The Singing Costumer

I have had the idea to sew a special Christmas dress the last few years, but I never found a fabric and pattern combination that really spoke to me til this past year, 2016. I've been wanting a matching dress and coat for several years. You don't find these sets in stores very often, though you can find patterns to sew your own. And that's exactly what I did. My inspiration was the classic sets from the 1950s and 1960s. Also, the Duchess of Cambridge has recently worn several beautiful ensembles that I have really loved.  Here's a couple patterns I found in my stash. This is from the '60s. So cute, but I don't like sleeveless dresses. I get too cold. Ok, so I couldn't wear this one, but I had to include it anyway. PRECIOUS! A modern pattern. I like the dress.  This is the pattern that I eventually chose. It is a vintage reprint, Simplicity 1284. And my version I made the short sleeve dress and the coat. I had this burgun...

Go ahead and make all the jokes you want about how I should "let it go'', but I love Frozen. The theme of sisters taking care of each other touched me deeply. I've known I wanted to make her dress from my first viewing of the movie. And in 2015, I found a perfect fabric on Etsy, so I knew I had found my Halloween costume. I used Simplicity 0746 for the skirt and bodice. It happened to fit me very well right out of the package, which is not always the case. I did end up moving the opening to the side instead of the back, to make dressing easier. Hook and eye tape made a very nice closure. I looked all over for sequins of the right shape and size. Rectangular sequins are almost impossible to find, I soon learned. Finally found some on Etsy from a seller in Australia. Sadly, I ordered way too few and by the time I realized this, it was too late to get them in time for Halloween. I finally sewed them on the bodice in May of 2016. And then even more later on. And I s...

In 2010, our King of Medieval Fair informed the cast he was no longer able to participate as he was moving to New Mexico. So, the next fall when auditions came up and rehearsals started, I met our new King. And with this new King came a new time period which was roughly 250 years later. We were now the court of King Edward III. I was now Princess Mary Plantagenet. A princess can NOT be so out of fashion, so clearly a new dress had to be made. A home décor fabric, oddly enough, was my fabric of choice. No Sound of Music or Gone With The Wind curtain dress jokes please.  But yes, more then likely, someone somewhere has a couch covered in my fabric. It was the color I wanted, with some embroidery on it. The fabric softened after many cycles in both the washer and the dryer. The top-most layer was planned and the pattern pieces cut out. However, I couldn't decide what color to make the underdress or the kirtle....

Minnie Mouse was not on my list of costumes to make. But I was asked to appear at a Minnie Mouse-themed birthday party with only 1 week notice, so I had to hustle! I didn't have ANY ideas, so I searched pictures for inspiration. I sent one to the birthday girl's mom, and she approved. So, now to get to work!!! Minnie has several signature elements to her look. 1. Full-skirted red dress with white polka dots. 2. A matching hairbow 3. White gloves 3. Yellow pumps For item 1: I took Simplicity 8523 for the blouse and made a few modifications. I first added the same fish-eye darts I used last time I made this pattern. I took the red polka dot fabric and a plain white cotton for a underlining and sewed them as one. I added width to the sleeve to make them quite full. Lastly, I added some lace trim to the sleeves and the neckline. The dress is in two pieces. I chose a simple circle skirt for maximum fullness. It is trimmed with lace matching the blouse. My ...

Picture, if you will, this scene; It is October 2014. A young woman has just started a new job. She has learned that she can wear a costume to work on Halloween. Naturally, she must take advantage of this, and so she starts to think of ideas.  This dusty purple fabric for the skirt was my inspiration for Briar Rose.I don't remember where I got it, nor do I know the fiber content. It's a thicker material, plain woven, but it has some polyester in it, because it kinda melts under a hot iron. I simply made a few little pleats on the front, back, and sides to fit to the waistband. The blouse was a white button-up I bought at a thrift store that I didn't wear anymore. I took off the collar and dyed the shirt gray, then reattached the collar. The sleeves were already that elbow length, full gathered shape.  I draped the corset top on my mannequin. The fashion layer is wool blend I bought at either Joann Fabrics or Hancock Fabrics. The lining is a quilting ...

This is review of RH017, 14th Century Kirtle or  Cotehardie. (Link to buy this patten at the end) I ordered it to make a new dress for the 2015 Medieval Fair of Norman. I had been playing a princess for many years, but decided on changing it up this year. I wanted to be a Bard, a poet/singer/general performer. Naturally, I could not wear the Princess gowns of years past.  It came in a timely fashion. I knew it had a booklet of historical notes, I didn't know it was going to come with a textbook! Seriously, this booklet is 15 pages long (including historical notes, bibliography, actual construction, and a section on period stiches) and is in an easy to digest format. The pattern is on regular paper, not the usual tissue paper, which I appreciated. I had trouble with setting the sleeves, but it was my own fault. I made it oversized purposefully to adjust down to my exact size, and didn't quite adjust the sleeves to match correctly the first time. My own fault. I will pos...

Let me just start by telling you how much I love my robe. Last winter, I wore it at least 2 times a week. I feel like a classic Hollywood starlet, going to hair and make-up before shooting the first scene of the day. This soft, smooth quilting cotton feels (and looks) more like cotton sateen; it has a subtle sheen to it. The floral print is just right. The colors are beautiful, but not too pastel and saccrine. The print is big and bold, while the fact that it is a floral keeps it feminine. A summer short-sleeve version is planned at some time, perhaps in a solid silk (or nice polyester, because we're on a budget here, people!) with a quilted yolk. If I ever do make another long-sleeve version, I would probably reduce the volume in the sleeves. They're just a hair too crazy and floppy. The large pockets can come in handy. And just as an aside, cats love to attack any long, swooping skirt. Ask me how I know. I used a retro 1940's pattern reprint Butterick 5152. Th...