Corsets, Capes and Costumes

Can't believe it's almost here...

2010-04-17T11:20:00.003-04:00

Yep, RT Columbus 2010 is barely a week away. And I'm guessing that everyone who's bringing a costume is pretty much finished. All that's left is the challenging task of packing the darn thing.

Here's a tip from Queen Elizabeth. (I kid you not. PBS had a special on the Monarchy a while back, featuring her attendants packing her clothing for a trip to Windsor or somewhere). Always use tissue paper if at all possible. Firstly, if you layer tissue on the garment BEFORE folding, it will crease less, since the folds impact the tissue first, rather than the fabric. Good to know.

Secondly, packing a bunch of tissue wrapped garments keeps them in place inside your suitcase. Again, the tissue serves as a buffer against too much movement, and you avoid opening it at your destination to find that tiered skirt you've put so much time into creating sitting like a crumpled tablecloth beneath your sneakers. This DOES WORK. I've tried it on a few trips and my suitcase opened up to reveal pretty much what I'd packed in the same place it started.

So I hope to see some of you costume fans in Columbus. I will be taking tons of pictures and picking the brains of those who've created some of the wonderful outfits that always dazzle me!

And if there's any tulle left in New England, I'm gonna be seriously surprised. LOL

Safe travels to all,

Sahara

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And the Winner Is.....One SCARY Dude!

2009-05-27T11:54:00.005-04:00

The Romantic Times convention always brings out the best costumes for every fun event. This year's Faery Ball was no exception, featuring not only the Fabulous Fae themselves, but guests who had obviously worked many hours to create their masterpieces. It's a huge amount of fun and everyone eagerly looks forward to a night of wings and wonder! The costume competition is one of the highlights and I'm thinking there's no better spot to feature this year's winner than right here on my costume blog. Take a look...a close look! This one truly deserved First Prize!!!

He's not - as some have stated - the Green Man. Duh. He's not green. And no, he's not Posiedon (last year's ball, folks. Get with the program!) nor is he wearing a maple leaf on his face. This is "Willow", the Demon Faery-slayer!!! Those of us writers acquainted with Will (of EC cover art fame) still had a hard time recognizing him, so I suppose mis-identification of his character can be forgiven, but still... He wore this incredible costume with panache and wowed the guests - winning both Faery Court choice and attendees' choice awards. A well-deserved clean sweep for Willow!!!

This costume is unique - created especially for this event. The face, as I understand it, is in two parts...one above the nose/eyes, and one below. These are prosthetic masks, folks, not something we casual costumiers could manage ourselves, unless we develop a talent for molds and the complex process involved in casting 'em. The wings - which you can't see here - were also hand made, and when the entire outfit was combined - the result speaks for itself. Besides my urge to genuflect before the combined talent of Will and Syneca, I also give a bravo to Will for spending a long evening in this rig - don't forget this was Orlando, folks. It's HOT, air conditioning notwithstanding. Will patiently posed for photos with all the aplomb of Brad Pitt and took all the fuss and bother in stride. He withstood the double-takes, growled and waved his axe at the appropriate times and - as far as we know - didn't actually slay any faeries, just a few beers.

We women spend a lot of time on costumes. I think it's a genetic thing, along with the "shoes" obsession. But here's a wonderful example of how a guy can walk away with the top prize - all it takes is talent and artistic skill plus the commitment to excellence. None of which I possess in this area unfortunately. Needless to say, I'm putting in a request to Syneca for an Angelina Jolie face for next year. LOLLOL

Cheers,
Sahara

Ahhh Tulle!

2009-05-27T11:32:00.004-04:00

The Orlando convention has come and gone and the costumes this year were outstanding. Or, in my case, upstanding. As you can see from the photo, I opted for a high collar (it's that Tudor influence) which I boldly asserted was modeled on the Wicked Queen from Snow White. That was my story and I stuck to it. I spent quite some time in various design modes, trying to develop the right "look" for what started out as a rather plain robe. When I stumbled across a fat remnant of sparkly tulle at the fabric store, a new world opened up.

Now tulle isn't too bad to sew with - especially for something as small as this collar. I hand gathered it after cutting it into sort of the right shape and folding it in half (this was all done by trial and error since I couldn't find any patterns that worked) then I basted it to the neckline. To my joy, it stood tall. However...when I put it on? OUCH!!! Tulle is the fabric equivalent of barbed wire!!! Clearly some adjustment to my thinking was needed lest I bear the scars for life. Not pretty. So after stitching the collar in place (again by hand) I had to rummage in my scrap bag to find some blanket binding which I then stitched over the gathers - twice, top and bottom - and presto digitato...comfort returned. Moral of the day? Tulle is great for stiff things provided they don't touch your skin. If they do...go the extra mile, add something between you and your tulle and wear your costume without pain!

An aside here...tall collars travel just fine if you fold them flat and don't crease them horizontally. However, I had to get creative with a clothes hanger since my collar was taller than the distance between the wood and the bar. A handy dandy luggage strap solved the problem, but it was one I hadn't anticipated. Goes to show you just never know about these things until you do 'em!!

I'm digging for some more interesting costume shots - stay tuned.

Best wishes,
Sahara

Happy New Year

2008-12-28T10:29:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone's having a lovely Holiday Season and enjoying the sights and sounds of this time of year - one that's been celebrated in different ways by different people for more generations than we can count!

As a Holiday gift, I'd like to share this link with you. I hope it works!!!

A Look at Costuming the Tudors

For those of us passionate about costuming, it's a delightful look inside the production of that magnificent series THE TUDORS. The designer is honest about what's modern and what's not, and gives us a good idea of why historical accuracy isn't always the way to go on a series like this. I agree. We're 21st century viewers. Understanding the magnetic and charismatic appeal of a young Henry VIII is much easier when he's fulfilling OUR image of a rock star, not that of a sixteenth century idol!!!

I hope you enjoy it and that everyone has a safe and happy New Year!

Best wishes from Sahara

As Thanksgiving Nears

2008-11-23T12:54:00.002-05:00

I'm guessing everyone's busy preparing for the holidays, so I'll just remind folks to check out their local costume shops/party places for lots of bargains right now...after all, you MIGHT need long lace gloves at some point? Or a feather tipped wand marked down to fifty cents? Who knows?

I'm getting ready to scour the Christmas decoration shops. Yep, you can mine some interesting decorative things from the trim-a-tree shops. It's not all tinsel and glittery ornaments - now and again there are some flat pieces which can be glued to a corset with spectacular results!

So while I'm digging through the shiny stuff, I'm sending best wishes to everyone for a great Thanksgiving - and safe travels to all.

Sahara

Arise, Sir Knight

2008-11-15T12:51:00.002-05:00

For the gentlemen out there who enjoy donning a costume now and again (and yes there are more than a few), a lot of sites offer excellent ideas in male costuming.Much of the focus is on the historical aspect - I made the costume worn by Sir Scott (photo on right) from a Simplicity pattern which was easy to sew. A tunic and matching cape worked well in this instance, but if you're looking for more, check out the Museum Replicas website. I've posted the link. This is for folks who don't know a baldrick from a gambeson, but would like something authentic. And their Tudor selection is pretty impressive. (A note to the ladies - their sizing is good. An XL really IS an XL, not a 12-14.) I've tapped many of these costumes for ideas, since although they're sort of middling in the price range, I don't always want to spend that much money. If I can come close with my sewing machine and fabric on sale, I'll try that first, guided in matters of decoration/accessories by sites like these. Saves me some cash, which is always good these days.

Taylor-Made...

2008-11-13T11:33:00.004-05:00

To the right you'll see a couple of costume photos posted with kind permission of writer Tawny Taylor. Tawny's taken folks' breath away at some of the recent RT Booklover's Conventions, and these costumes are the reason why. As talented at costume design as she is with her pen (keyboard?), Tawny's appearance at any of the costume parties is always an event to be anticipated.

She's also really patient with those of us who rudely poke around her magnificent outfits to find out how she did it! LOL

Thanks Tawny - for letting me post the pics and for inspiring so many of us to go out there and make our own costumes!!!

Today's Useful Suggestions

2008-11-13T10:14:00.002-05:00

I received some helpful suggestions yesterday from friends (of the Fae kind! LOL) So here's a couple of links that you might enjoy checking out.

From Janet Miller/Cricket Starr - a link to wing construction WITH VIDEO. Always helpful to those of us with three thumbs.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Fairy-Wings

Thanks, Janet.

Kathryne Kennedy, a fellow Fae, joins me in recommending the "Recollections" site (link to the right). I've received my items, Kathryne's ordered hers. I'm thrilled with them - I hope she will be as well.

For the truly adventurous, or those simply interested in corsets, I'd recommend checking out Corsetmaking.com. If you've ever wondered exactly what a spoon busk is, here's the place to find out!

The Wing Thing...a sort of rant

2008-11-12T15:31:00.003-05:00

Since I'm a Fae again this year at the RT Convention in Orlando, I'm back to the "Oh My God...WINGS" hunt!!! Why is it that all these lovely wings (and some are truly gorgeous) come with these yucky little straps that you have to tie around yourself like a kindergartener's backpack?

The alternative is a simple H brace (or U brace) that slips down inside a well fitting bra or the back of a corset. No straps and your arms are free to scatter fairy dust. Unfortunately, these particular wings seem to average about a hundred bucks MORE than the regular ones. I don't get it. I'd think that the work involved would be less than putting straps on 'em, but maybe I'm wrong. And you do have to wear a lowbacked costume, unless you want to open up the back seam down to your bra level. But even so...for that kind of money...I'll get out the seam ripper. LOL

Any thoughts?

Hi Costume Fans

2008-11-12T14:09:00.002-05:00

I've started this little spot to encourage all you folks out there to share your costuming experiences. As an RT Booklover's Convention attendee for six years now, I've spent many happy hours sewing a variety of costumes (and quite a few not-so-happy hours cleaning up the glitter afterward.). Since it occurred to me that there were probably more than a few people out there doing the same thing, I figured it would be nice to see if anyone might want to spend a little time swapping notes.

Have you found a great costume supplier? A super fabric source? Somewhere you can find wings or facepaint? Got any tips for sewing chiffon, gluing sequins or pulling a "Scarlett O'Hara" and ripping down drapes for that ball gown? Got feathers????

Got any pressing questions about - er - pressing dressy fabrics? I'd love to hear what you folks have to say. Let's see if we can pool our resources and produce some of our own breathtaking creations!!!