. ( https://favoritefablesententertainment.com/ if you are local to OKC, hit me up!) All that, plus regular life stuff, and it’s been quite the year already (Photo unrelated. Me on my 30th birthday in Walt Disney World.) I’m SO excited about some future projects. Expect some late Victorian shenanigans and some high fantasy. And, as always, Disney Princesses. I may have been bored one day and planned all my projects out to December 2023. Whoops. But I really can’t wait. It’ll be a fun ride. I just have to balance huge historical costume builds with more modest projects so I don’t burn out.  I will keep a weekly posting schedule from Labor Day to Memorial Day. This way, I’ll have the...

     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 ...

        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 m...

  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...

     One day in late October 2017, I found an audition on Facebook for performers for a NYE event. It was a dinner and show party. The event was described as very elegant, so I was intrigued. Long story short, I emailed for an appointment, auditioned, and got the gig.      The party was Mid-Century themed,  I was delighted to discover. I love that period in fashion, and the songs fit my voice very well. I auditioned and they surprised me when they said that I sounded like young Judy Garland!  What a compliment! Anyway, they asked me to make a list of songs that I could do, so they could make the final song list. Taking their comments under consideration, I did put some Garland songs on the list. I had to add something Disney too, because I'm me. I ended up with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Some Day My Prince Will Come", and "The Trolley Song".           Of course, I HAD to sew my own costume for the evening. I could...

YouTube video associated with this blog “ You can fly! You can fly! You can fly!” How old were you when you first heard those words? I don't remember my first viewing of the classic Disney film. Peter Pan has never been my favorite Disney movie. (And don't even get me started on the terrible stage musical.) But I do remember my first time going on Disneyland's Peter Pan's Flight attraction and seeing Peter Pan himself wandering around outside the attraction. It was, if you'll forgive the overused cliché, a truly magical moment. It has since become somewhat of a tradition for me to begin every trip this way. In a thrift store, I found what I assume was a costume for perhaps a Jane Austin play. It was clearly handmade with care and precision. The condition was almost perfect (except for the age-yellowed lace on the collar, yuck). It was a very lucky find. It has a high collar. The sleeves have poofy upper sleeves, with tight long sleeves attached. And it fit me perfe...

YouTube video associated with this blog First of all, Inside Out is not my favorite Pixar movie, but I firmly believe that it is one of the most important films from the studio. I really think Inside Out should be required viewing for children and adults alike. It teaches us that it's ok to be sad or angry for a time. No one can be happy all the time, nor should they be expected to be. Life isn't always happy. Sometimes, Sadness has to take over for a short time. On the other hand, it teaches us that we can hurt others and ourselves if we listen too much to our emotions and keep them to ourselves. Sometimes, we need to ask others for help. And that's ok, too. And especially now, I think we all need to hear this message. There really isn't much to say about this costume, since almost all of it was purchased. The Dress is from Hot Topic several years ago. It is just a simple knit sundress, with the pattern printed on the fabric. The quality is not spec...

Over Memorial Day 2018, I locked myself in my room and had a sewing weekend. It was glorious. Several pieces of costumes were finished that 3-day weekend. One of these, I planned to wear this year at the Norman, Oklahoma Medieval Fair. We all know the state of the world right now. So that didn't happen sadly. I have been to the Medieval Fair many, many times. As a guest, and also many times as a performer. I have had to step down from performing, but I still love attending. Allow me to introduce Rosalind Nia Blomme, or Rose N. Blomme, as her friends call her. In the tradition of Tinker Bell and her friends, Rosalind is a Flower Talent Fairy from the South of England. She, like all fairies, loves nothing more to dance and sing and play with her friends. Also, she loves exploring and discovering new flowers and trees. 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 t...