Reflections on 2017 Costume College & the Two Dresses

Dedicated, as my whole blog is, to my friend Megan.  May we both continue to pursue our dreams.  :)

As I'm sitting here, looking back on the crazy fabulousness that is Costume College (my 13th year!), dreaming of 2018's theme "The Royals" and the achingly beautiful creations I plan on creating (or, to be more specific, finishing), I get very reflective in the quiet aftermath.  My treasures have been put away, the laundry is being run, my teacher checks have been deposited, and my cat is sulking quietly in the bedroom.  How did Costume College go, you may ask?

In summary:
I wore two dresses
I taught two classes
I attended three classes
& I was on the Costume College Committee.

Phew!

"But that's no excuse for why you haven't posted since January.  JANUARY!!  My god, woman, what have you been doing with your life since then?"

Okay, fine, since you asked.  :)

For some reason this year, when I got back from Christmas, my life became doing events one weekend after another!  From friends visiting, to going to two Jane Austen events, to doing a fashion presentation near Lompoc (twice!), then coming back down to visit the "Revolution", going to tea, Calico, wow!  From January-March, it seemed like every weekend was booked!

(Oh!  And there was a brief mad dash as it appeared I could be a vintage dancer appearing in the TV show "Another Period" on Comedy Central!  Yeah, that didn't happen, but it was fun while it was prospective.  And I got to practice with creating patterns from a Frances Grimble book, so that was fun.)

And then, after March, suddenly I had all these Committee things to do.  (Ugh, being responsible, amirite?)  Meetings to attend, forms to create, forms to track.  Fortunately, I had an AMAZING assistant, who volunteered before I did, and who I met RANDOMLY by looking out of place and lost at the Jane Austen dance.  At an event attended by possibly 200 people, it was very fortunate indeed!  My one planned family vacation was to head to the East Coast around Memorial Day, and when I got back, it was full speed ahead with keeping track of who paid for classes!  Then there were emails to answer, and people to console, and plans to make for actual Costume College, and that bring us to today.

The two dresses (and the two classes!):
Back in January, I had submitted to teach three classes: my usual "Beaded Embroidery", and "Chandelier Earrings," and new this year "Ladies of Downton Abbey Necklaces" (so named because I didn't want to commit to whose necklace I was replicating).  "Beaded Embroidery" did not get chosen (probably because I tried to hide it at the Wall Party, shhhh!), but "Chandelier Earrings" and "Ladies of Downton Abbey Necklaces" did.  Yay!  The necklace class proved to be REALLY popular at Registration, and was full!  Go me!  So, the pressure is on!

As a teacher, you see the numbers for your classes about 1 month to 6 weeks prior to Costume College.  This means you have that time to order materials, create a handout, and finalize your prep. When my supplies arrived, I made a sample for me to wear, to show the final result.  And I knew, that because of my hectic schedule, I wouldn't have time to finish any of the dresses I had planned.  (Victorian bodices take me about a month to finish, from first cutting the pattern, to sewing on the buttons/inserting the boning.)  Instead, I had a GORGEOUS 1920s hat that I'd bought from Mela Hoyt-Heydon at Costume College 2016 (my first 1920s anything!), a bunch of 1920s patterns I had bought to go with it, and now, a 1920s necklace (and earrings!) that I would have finished.  Don't I need a dress to show them off?  Am I crazy, or do I have JUST ENOUGH TIME to make a 1920s dress?

(To clarify, yes, I am crazy.  But challenging my own perceptions of what I can do in a given amount of time make me happy, and the following emotional roller coaster and dirty condo gives me something to ponder.)

And away I go!

So, once that was decided, I promptly left to go to the LA Garment District, buy my fabric, go home, and get it made!

Of course, that was THE PLAN.  What actually happened?  I think I took a nap.  And then procrastinated.  And then the weekend before Costume College a friend of mine came into town, we went to Disneyland, and the next day I went to brunch, and took another nap.  (Having a deadline is sometimes the only way I get anything done!)

The 1920s dress:
(Sadly, only now am I discovering I took no pictures of myself that day!  But never fear, I did go to the portrait studio to get professional photos taken.  Now we're just waiting for those photos to be uploaded so that I can buy them and download them and post them!  Aaaaaaaaaaaaany day now.)

I used the Decades of Style "Zig-Zag Dress" pattern, without sleeves, and with a V neck (because it's summer in Southern California, and it got up to 98 in the San Fernando Valley on Thursday.)  Initially, I had planned on a light silk gauze, hopefully in a teal/brown pattern.  I couldn't find that, and I didn't want to make it a solid teal, so I chose two shades of brown.  I had thought of doing the top in one, and the bottom in another, but the lighter shade of brown didn't have enough, so I just added some embellishments.

Part of the challenge for me is that I am SO used to Victorian bodices, where everything must be fitted to a T!  And I've gotten used to that, to the extent that flowy things puzzle me.  (It just, sits there?  Are you sure?)  I did make a mock-up, mostly because I assumed I'd have to lengthen the bodice (I didn't), and fit the shoulders (which I did).

Edith is my spirit animal!  Love those colors!

After I made the first mock-up, I honestly tried to stop myself from doing any fitting.

Brain: Just a few tweaks . . .

Faith: No!  Give it a chance!  You're just not used to this period!

Brain: But, it would look so much better . . . ow!  Why are you hitting me?

In the end, my brain went to trusty Downton Abbey, and I decided there's fitted, and then there's FITTED.  Tweaking the armhole so that the bust fits better, and cutting off the top of the ends of the armholes so that they sit nicely just behind the point of the shoulder (see Rose below), and it felt like the difference between "bespoke" and "off the rack".  And I thought it looked so much better!

Oh, the shoulders!

One day, I will make this!  One day . . .

The other dress:
Right!  There was another dress!

So, at Costume College there are four events (one per day): Thursday Night Pool Party, Friday Night Social (formerly ice cream social), Saturday Time Traveler's Gala, and Sunday Tea.  This year, I bought my ticket for the Tea before the theme was announced, which was: Vintage Sci-Fi.

Wait, what?

I'm not a big Doctor Who fan, but damn!

Not being a huge sci-fi fan, the only thing I could picture was the butt-length skirts of the background red shirt women from 1960s Star Trek.  Yeah, not only can I NOT carry that off, but it will probably be done.  (And it was!)

In discussion with a few people, they brought up an alternate idea: Why not do an outfit based on the movie "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman?"  And I was stunned!  How brilliant was that!

So, I looked up the movie, and it was perfect!  It was made in 1958, so I can wear something and call it late 50s/early 60s (to match the theme), and say I am her before she turns into the monster!  (Okay, I didn't see the movie, but it's either aliens or a radioactive substance.)

I could definitely be her!  Just wear black!

Fortunately, a few weeks prior, I had bought a BEAUTIFUL black jacket with beading from Jennifer Rosbrugh of Historial Sewing.  I think she called it 50s, so it worked!  At the time, I was thinking "It looks like the Outlander Dior jacket, all I need is a skirt!"




So, I grabbed a black modern skirt that could be 50s/60s, black heels, fake pearls, and my trusty fake eyelashes, and I was good to go!

I got soooo many compliments on this!

And THAT was my Costume College?  :)

What's next on my schedule?  Well, I got contacted yesterday by a friend of mine for an event next weekend in Santa Monica, a masquerade at an opera house, and at the end we watch the 1925 version of "Phantom of the Opera".  I'm not going to make anything new, but doesn't that sound AMAZING??

And I may not be huge into sci-fi, but I do have a particularly geeky side!

Off to buy more fabric, and plan for all sorts of costumes for the next five months!

Recreating a Fashion Plate- the Black and Lavender Natural Form Dress- The Plan

There are many levels of costumers, from beginner to professional, and some are more prolific than others.  I am somewhat in the middle, as far as intermediate costuming goes, as well as in the middle in terms of my proliferation.  I always have 2-3 projects "in the works", and usually they get made faster (or don't) depending on need.  This project has been in the works for several years, and it just needs to get FINISHED.  It will this year, I swear!  Mostly because I tire of wearing the same Natural Form dress to everything.  :)

All costumers fall in love with certain periods.  I have fallen HARD for the Natural Form era, specifically circa 1878, which is the early part of that period.  There are certain attractions:

     1) Trains!  Because of my height, I LOVE wearing a train, having it sweep along behind me, and make me look even longer (and thinner)!

     2) Trim!  So many fun and gorgeous trims to add!  Ribbon, ruffles, lace, and fluffy skirts!

     3) It's late Victorian, so it can usually be worn to anything that is bustle related

     4) Since it doesn't require a bustle, I can drive while wearing it, without needing to worry about how I am getting in and out, and where the bustle lays (and adjusting the layers on top so that they lay correctly).

(In later Natural Form, around 1880-1882, they removed the train, and added weird layers around the hips to make the hips look bigger.  I am not a huge fan.)

This is the first time I am making a dress from a fashion plate, without a pattern.  This is a HUGE step for me, and so I am slightly apprehensive about how it will turn out.

The Project

In doing research for patterns, I came across this image on the Truly Victorian pattern website, in the "History of Victorian Clothing" page.  (It's not there anymore, since they've updated their website.)

Something about this dress just made me think, "I want THAT!"  But of course, never having recreated a fashion plate before, I am stymied about where to start.

Let's start by breaking down the image.

Part 1- the back sides

Starting with the skirt, I am breaking this down into five parts.  The first part is the sides of the train.  In studying the image, it looks like a relatively simple shape, with decorative buttons and buttonholes, and a bow connecting the two sides.  Simple enough.  I just have to make sure the pieces are long enough for me.  I can do this!

Plan for execution:
Measure the image, and draft by hand (gasp!) a triangle that would be the same length on me.  Cut out in layers: fashion fabric, white cotton backing and black twill (since it looks like it needs to be stiff, not flowing).  Add some fabric around the edges to bind, then create buttonholes, and sew on the twenty-one (wait, what?!) buttons per side.  And then cut and sew on some fabric on each side for the floppy bow.

Part 2- the train

Ah, trains!  This looks fairly easy as well.  I am starting to get more confident.

Plan for execution:
Just take a piece of fabric, cut so that it forms a circular train, add some horsetail underneath to keep the train out.  (Note: even though the image shows pleats only going one direction, I am choosing to make pleats that go both directions.  I have also given up in advance of having the pleats remain in place while in the train.  Some things can be easily drawn, but will never stay in place given any kind of movement.)

Part 3- the front upper swag

Ah, this is where it starts to get tricky.  Since we only see part of the front at an angle, we don't get a clear image of what it's supposed to look like.  I call the lines in the front "swags", because that's what it looks like to me.  And is that fringe?!?!

Plan for execution: 
Shhhhh, it's a secret!  (Hint: I call it "don't reinvent the wheel".)

Part 4- the front lower swag

It's at this point where I realize, what the heck was I thinking!  I can't do this.  I can't draft patterns.  I don't know what I'm doing.  It's a side swag?  And what the heck's happening in the middle!  I don't know!  Is that more fringe?!  And what's with the circles?  Are those buttons?  Why are there buttons there?!?!

Plan for execution:
Go home and drink copious amounts of alcohol and hope my delusions of grandeur go away.  Blargh.

No, really, I am still pondering this part.  Since it's not attached to the upper swag (attaching them would make the upper swags droop unattractively), I am thinking that it's another layer in the front part of the skirt, underneath the upper swags, possibly meeting in the middle.  Hmmmmm.  More to study and ponder.

Part 5- the front hem

Okay, I'm back on solid ground again.  A hem!  That's simple.  I can breathe easier.

Plan for execution:
Even though this is the smallest part of the skirt we see, it also may be the easiest. It looks like just a simple front skirt, with a ruffle on the bottom, plus maybe some ribbon.  Done!

Part 6- the bodice

Oh, by all that's holy.  I have to make a bodice, too!  Why, dear lord, why????????

Plan for execution:

In looking at Truly Victorian's Natural Form patterns, I noticed something: they have a bodice pattern that matches the pattern above!  Oh, glory be!  I just need to add some ribbon and ruffles on the cuffs, fiddle with the collar, and adjust some of the pattern pieces.  Easy!  Ha!

Oh, right, and add a fabric ribbon.  And what is that stuff on the bottom?  And the friggin collar.  Did I mention that collars are my new foe?  Sleeves are evil, but collars.  Collars, you have met your match.

To be continued in - The Execution.

Suggestions, comments, questions?  Let me know!

Thanks for reading!