I was first introduced to eye miniatures in season 1 of Outlander when Geillis Duncan wore a Lover’s Eye brooch on her Arisaid at the Gathering. And then diving deeper into 18th century fashion, I started to see them everywhere. When Natasha (Sewcialist Revolution) organized a Hogwarts inspired 18th century quidditch costume group for DragonCon […]
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 […]
Ghosts of Costumes Past: DragonCon 2013
As I prepare for this year’s DragonCon in Atlanta next week, I’m looking back at the first DragonCon that we attended in 2013…what a blast from the past! And wow, things have changed in 6 years! This was before I learned how to sew, before I knew any of you awesome nerds, before the blog, […]
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 […]
From Suburbs to City (Part 3)
Continued from: From Suburbs to City (Part 1) and From Suburbs to City (Part 2) And now for the third and final update on our transition from the suburbs to the city! What a busy two months it has been! From our last update two months ago we finally unpacked everything, and we had just accepted […]
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 […]
Exploring Alentejo Whites with a Portuguese Wine & Food Pairing
Lately we’ve been exploring more Portuguese wines, and I even attended an Appellation Alentejo Wine Seminar in Houston. Courtesy of Creative Palate, and as a follow-up to Exploring Alentejo Reds with a Portuguese Wine & Food Pairing, I was sent four Alentejo wines to taste and review. It was suggested that I taste the wines side-by-side, […]
Hungarian Wine via Budapest
When my friend Sarah asked me to join her in Budapest, Hungary at the tail end of a work trip, I said yes! She wanted to visit a wine region or two, and I was game for pretty much anything. I had heard about Hungarian wine but hadn’t tried it until she gave me a […]