A Costumer's Shopping Therapy

Where does a costumer shop, you might wonder? (Well, if you are one, you might not.) The Fabric store! For my birthday, my best friend Nancy-Raven gave me a Fabricland gift voucher and today she helped me spend it. Now I could have bought fabric to make a nice skirt or a shirt, but where's the fun in that? You can find these boring everyday items at any store. Costumes, you can only make yourself! (Or get a very talented seamstress to make them for you for a hefty price, but as I AM a very talented seamstress and I'm cheap...) And so I now have fabric for two new projects (not like I didn't already have fabric in my 16-rubbermaid-bins-fabric-stash - known henceforth as "The Stash" - but I didn't have the fabric needed for these two specific projects. Nuance!)

Project 1: Medieval Heraldic Tabard (with my SCA registered Device)

In the SCA, I am know as Mórag filia Scayth, and though I'm not a Lady yet (still waiting patiently for my AoA *hint*), I already have a device which was registered at Pennsic 36. I've been thinking of making myself a heraldic tabard for awhile now and the cotton twill was on sale, so following this sign from the Gods *ahem*, I got all the fabric I need and I hope to make it soon, possibly to wear at the next event I go to (hopefully that will be Fête des Bois in Canton du Boisé Ardent on September 5th, especially since the King and Queen will be there *hint*).

Also, I made myself a dress years ago, inspired by Michaela de Bruce's 14th century cote (which is now nowhere to be found on her website) which is basically a white princess line dress with round neckline and 3/4 sleeves that are split on the inside up to the elbow, with the neckline and sleeve cuffs decorated with lace flowers (pink on Michaela's, yellow on mine). The sad thing is, I have nothing to wear it with! So now I will! (If you still wonder what that dress might look like, I suggest you check out Nancy-Raven's version of what we both call "The Glittersweet Cote".)

Project 2: Tartan Taffeta Victorian Ballgown

In my History of Costume class (Fall 2008), my teacher was presenting Victorian fashion when she showed the following picture:

I fell in love! I knew I wanted one. As soon as I got home, I got on the computer to look through the McCord Museum images collection, found it and saved it for futur references (By the way, it is an 1860 dress worn by Mrs. Ogilvie at a ball given in honour of the Prince of Wales.) Add to that my childhood memories of the Grands Ballets Canadiens' The Nutcracker where half of the girls are wearing tartan taffeta dresses and you will understand why when I found some tartan taffeta at 9.99$/metre with a "Buy 1 metre get 2 metres free" sign, I just couldn't resist! I bought 6 metres and the assistant manager (who knows me by now) that was cutting my fabric sold me the last metre of the roll as a fabric coupon for 1.80$. I am now the happy owner of almost 7 metres of red, black and royal blue tartan taffeta! Guess what I'm making myself for Yule?