Modesty's Costume Closet

In preparation for my next sewing project, I wanted a cutting table but I have no room in my apartment for more furniture. I also want a better surface to iron on that's bigger than my ironing board. Currently I cut my fabric on the floor which is fine for smaller projects. But making my hakama was really testing my physical limits. So to avoid further spinal aches, I wanted to lift my fabric prep from the floor to a table.  I have a cheap, long card table that used to be my main crafting table when I first moved to Texas. It's a good height but the surface is shot due to years of sloppy crafting. It's a long, narrow table which is going to work well (I hope) for my kimono sewing. However, I want to make the surface smooth and clean so it's easy to cut. My current cutting board is too wide for the table. So my first objective was to figure out how to make this table a better surface for cutting fabric.  Cutting Board As long as you're using scissors to cut, a cuttin

 We have confirmation that I will be partaking in Smooth for the mini-match.  But I'm going to do the cost analysis for both because I'm feeling  both. Let's start with the current plan.  Modified Flame Dress  Base Dress = $115 Rit Dye Synthetic = ~$11 each (I need 2 Red and Orange) Metallic Spandex .25 Yard of Red = ~$4 Gold/Bronze = Owned $0 (or $4 each) Fire Opal Rhinestones = $5 - $6 Siam Red Rhinestones = $5 - $6 White Rhinestones = Owned $0 Fabric Spray Glue = $10 New Base Dress = $60 Red Elastic = $5  Alt: Found a dress in the color scheme and base design that I like for only $60 and free shipping.  Potential Total = $153 - $170 Alt Cost = $82  (This also negates the need for dye or red spandex) Work Time = 2 days (1 day dye and cutting fabric, 1 day applying applique and rhinestones) Supply Shipping = Dress, Stones, fabric glue, elastic 1 - 5 days Flame Dress (From Scratch) White Power Mesh 1 yard = $6 White Spandex 1 yards = $11 Red Spandex 1 5/8 yards  = $15 Red C

 Shame on me for not posting sooner, but the Unicorn dance costume was a success! (A proper post-mortem will come later.)  However, I've decided to enter my first competition. Just a mini-match for now but I will need a dress for it. Which of course, is very exciting when it comes to "what should I wear?" I've been Pinning ideas for different dress shapes, colors and designs and maybe overwhelming myself. So, it's time to hit pause and layout some design considerations as well as practical ones. Let's start with practical.  Practical Considerations - Budget and Investment These are the pillars of practical decisions for costumes (and other creative things): Budget and Investment.  Budget = what you can spend/spare in terms of time, money, space, and energy. Basically it's what you have on hand already.  Investment = what you can put into a project in terms of time, money, space, and energy. It's more about capacity. My analogy of this is Investment is

 I'm writing this in hopes to help myself really. I struggle with this so much! Now, I do end up finishing many projects but my apartment has become a testament to my impulses. So, let's dish about focus and starting too many things at once.  ✨SPARKLY!✨ The "sparkle" is meant to grab your attention, that is its job. My tendency is to follow it probably farther than I want. HOWEVER, much like the psychology of advertising I find inspiration can often be that distraction that pulls me away from a current project.  Here's what I mean.  I'm currently working on my puppet design. It needs a lot of research for the parts I want to make for it. The pinterest board is very full and more is added to it all the time. (I really need to organize it.) As I'm researching how to make the scales, I find the silicone scale tutorial video. Instead of just leaving it as research, I start looking at other videos by the same person because there are related topics like what ki

After many years of being away, I'm planning a trip with friends to the Texas Renaissance Faire. It's been a good 5 or 6 years since I've been there. My first true Ren Faire was at my undergraduate school Grand Valley State University and I made a dress with my mom's help. (We used a commercial pattern.)   First Ren Faire 20+ years ago!  First Ren Faire Costume Considerations The two biggest things to know about Ren Faires are that they are an outdoor venue with lots of walking . Just like any county fair if you think about it. Also, it is important to note that dressing up in garb or costume is OPTIONAL . It is not a requirement although it is very fun.  If you do want to wear something special, you need to consider:  Weather Conditions - based on what region you are in. It's HOT where I am, but you may be blessed with chilly fall weather. Time Budget - how long do you have before the Faire? Funds Budget - how much do you want to spend or can you spend? Comfort

 Inevitably, mistakes will happen.  Oops! Messed up again! The worst kind are the ones that happen late in the game, just before deadlines, and it's just not going to work out. Often times, mistakes will cost you either time or money...but usually both. There are a few approaches to dealing with mistakes:  Abandon Abandon means stopping the project wherever it is but keeping what you have done so far. Maybe some parts came out very well and you can pick it up later when you have more time or experience. Often times this can happen because of a loss of interest in the character or subject matter.  In my case, I have abandoned my Dalish Inquistor costume. I still have all the materials from all those years ago.  I was stuck on this part. I could not make the bodice look right and instead of making other parts of the costume, I set it aside for later.  Another example was my Voltron Paladin costume. I made the under-armor, but then lost interest in the character. I used the materials

This post is highlighting my (somewhat flawed) research methods and decision process for a particular costume part: Hoof Boots. (Like the ones pictured below.) Creature Feet by ChaosCostumes I am trying to decide whether or not to purchase the boots from an artist or to make them myself.  There are several options to weigh, one of them being whether it's worth investing in a new skill. Methods Buy on Etsy Follow Tutorial My Method Pros and Cons Etsy Pros: No mess in my apartment, high quality from an experienced creator, safety tested Cons: Limited design choices and colors, shoe sizes too big, have to wait for shipping Tutorial Pros: Definitive proof that the method works, final design look is in my control Cons: I have no experience making these things, very difficult to find used/cheap shoes in my size, Big mess, hazardous chemical materials, Not necessarily cheaper My version Pros: Potentially most economical method, design in my control, shoe guaranteed to fit, ankle support,

There are many devices you can get to work on costumes. But because costume creation can be diverse, it is possible to prioritize certain tools over others. This list is just going to be my top 3 with some honorable mentions.  #3: Computer/Internet Connected Device This is a pretty old machine now. Still runs Windows 7. It used to be that a computer was the only way to interface with the internet and a myriad of other devices, but it is no longer true. However, investing in a decent machine can mean you can connect it to many different peripherals. Some of these may be every-day like a printer or scanner. However, for most other machines I'll go over you will need something to run software. I could not run my die cutting machine without the associated software. I could not print 3D models without my slicer software. Not to mention that the internet is an invaluable information resource for pretty much anything I'd need to do. It may be a no-brainer but a good computer or any de

Make-up is a powerful tool in a costumer's arsenal. You can create a whole costume around face makeup! When it comes to costumes there are (in my consideration) three kinds of makeup:  Fashion Make-up Theatrical/Stage Make-up Costume Make-up Fashionable at one point.  Fashion make-up accents the natural shapes of your face to make it look its best according to a fashion/cultural aesthetic.  Theatrical or Stage make-up is a major exaggeration of facial features that can be seen from a distance with the bright lights of a stage.  All done with eye liner and eye shadow. Costume make-up is a mix of both. It looks good close-up or from a distance. It exaggerates if it needs to or accents where it can.  However, all make-up has this in common: using color to create an illusion with your facial features.  Health Note: There can be allergens in some make-up depending on what it is made out of. Be sure to either test on your skin beforehand or check the ingredients (if you know what your al

 I saw a thing on Etsy that I sort of wanted to buy but didn't because I thought I could make it. An LED edge light lamp with various scenes or figures. I figured I could 3D print some stencils then use that as a template for painting or etching. While it IS possible, (see video below) I kept screwing up my stencils. The lines and details were getting lost. But the video does detail how to make an etching without having to modify your 3D printer. (To be fair, I was printing on the default bed and not onto the glass directly. I have never printed onto acrylic glass before so...something I may need to try.) Turned into a whole thing. But here's where I've ended up. (Currently, this is untested by me. I will update this post once I give things a go.) UPDATE: I have tested some of these methods with great success. See my Art Blog for details about these projects.  So CNC machines like the Cricut can cut vinyl and engrave things like acrylic glass or leather in some cases. So