With recent CDC recommendations to wear cloth face coverings in public, people are scrambling to make masks for themselves, others, and to donate to medical facilities. So I made a handful for myself and my husband, and close (read: nearby) friends and family that could drop by for a porch pick-up. And then I must […]
Sewing Projects
Grand Pannier: What Not to Do
Have you ever screwed up a sewing project so horribly that you want to burn it, and the house down? Just me? I made every mistake possible while attempting my 18th century grand pannier, because although I have pocket hoops/side panniers for my sack-back gown or robe à la française, I wanted options. I’ve no business giving any advise […]
Costuming Brianna from Outlander: Season 4 (Patchwork Shirt)
I usually costume Claire from Outlander, and I have outfits from the first 3 seasons. But in season 4, a costume worn by Brianna (Bree) caught my eye, and I started working on it before the first episode even aired. I made Brianna’s patchwork shirt that she wore while hunting with Jaime in episode 409, […]
Ghosts of Costumes Past: DragonCon 2018
Every year during Labor Day weekend, I attend DragonCon in Atlanta, one of the largest pop culture conventions in the United States. While it’s not the largest and the most widely known, it is my version of a costuming Super Bowl. As I’m currently on my way to Atlanta for this year’s convention, I’m taking a look back at what I […]
Hair Cushions: An Experimental Book Review of The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Beauty
I’m no stranger to 18th century costuming, but my knowledge is relatively new and limited to Outlander and Black Sails, and I am still learning (always). I attended Costume College last month and sat in on the 18th century beauty lecture led by Lauren Stowell and Abby Cox from American Duchess. My husband, friends, and […]
Costume College 2019: A First Timer’s Recap
About a year ago I learned about Costume College, an annual costuming arts conference in Southern California, via social media (thanks to the incredibly skilled people that I follow). You mean to tell me there’s a conference for people who like to sew costumes and want to be better? Of course there is…sign me up! […]
Costuming Afternoon Tea Darth Vader
Since I was a little girl, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Darth Vader was one of my favorite characters. Now that I’m a grown costuming woman with moderate sewing skills, I can’t help but recreate this iconic and beloved character in my own way. Preparing for Costume College with my […]
Costuming an Art Inspired Maenad
In my wine loving household, maenads, the drunken followers of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, were always a sort of mascot. I found this gorgeous representation of a maenad on Pinterest, specifically on a tarot card by Tarot of Delphi. The art used on the tarot card is Autumn Vintage Festival (1877) by Lawrence Alma-Tadema…and […]
Costuming a Hufflepuff from Harry Potter
I’m a little (okay, a lot) late to the party, but I just finished reading all of the Harry Potter books. I loved them so much that current and planned costumes got pushed aside so I could make a bunch of Harry Potter costumes. Hogwarts house robes, Quidditch uniforms, McGonagall, Snape, Bellatrix…I should really stop […]
Costuming Vikings: The Style
Inspired by the show Vikings, some truly bad ass costumes I’ve seen at Texas Renaissance Festival and on Pinterest, and wanting to wear a costume in the freezing winds of the Orkney Islands, I began researching Viking costumes with a smidgen of historical accuracy. I made three viking dresses, embellished two sets of tunics, and assembled/made […]