Showing posts with label Costume. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Costume. Show all posts

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Mother's Tea 2012

The pinning, ironing, sewing, and fussing has begun!  Since I've been off from school (one half day, TWO snow days) I've gotten a headstart on the project that comes together the quickest at the end of semester.

I've started with an amazing piece of fabric that has a pseudo-colonial war scene spilling across it.  The very center has been faded by (what I presume) strong sunlight, so the fabric is almost gossamer in the middle.  I hemmed it up to give the bottom edge weight, as well as pin-tuck like detail.  The sides were pleated back to the center back for a little volume and because I don't want to cut this fabric if I don't have to.  It's so darling.

I've been re-inking some of the center details for a little refreshing of their colour.  Now the flag can really flap jauntily in the wind.


I'm aiming for a "peep show" concept with this.  She is a clockwork doll who teaches history by telling stories with her skirt scenes.  Like having a tiny theatre on your skirt.  A red (taffeta?) is draping amazingly over the underskirt to create the illusion of a traditional red theatre curtain, called A Grand Drape.  I'm not sure I will have it hiked up this far in the long run because, while I love the little flag, it's a little bunchy at the top and I do not want to stress the red fabric.  Something nibbled giant holes in it at some time, and they remind me of ink blot tests.  So far I have seen a goat, and a clown face.  I'm not sure if that is a good sign or not. Haha.



















Topping the whole thing off will be a corset of some upholstery material that has yet to be decided.  I want to put a wee box seat on one side with tiny spectators peeking out over the top.  Maybe those Muppet guys who are always at the theatre?  And trim the edge with fancy tassels or something.

At this point in time, my character concept is that I am a clock-work doll who lives in a library.  Our inventor is long gone, having abandoned the library for one reason or another, and we denizens have kept it up as long and as best we can.  I hope to wrangle some other friends into presenting with me.  One as a clockwork librarian and one as something else.  Perhaps the white rabbit?  Literary concepts.  Too much fun!

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Status Quo


Well, Cornish is back in action and despite it only being three days back, it feels like a whole week or so.  I am enjoying the majority of my classes as most of them require me to perform duties directly related to my intended major!  Such fun.  Studio is one of these.  In Studio we design a hypothetical play from reading it and gaining first impressions to sketching up designs for lights, costumes, and sets.  We basically do every aspect of production except the actual physical building.  It's a way for us as young designers to hone our skills, have a little practice at working together as a team, and to test our talents.

I'm also taking a lighting class, a Theatre History class, 3D design, and Scenic Painting (which is awesomely messy) on top of being the ASM for the school's production of Pride and Prejudice.  All in all very satisfying and very busy.

So I leave you with this lovely dress.  Alas, I have misplaced the show this was from, but it's made from a tent and I'm in love with the neckline silhouette as a possibility for my wedding dress.



More later!

Cheers,
Anna

Saturday, May 07, 2011

Mother's Tea 2011










Mother's Tea was amazing!  Just as butterfly-inducing as any onstage performance, only I got to spend the day with classmates and friends.  For all the design changes that my outfit underwent, I'm very happy with the final product and presentation.  We're already thinking up ideas for next year!

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Mother's Tea #1


For Mother's Tea I'm making a corset (fingers tightly crossed) out of yummy red silk with a black lace overlay.  This is the first mock-up of the corset pattern.  I've got the second one drafted up and it's patiently waiting for me to snip it out of muslin.  Alas I have other finals to attend to.

Under the corset is going a draped-front bustle business made out of a red velvet suit my Mum thrifted for me aeons ago (2004?) and it's finally finding a happy life in this outfit.  Nothing's been cut, mostly because I can't bear to ruin that delicious (and difficult to match) fabric, so if it becomes something else later it's ready to go.  I'm using crinoline (REALLY stiff tulle) to pouf out the back bustle part and make everything else fluffy.  There will be SO much fluffy going on it's kind of crazy.
More pictures forthcoming, so stay tuned!