The Singing Costumer

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 ...

  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, ...

  Moving on to the next and most important pieces in this “Delilah” ensemble. I used Simplicity 8162 for the stays. This pattern is by American Duchess for Simplicity, and I was pleased with it. This brown cotton twill was in my stash. But I thought this project needed a bit of pizzazz.  I am obsessed with the leopard print bias binding I used (found on Etsy). It really elevates this garment to the next level. As per usual for my boned garments, I used heavy duty zip ties. Getting the boning channels marked on the twill was quite annoying and tedious, but I managed in the end. All the channels were stitched by machine. I used my machine to sew almost everything on her. I think the only handstitching on this is the eyelets. I set small eyelets up the front and back, and then hand embroidered around each one.  I really don’t care that the sewing machine wasn’t invented in the 18th century. I’ll say this again, in case it isn’t obvious. I am aiming for historical accuracy in...