The Great Sewing Room Reorg of 2014
It started, as most projects do these days, with a Pinterest board. Or maybe it started even before that with this room layout tool, mentioned in an Offbeat Home post. Because what’s more fun than...
View ArticleMy Favorite (and Least Favorite) Books on Film
In case you haven’t noticed, I kinda like to combine books and costumes a bit. Also, books and costumes and movies. So over on Frock Flicks for National Book Month, I rounded up my top five and bottom...
View ArticleSo you want a costumers’ fantasy vacation?
It’s easier than you might think Have you ever dreamed of waking up in a canopied bed, throwing open the curtains to look out over rolling green hills, then dressing in your finest period costume to...
View ArticleBetty Boop
This year’s Halloween costume was inspired by Sarah telling me I had to do this, and the ladies in Bella Donna doing a black-and-white movie theme for the 2014 PEERS Bal des Vampyres. Since my friends...
View ArticleRising From the Ashes
I’m moving webhosts, and I don’t know exactly how long it will take to get the site up and running on the new servers. So if you can see this, on either the old site or new one, there may be some...
View ArticleBlinging Up the Princess
For the Investiture of the Prince and Princess of the Mists, I helped sew the outfit worn by her highness Marguerite. I made the yellow damask sideless surcote that was worn over a blue velvet gown...
View ArticleAll About the Commissions
For a change, I’m not making anything for myself, and instead, I’m sewing a bunch of stuff for other people. In time for the SCA’s 12th Night, I took on a bunch of commissions to sock away a little...
View ArticleJust Keep Sewing…
Only a few days left until my 12th Night deadline to get all these commissions done! Eeep. Christmas tried to interfere, but at least I had finished my family’s handmade holiday gifts back during my...
View Article12th Night Secret Santa Largess
Last year, Sarah and I started a West Kingdom Largess Makers group on Facebook, with the intent of encouraging more artisans in our SCA kingdom to make largess — that is, small gifts that royalty can...
View ArticleElizabeth’s French Hood
This is a custom-made French hood commission for Lady Elizabeth de Belcaire to go with a late 16th-century English outfit made by Mistress Elena Edgar and embroidered sleeves made by Elizabeth herself....
View ArticleLéa’s Venetian Gown
This is a custom-made Venetian courtesan gown commission for Lady Léa de Villaverde, first worn at the SCA West Kingdom 12th Night, January 2015. Materials were provided by my client. She wanted a late...
View ArticleBrontë Beginnings
I have a hankering to recreate Charlotte Brontë’s going-away dress, c. 1854. Specifically to wear at Costume College in 2015, since the theme will be “Plucked From the Pages,” aka books and literary...
View ArticleBlack & Gold Silk Venetian Courtesan Gown
Also know as my goth courtesan gown. I’ve wanted something like this ever since I joined Bella Donna Historical Performers, but it took a while for the right fabric to come along. And even then, I...
View ArticleTyrion Lannister From Game of Thrones
When the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild announced a Game of Thrones event at the glorious Castello di Amarosa winery in Calistoga, February 2015, I really wanted to go. For a while, it seemed like...
View ArticleMarguerite’s 1590s Purple Fleur Princess Gown
Two things you need to know about this dress: 1) Marguerite du Royon‘s heraldry is purple and gold with three fleur de lys, 2) Marguerite started her reign as Princess of the Mists wearing 1490s and...
View ArticleMuch Costume College, Wow!
I’m not ignoring my costume blog, but I really haven’t been “costuming” per se that much. Sure, I dress up for costumed events maybe once every six weeks, but I go huge stretches between making...
View ArticleThe Ghost of Catherine Earnshaw From Wuthering Heights
For the Costume College 2015 Gala, I wanted to go along with that year’s “Plucked From the Pages” literature theme. And one of my all-time favorite book characters is Cathy’s ghost in Wuthering Heights...
View ArticleNot dead, just uninspired – but maybe change is a-coming…
Egads, I haven’t posted here since Costume College 2015. I did go to CoCo last year, but it was super-abbreviated — I flew in late Friday, taught one class Saturday morning, wore a modern cocktail...
View ArticleLucy Westenra From Bram Stoker’s Dracula
This has been a bucket-list costume for ages, yet I finally made it as a quickie last-minute version in less than a month. The occasion came about because Bella Donna Historical Performers were singing...
View ArticleMary Queen of Scots Pink 1550s Gown
I’ve only been wanting to make this gown for a decade. No lie — my first blog post about it was in 2009, and I’ve loved the portrait for longer. So for my birthday this year, I planned a fancy dress...
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