Confessions of a Costumeholic

Rococo High – Student’s Outfit

2012-01-15T19:52:00.004-05:00

Now that everyone knows what Rococo High is (cliff notes if you haven’t read my post, which you should: it is an imaginary 18th century/fantasy high school that was thought up by yours truly as a new excuse for costuming – new students are welcome!), let me show you what I intend to wear to class!

Rococo High Outfit - Front and Back concept art

It consists of a red and off-white striped hooded Caraco jacket which buttons down the front, and a denim skirt worn over pocket hoops. An 18th century version of the jeans and hoodies so many teens wear. Also, the colours remind me of brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica, which were very in back in my High School days.

Rococo High Outfit - Concept art

Accessories include a shawl, some kind of silver or pewter pendant on black satin ribbon grey fingerless gloves, a purse and a fan. As this is a somewhat fantasy costume, I think I will get some red canvas sneakers to wear with it.

Oh look, I already have the fabric for this project!

Red and Off-White Caraco fabric

Denim Skirt Fabric

The red and off-white striped fabric was bought for 3$/metre at Fabricville last summer, while the denim was recuperated at my old job.

To be honest, I have had these fabrics for some time and have been itching to make this outfit for 6 months, but somehow, there are always other priorities. I had hopped to make it for last Halloween, but that did not happen. This year, it will!

Rococo High School

2012-01-12T22:29:00.002-05:00

I don’t know about you, but I love Neo-Historical / Fantasy worlds set up somewhat like ours, with work, school, shopping malls, transport, buildings, etc. adapted to that specific world. Examples of these would be the Flinstones, the Jetsons, Trollz, Winx Club, Shrek the Third (with Worcestershire Academy – see my post on their uniforms here), Ella Enchanted, Harry Potter, and many more.

I recently wondered what an 18th Century Neo-Historical Fantasy High School would be like. And of course, what people would wear! Introducing Rococo High: a regular High School set in a Neo-Historical version of the second half of the 18th century.

Rococo High School Crest

As with every high school, you can often recognize what group kids belong to by looking at their clothes. And because I was at the bottom of the “Cool” pyramid in high school AND I finished in ’99, I may not be up to date on the proper lingo. My apologies.

Keep in mind that these are the general cut of garments for the period. Hairstyles should also reflect the fashionable styles from 1750 to 1790.

1779 Men's Fashion Plate

1770-80 Polonaise, Levite & Round Gowns, Rocking Horse Farm Patterns

The popular girls – dressed in frilly pastel dresses of the latest fashion, sporting cute little purses and fans. They look straight out of Marie-Antoinette (2006).

The cutest guys in school – also dressed in the best brands, clean cut, ready to attend court.

The jocks – they wear letter jackets of course! In my high school, the letter jackets were green wool, white leather sleeves and gold lettering. How about you?

The Cheerleaders – they wear incredibly short skirts – mid calf! – with peasant shirts and laced corselet in the school’s colours. And of course, they have pompoms!

The tough guys – Wearing leather jackets and vests and black denim pants.

The Goth Girl inspiration: Pet en L'air Back view, by Stahlrose

The Goth girl – wears extravagantly cut black dresses and dramatic make-up.

The Yoz (at least that is how we used to call them) - his clothes are baggy, he does not bother buttoning up his vest and he usually wears his Tricorn backwards.

The inspiration for the Teacher's Pet: Red Plaid Polonaise by Crookedpin

The teacher’s pet – wears a red tartan dress over a white or cream skirt, a lace partlet ruffled at the neck and tied with a black satin bow.

The Country Kids – their clothes are made of blue denim and their Tricorn could be white felt or brown leather, in lieu of a cowboy hat.

Rococo High Student Concept by Gwenyver

Regular student – just like today I see teens wear jeans and hoodies, I see Rococo High teen girls wearing hooded Caraco and denim skirt. This one is actually my Rococo High costume project (as mentioned in my 2012 Resolutions). It is what started this whole thought process.

As you can see some ideas are more developed than others. The point is, the possibilities are almost endless; the only limit is your imagination. For instance, when I was in high school, there was a craze for everything army; boys and girls wore camouflage print on t-shirts, sweaters, miniskirts, you name it. A camouflage Caraco and khaki skirt could be another interesting idea. Something inspired by sportswear could also be great. Imagine a red Adidas jacket and pants with double white lines down the sides for the track star. If Sue Sylvester can have wedding dress in that style, why could it not fit in Rococo High?

Are you feeling inspired yet? Any ideas tickling your brain? If so, come and enrol into Rococo High (on Facebook)!

Toddler Wonder Woman

2012-01-08T22:45:00.008-05:00

My first costume of the year is complete! It is a Wonder Woman dress for my 3 1/2 years old Godsdaughter who loves that Super Hero (and Marvel Super Heroes in general). Of course, that would be a lot more impressive if it wasn't in fact a month late; you see, I meant to have it ready early in December to have it mailed to her in time to be worn for the Holidays, but no matter. I gave it to her in person tonight and she was really happy. "What is it sweetie?" "Mine!"

Wonder Woman Toddler Dress

I used pattern Simplicity 7120, but without any collar and only one layer of skirt. As for fabric, the gold star patterned blue satin was bought after Halloween specifically for this project; the bodice and sleeves are made of red glitterdot leftover from an Elvis costume my mom made my brother years ago; the gold glitterdot used for the "W" sign and the sleeves cuffs is leftover from my first Irish Dancing solo dress. The bodice is fused with black interfacing to make it a little stiffer - glitterdot fabric is so flimsy. The bodice and sleeves are lined with red polyester lining.

Wonder Woman Toddler Headband

On each of the sleeve's cuffs, I tacked an embroidered red star as a reminder of the wrist cuffs Wonder Woman wears. I used a third embroidered red star which I glued (with E-6000 glue) on a thin gold headband (bought at the dollar store). This is in lieu of her gold crown.

I did not (yet) get a picture of my Godsdaughter in her dress, but I did try it on my daughter to make sure it would fit (they are currently the same size). Besides, I couldn't not to - when she saw the dress and I said it wasn't for her, she asked in the most pitiful voice "but what about me?".

Wonder Woman Toddler - Front

Wonder Woman Toddler - Back

(I hope no one gets jealous over this.)

Now the best thing is, and I learned this after the dress was given, is that my Godsdaughter's parents had already planned to have a "Super Hero Tea Party" for her up-coming birthday, so this outfit will be perfect for her. I wish we could go. The girls get along so splendidly, but a Montréal-Toronto drive is not an easy thing. We'll see! (Should we go, I imagine I would need to make my daughter a Super Hero costume of some sort; better start thinking about it.)

2012 Costume Resolutions

2012-01-01T12:24:00.012-05:00

My New Year resolution for 2012 is to be more organized. So I figured It would help my costume making go more smoothly (and be less last minute) if I made a list of everything I plan on making this year. Of course, I already know I will not be able to make everything, due to time and money constraints (unless of course I win the lottery and can quit my day job, but I am still waiting for that to happen), so my priorities have been marked with a *. Also, since I usually make costumes for specific events, I have listed these before the costume as in some cases, I’m not even sure what I am going to make yet. Chronological order is also important to assess which project is more urgent for me to work on.

So here goes:

1- March – Baronial Investiture Anniversary, Île du Dragon Dormant (SCA)

Not that I truly need a new Medieval dress really, but they are always fun to make, and I have fabric and trim waiting to become bliauts. For instance, I have a purple herringbone bliaut half done (same fabric as my daughter’s tunic), so this could be the perfect occasion to finish it.

Purple Herringbone faux wool and Trim

Of course, since there is a Middle Eastern theme to this event, I am considering making some Turkish outfit, but I really don’t know much about period Middle Eastern garb.

2- April – Titanic's Centennial*

I am still looking for an event to celebrate (or remember) the Titanic’s Centennial, but in honour of the historical date, I intend to make Rose’s Swim dress from the movie (Titanic, 1997) using Simplicity 8399. This is another costume for which I have had the material and pattern for years and just needed the right excuse to make.

Simplicity 8399

By the way, if any of my local friends would like to get together in Edwardian fashion for the anniversary (of if you know of an event), please let me know.

3- May – Montreal Feis

Ok, so I don’t technically need a new Irish dancing solo dress, but, you know, what girl does not love a new dress. I have a fairly easy concept for a yellow bodiced / 3 tiered turquoise skirt dress to match the number clip my friend Sciath got me in July 2010.

4- June – The big 30

So I will be 30 this year (cue the tears) and I have decided I should celebrate Costumeholic style with a themed party. I am still hesitating between Masked Ball and Pirates BBQ. In an ideal world, I would rent a hall, have a buffet, a huge cake and everyone I know would come dressed up in amazing costumes. If I come back down to earth a bit, I will most likely get a BBQ, or small garden party. Maybe I could make it a masked garden party…

5- August – Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France – Québec / 18th Century Public Market – Montréal

I have not been to the Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France since… Oh my, 2006! I am long overdue to go and I think my daughter is old enough to enjoy a day of festival like that. If I go, she will need a dress. I could wear my Sherbet English dress, which was only worn once for a quickie photo shoot for the Fabricville contest in May 2010. And since I still have some of that striped fabric, I can make a matching dress for my daughter (she is at an age when she loves to match with mommy, so let’s take advantage of this). If my Sweetheart decides to come as well, I will have an 18th century costume to make as well.

The 18th Century Public Market is in Montréal at the end of the month, but as it name says, it is als0 perfect for 18th century fashion to be worn, so should we go, the same costumes would be worn to both events.

6- August – Otakuthon*

I haven’t actually decided what to make for Otakuthon this year, nor have I decided if my daughter is to come with me. I adore her, but a day alone with a toddler and all the baggage that comes with them plus the costumes is exhausting, and I don’t get to see much or listen to panels. Also, I would actually like to give one or two panels this year, which I can’t really do with her present. Any who, the current choices of costumes are between these:

- Milady (from The Three Musketeers) – I know I say this every year, but I really want to do her one day;

- Original concept for an 18th Century Princess Peach, complete with stomacher embroidered with mushrooms, fire flowers, Mario fighting Bowser and the iconic brick castle. Now what would be perfect is the Super Mario theme played with a clavecin;

- Shiori from Revolutionary Girl Utena. My friend Tionniel is trying to put together a group for the convention and masquerade. She is going to be Utena, and one of her friends is to be Anthy. I am considering doing Shiori (the Rose Bride dress of course, which to me is way more fun than some fencing uniform); it is always more fun to do things in group. Maybe I could make a ChuChu costume for my daughter if she comes with me.

Shiori & Ruka, Revolutionary Girl Utena

7- September – Les Médiévales internationales de Lachute

Again, it is not that I need new Medieval camp garb, but I recently made some trim that I want to use on a Viking Apron dress of my own, and I have enough fabric left from the one I made Nancy-Raven to make me one as well. This event is the perfect excuse to make and wear this dress.

Card Woven Trim

8- September – Montréal ComicCon

Though I doubt I will be going considering the waiting line fiasco they had last year (3 hours to get in – I can’t do that with a toddler),but then again, William Shatner will be there, so should I go, I would make one of the following:

- Original Concept Asian Steampunk (I previously posted about it here);

- Bonemine (from Astérix – if we go as a group);

- Original concept Queen of Hearts, with toddler Alice in Wonderland (stay tune for the concept art for this one, I will post about it soon).

9- October – Halloween*

I have no clue yet what I am going to make for my daughter this year, or if I will be making myself something new (maybe I will just go for my Witch Dress), but I must remember to plan for this date.

10- December – The Hobbit*

The Hobbit is due to come out on December 14. If I can go to the premiere, I plan on making and wearing my own Eowyn’s Green Gown. I have had fabric and trim to make this dress since 2004, so once again, this event should be the perfect time for me to make this project.

Miranda Otto as Eowyn, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

11- December – Christmas

I have two dresses I would love to make to wear for Christmas: a green bustle gown for which I have the perfect fabric, and my 18th century Christmas dress concept. Though I doubt I will have any time to make even one of them in time, I am adding them to this list, and we will see.

18th Century Christmas Dress concept

In addition, there are costumes I would like to make without having a specific event to wear them too. There are a few I hope I can make this year:

12-Rococo High – 18th century Neo-Historical High School Student (stay tune for more details on this project – have I mentioned I have all the material already?);

13-A red tartan 18th century Polonaise with cream skirt (I have the cream fabric in my stash);

14- Proper 18th century underwear and stays (it is getting to be a necessity with all the 18th century gowns I like to make and wear);

15- Christmas Green bliaut (fabric and trim in my stash).

I have said it before, and I will say it again: So many costumes, so little time! Let’s see which ones I can accomplish this year.

BCBG and Vionnet

2011-12-14T19:55:00.006-05:00

Recently, I saw this ad for BCBG Max Azria in a magazine.

BCBG Max Azria Fall 2011 ad campaign

Of course, I recognized the dress immediately. Did you? Just look at those concentric squares on the bodice; it is clearly inspired by this Madeleine Vionnet dress from the 1920's.

Dress summer 1922, Les Arts Décoratifs, Union Française des Arts du Costume

This is proof once again that in fashion, nothing is truly original nowadays; it is always inspired to some degree by something else, more often then not the past.

By the way, should you wish to make the Vionnet dress for yourself, the pattern can be found in Pattern Of Fashion 2 1860-1940 by Janet Arnold. I myself find it interesting, but the light beige to coffee colour palette is not my cup of tea (pun intended). I like the BCBG colour scheme of blues. I might try that. I would also love to see what colour combination others might come up with. (That would make a great Masquerade / Competition theme for Costume Con.)

Baby Flower

2011-11-05T21:22:00.014-04:00

Halloween is over, and before we get crazy about Yule/Christmas/Hanukah, I guess I should present my Halloween projects. I had three this year: a Logan’s Run type green dress for me for Nancy-Raven’s party, to finish a tartan skirt from my stash (begun for Bicolline 2005) so I could wear it to go trick-or-treating, and of course, my daughter’s Flower costume. Let’s start with this one, because as usual, it is the cutest. (Besides, I have no full length and/or non-blurry picture of me. Who would have thought it is tough to be both photographer and model at the same time?)

As some of you may know, I was originally planning to make this costume for her for Montreal ComicCon back in September, but we ended up not going for various reasons, so I did not make it at the time. I did however have all the material, so it was the obvious choice for Halloween.

At the time of planing for this costume, the idea was to find something for her to wear as she accompanied me wearing my Buffy Halloween dress. I watched the episode in question (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 2, Episode 6, Halloween) to find out what costumes the kids that Buffy takes Trick-or-treating wear. The lamb was cute, but the little flower that holds Buffy’s hand was just perfect.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 2, Episode 6, Halloween

And so I bought yellow poplin to make the hat and petals, green tulle for the tutu, and later, once it was decided that this would be the Trick-or-treating costume, green polar fleece for the jumpsuit/PJ (remember, it often snows on Halloween in Québec – though I must say, this year it was a lovely 10°C). As trim, inspired by the second series of pink petals on the Buffy flower costume, I used leftover fabric from my Buffy Halloween dress (to match the theme). Also, since ComicCon was in September and was to be inside, I had bought her a green long sleeves tee and almost matching leggings to be worn in place of the fleece jumpsuit, and that is what she wore to Nancy-Raven’s party.

Flower costume fabrics: green polar fleece, green tulle netting, yellow poplin and deep pink faux Dupioni

Because I was too lazy to figure out a pattern by myself and from other patterns I own, I bought McCall's 6416 (on sale for 2.99$ - well worth the lazyness) and used view B as a base.

McCall's 6416

I have to say, the hat pattern fits great, with no gap at the back of the neck (as with most of the hats/coif patterns I have used for her to date). The jumpsuit was also easy to make and fits great. I did have too much fleece in the end, and it is not just from not using the shoe cover piece, but I have plans to make a parti-coloured cape from the leftover.

And now on to the costume breakdown:

The hat

Flower Hat

The pattern asked for one layer of fabric and one layer of contrast lining for the hat, with lightweight fusing. Instead, I cut two layers of fabric and sandwiched one layer of Fibre Fill (the type that comes in a roll so you can cut shapes out of it) to make it fluffy and warm. Two strips of Velcro are used as closure at the front.

For the petals, I used two layers of Fibre Fill (one sewn to each piece of fabric) instead of the fusible webbing recommended on the pattern. All the petals were closed with a zigzag stitch. A box pleat was then pinned on each one and I proceeded to hand sew them to the hat (all the while listening, but not so much watching, 1963 Doctor Who – Marco Polo Series). In order for them to stand up nicely, I tacked them to one another where the petals stopped touching. I do love the finish result.

As for the trim, I used one piece about 12 cm long by 115 cm wide (the width of the fabric). Closed it in length to create a tube, flipped it over, pressed it so the seam would be centered in the back and closed the ends. Then I gathered it down the center, aligned with the seam and sewed it by hand to the hat, while watching more 1963 Doctor Who – Marco Polo Series*.

*For those of you who are not crazy Doctor Who fans, know that the original Marco Polo series video have all been lost, but that somehow the soundtrack has been recovered, so some more crazy fans have made a montage of pictures from the original episodes, taken during filming, with the soundtrack so that other crazy Doctor Who fans can almost watch the series. Since there is not much action to look at, it is perfect for hand sewing nights so you can listen to it without needing to actually watch.

The Petal Skirt

Petal Skirt

The petal skirt is not included with the pattern, but it was worn by the kid in Buffy, so of course I had to make one as well. Using the hat’s petal pattern, I cut as many as I could in the fabric I had which turned out to be seven. I used only one layer of Fibre Fill for these as they did not need to stand up the way the hat’s petals did, but I did not want them flat either. Each was baste-stitched close and lightly gathered so that all seven could fit on the waistband piece I had cut.

The waist band is another strip of fabric 12 cm long by 115 cm wide to which I sewed the gathered petals. It was folded and closed into a casing into which I inserted an elastic. The skirt without the elastic is wide enough to fit me, so if need be, I can replace the elastic as she grows so she can still wear it in a few years.

The Tutu

Green Tutu

Once again, the pattern does no ask for a tutu, but the Buffy flower costume has one, so I made one. I used strips of green tulle netting twice as long as the length of tutu I was going for (which was knee length) and tied them to a ribbon using a lark’s head knot (I will make a tutorial one day). Because the netting is so stiff, it puffs out around my daughter’s waist, but is looks awesome with the petal skirt.

By the way, on the night following the completion of the tutu (which was the first item I finished in this costume), I tried it on my daughter and she immediately proclaimed herself a ballerina and started twirling around the living room.

PJ Ballerina

I have known of this tutu making technique for a few years now, I even posted about it before (see Confessions of a Costumeholic: Costume Tutu, posted March 5, 2010), but this was in fact my first attempt at making one and I have to say I am pretty satisfied.

The Jumpsuit

Green Jumpsuit/PJ

I used the pattern as is, but without the shoe cover piece as I intended for this to become a PJ afterwards (note to future parents: feetless PJs last longer! As they grow, the leg may be a bit shorter, but it will still fit which I would not if it had feet). This was actually assembled in one hour on Sunday night, with my overlock machine. It was really easy: two front pieces, two back pieces and two sleeves. Add a zipper, finish the neckline with bias tape, hem the sleeves and legs, and you are done. Since this was made a little oversize for my daughter (in case it was really cold and I needed to fit her coat underneath), I threaded a piece of ribbon in the bias tape to close the neckline tightly for trick-or-treating, and took it out when she decided to wear it to bed the next night.

I really, really love this pattern for PJs. I intend to use it again!

The Jumpsuit alternative – Green Clothes

Green clothes for indoor flower

As I mentioned, this costume was originally meant to be ready and worn at Montreal ComicCon, and with this in mind, I had bought my daughter some green clothes to wear with the rest of the costume pieces. Now I don’t know if anyone realizes how tough it is to find a matching set of long sleeve top and pant in ANY green, even for a child. It is equally difficult to find clothes that are just one colour, with no prints or added whatnots. I ended up buying the only two I did find. The long sleeve tee I found in the boy’s section at Zellers. The leggings are from l’Aubainerie. Just as for the jumpsuit, these clothing pieces can be worn on their own throughout this winter.

And now, what you have all really been waiting for, the cutesy toddler pictures!

At Nancy-Raven’s (where she decided to pose for pictures, making funny faces and taking different poses, before snatching up my camera to take headless shots of everyone).

Toddler Flower

Cuteness attack!

"You talkin' to me?"

Sugar Rush!

"Listen to me mommy"

Just adorable

Rear view

Mother / Daughter

And here are a couple from Halloween night (once we came back home from trick-or-treating).

Posing for grandpa

Emptying the bag of goodies

Contemplating the loot

While trick-or-treating, I received many lovely comments on just how cute she was (what is not to like about those?). One neighbor even asked me if I take commissions because her daughter is pregnant and her grand baby will need a costume next year (Hello neighbour!). It was the first year my daughter actually went trick-or-treating (last year we were partying on the streets of old La Prairie with all our Alliance Impériale friends), and she loved it! Even once her legs hurt from so much walking, she still did not want to come home.

Can’t wait till next year!

Daisy Baby

2011-10-13T11:59:00.007-04:00

Guess who barely fits in her mouse costume? My daughter of course!

Baby Mouseling one year later

She has grown so much, I can barely believe it. This costume was purposefully made baggy last year so it might get two years of use, but no; when I tried it on her wearing nothing but a t-shirt and diaper, I had to work like crazy to get it over her shoulders and it pulls quite a lot in the crotch area. Since the torso part is too short, there is nothing I can do to give it a couple of extra inches. Plus, at the rate she is growing (Mommy, my legs hurt!) I don't know that it will still be acceptable in three weeks time (The above picture was taken on Monday - Halloween minus 3 weeks). So...

I guess I need to make her a new costume. Sad, I know. Luckily enough, I was planning on making her a flower costume for Montreal ComicCon to go with my Buffy dress.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 2, Episode 6, Halloween

Of course we were sick the weeks prior so I had no time to work on the costumes (it always seems to happen this way), plus I was let go two days before, so we did not end up going to the event, but I have all the material. And because I'm lazy and I did not feel like drawing my own petal hat pattern from scratch, I bought this pattern on sale for 2.99$. Seriously, at that price, why bother; I can always modify it on the fabric.

McCall's 6416

Since I was originally planning to make this costume for an indoor event, I have some green leggings and a somewhat matching long sleeved tee which she can wear for Nancy-Raven's Annual Halloween Bash.

For Trick or Treating, I'll make her a green polar fleece one piece PJ, based on the above pattern, which she can wear for the rest of the winter as sleepwear. Now that is being practical and cost effective!

Green Polar Fleece - 8.99$ for 1.5 metres or 1 PJ size 4

For the petals and hat, I have bright yellow Poly/Cotton to match the child's flower costume int the Buffy episode shown above.

Bright Yellow Poly/Cotton

To once again match the costume from Buffy, I will add a green Tutu with yellow petals.

Green Net for Tutu

I will also add bright pink accents to this costume, but that fabric will come from my stash and I have not yet gone hunting for it.

More on this project soon. First order of business, washing the fabrics (except for the net).

Wicked Witch

2011-10-11T10:50:00.006-04:00

So Halloween is just around the corner, a meer three weeks away, and if you haven't begun planning costumes yet, it is about time you start. Now some of you may know this already, but for those who don't I will repeat it again: Halloween, or Samhain, is the Witch's New Year. So naturally, a witch costume would be a great costume choice.

If you are looking for a more sophisticated witch outfit, I suggest you turn your attention to Wicked - The untold story of the Witches of Oz.

Wicked - The untold story of the Witches of Oz

The costumes are simply devine, as shown here in this Threadbanger interview with Tony Award Winning Costume Designer Susan Hilferty, the creator of these marvels. (Watch and drool.)

Should you wish to recreate your own Elphaba costume, you can follow this nifty Threadbanger tutorial.

One of the best Elphaba costume recreation I have seen was made by Laurie of Threads of my Life. Just look at this amazing picture:

Laurie as Elphaba from Wicked

Much time and effort went into the making of this costume. Do check out more of her pictures here.

And if by any chance you think you recognize Laurie from this blog, you are right! She was in the theatre troup that I was Costume Designer for a few years ago (before I became a mom, which is the best but sucks away all free time).

Laurie as Damoiselle Mathilde D'Aubray de Castellar, Le Tzigane au Croissant d'or, 2008

I like to imagnie I inspired her a little. She really has a lot of talent and patience when it comes to costuming and I can't wait to see what she will come up with next.

Back to the main subject, has anyone else made a Wicked Witch costume? I wonder if I have enough scraps in my stash and time to make this in 3 weeks... Probably not (time wise), but this costume does get its place on my wish list!

Neck rings for the western woman

2011-09-30T02:24:00.007-04:00

Flicking through a fashion magazine recently, I came upon this add for Dior's J'adore perfume with Charlize Theron:

Charlize Theron for Dior's J'adore perfume

I was instantaniously reminded of those so called "Giraffe women" in South Africa.

Ndebele Woman in Traditional Dress

Women of Ndebele people wear brass rings called idzila around their neck, legs, and arms. These rings do not put pressure on the collar bone and create an elongated neck look, contrary to popular belief and other Asian cultures. They begin wearing these when they get married, around age 12, and the rings are added on as they are given to them by their husband. The richer the husband, the more rings his wife has. The Ndebele widow will take all her rings off upon her husband's death to show her new state.

(more information here: http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_ndebele.html

Kayan or Padaung lady and girl Myanmar Kayah state

Upon reseaching for this post, I discovered that other cultures used neck rings, namely the Kayan or Padaung Women of Myanmar. (If I understand correctly, "Padaung" means long neck woman). In fact, they wear coiled metal rings around their wrists, knees and ankles as well. Girls begin wearing the rings as young as age 2. In the case of the Padaung, the weight of the neck rings does infact deform the collar bone, pushing it to a 45 degree angle and making the neck appear longer, but the idea that an unfaithful woman will see her rings removed as punishment so she suffocates to death is completly false; in fact, the rings can be taken off and put back on if need be, say to be examined by a doctor. In the Kayan culture, this drastic body modification through adornment is done so everyone is reminded of their ancestry to the Nagas, a mythical dragon or snake.

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar borders Thailand, and there is apparently a group of Kayan living in a border town on the Thai side of the fence (though according to one source I found, they generate most of the economic wealth of the town they are in so that now that they want to relocate, things are being made as hard as possible for them to do so). Perhaps that is why Miss Thailand Chutima Durongdej wore a neck ring inspired piece as her National Costume to the 2009 Miss Universe contest.

Miss Thailand 2009 - Chutima Durongdej

Yep! I definitly see the resemblance with Charlize's neck piece. Now being on a craft craze, how would I go about making something like that?(I mean the Dior add neck piece of course.)

[Not so] Weekly Wednesday Wishlist: Worcestershire Academy Uniform

2011-09-21T22:01:00.006-04:00

Raise your hands if you enjoy watching historical / fantasy / sci fi based comedies! Me too. One thing I thoroughly enjoy in these films (or TV shows) is to see how aspects of our modern world are interpreted to fit the story’s reality. I especially enjoy seeing how uniforms, such as school uniforms, are designed.

Take Shrek the Third (2007) for instance: Worcestershire Academy has everything from horse drawn buses to hennin wearing cheerleaders.

But I have to say, I prefer the girl’s regular uniform: a red and blue dress with Florentine inspired bodice with white undershirt decorated with blue embroidery showing at neckline; gold and red celtic knot trim at shoulders and down the center front of the bodice; red and blue diamond patterned sleeves with blue cuffs; long skirt with white hem and red insert decorated by the red and gold celtic knot trim.

The school emblem is embroidered to the wearer's left side bodice. Other head girl and geek club badges optional.

Of course, there is also a male version of the uniform: an off-white shirt, brown hosen, a red Italian doublet inspired vest with red and blue diamond patterned sleeves with red cuffs. The school emblem is once again embroidered to the wearer's left side.

One of these days, I will have to make myself a Worcestershire Academy Uniform, just for the kick of it. Who is with me?

Pirates Galore

2011-09-19T22:15:00.011-04:00

Arrr! Matey! Today is September 19th - International Talk Like A Pirate Day! I thought I would honor this important date by showing an array of pirate costumes. Natuarally, the first one that came to mind was Alisa's superb Jack Sparrow costume:

Jack Sparrow - Dragonfly Designs by Alisa

Then I went on a treasure quest through DeviantArt and I brought back these beauties.

The Purples

Pirate Sheryl Nome by Yayacosplay

Pirate Lass by DaisyViktoria

Purple Pirate Coat by Gothictutu

Pirate Costume by Eqos

The Pinks

Pink Pirate by RobynGoodfellow

Hello Kitty Pirate by CountessLenore

The Golds

Pirate Costume by MirabellaTook

Pirateish by Navanna

Bronze and Gold Pirate by LadyLucrezia

Pirate Costume - With Hat by DragonLadyCels

A Pirate, I be by ElegantlyEccentric

And of course, I needed a little Steampunk in here:

Appreciation Pic of Leg piece by Skinz-N-Hydez

So lads and lasses, what kind of pirates are you?

TARDIS Kimono

2011-09-17T21:35:00.007-04:00

Inspired by all the wonderful TARDIS dresses and coats I have found while preparing for last Saturday’s post, here is my own plan for a TARDIS costume: the TARDIS Kimono! (You know you should have seen it coming, right?)

TARDIS vs TARDIS Kimono Concept

Kimono being geometrical in design, it seems simply perfect for the windows and boxes of the TARDIS’ exterior. The “Police box” sign normally at the top would go on the neckband.

Front & Back TARDIS Kimono Concept

And what about the white sign next to the TARDIS’ door? It will go on the Obi of course!

TARDIS door sign by Tibots

The Obiage and Obi-jime would be gold or yellow, because I like the contrast with the blue, and also to represent the door handle’s brass colour.

TARDIS Obi Concept

The light at the top of the TARDIS I imagine as a Kanzashi, made of silk petals and pinned to my hair.

Now as to how to make my vision come true: ideally I would like to do proper silk painting, with resist and everything. As a next best option, quilting is also something I could to, although it would require a lot of pattern preparation. If I am really lazy, I will just use fabric paint. We shall see! For now, I have nowhere to wear it to, so there is no rush to make it.

Of course, to be a Doctor’s wife (i.e. the TARDIS), I could also make an Irish dancing dress along the theme. Now what would that look like?

Viking Apron Dress and Tunic for Nancy-Raven

2011-09-14T21:33:00.005-04:00

For those of you who also follow me on Facebook, you may remember that in late June / early July, I was working on a Viking Apron dress and a Tunic for Nancy-Raven’s birthday (for the rest of you, what are you waiting for to Like me? Just teasing). Because she is pregnant, she did not feel well enough to party at the time (ah, the first trimester and its lovely all day morning sickness), so it was over a month after her birthday that I finally gave her her present and by then, I was so busy with Otakuthon I did not find the time to post anything about it. But since she wore it recently to Les Médiévales internationales de Lachute (formerly La Fête Médiévale de Saint-Colomban), I figured it was more than time I display my work here.

(P.S. I was unable to attend the Fêtes Médiévales this year so I will not be able to do my yearly review of bad LARP garb. I hope you are not too disapointed and you understand and forgive me.)

A Viking apron dress is actually quite easy to make. Just like most of the clothing of that time period, it is constructed from very geometric pieces. Once you know how to assemble them, all you have left to do is hems and you are done. I used the instructions and pattern from Vigdís' Viking Apron Dress page.

Vigdís' Viking Apron Dress Pattern

Vigdís' Viking Apron Dress assembling diagram

One of the numerous great things about Nancy-Raven and I is that we wear the same size everything, from every layer of clothing down to shoes. So to make her a costume that will fit her perfectly, I only need to measure myself! To compensate for her current bust enhancement, I took that measurement wearing a bra that fit me perfectly at the time I was still breastfeeding. I made the bodice just a little shorter to ensure her baby belly would fit comfortably, and a little tight around so it will still fit after her son is born. This way, she can wear it for years to come.

Nancy-Raven's Viking Apron dress and Tunic

The fabric I used is heavy gabardine in a dark navy colour. To tell you the truth, I was aiming for black, knowing Nancy-Raven’s taste for the colour, but this is the darkest I could find.

Nancy-Raven's Viking Apron dress and Tunic - Close-up

For the tunic, I used the same T-Tunic pattern that I always use. (One day I have to make a tutorial for it.)

Basic T-Tunic Sketch

Usually, I like to make the gores on my t-tunic about waist height, but the truth is, in period only men wore their tunics tailored this way. Women, who were often pregnant, as is their biological role in the survival of the race, wore tunics with gores that came up to the bust level, leaving ample room for growing bellies. Regular tunics and maternity ones were one and the same; only the position of the belt changed. Following this principle, I made Nancy-Raven’s tunic with bust level front and back gores. As the fabric seemed a bit fragile at the top of the gore, I added a rectangular patch to solidify the junction, not unlike the ones found on extant clothing of the time.

Nancy-Raven's T-Tunic

Since I was going to use trim to decorate the neckline, I finished it with bias tape instead of a facing the way I usually do.

The fabric I used for the tunic is light linen in deep blue sky colour. I washed and dried it before cutting it to shrink it, which also made it incredibly soft.

Nancy-Raven's T-Tunic - Close-up

The trims were both hand woven by yours truly using my lovely tablet weaving loom bought in Pennsic back in 2007 (Lady Jeanne, please remind me once more from whom?), some tablet weaving cards I made from an old pack of playing cards and size 10, mercerised cotton crochet thread. The patterns I used are by Eqos on DeviantArt.

Tablet Weaving patterns by Eqos

I used Andred which is a 25 cards pattern for the apron dress’ trim and Melynai which is a 14 cards pattern for the tunic's trim. I choose colours that would come alive on the fabric from the assortment of thread spools I already had.

My Card or Tablet Weaving loom set up for the dress' trim

I made the apron dress’ trim first. Because the pattern was quite complicated to set up on the loom, it took me a whole evening to do so. The next day, when I began to weave, I realized I had made mistakes in the set-up, so I had to take everything apart and begin anew. After the second set-up, I was good to go and it took me about three evenings to complete the trim.

Viking Apron dress' trim on dress' fabric

The second trim was easier and also took but a few evenings to complete. All in all, I would say it took me maybe 10 days to make both trims.

Tunic's trim on dress' fabric

A Viking apron dress as two shoulder straps that are attached to the front with what are called Turtle brooches. I already owned a pair from Fettered Cock Pewters and they are really lovely and relatively inexpensive, so I ordered a set for Nancy-Raven as well.

Viking Turtle Brooches by Fettered Cock Pewters

I am no Viking garb expert, but from what I have seen, a necklace of beads hangs between the brooches. Using mismatched pottery and glass beads (from the craft section of my local Dollar store), and modern jewelry tools (nylon thread, metal rings), I made this piece of jewellery to complete the ensemble. Of course, the first on broke as I was trying to take pictures (crimping beads are apparently not that solid), and I am still finding beads all over my sewing room’s floor, but the second I made better, with two strands of beads (instead of one), knots and crazy glue.

Nancy-Raven posted a picture on her blog (Nancy-Raven's attic) of herself wearing her present at Les Médiévales internationales de Lachute (as well as pictures from the event, and I am sorry to have missed it - see them at The international medieval festival).

Nancy-Raven in her custom made Viking outfit, complete with black low top Medieval Mocassins and self made headwear

Doesn’t she look lovely? I always think so anyways.

Now you know what comes next don’t you? I want one too! Yep, the next Viking apron dress is for mig.

Did you say TARDIS?

2011-09-10T20:35:00.016-04:00

Any Doctor Who fan out there will of course know what the TARDIS is, but for those of you who do not know what it is, it is the Doctor's ship. The name stands for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space", and it looks like this:

The TARDIS

Yes, it is a 1960s style London police box, and that is sort of the joke. Anyways, I have recently discovered that many Doctor Who fans like to cosplay as the TARDIS.

Tardis Costume

And not just as a regular police box; many of them are very original in their interpretation. Just you look:

Steampunk TARDIS Bustle dress by Courtney Stoker

The Doctor and his Tardis, found on EPBOT

TARDIS Ballroom Dress by Kelldar

TARDIS Corset

Dalek and the TARDIS

A trio of TARDIS

TARDIS Hostess

TARDIS Costume from EPBOT

Short Sleeved TARDIS dress

TARDIS' day out

Shoulderless TARDIS dress

Corseted TARDIS dress

Otakon 2011 Tardis costume

Tardis cosplay by Kistaa, picture by Kium

All these creative interpretations have given me an idea: there should be a group for all of these costumers (of which I hope to be a member soon - I have my own design idea), just like the Let them eat cake group for people who make sweets inspired 18th century outfits. I was actually discussing this with the instigator of this group, who is also a Doctor Who fan, and she loves the idea.

Edit: The Doctor's Wives it is! Please join us over on Facebook - The Doctor's Wives.

The Masquerade: to enter or not to enter

2011-08-27T21:42:00.004-04:00

I wish to start a discussion with you my faithful readers and with any costumers interested by what I am about to ask. It has to do with Masquerades at conventions and the costumes people make to compete in them. You see, I have been reading many of the comments on The latest edition of Otakuthon, and one I have seen come back often concerning the masquerade was the level and quality of costumes people presented. Some said that it was disappointing.

It had never occurred to me to consider whether or not my costume is “good enough” for the masquerade. Such events are often my main reason for going to a convention, because costuming is my passion. I know I work very hard on my costumes; I put a lot of time, energy and, let’s face it, money to make them. Contrary to others (not all, but many), I finish my pieces as if they were store bought garments, with overlocked seams, lining and proper hems. Of course, if you are in the audience, you can’t really tell.

Gwenyver & Daughter as Rosalina & Toadette, photo by Tanja Dorosh

Because of comments I have read on the poor quality of costumes presented at Otakuthon’s Masquerade, I have begun questioning myself: was my Rosalina good enough? Was it too plain? Of course, most people have no idea I asked for my worked to be judged as Journeyman even if, being accompanied by my daughter, I walked on stage in the Junior category. In fact, since I didn’t win anything official (my Costume-Con 32 membership is awesome, but it is not an official masquerade prize – as proof, my entry is not mentioned on any of the winner’s lists), I have wondered if it was because the judges did not realize I was supposed to be judged (my form said both Junior and Journeyman – it can be confusing), or because as wonderful as my work was, there were better entries (I am not a sore looser – there were really amazing creations presented), or because my costume was fine for hall costuming but was not up to Masquerade standards. I wish I could receive a report card of sorts at the end that would answer all my questions and help me ameliorate myself and my creations. It is like going for an exam in school, not get the top grade, but never know how you did. This is me, I just need to know!

I know, I am incredibly self confident and nothing touches me (not!).

Which brings me to ask the question, what are Masquerade standards? What is considered “Good enough” and what is nice but too plain to compete? I am curious to hear your input on this.

Here are some other entries in this year’s Otakuthon Masquerade:

Celes Chere by Suki2711

The Queen of hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Cosplayer unknown, photo by SailorSaturnStef

Princess Zelda, Malon, Vaati and Link from The Legend of Zelda, Cosplayers unknown, photo by Rinukon

Guilmon from Digimon, Cosplayer unknown, photo by SailorSaturnStef

SailorSaturnStef as Odile from Swan Lake, photo by shnoogums5060

Mytis as Rozalin from Disgaea 2, photo by SailorSaturnStef

MamaLexxy as Beatrice from Umineko no Naku Koro ni, photo by SailorSaturnStef

Cosplayer and Cosplay unknown

All official photos can be found here (the album is not complete on the date I post this, but I hope it will be soon).

Now it is your turn: what is your opinion on the matter? I really want to hear everyone’s opinion as I am sure there are differences. Speak up costumers!

Rosalina Costume Detail

2011-08-25T22:14:00.014-04:00

For Otakuthon, the costume I worked the hardest on was Rosalina. Although not as popular as Toadette (I never stood a chance next to so much cuteness), I worked very hard on it and I am proud of what I achieved.

Gwenyver and Daughter as Rosalina and Toadette, photo by Tommy

As you all know, this was a last minute decision, but one I am happy with. I never felt self conscious wearing my dress (I would actually go so far as to say I felt sexy, except for the excited toddler I was running after while pushing a fully loaded stroller and trying not to trip over your train), and I don’t hate every picture of me out there (but some yes – the quick-snaps-where-your-face-is-contorted-weirdly ones, mostly). So here is my Rosalina costume in details.

The Dress

Rosalina Dress

Obviously, this is almost all of the costume. This dress is actually in three layers: the dress itself, a foundation, and an underskirt.

Rosalina Dress Fabrics

For the dress, I used polyester crepe which I found on sale (of course). I knew it was going to be hot (and it was), but it had the perfect matte but shiny look I was going for without using satin. I used pattern Butterick 4301 as a basic bloc and made a new pattern with a separate empire waist bodice, shaped skirt with train and long bell sleeves.

Rosalina's Dress - Sleeves' Flounces

The flounces at sleeves and bottom hem I interpreted as being made of sheer organza. In the case of the sleeves’ flounces, they had to have a shaped border, so I used the same technique here that I had used for my Padmé Picnic gown (a long, long time ago, in an apartment far away): I drew my shape on some tearaway, in this case using a frozen juice can top, then I pinned the organza to the tearaway and satin stitched following the curvy lines. The flounce at the bottom hem is curved to nothing at center front and finished with an overlock machine, and then turned and sewn. All the flounces were ruffled using a ruffler foot before being attached to their respective parts.

Rosalina's Dress - Neckline

The shawl collar is also made of organza, but in this case I used two layers that I shaped to curve to nothing at center front, sewed and overlocked together at the bottom edge. I flipped the piece over so the overlocked edge would be inside and I pressed that seam flat. The open side was sewn to the dress, sandwiched between the self fabric and the foundation or lining.

The sleeves are lined with cotton poplin for a cleaner finish and a more comfortable wear.

Because Rosalina is the mother of all lumens (which are stars), I used the star shaped decorative stitch on my machine and silver thread to decorate the bottom hem, the sleeves’ hem and the collar, eve thought it would not bee seen. This stitch not only kept everything in place and lying flat, I also thought it was the perfect little touch that matched the character’s personality. This I did on Friday night (of the between 10:30 PM and 12:00 AM. What can I say, I’m a perfectionist!

The foundation is a corset like piece made of leftover white spandex from Toadette’s helmet, and tie wraps as boning. If you are ever looking for cheap boning for a costume you will not wear that often, tie wraps are the best – inexpensive, easy to find, easy to cut, and very comfortable. (For everyday wear, invest in proper boning.) Because the fabric I used for this layer was so stretchy, I made the foundation a little smaller than I would normally make a corset so that it fit tightly but comfortably. After all, this is what holds the strapless dress up and prevents a wardrobe malfunction. The foundation is what lines the bodice.

Rosalina's Dress - Bottom Hem

The underskirt was made of light white satin. I made it 1.5 times as big as the dress’ skirt and gathered it. It is sewn to the bodice along with the dress’ skirt. The bottom hem is overlocked, turned and sewn.

The Petticoat

Because the fabrics I used were so flimsy and I needed a little volume, I made myself a petticoat. It is actually a three tiered skirt made from the off white satin I had originally bought for the underskirt (until I came home and realized it wasn’t white enough for my needs).

Tiered Petticoat

It is actually quite easy to make. First, measure the length you want your skirt to be (in my case, about a metre). Divide by 3 and add your seam allowance. That is the length of your tiers. Next, cut strips of fabric which are the width of your fabric by the length you measured. Decide how many you will need in advance. In my case, I used one for the first tier, two for the second and four for the third. Sew your rectangles together to make three tubes of varying diameter. Gather the top of the second tube and sew it to the bottom of the first one. Then, gather the top of the third tube and sew it to the bottom of the second one. Hem the bottom. Make a casing atop and insert a drawstring or elastic (I choose elastic for this project because it saved me the trouble of making eyelets, but I might fix that later). There you go: a perfectly easy tiered skirt.

By the way, I don’t think I left one seam not overlocked in this project (I broke three needles just on the petticoat). I did not want any of my seams to come undone or the fabric start fraying after a needed wash. Again, perfectionist. I just wished I had been able to show the Workmanship judge all my hard work, but I was busy trying to catch a toddler so I could barely think of all I had to tell her. Oh well, too late now!

That’s it for the sewing. But wait! Rosalina is not complete without all of her accessories! For all the accessories, I followed Martyn's tutorials, so I won’t go into details on how to make them, but I will show you my results.

The crown

Rosalina's Crown

All accessories are made of fun foam and spray painted. Compared to other crowns I have made using this material, this is one of the best. I followed Martyn’s measurements (out of sheer laziness), but I find it a little too big compared to the character’s proportions. Also, the bottom finish could have been a little better: I used hot glue to stick a circle of card board at the bottom, but I don’t like how you can see the seam of glue. I probably should have made my circle smaller so it would be hidden inside. Maybe I can still fix that. The bottom of the cardboard is covered with white felt (so I don’t get paint flakes transferred to my hair). A head band bought in a craft store and spray painted silver is inserted through the cardboard so the crown holds on my head.

Rosalina's Crown - Close-up

The gems are my favourite. Because I did not want to spend 40$ on the perfect cabochons, I bought plastic gems at a craft store and painted them with glitter paint in either red or teal. From afar, they are the right colour, but they are also sparkly.

The earrings

Rosalina's earrings

The earrings were actually the first thing I made for this project, one sleepless Friday night. They are three layers of fun foam, each one smaller than the previous one. I ended up spray painting them so that all my yellow accessories would be the same. I wanted to glaze them with yellow glitter paint, but I ran out of time. Next time! To make these stars into actual jewellery, I pierced a hole at the top, inserted a large hoop and mounted that on a hook earring. Easy to put on and take off if your toddler decides to try to pull on them too much.

The Brooch

The brooch is made of four layers of fun foam. The first two are full stars, the third has a circle hollowed out (for the “gem”) and the fourth is simply an edge. I used plastic wood (as suggested in Martyn’s tutorial) to make the sides all nice and equal, but it was a little hard to work with because as soon as the foam stretches, the plastic wood cracks. This was spray painted silver.

Rosalina's Brooch

The big yellow gem was made using a spherical box containing a laser pointer, which I got in a vending machine. I was actually looking around for the perfect container in the perfect size, but I didn’t care what was inside (good thing too because that stupid laser pointer doesn’t work). I used the clear side, filled the top indentation with plastic wood and spray painted it yellow. I also wanted to glaze that with yellow glitter paint, but again, I ran out of time.

From Vending Machine Toy to Gem

Once everything was ready, I poured white glue inside the hollowed out circle in the brooch and inserted the gem, holding it tight so the glue would take. I then used hot glue to fix a brooch to the back. Of course, this is one of the first things that got broken during the convention: since my daughter was constantly in my arms, she accidently pulled on the brooch at some point and there are limits to the strength of hot glue. I tried duct tape (never leave home without it!) but it kept falling after half an hour. I borrowed hot glue from the masters in the green room but that didn’t hold. With an hour left before our stage call, I used fresh duct tape and lots of white glue (I has expected something to break – it is bound to happen with a toddler in tow). By the time we stepped on the stage, the brooch was holding, but the glue was not dry. The joys of being a Masquerade participant!

The Wand

Rosalina's Wand

The wand did not survive the week-end. Not only did I have a hard time making it, it was also destroyed by my daughter.

Originally, I tried using two layers of thick foam (from one of those floor tiles used for kids playrooms). My small craft knife did not do a good job of making the edges nice and smooths, but I figured plastic wood would. How wrong I was. Since it was looking worse every time I worked on it, I decided the night before to use two layers of thin foam for the week-end and to make it better later. On Friday night, I cut my two hollow stars and I spray painted them yellow. As soon as they were dried, I glued them together, sandwiching the small wood dowel I had previously cut and painted silver. I used clothes pins to keep everything in place as it dried overnight.

It looked okay and usable. I stuck in on the stroller so I didn’t have to carry it in my hands all day. In the afternoon, as I was freshening my make-up, my daughter tried to grab it, but she unfortunately pulled at it by holding the foam and she tore it. Out came the white glue to try to fix it before the masquerade. It took forever, but I managed to fix the tear, although it was obvious it had been repaired. On Sunday, while I went back to the convention alone and my daughter stayed at home with her dad, she played with the wand and tore the rest of the star off. So now if I want to wear that costume again, I have a lot of foam fixing to do.

The shoes

Rosalina's Shoes

I had the perfect shoes for this costume; I’ve had them for years! Pointed, silver, covered in rhinestones and with some teal and gold embroidery.

The perfect shoes I wish I could have worn

But they are heels, and I can’t wear heals anymore (stupid sprain). I had hoped until a week before that my ankle would be fixed in time for me to wear my lovely shoes (I know, wishful thinking), but I had to admit to myself a week before that it was not going to happen. So I got a pair of flat heel, round toe, silver glitter shoes at Wal-Mart. They’re great! But they’re not my perfect shoes. Oh well, at least I have a pair of fancy shoes for Yule now, in case my ankle still isn’t healed by then.

Gwenyver & Daughter as Rosalina & Toadette, photo by Tanja Dorosh

So there you have it, Rosalina as I made her, in less than 2 weeks I might add! For once, I left no sewing for later - whatever needs fixing is made of foam - and I made it fit me the first time around (no big adjustments needed and requiring my sweetheart’s help), I was comfortable and the sleeves were neither too tight nor too big. Yep! That dress is perfect, and I am happy!

Toadette Costume Detail

2011-08-23T21:31:00.003-04:00

I am finally getting back on track with sleep, laundry and cleaning, all those things I had set aside while I was rushing to prepare for Otakuthon. So I think it is time for a Costume Detail post. Since she really was the most popular of us, I will present Toadette first.

My Daughter as Toadette, Otakuthon 2011

Toadette’s costume was actually quite easy since it was simple lines and very little details. I used no pattern to make the different pieces, just clothes my daughter wears and in the case of the hat, a bit of draping. The hardest of course was that hat, but I will talk about it later. First things first.

The Dress

Toadette's Dress

To make Toadette’s dress, I used a simple A-line summer dress that my mother made as a pattern. I set it down on the fabric, drew 1 cm larger than the dress all around as seam allowance, cut two, and then make the front neckline 1 cm deeper. From my two dress pieces, I drew the facings. Four pieces in total for that dress. The only difference between this one and the original is I added snaps at the shoulders to make it easier to put on. And there you have it: one reusable Toadette dress which can actually be worn over the rest of the summer, or over a long sleeves t-shirt in the fall.

Original Summer Dress next to Toadette's Dress

Fabric wise, I used Pink silk noile chosen to match the hat fabric. I think it fits with the character: I always imagine the Toads as being country folk, so silk noile with its rough finish just seems perfect. The trim at the bottom hem of the dress is white satin ribbon.

The Vest

Toadette's Vest

This time, I used a polar fleece hoodie made by my mom as a base for my pattern. I drew half the back on my fabric, adding seam allowance, cut that piece and used it to make front pieces. I then eyeballed the curved front and cut. Once I had assembled the three pieces, it seemed a bit big so I tried it on my daughter and made a few adjustments to get the perfect fit. Add trim and you are done!

Polar Fleece Hoodie next to Toadette's Vest

The fabric I used was some cotton leftover I had in my stash. The trim is yellow satin ribbon.

The Shorts

White Shorts worn by Toadette

Here I just used one of the two pairs of white shorts my daughter owns. The second pair was in the diaper bag in case of little accidents (for instance, she was sick in the car – just a case of motion sickness - on our way to the convention center, but she was not in her costume at the time - thank goodness!). Why make something if you can buy it for cheap, or if you already own it?

The Shoes

Toadette's Brown Shoes

In all artwork of Toadette that I have seen, she is shown wearing brown shoes. Since my daughter already has enough shoes for a toddler and changes shoe size every 3 month, I looked around for a really cheap pair, but couldn’t find one. I ended up asking around at work and borrowing these from a co-worker who has a boy 2 months older than my daughter. Since they don’t fit her son anymore, she told me after the convention that I could keep them, which is a good think because my kid loves them.

Toadette does not appear to wear socks, but I went for a white pair to match the shorts.

The Hat

This is the piece that really makes the costume. I received many compliments during the day and evening on how cute it (and she) was and how ingeniously I had made it. First, if you have not read about it already, know that I used her bicycle helmet as a base.

My daughter's Bicyle helmet

I bought pink and white spandex (bathing suit material) to make a slip cover for the helmet, as well as the braids.

First I covered the helmet with the pink fabric as well as I could and I drew a line with tailor’s chalk to mark where it should reach inside. When I put my fabric flat on the floor, I adjusted the line to get an egg shaped oval, which I then cut. Next, I eyeballed the white spots and cut those two at a time to gat matching pairs of spots that I could put on opposite sides of the helmet.

For the braids, I bought Styrofoam balls at the craft store to make the shape. I made sure the two end ones were a little bigger then the four others. I cut two rectangles of the pink spandex wide enough to be pulled tight around the largest ball (plus seam allowance) and more than long enough for all three balls. I eyeballed the white spots here too.

Then it was time for sewing. I began by zigzagging the white spots to the braids’ rectangles. Here I used tearaway, but it was a pain to take off because I was using a wide zigzag stitch and not a satin stitch. For the helmet cover, I did not use tearaway and it worked like a charm.

(Note: it depends on the sewing machine too. I know my old Singer Stylist 522 is hell with knit fabrics, but I was using my Singer Futura for this project, since the Stylist 522 is in need of repair – again – and that one works like a charm both on thick fabric and knits.)

Once the white spots were sewn on the braids, I closed the sides, and then I baste stitch around the bottom to pull them close. I sewed through the gathers with my machine to make sure it would not come undone. Then I inserted the biggest Styrofoam ball. I pulled the fabric tight around it, and using a hand sewing needle, I made a quick baste stitch through both layers of fabric, pulled it tight, then pulled the thread around the bundle of fabric a few times, made another couple of stitches to make sure it would hold and made a knot with the thread. I repeated this with every ball. Once I reached the top, I cut off the excess fabric. Then I repeated everything with the second braid.

Toadette's Hat pieces - Flat

The next step that came was making that Yoshi egg quilt into a bicycle helmet cover. By the way this was Wednesday night before the convention and that is when I realized I was out of elastic. It is a notion I always have, but when I needed it, it was nowhere to be found. So flash forward to Thursday night, after I have gone to buy elastic: at this point, sleep deprivation is starting to play its tricks on my usually marvellous intellect (hum-hum) and I spent two hours attempting to figure out how to best make use of my precious elastic. For educational purpose, I will tell you all about my first two failed attempts.

I first sewed the elastic around the edge of the slip cover with a straight stitch while I pulled on it to create gathers. Once I tried it on the helmet, it was obvious that it was too big. I calculated how much elastic I should take out to make it lye smoothly inside the helmet and I began unstitching it from the slip cover.

On my second attempt, I took the right length of elastic and again sewed with a straight stitch while pulling on it, but this time, I sewed it much closer to the white spots so I would have enough elastic to go around. This time, not only did it look like a Granny Toadette bonnet, it was too SMALL! Pull as I may, I couldn’t get it to hold on to the helmet properly. Nearly ready to cry from frustration and exhaustion, I stared at the bloody thing until it dawned on me that the solution was a casing around the edge. I un-sewed the elastic from the slip cover AGAIN!

Finally, I made a casing by folding the edge of my pink Yoshi egg and leaving a space opened to insert the elastic. I pulled the elastic through and sewed both edges. Then I tried it on the helmet and it was like a miracle had just happened. Sure, it was not as smoothed as I had hoped it would be, but it fit and looked great.

On Friday during lunch time I hand sewed the braids to the slip cover. The result is a perfectly adorable Toadette hat.

Toadette's Hat

The best part about that slip cover is it will fit another couple of sizes of helmets, so should I or she wish to, she could wear it again for years to come. The dress and vest are a joke to make in comparison!

Presenting Toadette:

Toadette the Artwork vs Toadette the "Toaddler"

She was so very cute! And popular too! I am so glad I made her that costume, even if I was completely exhausted by the time the convention started.

But I will do it all again anytime there is an excuse for me and my family to make and wear costumes!

Rosalina & Toadette - the video

2011-08-22T23:01:00.002-04:00

This is awesome! I have found a video of our masquerade entry on Youtube! Care to see us in action? Please watch the video (comments in French only) - fast forward to 1:08 min to start right at our intoduction:

By the way, the person you can hear scream when the MC announces our entry is my good friend Marie-Ange-the-Celt.

I am so happy I get to see this. We looked great, didn't we! Of course, my daughter was the star.

Otakuthon Masquerade Experience

2011-08-19T23:08:00.005-04:00

I still have not recovered from Otakuthon, but I promise I will make a post on our costumes very soon. Since I did most of the work on our costumes the week before (who, me?), I barely took any evolution pictures, but I will be sure to take some detailed close-up pictures… soon. I am still working on my sleep deprivation. At least I have pictures of my daughter and me at the event this time, thanks to other people taking pictures and sending them to me. (Keep them coming people!)

Gwenyver & Daughter as Rosalina & Toadette, photo by Tanja Dorosh

Costume specific posts will follow shortly, but in the mean time, let me tell you about my Masquerade experience. Because I was accompanied by my daughter (or was it the other way around?), we got to go second, in the junior category (though I was to be judged as a journeyman because I asked for it and that is my Masquerade level). As soon as the MCs, Narf and Yaya Han, announced our entry “Rosalina & Toadette”, people started to scream and cheer. (Apparently, Marie-Ange-the-Celt screamed so loudly for us that the girl in front of her jumped out of her skin.) Once we walked onto the stage, the cheering doubled. My daughter was never afraid (I’m so proud of her!); she held my hand and walked on, following me to the middle of the catwalk where I suggested to her that she could wave to the audience, which she did, albeit shyly. We heard a general “Aww!” from the 700 people present, and then, on our musical cue, we walked off.

Headless Gwenyver and daughter on stage at the Otakuthon 2011 Masquerade

Of course, they do not make the toddlers wait until the next day for their prizes, and everyone gets one (there were just 2 anyways). Entry number one, a 2 year old boy dressed as some Pokemon creature I do not know, won for best TV Show recreation and my daughter, for best Video Game recreation.

My daughter as Toadette with her ribbon for Best Video Game recreation in the Junior category

Not only is that ribbon awesome, it is almost as long as her dress! I’ll say it again, my heart was bursting with pride at how well she handled everything. I had expected her to be frightened by all the screams/cheers and to want to hide in my arms, but she just went on. I even had people stop me on Sunday to tell me how adorable she was.

A happy Toadette!

Speaking of Sunday, I have news to share. I went to the Masquerade’s award ceremony, hoping that maybe I might win a ribbon of my own. There were many amazing costumes and I unfortunately did not manage to show and explain my costume and my daughter’s in detail to the workmanship judge (imagine bringing your toddler to a job interview and now imagine how well you would be able to sell yourself – NOT!). So either because they got mixed up because my registration form said both Junior and Journeyman, or because I was unable to sell myself and my work to the judge, or simply because my work was not that impressive to them compared to others, I did not win in my category. I will admit it, I was a little disappointed, but it happens and there is nothing I can do about it. Then, just before they were about to give the awards for best costume overall and best in show, the Masquerade director announced that the Costume Con 32 director had personally insisted that an entry get their membership to the 2014 Con in Toronto, and that entry was ME! I was super excited AND I got to be in the pictures with the Masters (heh!). So now I HAVE to go, and already my mind is starting to think of the costumes I will be making – the theme is "Myths, Monsters and Legends".

Gwenyver and Daughter on stage, photo by Samia of Geekbecois.com

But back to the Masquerade, it was a lot of fun to do it with my daughter and I am happy we did. It was worth all my hard work just for the audience’s reaction. I have to do this again sometime. Speaking of, Montréal ComicCon is coming up and they have a Masquerade; does anyone have any suggestions on a costume group I could whip-up in a month for my Sweetheart, my daughter and myself? I am strangely out of inspiration right now (must be from lack of rest in the previous weeks), and I want (make that need) a genius idea and fast!

Back from Otakuthon

2011-08-15T21:45:00.009-04:00

Ok, so I'm not actually back - I slept in my own bed on Saturday night since I live within driving distance - but still, Otakuthon is over, and I am a little sad. Exhausted, happy about my week-end, but a little melancholic.

Anyways, I'm already full of ideas for next year, and I have something to announce, but that will have to wait. For tonight, I will present pictures from my week-end (mostly taken by me). Since I don't know most of the cosplayers and cosplays, I will invite you to play "Name that Person / Character". I'll name the ones I know, you help me with the rest. Lets Begin...

1) Gwenyver and Daughter as Rosalina and Toadette.

See, it's easy!

2) Marie-Ange-the-Celt and Gwenyver as Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough.

3) Marie-Ange-the-Celt as Aruhaniel the Drow. This is her LARP persona in asin style clothing. Photo not by me.

4) Mageknightterra, Technobug, Tioniel and 2 cosplayers I barely know yet (forgot their names, girls help please!) and the 5 Sailor Scouts, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars.

5) Another Cosplayer I was briefly introduced to and forgot their name and Luke as a Jawa and another character from Star wars (I shouldn't be doing this when I am this tired - my brain is mush!)

6) Oh darn, she gave me her nickname and I can't remember. It had to do with Mischivious or something. Oh well, I'll find it and let you know. Obviously, she is dressed as a Geisha in an actual Kimono.

7) Dante from Devil May Cry (thank you to Ethan Kincaid for the information). Cosplayer unknown.

8) Cosplayer and Cosplay unknown. But cool wings!

9) Oh I know this one, it's from Spirited Away (2001)! It scared my daughter sillly. She still talks about the monster. Cosplayer unknown.

10) Cosplayer and Cosplay unknown. Love the mask.

11) I actually asked this girl what series her costume was from and she said none, she just choose to wear this saree which she had. Well it is lovely! Cosplayer unknown.

12) Armurita as Ashura from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles (Thank you Armurita for letting me know). Incredible headpiece!

13) A group photo of characters from Bleach (Thank you to TheYellowRose for that information). Cosplayers unknown.

14) I know this guy won something in the Masquerade. Wait, let me check the winner's list... Darn, no name, just the entry "Did you know surfing". So Cosplayer and Cosplay unknown.

15) Cosplayer and Cosplay unknown. I think she is just a regular Lolita, but I liked how she looked.

16) Cosplayers and Cosplay unknown.

17) Loki as... Cosplay unknown.

18) Cosplayer and Cosplay unknown. Awesome workmanship though!

Ok, now it is your turn to help me fill in the blanks!

Toadette's dress fabric

2011-07-29T20:34:00.004-04:00

Today, I went back to Fabricville to find a better fabric for my daughter's Toadette dress. First, remember the cotton twill I had gotten Monday that looked too red?

Mushroom hat fabric at top, deep pink cotton twill at bottom

This time, I brought the spandex fabric with me and played a game of "does this match" with my daughter by comparing it to every pink fabric I could find (she compared it to other colours too - yellow, green - she thought it was a really fun game). I was about to give up when we spotted a short sleeved jacket on a mannequin, made of silk noile. Off we went looking for the silk noile table and lo, we found a decent match!

Mushroom hat fabric next to dress' silk noile

Ok, so it looks very different with the flash, but that's because these two fabrics don't reflect light the same way. I truth, the silk noile is a little darker, but at least it is of thesame hue so I am happy with it.

Of course, I did have some reservations about dressing my daughter in silk - she gets dirty so easily. The silk noile was on sale at 3 metres for the price of 1 (18.99$) and I only needed 1 metre so I asked the nice sales lady who is also going to Otakuthon if I could get my metre 1/3 of the price. She couldn't, but then she explained in whispers that due to the special, if I took less than a metre, say 95 cm, she could give it to me for 1/3 of the price. Ok then, a silk noile dress for 6.02$. That is awesome!

And now on to cutting. Last night I drew my pattern, and now it is time for pins and scissors to come out!

Rosalina and Toadette Fabrics

2011-07-26T07:40:00.002-04:00

I have fabrics! Not all of them, but enough to get started.

First, Rosalina’s dress:

Rosalina's Dress Fabric

I was looking with a fabric with a sheen or an interesting texture that could be worn by a princess – I did not want plain cotton for this project, although it is always de rigueur for Anime. The best match I found, after comparing it to two satins, was this light aquamarine crepe. It is a little lighter in colour than I would have wanted, but this costume is going to be my interpretation of the character, so I am giving myself the creative licence to toy with colour and details a little. And sure, this fabric is 100% Polyester, and if it’s hot out I might regret my choice, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make. Plus, at 2.99$ a metre, who am I to complain!

For the neckline, bottom of sleeves and hemline, I got very shiny Organza. I intend to ruffle it more than suggested by the artwork at the hemline and sleeves.

For the underskirt, I have to look through my stash, but I believe I have white, very shiny satin crepe. I am still trying to choose how to make that part; do I attach a pleated underskirt at the skirt and bust seam, or do I make a separate, multi-tiered skirt to wear underneath? In both cases, the underskirt will be used to give the dress its volume.

And now for Toadette:

Toadette's Costume Fabric

I have pink and white bathing suit material to make the slip cover and “braids” for my daughter’s bicycle helmet.

For her dress, I bought deep pink cotton, but being tired and accompanied by a restless “Toadler”, I left the pink bathing suit material in the car (it was bought in a different store) and I tried to match it by memory. That was not one of my finest moments as you can see if you compare the two in the photo. Oh well, it’s just on metre and I can make her something out of it later, but I will have to go back to the fabric store, with the helmet fabric in hand this time, and find the right cotton.

(Say, I have just had an idea: we have an SCA event this week-end and I wanted to make my daughter a new tunic, possibly short sleeved. I’ll just use the deep pink fabric! See, no loss.)

Next step is pattern drawing and cutting. And I guess I’ll have to go fabric shopping again this week. How sad!

Princess Rosalina's Earrings

2011-07-23T06:38:00.006-04:00

Last night I couldn't sleep. I was watching Say Yes to the Dress Bridesmaids, trying to loose consciousness when I came to the conclusion that it wasn't working and I might as well do something constructive. So I pulled out my yellow fun foam, my craft knife and the Rosalina Accessories Tutorial by Martyn and went to work.

Earring template from Rosalina's Accessories Tutorial by Martyn

I was planning to use the printed pieces of the earrings from the tutorial, but when I measured them and compared them to the given specs, they were a little too short, so I re-drew them on paper before cutting them out of the fun foam.

Once you have your six stars cut out, it takes just a few minutes to glue them all together, and then you are done!

Rosalina Earrings - cut fun foam and glue

Well, almost. This morning I noticed some dried glue which is not the same colour as the foam. I think that in order for all my accessories to have the same finish, I will spray paint them all. After all, the crown and brooch will get the spray paint finish in silver, so the earrings and wand should too. I am considering giving them a coat of gold before the yellow. I wonder if some of the glittery shine will show through.

This is a small step towards this costume, but heck, at least it is a step outside of planning and into realisation. Good for me.

Princess Rosalina's Accessories

2011-07-21T21:26:00.003-04:00

Right after I posted about my change of heart for my Otakuthon costume the other night, I began to search for hints at how I could make Rosalina's crown look good. I had seen some nice ones, but I don’t know how to cast plastic and I am not teaching it to myself in the next three weeks. Finally, I found this tutorial by Martyn which uses my material of choice, Fun Foam.

Peach, Daisy, Rosalina Crown Tutorial by Martyn

I read through the list of material needed, and the only things I don’t have on hand are a brain which remembers how to do math using π (working on that with my sweetheart, it’ll come back to me if I don’t try to work at it when I'm short on time or super tired), and the plastic cabochons to use as gems for the crown.

I looked into buying the same 35 mm cabochons from PlasticBeadsWholesale.com that Martyn used, but they only come in dozens (8.50$ for 12 - I need 2 colours), and if you buy for less than 30$, you get an up charge of 20$ for not meeting the minimum price. Plus, since I live in Canada, shipping will not be Free as advertised (it never is). Al in all, It will probably cost me about 40$ so I can get 4 plastic cabochons. Not really worth it for me.

Instead, I found these 30 mm Crystal Stickers in the Scrapbooking section of my local Omer DeSerres – for 2.95$ +tx.

30 mm Crystal Stickers

To give them the proper colour, I will use some faux stained glass paint. I’ll either buy the two colours I need, or ask my favourite aunt to let me use hers since this is her current hobby.

Martyn (my hero) also shared a tutorial on making the rest of Rosalina’s accessories, because this princess not only wears a crown, she has a wand, a brooch and huge earrings.

Rosalina Accessories Tutorial by Martyn

The wand used fun foam and a wooden dowel. Check! The brooch requires more fun foam and some sort of plastic dome. I will be looking very closely at those vending machines which sell cheap toys in plastic spheres. For the earrings, yet more fun foam and some jewellery findings. Check again!

I can’t go fabric shopping until next week, but at least, I can get started on my accessories this week.

Same event, different princess

2011-07-19T20:37:00.004-04:00

Otakuthon is less than 4 weeks away and I have not yet begun making our costumes. “What in Hel’s name am I waiting for?” I hear you think. Well first, I've been getting a lot of commission requests (Thank you everyone), which keep me busy. But the main reason is, I’m getting cold feet… about my choice of costume.

(Warning: boring self issues stuff ahead)

Let’s face the facts: I have body image issues (what woman does not) and since it is always best to dress for your body type even when in costume, I fear my original choice might be wrong for me. Let me explain: in my experience, I look better when I have skin showing around my face – turtle necks make me look fatter – and the Princess Peach dress has a high collar. Also, I inherited my great grandmother’s biceps, and believe me, I could have done without. Wearing short puffy sleeves and long white gloves will only serve to enhance this feature which I spend my life hiding (really, I wear ¾ sleeves in the summer when it’s 35° with Humidex). The more I think about it, the more I fear I will look like a big pink blob (Nancy-Raven says I’ll look like a dragée – sweet, but not that helpful). I am at the point now where I would rather skip Otakuthon than make that big, poofy, pink dress. Costuming should be fun, so why am I torturing myself?

(Okay, I’m done complaining now!)

I considered going back to other ideas I had had for Otakuthon, but I really want to make that Toadette costume for my daughter. Then I remembered someone mention another Super Mario Princess:

Rosalina in her appearance for Super Mario Galaxy

Strawberry blond, turquoise dress, silver accessories… Now that is what I’m taking about! It is perfect for me! The dress has an empire waist, perfect for hiding, hmm, flaws, and long, off-the-shoulder bell sleeves. I love it! An off the shoulder dress is actually what I had made for my Prom. See?

Gwenyver, High School Prom, June 23, 1999

(I swear that plain satin dresses were in fashion - just go and re-watch Buffy!)

Plus, I can get away with wearing just a flounced petticoat, and not a full crinoline under it, which will be practical with a toddler.

I think I’ll use patterns Simplicity 9125 and Butterick 4301 (used for the above pictures Prom dress) as blocks to make Rosalina's dress.

Simplicity 9125

Butterick 4301

Okay, now let’s get fabric hunting, cutting, sewing, and accessory making. Only 25 days left!

My new Steampunk Bracelet

2011-06-12T21:47:00.000-04:00

Nancy-Raven really spoiled me for my birthday, as she often does. Along with the two Truly Victorian Pattern previously mentioned, she gave a 20$ voucher for Fabricville (always a winner with me), and the pièce de résistance, this amazing Steampunk bracelet from La Table Ronde:

Steampunk Bracelet by Florica, on black velvet bag

Not that I ever speak of Steampunk, really. That I have been drooling over that collection for about a year now, especially the tiara might I add (but is friggin expensive), and that I wear bracelets a lot might also have influenced her choice. I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it! I want to wear it everyday.

Steampunk Bracelet by Florica, detailed view

I do have to make myself a Steampunk outfit. Soon!

Beaded Princess Crown

2011-06-11T23:16:00.006-04:00

Some of you may remember that last year, I made Nancy-Raven a crown for her birthday after she expressed the desire to wear one on her special day, as she would be "The Queen of the day". About a week before my own birthday, I was hit with the sudden desire to do the same, because lets face it, it is a great idea.

My inspiration came from this lovely princess crown:

Beaded Wrap-Wire Crown

I found it on Etsy a year ago, but I cannot remember from which seller if any one knows, please let me know so I can add their information here – everyone deserves credit for their work). There is something in this look that I find reminiscent of Odette, The Swan Princess.

So, the night before, around 10 PM (this is me we're talking about), I set myself to the task of making my own crown while watching My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding on TLC. Nothing like ridiculously poofy dresses and humongous crowns on 18 year old brides to get you inspired! By 1 am, I was done.

Blue Beaded Princess Crown

Not as pretty, but it is only my second attempt at making a crown, and honestly, I'm happy with it. Of course, you will be shocked I am sure that I made mine silver and blue, with turquoise and lilac accents. No one could have predicted that I would go for aquatic colours, right? But you see, it was to match the new summer dress I made myself (and finished at 1:15 PM the day of).

Happy Birthday Gwenyver!
(Don't even try, I'm not telling you my age. That is for me to know and you to guess!)

Of course, it turned out to be a wet and chilly evening, so I had to wear leggings under my new sun dress – because there was no way I was going to change my outfit due to Mother Nature’s whims; I had worked too hard for that!

By the way, the dress is made with pattern Simplicity 4531. It is the third dress I have made using that pattern and I really like all of them. There is a little something ‘50s about them in my opinion.

You know what else is great about that crown? It would be perfect for a Snow Queen or Ice Fairy costume!

New Victorian Patterns

2011-06-11T06:35:00.005-04:00

Recently, it was my birthday. And amongst my many gifts, Nancy-Raven, who knows me so well, gave me my first Truly Victorian patterns. Let me tell you, I clapped my hands with excitement like a cartoon character as I unwrapped them.

First, a little something with a full round skirt.

1845 German Day Dresses - TV454

As Nancy-Raven put it, this looks like it would elongate the body, which is always good when you are round. I believe this would be a great dress to make and wear at Les fêtes victoriennes in Victoriaville, QC, if I ever get go that is.

Now I wonder what type of fabric and print I should look for to make this dress. Research ahead! Actually, I have begun looking around on the Net for ideas for a German Day Dress (and general 1840's Day Dresses) and found a lovely post about 1845 German Day Dresses with many pictures on Dressing the 1840s.

Second came a pattern I have wanted for years.

1873 Polonaise - TV410

You see, I have long been in love with Trystan's Sushi Victorian Dress, and although hers was made using a different pattern (Past Patterns' 1880s Polonaise With Walking Skirt), it is still a Victorian Polonaise. Besides, I like the sleeves on the Truly Victorian pattern better.

Somehow, even with the Red Sushi Dress as the origin for my desire for a Victorian Polonaise, my first idea upon receiving this pattern was to make a mourning version. I just think it would look great in a black tonal jacquard or brocade, don't you?

As I said, I was really pleased and happy with these gifts, but I think my Sweetheart's comment said it best; he said with these patterns, Steampunk for me is definitely here to stay!

Red & Gold 18th Century Outfit

2011-06-09T11:28:00.005-04:00

Somewhere in my stash (in an organized and labeled bin where I can fairly easily find it) I have some some red and gold silk shantung. It was a present from my Mom, back when I was working on the costumes for "Le Tzigane au Croissant d'or". She thought I might like to make myself an English dress in the 1750's style I kept making for the play's Noble ladies, so for my birthday, she bought me silk. She remembered me saying I needed about 6 metres of material for one dress, so what she got me was 3 metres in each colour.

Unfortunately, I need 6 metres for the over dress and 3 metres for the skirt, so I can't make a full length dress, but I could make a short dress or Caraco with one colour and the skirt with the other.

But I can't make up my mind as to which colour should be used for what garment. What do you think?

Red Caraco & Gold Skirt Concept Art

Gold Caraco & Red Skirt Concept Art

Which combination should I make? I will let you, my faithful readers, vote on the matter and I will abide by the majority's choice.

Asian Steampunk Costume Concept

2011-05-27T20:41:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had a simple project take unprecedented proportions?
Back before the Yule season, as I was planning what I would wear for each party, I had intended to make myself a corset using leftover Chinese Brocade from my Arwen Dying Gown. I loved the corset I made for Halloween using pattern Simplicity 2966 and want to make many more. I had bought a black skirt on sale at Sears the fall before and its shape made me think of Flamenco dances somehow, so I wanted something red to wear with it and the corset seemed a perfect idea. But then, I would need a shirt. “How about using Threadbanger’s Steampunk shirt tutorial?” I told myself. I could go to some second hand store and find an old man’s shirt to cut up, right? Do you see where this is going?

One thing let to another and I imagined an entire Steampunk outfit from that one corset project. Of course, I never did make any of it in time for New Year (and still have not started working on it), but I did have the entire look planed down to the hairstyle by the time I went back to work. And now five months later, I have finally kicked myself into sketching it. Here it is:

Asian Steampunk Concept - Front

Asian Steampunk Concept - Back

Let me explain what you are seeing here. This outfit consists on the red Chinese brocade corset, trimmed with black satin ribbon and laced down the back; a white linen shirt with mandarin collar, the whole edged with black sating stitching and closed on angle with black frog closures; a bolero length black velvet vest with high neck in the back and sweetheart neckline, antique brass frog closure below the bust and Furisode sleeves; a floor length black jacquard skirt with train and a slit up the left thigh kept shut by leather closures and antique brass buckles; a red taffeta bustle and a highly embroidered gold trimmed panel at front (inspired by the bustle pictured below). A chain on the right wearer’s side will hold a skeleton key, gear and a Chinese coin. Since my legs will me showing, I thought I would wear fishnet tights with my Victorian inspired boots.

The inspiration for the bustle and front panel - Steamflower Bustle by Laohats

My hair would be done in a Gibson Braid-Tuck, an Edwardian hairdo of three braids pinned and tucked. I have used this hairstyle often and love it. I might add a couple of hair sticks to it (not drawn).

Gibson Braid-Tuck by That Costume Girl

Finally, a traditional Chinese hat will cover my head. I have wanted one for awhile now, especially after my friend C.B. visited two years ago and lent me one for a photo.

Gwenyver and C.B., Summer 2009

My (current) goal is to have it done for Montréal ComicCon, but I have to work on Princess Peach first.

So who is up for a shopping trip in china town? I need to find myself a hat and some dangles for decoration.

Lady Gaga "Judas" Music Video

2011-05-21T21:34:00.009-04:00

Have I ever told you that I am a Lady Gaga fan? Oh, that often, heh? Well...

Lady Gaga's new video Judas requires mentioning because the costumes she wears in it are many, amazing, and come from various sources of inspiration. Here are my Top 5 favourites.

Number 5: The Wave Dress

Lady Gaga, "Judas" music video, 2011

In this case, it is hard to see the details, but I liked that it was long and metallic. I also always love water scenes. Hopefully one day, I will know more about it.

Number 4: The Killer Nails

Lady Gaga, "Judas" music video, 2011

I simply love burgundy and deep green together. I used to paint my nails in this fashion as a teen; maybe the fashion will finally kick in now! Plus I love all the bling on those claws (except maybe for the moss).

The shirt has a somewhat Victorian and romantic feel to it, from what we can see of it, i.e. the cuffs. And is it just me, or is that eye make up inspired by an Oudjat (slightly inverted)?

Number 3: The Doublet

Lady Gaga, "Judas" music video, 2011

Here we have a lovely embroidered doublet, straight out of The Tudors. I have a velvet doublet that I wear as a jacket; perhaps I will no longer be alone after this.

As for the hairstyle, I have read some comments comparing it to Snookie's , but my first thought was in fact Centauri males (in Babylon 5).

Number 2: Riding Look

Lady Gaga, "Judas" music video, 2011

Not only do i like red and purple together, but lets be honest: what girl does not love a Tiara? That bejeweled cold crown is gorgeous.

Really, I just thought Miss Gaga looked stunningly beautiful in this scene.

Number 1: The Egyptian Bride

Lady GaGa, "Judas" music video, 2011

This is my favourite look of all, and we only see it for a few seconds at the end of the video. The wig looks like something Egyptian, the dress is a mixture of Lolita and 80's wedding dress and the shoes seem to be 50's saddle oxford. It almost feels like I have seen this look before in a manga, but can't exactly put my finger on which one. In any case, someone had better market that wig because I want it. In fact, I think I may have found my Halloween costume.

If you haven't seen the video yet, here is you chance:

The Princess Peach Project: Research

2011-05-17T20:43:00.009-04:00

It is official: we (my daughter and I) are going to Otakuthon this year. I have paid for our registration, so unless one of us is too sick to go, WE ARE GOING.

Which means I have to start working on our costumes, and as we all know, research is the best part of planning. I had already decided back in February (see Otakuthon 2011 Costume Project: Princess Peach and Toadette, posted on February 5, 2011) that we would go as Princess Peach Toadstool and Toadette.

Toadette from Super Mario

Toadette should be fairly easy to make: a summer dress, a vest, some white shorts and slip cover for my daughter’s bicycle helmet should do the trick. Since Otakuthon is the week-end of August 12 to 14, and toddlers tend to grow really fast, I will wait until July to start making her costume.

Princess Peach on the other hand poses a challenge. First, there are many designs to choose from.

Princess Peach as she appears on Super Mario Bros 3

Princess Peach in her appearance for New Super Mario Bros Wii

Princess Peach in her appearance for Super Smash Bros

I am leaning towards the second one. Simple, but slightly more detailed than the first one, and I really like the resemblance of the skirt to Disney’s Cinderella’s.

Disney’s Cinderella

The real challenge is to make it right. It looks simple, but looks can be deceiving. I have looked all over for pictures of Princess Peach cosplay that I liked, but in general, the fabric is too shiny, the proportions are wrong, or the fit just isn't right. I was beginning to believe that this was the costume that never looked good. It was suggested to me that I should see this as a challenge, to make a good looking one, but honestly, I was getting really afraid, thinking “What am I getting myself into?”.

But then I found two.

The first one is made according to design number one.

Jenni Källberg, aka Pixelninja, as Princess Peach

It fits well, the skirt has the right volume, and I really like the way the darker bottom colour in the sketch was interpreted as an underskirt. It makes the whole look like a real dress for a real person, not just a pink costume.

The second one is made to be like the more detailed concept art.

Princess Peach by Enayla

Again, beautiful fit and proportions. I have not seen the panniers look so good on any other cosplay of this character. The sleeves are also perfect puff sleeves, and the collar is just the right height. I will look at this picture often when making my own as a reference for these details.

I am now feeling a little better about the project. I now believe that a good looking Princess Peach costume, in the version I want to make, can, in fact, be achieved.

But since I am not as slim as the girls in the above picture, maybe I’ll invest in a good pair of Spanx. It can always be useful!

Mondrian Kimono Project

2011-05-16T21:14:00.004-04:00

span style="font-family:verdana;">I have had a crazy Kimono idea. It all started with an innocent discussion on the Immortal Geisha forum about fabrics we would love to use to make Yukata. One person there suggested printing a Monet painting on a silk Kimono, and suddenly it hit me: A Mondrian Kimono.

For those of you who do not know Piet Mondrian (1872-1944), he was an artist who became famous for his abstract paintings of grids with blocks of bold colours, generally primary colours (red, yellow and blue).

Composition with with Red, Blue and Yellow, P. Mondrian, 1930, oil of canvas

Of course, fashion aficionados will remember that Yves Saint-Laurent made a very famous shift dress inspired by Mondrian’s paintings.

Yves Saint Laurent, "Mondrian" Day dress, Autumn 1965 (Wool jersey in color blocks of white, red, blue, black, and yellow)

Since Kimono are so geometric (square) in construction, you can see how Mondrian’s art would fit the shape perfectly.

Once inspiration struck me, I began playing with shapes and colour to come up with this concept for my Kimono:

Mondrian Kimono Concept by Gwenyver

I tried to keep everything balanced, while placing the colour blocks in places where a Kimono would usually get more detailed decoration. I may re-work the design before actually making it, but for now, it gives you a good idea of my concept. Of course, I would wear it with a Ro Obi, but I am unsure what colour it should be. So many possibilities!

Now, should I make it by painting the cloth, like Mondrian, or should I use blocks of fabrics, somewhat like a quilt, the way Yves Saint-Laurent did?

Shoes with a shrug

2011-05-14T21:40:00.004-04:00

Remember the dress worn by Jennifer Lopez at the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art last week?

Jennifer Lopez attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

I have found the shoe version of it:

Wild Rose Yvone-12 Ruffle Mary Jane Pump at UrbanOG.com

Oh! How I wish they still had my size...

...and that the doctor had not just forbidden me the wearing of high heels for the rest of my everyday life (something about a tendinitis that hasn't healed in over 5 years on my left ankle and multiple sprains - 4 or 5 in the last 15 years, I've lost count - on my right).

2011 Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Gala Red Carpet

2011-05-05T20:30:00.011-04:00

Yesterday was the official opening of the The spring 2011 Costume Institute exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (May 4, 2011, to July 31, 2011). On Monday night, the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Gala was held for designers, models and stars alike. Thankfully for people like me and you, many stars choose to interpret the "Costume Institute Gala" as a theme for their attire of the evening. Shall we take a peek at their clothes?

(Note: The following pictures were borrowed from Socialite Life for costume study purposes.)

First, I would like to note that many a gentleman showed up in interesting fashion, enough to make it to this post.

Andre Leon Talley attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

I have rarely seen Andre Leon Talley in something subtle, and that is not about to change as he wears a court coat made just for him on this red carpet.

Designer Karl Lagerfeld and actress Blake Lively attend the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

Karl Lagerfeld is never boring in his choice of clothes and that night was no exception. On his arm, the beautiful Blake Lively wears a modern interpretation of a Pallas. Whatever those fashion critiques have said, I love it.

Designer Christian Louboutin and Ashley Olsen attend the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

Red has long been Christian Louboutin's signature colour, so it should come as no surprise that his velvet jacket matches the carpet. As for Ashley Olsen, black and white (creme) will always be a classic. I do love the wide puffy sleeves; they remind me of a chemise under stays.

Designer Marc Jacobs & Robert Duffy attend the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

You have to admire men who are sure enough of their masculinity to wear a kilt in public. Bravo!

European Vogue editor-at-large Hamish Bowles and artist Daphne Guinness attend the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

Keeping to the tartan theme, this gentleman choose to skip the kilt, but still wear its colours. Very daring. He is accompanied by a distant relative of Big Bird's. (Sometimes, too much really is just that. But I still admire her originality.)

Actress Freida Pinto attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

Not only were some of the boys interestingly dresses, some of the girls were inspired by men's fashion. Here, a Freida Pinto chooses to add a simple black tie to contrast her white satin dress.

Singer Janelle Monae attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

While Janelle Monae goes Dandy, Top hat and all.

Model Iman attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

Iman looks straight out of Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002). 70's Baby, yeah!

Actress Brooklyn Decker attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

Don't say it, don't say it... Red Carpet Barbie. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

Wait, didn't I see this outfit on one of the "babes" in Star Trek: The Original Series?

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

Sarah Jessica Parker's dress is beautiful, no questions there. But is it just me, of did someone get inspiration from The Mummy (1999) for the beading design? (Look up Anck Su Namun's body make up).

Actress Leighton Meester attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

A little black dress should always be perfect for such an occasion, but why does this one look like it is made from horizontal blinds? I Guess this is the modern version of Carol Burnett's "I saw it in a window and I just couldn't resist".

Actress Mary-Kate Olsen attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

I love Mary-Kate's 70's Boho dress, and the colour combination of dress and accessories. But maybe this was a bit too dressed down for a red carpet.

Nicole Richie attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

I just loved the sleeves on this one. Simple, elegant, with a little Sci Fi je-ne-sais-quoi.

Actress Dakota Fanning attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

All this dress needs is a pair of wings and you have the perfect Meadow Fairy costume!

Athlete Serena Williams attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

I think someone watched the Royal Wedding too many times last week-end! (One word: Hats)

Actress Demi Moore attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

I think someone else watched the Royal Wedding too many times. (One word: Feather Duster hair fascinators.)

Singer Fergie attend the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

Really people, enough with the Royal Wedding already! (Kidding, I love that dress).

Actress Christina Ricci attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

I read someone calling this dress "The Spider Queen". It is either that, or a penciled doodle dress. In either case, as original as it is, I find it to be very unflattering for Christina Ricci. It make her skin tone look grey.

Unless this is NOT Christina Ricci, and this is in fact Wednesday Addams, all grown up. That would explain it.

Madonna attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

Madonna has always looked amazing in 1930's and 40's fashion. Remember Evita (1996)?

Rihanna attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

Gorgeous lace, love the one arm and train, AND the red hair (truly wish I had the gut to dye my hair red - I've been thinking about it on and off since I was 13), but what really sold me on this look were the earrings:

Rihanna attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

They look so Steampunk!

Jennifer Lopez attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

Whatever those mean fashion commentators have said, I love the flower shrug J Lo is sporting.

Singer Beyonce attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

This is my number one dress of the evening. It is The Tudors meet Modern evening wear (Mermaid dress). Just look at the gold on black embroidery!

Singer Beyonce attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca)

Oh, and the back! It is like a sleeveless doublet. Really, I can't get over how amazing that dress looks.

I am starting to think I need an excuse to wear evening/party dresses like that. Any suggestions?

Royal Wedding Fashion

2011-04-29T23:09:00.009-04:00

So unless you live in a cave, you will have heard, there was a royal wedding today. Really! Prince William and his Fiancee Catherine "Kate" Middleton said I do in front of 1 billion spectators. I tried not to follow the masses, I really did. But I'm a girl, I love Fairy Tales and I LOVE weddings.

A Royal Wedding Group Portrait

With all the crazy fashion there, you know I was bound to make a comment. Someone's worst dress list is a costumer's inspiration.

So first, let me talk about the Queen of the day.

Katherine Middleton, Mother of the Bride - Queen Elizabeth II, Grandmother of the groom - Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Stepmother of the groom

No, I did not mean THE Queen, although one has to notice the lovely shade of butter yellow she choose, and admire her hat which is quite elegant (contrary to past habits).

To also comment on this picture, I love what the mother of the ride wore, but I hate the Duchess of Cornwall's hat.

But back to the day's Star: Catherine "Kate" Middleton.

Catherine "Kate" Middleton

No one can deny how lovely she looked in this Alexander McQueen creation. It's not really my style, what with the long sleeves and all that lace, but I can understand the need for sobriety and the difficulty in finding a dress that will please everyone.

My first thought as I watched her get out of the car was "This looks like Grace Kelly's wedding dress!"

Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, April 1956

Oh, and just a quick note in case my Sweetheart is reading, I love Kate's sapphire engagement ring. Just saying.

Diana / Kate's engagement ring

Everyone of course noticed the sister of the bride and her Maid of honour, Philippa "Pippa" Middleton, looking sexy in Alexander McQueen.

Philippa "Pippa" Middleton

One guest's dress also caught my eye: the one worn by Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco.

Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco

I have read critiques concerning this outfit because her dress had a train, but I love it all the same. It looks somewhat like a caftan, but it is extremely elegant.

What any British Royal event really is about, fashion wise anyways, it the hats.

The daughters of Earl Spencer

It seams to be a part of the dress code to have some crazy looking, gravity defying 'thing' on your head.

Princess Anne

I had a dress in these colours as a child... in the early 90's! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I am not loving this outfit.

Sophie Winkleman, Actress and wife of Lord Frederick Windsor

This hat I love. It is asymmetrical, yet sober. Can anyone explain to me how it stays in place?

Miriam Clegg, wife of deputy prime minister Nick Clegg

I am not quite sure about the turban hat, but I do love the humongous red flower fascinator!

Princess Mathilde and Prince Philippe of Belgium

TURQUOISE! (You knew we would eventually get there.)

Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall

Another gravity defying hat.

Chelsea Davy

Prince Harry's girlfriend wore a lovely suit, albeit perhaps too tight, and it is nice to see another type of headwear and the wedding.

Victoria Beckham a.k.a. Posh Spice

I realize my favourite Ex-Spice Girl is pregnant, but did she have to wear a tent? One the one side, I find it too similar to one of my night gowns, but on the other, I think it may be growing on me. Lovely draping effect, longer in the back, definitely perfect to hide the midriff. The colour and hat are truly nice, but again, pardon my ignorance, but I do wonder how this hat holds in place.

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson

Okay, she looks straight out of a Star Trek episode.

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice

We have slowly culminated to the craziest of the hats: Princess Eugenie's, and especially Princess Beatrice's. Some people have said that Princess Beatrice's hat looked like an octopus. One thing is for sure, it has made the news. From what I read, both had very little say in their hats. Designer Philip Treacy just knows them enough to know what they like (which can be a scary though).

Ultimately, the crazier the look, the more I love it! And now I feel like wearing silly hats and fascinators too.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

I wish the newlyweds a happy long and truly happy life together.

A Costumeholic's Best friend: the Space Bag

2011-04-26T09:45:00.009-04:00

It is Spring Cleaning time! I am lucky enough to have a walk-in in my bedroom, which I share with my Sweetheart. 1/4 of it is his clothes, 1/3 is my clothes, and the rest is costumes (he has a few too!). What can I say, I am a costumeholic! And like many costumers, when it comes to my passion, I am a bit of a pack rat.

That is why I am thrilled to have found an invention which helps enable my costume hoarding by creating more space to store them: The Space Bag (or imitations of the original - I am cheap and not that picky). I am not trying to make any sort of publicity for them, but see by yourself ow wonderfully useful they are.

Take four 18th century outfits:

Gwenyver's entire 18th century wardrobe - for now

Now pile them up neatly, pocket hoops and all.

Put your pile of 18th century clothes in a space bag.

And vacuum to get all the air out and make your pile much smaller.

Not only are your costumes safe from the cat, as well as potential water damage or clothing moth attacks, but you also have more space to store more costumes! Now I ask you is that one of the best inventions or what! Excuse me while I go tackle the Medieval costumes in the same way.

Theatre Ghost: President John Tyler / Fantômes de Théâtre: Président John Tyler

2011-03-28T20:27:00.007-04:00

I have finally finished the third of the play costumes for Nancy-Raven. I worked on it all of last week and added the last touches yesterday. Now all of the costumes are in the hands of the director and I can’t wait to see what it ends up looking like on the day of premiere (and last), on April 9.

J’ai enfin terminé le troisième des costumes pour la pièce de théâtre dont Nancy-Raven est la costumière. J’y ai travaillé tout le long de la semaine dernière et j’y ai ajouté les derniers détails hier. Tous les costumes sont maintenant entre les mains de l'auteure / metteur en scène et j’ai bien hâte de voir le résultat le soir de la première (et dernière), le 9 avril prochain.

My last assigned costume was President John Tyler. To be honest, I had never heard of that United States President before, but then again, I’m Quebecois, so I learned about Canadian and Quebec Prime Ministers in high school, not our southern neighbour’s head of state. I also have no idea why he is a character in the play as I do not know the story yet. I’ll let you know after I see it.

Le dernier costume que l’on m’a assigné est celui du Président John Tyler. Pour être honnête, je n’avais jamais entendu parler de ce Président États-Uniens auparavant, mais bien entendu, je suis Québécoise, alors on m’a appris les noms des Premiers Ministres Québécois et Canadiens dans mes cours d’histoire au secondaire, pas ceux des chefs d’état de nos voisins du sud. Je n’ai aussi aucune idée sur la raison pour laquelle il a été inclus dans les personnages de cette pièce puisque je n’en connais pas encore l’histoire. Je vous le laisserai savoir après l’avoir vu.

The Inspiration for his costume was this portrait of President Tyler.

L’inspiration pour ce costume fut ce portrait du Président Tyler.

President John Tyler, Reproduction of a photographic print, between ca. 1860 and 1865, printed later / Président John Tyler, Reproduction d'une photographie imprimée, entre 1860 et 1865, imprimée plus tard

My job was to make it in beige, with front Velcro closure for easy costume changes and with as little layers as possible, considering the rapidity of said costume changes. I was asked to make it in two layers because the character apparently takes off his jacket during a scene.

Mon travail impliquait de faire un ensemble semblable, en beige, avec fermeture de Velcro pour faciliter les changements de costumes, et avec le moins d’épaisseur de vêtements possible dû à la rapidité des dit changements. On m’a demandé le faire en deux épaisseurs car le personnage enlève apparement son veston pendant une scène.

Vest and Shirt combo / Combinaison Veste et chemise

The first layer consists of a short vest with attached collar and sleeves to mimic the shirt he should be wearing under the vest. The jacquard for the vest came from an old skirt that the director bought from a second hand clothes sale (church basement), while the cotton for the shirt was bought by Nancy-Raven in the bargain section of our favourite Fabricville. I used pattern Simplicity 8910 for the vest and Butterick 4486 for the shirt collar and sleeves. The fake front shirt piece I drew myself. It closes with five squares of Velcro.

Le premier vêtement consiste en une veste courte avec des manches et un col attaché pour simuler la chemise qui devrait être portée dessous. Le jaquard de la veste provient d’une jupe trouvée par l'auteure / metteur en scène dans une vente de vêtement de seconde main (sous-sol d’église), tandis que la cottonade de la chemise a été acheté chez Fabricville, dans la section des ventes. J’ai utilisée le patron Simplicity 8910 pour la veste et Butterick 4486 pour le col et les manches de la chemise. Le faux devant de chemise je dessinai moi-même. Le tout se ferme au devan grace à cinq carrés de Velcro.

Bow worn with shirt-vest / Boucle portée avec la veste-chemise

It was specified to me how very important it was that the costume of President Tyler include a cravat or bow tie of some sort. Out of an old satin peasant shirt, found once again in a second hand clothes sale, I cut strips of fabric to make a band that wraps around the actor’s neck, the bow and the knot. The band closes at the front with a strip of Velcro and the bow was hand sewn to the band, on top of the Velcro’s seam.

On m’a spécifié à quel point il était important que le costume du President Tyler inclus une cravate ou un nœud quelconque au cou. Dans une vieille chemise paysane de satin, encore une fois trouvée dans une vente de vêtement de seconde main, j’ai découpé des rectagles de tissus pour faire la bande s’attachant autour du cou, la boucle et le nœud. La bande s’attache au devant avec un carré de Velcro et le nœud est cousu à la main dur la bande, au dessus de Velcro.

Tailcoat / Veston Queue de Pie

I realized when taking this picture that the vest was too long. I fixed before giving it to Nancy-Raven, but I was too lazy to take new pictures. That's what happens when you sew until 2:30 AM to catch a deadline and your toddler wakes you up at 6:30 AM. So don't you worry, both the vest and the jacket are flush.

J'ai réalisé en prenant cette photo que la veste était trop longue. Je l'ai raccourcie avant de la remettre à Nancy-Raven, mais j'ai été trop paresseuse pour reprendre de nouvelles photos. C'est ce qui arrive quand on se couche à 2:30 pour terminer un projet à temps, et que votre fillette vous réveille à 6:30. Je vous rassure, le veston et la veste ont maintenant la même longueur au devant.

On top of this is the tailcoat. I used pattern Butterick 3648, but had to reduce the size considerably as the actor is Small and my pattern was a Large/Extra-Large. I just hope it fits him well since I couldn’t meet him and make any adjustments. The fabric is upholstery jacquard from Fabricville’s bargain section. It was very nice to work with! It is once again closed with Velcro. I wish I could have added decorative buttons, but it was not in the budget.

Un veston à queue de pie est porté par-dessus. J’ai utilisé le patron Butterick 3648, mais il m’a fallu le réduire considérablement puisque le comédien porte la taille Petit et que mon patron est un Large/Extra-Large . J’espère seulement qu’il lui ira puisque je n’ai pu le rencontrer et l’ajuster sur lui. Le tissu est un jaqcard de recouvrement trouvé dans la section des ventes de Fabricville. C’est un tissu avec lequel il fut très agréable travailler! Ce veston s’attache encore une fois avec du Velcro. J’aurais aimé ajouter des boutons décoratifs, mais il n’y avait pas de place dans le budget pour les fioritures.

From what I heard, this will be worn with grey pants, over a white t-shirt. With luck, I can get pictures on the day of the play, but with all the costume changes, I don’t know if it will be possible. We’ll see!

D’après ce que l’on m’a dit, cet ensemble sera porté avec un pantalon gris, par-dessus un gaminet blanc. Avec un peu de chance, je pourrai en prendre des photos le jour de la pièce, mais avec tous les changements de costumes prévus, je ne sais pas si cela sera possible. On verra!

This concludes my involvement in making the costumes for this play (can you believe I don’t even know the title?). For more of this project’s costumes, please visit Nancy-Raven’s Blog. And now, on to the next project. Lets see, what should I attack next… (Other than spring cleaning of my sewing room.)

Ceci conlu ma participation à la fabrication des costumes de cette pièce (pouvez-vous croire que je n’en connais toujours pas le titre?). Pour plus de costumes de ce projet, visitez le blogue de Nancy-Raven. Et maintenant, passons au prochain projet. Voyons voir, que pourrais-je attaquer ensuite… (À part le ménage de mon atelier.)

Everybody Dance Now

2011-03-19T14:11:00.009-04:00

Last night was my dance school’s annual recital. It went great, we had a lot of fun and I got to wear three costumes overall.

My School Dress:

Gwenyver in her School dress at the 2010 ECRO, November 2010

My Solo Dress:

Gwenyver in her "Water" Solo dress (being pursued by a tired baby) at the 2010 Ville-Marie Feis, May 2010

And for our finale, we had a surprise planned for the audience: and 80’s/90's number to the song Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) by C & C Music Factory. Which of course meant an 80’s/90's inspired dance costume! (I mixed influences from both "eras" to make this outfit.)I decided to go for an aerobics look, without going for anything too skin tight. Here are the pieces I have found to make my outfit.

"Pure" by Alfred Sung Pink Square Shirt

This is the main piece: the loose t-shirt. It is a lovely shade of bright pink, and the neckline, shoulders and sleeves are trimmed with braided self fabric. I seem to remember my mom had something with similar braiding back then. This is an Alfred Sung “Pure” T-shirt from Zellers, on sale.

Athletic Works lime green sports tank top

I would have liked to have a leotard to go under my t-shirt, but since getting one in my size would have been ridiculously expensive (Discount Dance Supply’s shipping charges to Canada generally doubles the cost of the order), I instead found a lime green sports tank top that looks perfect when peaking from under the pink t-shirt. This is an Athletic Works sports tank top from Wal-Mart, also on sale.

Black Leggings

I wore black leggings which I already own as a bottom.

Neon Green Leg Warmers

Nothing says 80’s Aerobics Fashion like leg warmers. I found these at Ardène in the 3 for 10$ section They are a different shade of green than the tank top, but this is a St. Patrick’s show after all!

Neon Yellow Fingerless gloves

When you look at photos of Madonna in the 80’s, she was often wearing fingerless gloves. The fashion was also picked up by many at the time. I got these neon yellow gloves at Ardène, also in the 3 for 10$ section.

Rainbow Bright inspired Earrings

These rainbow coloured earrings are also from Ardène, but they were bought three years ago. I saw them in magazine and loved instantly.

Neon Yellow and Black Scrunchie

I wore my hair in a high side ponytail and got a neon yellow scrunchie at the Dollar store to cover my elastic (and match the gloves). Nothing says 90's like a good old scrunchie!

Sansha Unisex "Hi-Step" Dance Sneaker

For shoes, I wore my dance sneakers. These are incredibly comfortable and worth every penny. I even wear them to work sometimes!

Want to see the result? (I am the second from the left).

YAID Senior Class, Finale, 2011 Annual Recital

Yep, we looked cool! I think I’ll wear that outfit to dance practice from now on. So comfortable!

Theatre Ghosts : Heraclia / Fantômes de Théâtre : Héraclia

2011-03-13T00:53:00.002-05:00

I have finished another costume for the Ghost’s play. This second costume in as many hours is for the character of Heraclia, an Ancient Greek woman. When considering what to make her, I did think of a peplos, but because of the t-shirt all actors will be wearing under their costumes, I went for a chiton instead.

J’ai terminé un autre costume pour la pièce des Fantômes. Ce second costume en autant d'heures est pour le personnage d’Héraclia, une femme de la Grèce Antique. Lorsque j’hésitais encore sur le modèle à lui confectionner, j’ai considéré le Peplos, mais en prenant en compte la réalité du gaminet porté par tous les acteurs sous leur costume, j’ai plutôt opté pour le chiton.

Peplos VS Chiton

Besides, when Nancy-Raven assigned me this costume, she was thinking of my Circe costume, worn to her Halloween party in 2009.

De toute façon, lorsque Nancy-Raven m’a assigné la réalisation de ce costume, elle pensait à mon costume de Circé, porté pour sa fête d’Halloween en 2009.

Gwenyver as Circé, Halloween 2009 / Gwenyver en tant que Circé, Halloween 2009

I made this chiton the same way I hade made mine: I cut two rectangles the width of the fabric by the desired length for the actress, closed the sides up to 20 cm below the top, to leave an opening for the hands to come out, and tacked the top in eight places, four above each arm from wrist to neckline, to imitate the effect achieved in period with fibula (brooches). The fabric is the same poly/cotton poplin used for Ladanaz’ tunic.

J’ai fais ce Chiton de la même manière employée pour le mien : j’ai coupé deux rectangles de la pleine largeur du tissu par la longueur de l’épaule au sol de la comédienne, puis j’ai refermé les cotés jusqu’à 20 cm du haut afin de laisser une ouverture pour passer les mains et avant d’assembler le haut en huit points, quatre au dessus de chaque bras, du poignet à l’encolure, afin d’imiter l’allure d’un chiton historique fermée par des fibules (broches). Le tissu est le même que celui utilisé pour la tunique de Ladanaz, soit de la popeline de poly/coton.

Heraclia's Chiton / Le Chiton d'Héraclia

For the Palla or shawl, Nancy-Raven gave a piece of dark flesh coloured veiling. I simply finished the raw ends with my overlock and I pulled them through a small metal buckle. The length can be adjusted to the actress’ desire and she can easily pull it over her head for a quick change.

Pour le Palla ou châle, Nancy-Raven m’a remis un morceau de voilage couleur chair foncée. J’ai simplement passé les extrémités non-finies à la surjeteuse, puis j’ai inséré chacune des extrémités dans une boucle de métal. Ainsi, la longueur peut facilement être ajustée selon les désirs de la comédienne et elle peut facilement enfiler son Palla pour un changement rapide.

Heraclia's Chiton and Palla / Le Chiton et le Palla d'Héraclia

I actually like it! Sure it’s beige, but still, I really think it has the right feel to it. Now let’s see what Heraclia thinks about her new outfit.

Je crois que j’aime bien ce costume. Bien sûr, il est beige, mais malgré tout, je trouve qu’il représente bien la culture et l’époque du personnage. Maintenant attendons de voir ce qu’Héraclia pense de son nouvel ensemble.

Theatre Ghosts : Ladanaz / Fantômes de Théâtre : Ladanaz

2011-03-12T23:03:00.010-05:00

I do often miss being Costume Designer for a Theatre troup, even an amateur one. I don’t have the time to do it right now, but I still miss it. When Nancy-Raven was asked to make costumes for a High School play (our High School, Rive-Nord), I of course offered to help (make that beg her to let me work on the project with her, as her assistant). Now, because this is a French High School, I will make the posts on this play bilingual.

Je m’ennuie souvent du temps où j’étais Créatrice de Costumes pour une troupe de Théâtre, même une troupe amateure. Je n’ai pas de temps à y consacrer en ce moment, mais ça me manque tout de même souvent. Lorsque Nancy-Raven s’est vue offrir de faire les costumes pour une pièce de théâtre d’une école Secondaire (notre école secondaire, Rive-Nord), je me suis tout de suite offerte pour l’aider (ou plutôt je l’ai supplié de bien vouloir me laisser travailler avec elle sur ce projet, comme assistante). Comme il s’agit d’une école secondaire de langue Française, tous les articles en lien à cette pièce seront bilingues.(J'espère seulement ne pas trop faire de fautes, ce serait honteux.)

I do not know the title of the play yet, nor do I know the story, but from what I hear, it is about people from all eras and cultures meeting, as ghosts, and sharing memories (someone please correct me if you have any more information on this play). Because the “memories” will be projected on the actors, and the characters are ghosts, all costumes must be beige to serve a screens (white is too hard to work with for the lighting experts). Also, all costumes have to be extremely easy to put on because actors change characters during the play, and change on stage (they all wear leggings / pants and a t-shirt for modesty’s sake). It’s a concept, just go with it.

Je ne connais pas encore le titre de la pièce, ni même son histoire, mais de ce que j’en sais, elle met en scène des gens de toutes époques et toutes cultures; c’est une rencontre de fantômes qui partagent leurs souvenirs (si quelqu’un en sait plus, je vous prie de me corriger). Puisque les « mémoires » seront projetées sur les comédiens, et puisque les personnages sont des fantômes, tous les costumes doivent être beige afin de servir d’écran (le blanc étant rendant le travail des éclairagistes trop compliqué). De plus, les costumes doivent être très facile à enfiler car les comédiens change de personnage durant la pièce et se change sur scène (tous porteront un legging ou un pantalon et un gaminet, question de modestie). C’est un concept artistique.

The first costume I made is for the character of Ladanaz, a Mayan girl. Originally, the idea was to give her a short sleeved dress such as the one worn by Zia in The Mysterious Cities of Gold (1982) (Taiyō no Ko Esuteban). After doing a little research on traditional Mayan female clothing, I discovered that they wore Huipils.

Le premier costume que j’ai complète est celui du personnage de Ladanaz, une jeune Maya. À l’origine, on voulait lui faire porter une robe simple à manches courte inspirée de celle de Zia dans Les Mystérieuses Citées d’Or (1982) (Taiyō no Ko Esuteban). Après un peu de recherche sur le costume traditionnel des femmes Maya, j’ai découvert qu’elles portaient un Huipil.

Huipil, Brooklyn Museum

A Huipil is a highly colourful, incredibly embroidered tunic or blouse, which can be short and worn with a skirt, of long. Here is the fun part: translating that rainbow into beige. With no budget.

Un Huipil est un vêtement très colorée et brodée, portée court comme blouse avec une jupe, ou long comme une tunique. Maintenant la partie amusante : appliquer le concept beige à ce vêtement arc-en-ciel. Sans budget.

Concept Sketch for Ladanaz / Illustration Concept pour Ladanaz

Nancy-Raven and the play’s Writer/Director bought poly/cotton poplin on sale to make the costumes (again, no budget) and this is what I used for the tunic. To mimic embroidery, I added a large square at front and back made from what I believe is leftover upholstery fabric my aunt gave me when I was working on costumes for my previous play. It is beige toned and thickly woven.

Nancy-Raven et l’Auteure / Metteur en scène ont acheté plusieurs mètres de popeline de poly/coton en vente, et c’est ce que j’ai utilisé pour la tunique. Afin d’imiter la broderie, j’ai ajouté au devant et au dos un large carré de tissu que je crois être un reste de tissu de recouvrement, don de ma tante à l’époque où je travaillais sur ma pièce de théâtre précédente. Il est dans les tons de beige et tissé de fils épais.

Ladanaz' "Huipil" / Le "Huipil" de Ladanaz

Please ignore the pressing, it is late and this will get washed before the play anyways.

Veuillez je vous prie ignorer le repassage; il est tard et ce costume sera lavé avant la pièce de toute façon.

Pattern wise, it is simply two rectangles with openings at the sides for the arms and slits at the bottom for ease of movement. For the neckline, I used my own pattern of Key hole, which I normally use on medieval t-tunics. It is not necessarily accurate, but accuracy is not a goal here: suggestiveness and a feel for the approximate culture and period is.

En ce qui concerne le patron, il s’agit simplement de deux rectangles avec ouvertures aux latérales pour les bras et de fentes au bord afin de permettre une plus grande facilité de mouvement. Pour le col, j’ai utilisé mon propre patron de col trou de serrure qui me sert habituellement pour mes tuniques médiévales. Ce n’est pas nécessairement une reproduction précise d’un véritable huipil, mais une reproduction exacte n’est pas le but recherché : il s’agit plutôt de suggérer la culture et l’époque de manière approximative.

So now I have one down and two more to go, all due in two weeks! Since it is St. Patrick’s week, I’m already super busy with Irish dance shows, but I promised them to Nancy-Raven and a witch is only as good as her word. Besides, I Iove making costumes!

J’ai maintenant un costume de fait sur trois de promis, le tout dû dans deux semaines! Comme c’est la semaine de la St-Patrick, je suis déjà très occupée avec différents spectacles de danse irlandaise, mais je les ai promis à Nancy-Raven et je tiendrai parole. De toute façon, j’aime faire des costumes!

Purple Herringbone Toddler T-Tunic

2011-02-27T06:24:00.000-05:00

I am not the only one in need of garb for next week: my daughter needs some too! She has the light blue jersey tunic made by Nancy-Raven, but if I am to wear my houppelande, she's wearing her nightgown! (Hey, maybe I'll bring it for her to change in at the end of the night.)

In preparation for Spring Crown Tourney of last year, I had begun to make us both matching tunics from a piece of purple and black twill. Since the cars both broke down the in days before the event and it was a 3 hour drive, we didn't go. Thus I never bothered to finish the new dresses.

But today, during nap time, I finished my daughter's!

Purple & Black Herringbone Toddler T-Tunic

Honestly, I now know why this fabric was in the discount section: it is so flimsy, it is hell to work with! See how all the seems are pulling? Not my best work, but it will do. Besides, since I cut it when she was 14 month old and she will be turning 2 this week (can you believe it? I still can't!), the sleeves are this close to too tight, and they are now 3/4 length, and the tunic is about knee length now. So you see, she will probably only wear it this once.

Under it, she will wear a long sleeved white t-shirt and black leggings. I will belt the tunic with a card woven belt I made her during the last weeks before she was born; it is white, green and red, which is fine because the trim has green and red in it. Shoes wise, I guess I'll put her in her leather slippers; they are lime green with red lady bugs on the top. Modern, yes, but so cute.

By the way, the fabric isn't as dark as it looks in the picture.

Purple & Black Herringbone fabric and Trim detail

See? And the trim may not be period, but heck, I paid 5.99$ CAD (plus taxes, of course) for the whole roll! So it looks good enough to me! And eventually, I will finish my own tunic too.

Now, I still need to make my daughter a new coif, and get crunching for my own garb!

To wear or not to wear...

2011-02-25T21:17:00.008-05:00

Baronial Investiture Anniversary (BIA) is coming up next week-end, on March 5th; this is the most important SCA event there is locally and I have a little problem: I don’t know what to wear! The new Baron and Baroness will officially make their debut, the King and Queen will be there, as well as many other out of town nobles I am sure. The new Baron and Baroness have issued a challenge to the populace for everyone to wear their best garb, and so of course, as a Costumeholic costumer, I cannot ignore the call of my passion!

I am hesitating between two outfits. The first is my Navy and Gold Gates-of-Hell. It is more fantastic than historical with its Hindu beaded appliqués, but I really like it.

Navy and Gold Gates-of-Hell

The Pros: as I am going with my daughter, I need to be able to move around easily and pick her up (she generally wants me to carry her all the time when she finds herself in an unknown situation. Plus, I love the 14th century hairstyle with the braids on the side of the face. I do need a new white underdress for it, but I have the fabric and the pattern I would use is fairly easy (Butterick 4827).

Navy and Gold Gates-of-Hell - Front Bodice Details

The Cons: It is not historically accurate, the pattern I had used (McCall's 5499) has a fairly smaller skirt than what I had expected, I did wear it once already to BIA a few years back, and mostly, it is not as impressive as my second choice.

My second possible outfit is my Burgundian Houppelande with Butterfly Hennin. I made it for Halloween 2008, while I was 6 month pregnant with my daughter and only wore it to the office that once.

Burgundian Houppelande with Butterfly Hennin

The Pros: It is much more impressive and imposing, I have never worn I it to an SCA event, and I love the way the dress trails behind me. Plus, it is much easier to pull-up my hair into a tight bun than to achieve the braided look I would do for the first outfit.

The Cons: There are many things that need fixing and I only have a week. Many of these are not very time consuming though, but all in all, it seems like a lot! The fur at the collar needs to be tacked to the dress, the hennin is too tight because I but tape over the edge of the straw cache-pot I used as a base, so I would need to open the fabric that covers it and take it off, I need a new, shorter, stiffer veil, and a better belt (although I have a gold braided pleather one I think could to the trick), and a new underdress with a lower neckline, but I don’t have time to make a historically accurate kirtle, so I would have to cheat an make a simple dress from a modern pattern (1998 2 hour dress pattern by McCall's, #9456), and I don’t know if I have the right fabric for that.

Also, I am actually quite shy, believe it of not, and this dress would get me lots of attention, that is for sure. I have to admit I fear the Costume Nazis that invariably follow the King and Queen; I know it is not accurate fabric and I did use fake fur. I just don’t want to deal with them again (last time it was because my Elizabethan necklace was made of synthetic material!). It is crazy to worry about one or two person’s negative reaction, when everyone else’s will probably be positive, right?

After all that, I don’t know if I can easily pick up my daughter, or if she won’t pull on the pins that hold the veil or the veil itself.

Butterfly Hennin close-up

It would seem like the clear choice is the Navy and Gold Gates-of-Hell… but I really wish I could wear my Houppelande. Please faithful readers, what would you do? Help me make a decision and fast! I only have a week to do everything on my list. (For those who vote houppelande, what colour would you suggest for the underdress? Should I keep it red?)