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 dress to the Gala, and drove back with Sarah and Francis on Monday. I didn’t make any costumes last year,
This is the presentation to accompany the lecture I gave at Costume College 2017. The topic was what women wore during the height of the suffrage movement at the turn of the 20th century, what colors were symbolic of the movement in the U.S. and U.K., and how the symbols were used. Suffragette Fashions: Myths
A vintage 1910s black silk gown I found online. This November 2016 photoshoot by Sandra Brenchley (who also did the photo effects) was around the theme of a historical suffragette mourning the presidential election. We took these photos in the San Jose Rose Garden.
This is the presentation to accompany the lecture I gave at Costume College 2016. The topic was the evolution of the gothic subculture’s fashion, rising out of punk in the 1970s and combining historical fashion elements with music, literature, art, and pop culture, plus how gothic fashion became high fashion. Punk + History = Gothic
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 by Emily Brontë. It’s such an iconic scene from gothic literature. Of course, I’ve made this costume before back in 2002
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 anything new. Until, dun dun dun, Costume College! Well, at least this year. I’ve gone back and forth over the
This is the presentation to accompany the lecture I gave at Costume College 2015. The topic was how black clothing has been worn over the centuries, sometimes for mourning the dead but also for utilitarian reasons and for fashion by different classes in western Europe. Black, It’s Not Just for Mourning – Costume College 2015
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 has proceeded to wear later and later garb until this, the end of her reign, where she wanted to
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 finances would conspire against me, but I had a little help from my friends, and the plan came together. But
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 didn’t have the time to make it myself — so I commissioned Sarah to do it. But I did
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 characters. I have a pattern (really just a scaled diagram) taken from the actual dress that is at the Brontë Parsonage Museum
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 16th-century Venetian gown in the classic “courtesan” style with the ladder-laced front, made of a rich damask from her fabric stash.
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. It was first worn at the SCA West Kingdom’s 12th Night in January 2015. Since the fitted gown and kirtle were inspired by
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 give out, as they often need to. There’s a very active general-SCA largess makers group on Facebook, but we
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 Thanksgiving break. But still, I have SO much to do, no matter how well I schedule, plan, and to-do list