From your stash to mine

I can never throw fabric away. what can I say, I'm addicted! The problem is, sometimes people I know who do want to get rid of fabric give it to me, which keeps my stash growing. Today, a colleague who is also a Designer brought me a bunch of fabrics, including 2.5 metres of this Gold Chinese Brocade.

Gold Chinese Brocade

My brain is firing up. I am trying to figure out what to do with it. For now, my first idea is a Victorian skirt, which will need a bustle on top, maybe black, and a corset. I am thinking out loud here.

Any other suggestions?

Edit: So apparently, there is a vary famous poem written on this fabric, or so the person who gave it to me told me today. Wish I knew what it was, it might add to the inspiration.

Starting with Headdresses

Someone once told me all costumers, crafters and seamstresses are borderline hoarders at the very least. I am no exception to that rule. I have the hardest time throwing stuff away because somehow, I always feel I can eventually find a use for them in a future costume or craft. 

Here is an example: a month ago, I made poke bonnets for my daughter and me from cheap straw hats. The process involves cutting a little less than half the hat away and using the bigger piece. In theory, I should have thrown out the scrap piece right away, but something was holding me back; a little voice inside my head keeps on telling me they can be used for something.

 Hat leftovers

The other night, I was playing with these leftovers, trying to convince myself to just get rid of them once and for all, when I realized they could make great bases for headdresses.

Future small headdress

Future big headdress

Part of me just wants to grab my crafting supply and hot glue gun and start creating, but then, what would be the point of having a headdress that goes with nothing? Besides, I don’t currently have (ok, had) plans for a costume requiring a headdress, but I started googling images of various headdresses anyways, for inspiration. I won’t post all the ones I found interesting here, but you can see them my Pinterest Board on Headdresses.

Ultimately, I have come up with two ideas (for now). The first one would be to make a feathery headdress to go with an eventual Steampunk Burlesque dancer costume. I would like to make a headdress that looks somewhat like this one:

  "Versailles: Golden bird" by Astarohime

Of course I would match the colours to my future costume, which I have not designed yet (but it includes a corset and bustle).

My second idea is to make a Naboo Queen costume, inspired by both these:

 Queen Amidala's Coruscant Pre-Senate Costume

 Queen Apailana's Funeral costume

Since the shapes of both these dresses are similar, one could surmise that Naboo Queens all have a dress in that style. Maybe Queen Kylantha (who is a blond according to the artwork) has one too. This way I could get really creative and not worry about screen accuracy; I could just let a beautiful fabric inspire me, especially if it is on sale. This Star Wars original idea is really tickling my brain; now I am itching to make it even if I have nowhere to wear it.

I know, I have more ideas and projects than places to wear them too and money to make them (don’t we all). And I still have two more straw hats that I want to turn into poke bonnets, so two more headdress possibility!