Back Pain, Schmack Pain

In an incredible case of bad timing, my sporadically spasmodic back has decided to mess with me when I only have three sewing days left before Costume College. NOT OKAY. I only ask that my back stops freaking out in time for CoCo, but even if I have to hand sew that b*tch flat on my back, I WILL finish my gala dress.

In other random CoCo creation news. Here's some stuff. There are several events happening at Costume College that I need costumes for.

Event #1. The Pool Party. This is a Tiki Party theme. I was going to make a 50's style bra top and sarong skirt to wear. Using this pattern. Guess what happened.

Clue: My boobs are bigger than hers that's what happened. It looks terrible.

So, with so little time left, I'm going to have to kind of throw this one together.

I did find these cute red Candie's style mules.

I also have a cute retro cherry print bathing suit from Pinup Girl Clothing that I wore for my 50th birthday party. If I throw on a wiggle skirt and those shoes, I can call that done.

I just feel a tad badly about that, because they are announcing the scholarship winners then and I don't want anyone to think "oh, she sure did earn that scholarship with that turbee twist get up"

Event #2. An unofficial shared birthday party with a 70's theme. Again, no time to make anything, so I think I'm just going to take a page from my girl Rhoda Morgenstern's playbook and make it all about a scarf. I also have a black halter, bellbottom jumsuit I can wear with this.

I wanted to grow up to BE Rhoda

Event #3 The Ice Cream Social. Club Ice. I did a remake on this one. My daughter had a 1980's sequined dress. I removed the shoulder pads and sleeves to make it more of a 20's vibe. I need to make a headpiece of some sort and maybe re-attach the sleeves to the dress, but at this point I don't know if I'll have the time.

Why, yes, I did vote for Ronald Reagan. Why>

Why yes, I did vote for Franklin Roosevelt. Why?

Event #4: Sunday Ascot Tea. I will probably go with my Asilomar get up. I've already embellished the skirt a little more.

Only I'll remember my Corset this time.

I'll add my Mae West hat, maybe with more stuff on it.

Come up and see me sometime

I also bought a really nice wool, Lord and Taylor jacket at the thrift store for $2.50. I may try to re-do that to be more Edwardian.

It has some nice soutache and frog details.

And of course, Event #5: The Time Traveler's Gala.I've already added some embellishment and I'll love to do a lot more. It is all up to my back at this point.

Finish me!

This is my first Costume College, so I don't really expect to live up the really experienced costumers I follow on blogs, but I don't want to look like a complete rookie. Since I won a scholarship, I would at least like a few people to think, "That kid has moxie, she could go far". You know, as you do.

Never have I ever

Never have I ever......matched plaids
Never have I ever......worked with silk taffeta
Never have I ever......made a Victorian Bustle Gown

So this makes perfect sense, since I have a whole month (not including work days, vacation in July, and sleeping) to make it.

Here's a sneak peak of my Costume College Gala dress.

Not the WORST for someone who has never matched plaids

The inside of the bodice needs to be boned. The directions say to make bone casings and sewing them to the interlining, but I'm all like, "I'm doing a lining anyway, why don't I just hand sew some channels and put the boning between the interlining and lining?

Because I shouldn't smoke crack before I hand sew

No one would really be looking at the lining, so I don't really mind the uneven sewing (the dark lines are disappearing ink, so they wouldn't show after I ironed it).

 

The problem is sewing the lining in. If I do the boning channels, then instead of sewing the two pieces right side together and then turning it, I would have to stitch it together afterwards. This would be fine if it didn't have these pleats in it. I  don't know if I am making sense, but I think it would be wonky.

So I'm going to unpick the channels and sew the boning in with casings. You know, like they said to do in the first place before I decided to be such a smarty pants.

In other news; my corset doesn't fit. I was bigger when I made it, so the lacing in the back completely meets and doesn't reduce my waist at all. I'm telling you right now that my pretty plaid bodice is NOT going to fit without some semi-tight lacing.

This photo is of the corset 20 pounds ago.

It's also a little bulky because it has three layers and the binding is too thick. Since I used expensive spring coil bones and it's essentially a good shape, I'm going to unbind it and figure out how to take in a seam without undoing the whole thing. I just don't have time. I'll then rebind it with something a little less bulky.

Never have I ever....done any of the above things. So...bottoms up!

GBACG Raffle Score

On Saturday, Ken and I went to the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild open house. As well as being the yearly guild meeting, there was a really fun Fashion Show and a raffle. Here are some great picture photos from Georgia McKenzie Photo's from GBACG. I scored big time, thanks in no small part to Ken using his raffle win to scoring me this beauty...

11 yards of orange and blue plaid silk..What?!?

I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but it may end up looking something like this

There was another bolt, but that was scored by the lovely Melissa. This could have resulted in fisticuffs, but since she's obviously a pretty awesome person with great taste, we may become great friends instead.

Here are some of the other tasty treats I won.

Now I can make something to wear over my Dickens gown

I love the Romantic Era!

I can use this to make some kind of awesome period hairpiece

I think this was originally a sheet, and it's definitely a polyester blend, but I think some kind of groovy 60's thing needs to happen here