Costume College 2018, here I come!

My registration is complete!
2018 is going to be the year I finally make it to Costume College! As luck would have it, the amazing Val is Dean this year and has chosen the greatest theme of all time!

Dressing the Royals!

I'm so very excited to be attending and I'm trying keep all my thoughts and ideas in order.

Quick list of ideas:

Thursday Night Pool Party: "Realm of The Goblin King"

Fairy

Friday Night Social: “A Princess in Paris” 

something black, with giant sleeves

Saturday Night Gala: "A Royal Coronation Ball" 

1860s yellow, floral ballgown

Sunday Breakfast: "The Royal Breakfast"

I don't think I understand this event.  Of course I love the theme!  But, will I want to go to breakfast on Sunday?  I just don't know because its my first time.  

Do I go to this?

Ladies 1880's Drawers

Just a quick little post about drawers.  I made the  Ladies 1880's Drawers from The Ladies Treasury of Costume and Fashion site. I was a little leery about the whole concept of open drawers.  Then I saw this video on the Prior Attire Facebook page and I understood.  Its pretty much the only way to use the restroom when you are wearing a full skirt.

Then I made them and tried them on. They are awesome!!  So soft and comfy and I want to wear them everyday!

it's pretty much impossible to get a nice pic

They're made from the same cotton I used for my chemise, but I used an ecru lace on the front face of the waistband because I ran out of the cotton.  I think it kinda looks like I did it on purpose, though.  The seams are flat-felled and I added 6 tucks above the hems.  I followed the video in this Threads article to make them.  They're a little wonky, but it was my first time, hopefully I'll improve with practice.  No one should be seeing my drawers anyway.

I trimmed the hems with the same lace I put on my bustle.

The Lobster Tail Bustle

yourwardrobeunlockd.com

I have been making SO much use of my Your Wardrobe Unlock'd subscription!  There are endless articles, tutorials and even complete pattern downloads available all from experienced costumers.  I found it when I was trying to locate the perfect corset pattern.

My lobster tail bustle is from the pattern and how-to article by Christina DeAngelo.  You do have to have a subscription to access the article.  But I really think anyone starting out in historical costuming should make the investment.

Lobster Tail Bustle Pattern and How-To

I've been hearing about the difficulties in obtaining the 1/2" hoop steels so I thought I'd be the guinea pig for the green lumber strapping from Home Depot.  I've seen a couple references to using it in the depths of the internet, but I haven't seen much detail about it being used for costuming.  I stopped by my Genesee/Balboa Home Depot on my lunch break one day just to see how easy it is to obtain the green strapping.

The guy working in the lumber department that day was really, really nice and was more than happy to give me all the strapping I wanted.  He really was only concerned about me pulling it out of the piles of lumber myself.  I got about 20 feet of strapping and he told me to come back anytime for as much as I might need.  Great!  Thanks Home Depot!

The strapping didn't seem to be metal at all.  I was sure it was all plastic.  So I cut a piece off and checked it out under the dissecting scope (about 35X).

It has a diamond plate texture which I'm thinking is what makes it so strong but flexible.  I really needed to see the inside, so I looked at it in cross section.

This is looking straight on to the cut edge.  Its definitely all plastic!  That would be why its so easy to cut with regular scissors.  But this also makes me very happy because I won't have to worry about rusting!

I made the bustle with some baby pink cotton and I used grograin ribbon for the bone channels and all the ties.  I trimmed the edges of the skirt with an ecru cotton lace and I also rounded the lower edges of the skirt.

 (for some reason my purple pen is taking days and days to disappear)

Christina's bustle pattern is really wonderful!  It includes 9 sizes and you can mix and match waistband/skirt/stay/bustle pieces to customize your perfect bustle.  I chose the biggest size in all the pieces.  (skirt and waistband-18, bustle and stay-I) I hope I don't regret that later...

The green strapping is 5/8" wide and is labeled AAR 58.  I found this source for it and it seems that its a very strong PET.  I could have just used a wider grosgrain channel, but since I've never made a bustle before, I didn't know if wider bones would still work.  So I trimmed them all to 1/2" wide.

I cut all my bones with regular household scissors (not fabric scissors!!) and found out immediately that you have to shape the ends.  When you cut the plastic it mashes a little and the ends have a sharp little flare that will catch on EVERYTHING.  So I just trimmed each edge to a sort of rounded shape with scissors.  You could probably make them really nice with a file, but I left mine a little choppy.

The bustle construction itself is very straightforward.  The digital pattern is excellent and the instructions are very well-written.  She has a great technique for attaching the channels to prevent poke-thru.  I flat felled all my seams for strength and because I like the look.  I also added the ruffle completely by hand.  I read this article on Historical Sewing.com and it was a great reminder to put time and patience into garments to really take your costuming to the next level.  I figured a simple little ruffle would be a great way to practice that.  Yeah, it took me FOREVER!  Yeah, I could have hemmed, gathered, attached and trimmed about 10 ruffles in the same amount of time.  But it was so satisfying and I think it looks better.

I placed the top of the ruffle below the second bone from the bottom and I stitched it on the bustle before I put in all the bones.  The bones slide right into my grosgrain ribbon channels.  One important tip with using grosgrain for channels is melting the cut ends.  I just used one of those candle flamers and melted every end I cut. I also labeled each bone's measurement right in the center with a sharpie.  The bones are removable and there is a space in each channel at the center back of the bustle.  That way I can make sure I have the right bones in the right channels if I ever need to remove them.

(OH! my cluttered garage/sewing space)

I think it looks great on my dress form and I'm especially happy with the ruffle and the trim.  The bone channels are a little dark because of the dark green strapping, but that doesn't bother me.  The whole thing is very light weight which worries me a little.  I hope it can support my skirts.  We shall see...

Up next: Drawers

Historical Sewing: starting with a good foundation

Well, I finally did it.  After years and years of lurking in the shadows I finally joined the San Diego Costume Guild.  There really wasn't much to it.  Its not like there is an entrance exam or even any dues to pay.  You just get involved!  So that's what I'm doing my best to do!

I joined the Facebook page and very soon a sewing workshop was advertised, so I signed right up.  Shelley Peters, the proprietress of Kansas Merchantile, runs sewing workshops for historical costuming.  There you can make entire historical corset in 2 days, or learn historical clothing construction.  I really wasn't sure what I would do, but I knew I needed to be there.

Before attending the workshop I looked through all the photos on the costume guild page and Val, who was hosting the workshop invited me to a couple of her costuming pages.  I decided that I was most interested in two events the Dia de Los Muertos celebration in Old Town and the Picnic in Tissot's Garden even (hosted by Val).  So that meant an 19th century bustle gown.

You really can't wear these dresses properly without the right under garments, so I needed to get my foundations built.  I needed a good corset.

Your Personalized Victorian Corset

I used the free drafting instructions from Your Wardrobe Unlock'd to make a pattern and on the first day of the workshop Shelley let me try on some of her corsets and she helped me get as good fit as possible (for my body) with the muslin I made from the pattern. 

I took my muslin full of marks and notes on fit and transferred all the information to my paper pattern for future corsets.  Then I got all the pieces cut out and started assembling my actual corset!  Shelley recommends Welt or Folded Seam Corset Construction.  I love it!  Everything is smooth and strong because its done with such precision at each step.

Before the next sewing workshop, I completed a chemise.  I used the free chemise pattern from the Tudor Links website.  I was extremely easy to draft the pattern and put the whole thing together.  I used basic white cotton and trimmed it with lace I was given in a giant bag of trim from my lovely neighbor, Sara.  The band is decorated with my feeble attempt at hand embroidery.  I'm pretty sure that is not really how the band is supposed to be attached, but it'll work for a first attempt.

Over Fourth of July weekend, Shelley held another workshop, which Val so gracious offered to host in her home again and I was able to stay all day and get the majority of my corset completed.  All that was left was the final hand-stitching on the top and bottom binding.

I got all the binding stitched down and my corset was completed!

Next I'll be working on drawers and a lobster tail bustle.

Babywearing Sewing

I started making baby carriers after Korben was born because, frankly, carriers are really expensive!  I didn't understand why until I started making my own.  A lot of time and effort goes into making something safe to carry your most precious cargo.  It really isn't complicated or intricate sewing, its precision.  Everything has to be secure and well-made.  I started with mei tais because I just liked the look of them and I found a free pattern.  My first carrier was a robot print mei tai that has now been loved by many families, and has been passed on.

I really wish I had taken a full picture of it

The Fuller Day hood to headrest mei tai tutorial

I made quite a few mei tais with different variations of design.  For ComicCon 2013 I made a mei tai with a contoured, padded waist, foam in the straps, rainbow legs-out padding, and appliqued space invaders.  I LOVE the rainbow of space invaders, and this happens to be one of the most comfortable carriers I've ever made.

I made quite a few ring slings which are very useful and functional, but kind of unremarkable.  I tried the SBP pleated shoulder and it wasn't for me.  Jan's standard gathered shoulder is what I prefer and I've slingified wraps, table cloths, and just plain muslin with sling rings and a plain old gathered shoulder.

Then Sew Toot came on the scene and I gave the Little Pick Me Up a try.  I made a preschool size for Korben because he was still asking to go up and I didn't think I really had anything strong enough to carry a viking-sized 3 year old.  So, I let him choose his fabrics and I placed an order with strapworks.com

Its amazingly comfortable!  And the construction was not difficult at all.  Like with mei tais, SSC's require precision and very strict attention to detail, but the actual sewing is not difficult.  So I cut right into my Mexican cambaya fabric I had been saving and made a baby size LPMU for Maya.  The cambaya rainbow fabric really looks like legit wrap fabric and everyone at the Paxbaby Birthday party thought it was a wrap conversion.  But it's actually really thin acrylic that I bought for $2/yd.  I interfaced it with a sturdy cotton and it has a heavy cotton duck inner layer.  So the cambaya is just for looks, but it's a show-stopper for sure!

I actually ended up selling my Tula because we like this better and use it everyday, usually a couple times a day.

I did try my hand with an onbuhimo.  Many years ago I found the Baby-roo huckepack and I wanted one SO bad.  I loved that there was no waistband and that it had what looked like fluffy, padded straps.  Everything about it looked so cool and comfy for back carries.  But, they were practically impossible to get in the US.  So I looked into making my own onbu.  I found a free pattern for a ring onbu and my first one left quite a bit to be desired for.

Then, last year Sew Toot came out with the Barefoot Bucklebu pattern and I bought it right away.  I literally whipped up my first one in about 2 hours and I LOVED it as much as I though I would love the Baby-roo huckepack.  So, I purchased a Boba kanga print stuff sack and took it all apart and made my bucklebu boba hack.  I tried to frame it just like the Boba SSC's, because I've always liked that look and I was sad when Tula stopped doing it.  I left out the chest strap and its ok, but it would have been even better with one. This is the only way I do back carries now.  It so easy to pop her up on my back, and I don't have to make Korben wait too long while I do a double hammock or some other very involved back carry. 

I even took the kids on the their first hike with Mimi in our buckle bu!

I have so many more carriers either swirling around in my head as design ideas or already cut out and waiting construction.  But I can see our baby wearing days are winding down, and I have mixed feelings about it.  I love to see my two little people grow up and become independent out in the world.  But I'll always love to have them close to me.

My April Babies

Both babies happened to be born in April.  Maya's due date was actually May 15, 2014, but she had other plans, and made her great debut on April 22.  So with Korben's birthday on April 5, we end up having 2 birthday parties pretty close together in April.

Lots of people ask why I don't combine their parties since most of the same people are invited.  Well, it won't always be that way.  Very soon they will each have their own set of friends and they'll have completely different people attending their parties.

Korben has had a super hero party, a Mickey Mouse party, and last year he had a pirate party.  He loves spaceships and anything to do with rockets, so this year we're going that direction.  

Last year Maya had a butterfly 1st birthday party.  Currently she's in love with Anna and all things Frozen.  But since she has a springtime birthday, I didn't really want to have a wintery birthday party.  So, she'll have a Frozen Fever party.

Both parties have to to be planned on a VERY tight budget, so I have to choose decor, invites, food and sewing projects thoughtfully.  

Korben's pinterest board for his 4th birthday:

               Follow Shannon's board Korben's Fourth Birthday on Pinterest.   

 Maya's pinterest board for her 2nd birthday:

         Follow Shannon's board Maya's Second Birthday on Pinterest.    

Lets Catch Up

Well, the biggest thing that has happened since my last post is Maya!  Korben gave her the nickname Mimi and boy has it stuck.  She is a fiercely intelligent little red-headed spitfire.  And her brightness and love fill our house and our hearts!

She'll be 2 in April and Korben will be 4!  It's just amazing how time flies!  He is such a loving big brother and they have lots of fun together.  Mimi is talking up a storm and starting to show interest in the potty and Korben is making big progress on being totally pull-up/diaper free.  I'm so proud of these two little people.

In October of 2014 we had Michael's dad move in with us.  That has been a huge shock to our family dynamic, but we're hanging in there and have found ways to cope.  Michael and I refer to him as the hobo and we've found the comedy in all of it.

I've lost my sewing room to the hobo, but not my mojo.  I've made time and a little space to sew when I can.  Maya got an adorable vintage sun suit for her first birthday pics:

She wore a Wonder Woman bonnet in her Wonder Woman onbu for her first Comic Con:

I've sewn for the boy too.  Although, I do feel bad that there just aren't as many projects for him.  But he got a pirate for Christmas.  The pirate is now infamous in our house because of the "butt in the front" song that Dad sings about him:

And Halloween 2014 he was Evel Knievel:

But mostly, this picture is what life is all about.  These two melt my heart!