The first real, non-Halloween costume I think I ever made! I had sewn a lot of stuff before this, but all modern clothes, usually for gothy and new wavey purposes in the '80s, plus some home dec stuff. I'd made a few renfaire peasant outfits in the years previous to this.

In 1991, I joined St. Andrew's Guild, a reenactment group that portrayed the court of Mary Queen of Scots. Early on, I met with the guild's costume mistress, a talented seamstress who I hoped would make me an outfit. Instead, she loaned me one of her fabulous gowns for a few weeks, traced off a basic bodice pattern for me, and said "you'll do great sewing it yourself! I can't wait to see what you make."

This black velveteen gown became the workhorse of my next two years performing at renfaires around Northern California. I made three different sets of sleeves, two different underskirts, three hats, and countless accessories.

The first incarnation had Queen's sleeves, puffed at the top with burgundy satin in the slashes, and that coordinated with a burgundy satin underskirt. The second sleeves were straight tight sleeves with fur cuffs (a vintage find), and then I made the long, draped, open over-sleeves, pictured here, that I lined with silver and black brocade to go with a matching underskirt. Both the sleeve facings and skirt forepart were attached with velcro and/or snaps, because I planned to make detachable pieces in other fabrics. Never got around to that though.

My first hat was a standard flat cap (which I still wear in winter). Next was a French hood with a white velvet veil. Then I made a bag cap that my mom helped decorate with silver criss-crossed cord, pearls, and silver fish charms. The fish was my favour in the guild (inspired by my last name), and I collected costume jewelry with fish shapes to use in my costume. The Fish Hat is still my fave.

Was this all perfectly historically accurate? Nope. Was it an appropriate theatrical costume that evoked the era and character being played? Yep! I may not have had all the proper underpinnings (I boned my bodices back then, instead of making corsets), the fabrics weren't all period, and yeah, my bangs stick out of my French hood. I still think I looked quite nice, and I have fond memories wearing that gown.

After my time at faire, this gown got recycled into Mary Queen of Scots Midst Beheading for Halloween 1993.