Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

Here it is, Friday again and I have once again failed to fill your week with delightful missives. For that I am terribly sorry. May has been a busy month indeed!

I’m teaching my last installment of Fantastic Fan Dancing tomorrow with “Fan Dance Uncovered”, a history of the art. I’m very excited to teach this brand new class and a little nervous, since it will be my first hybrid class, taught simultaneously at the American Burlesque Collection and on Zoom. Tickets to the in-person class are very limited and include museum admission and a guided tour of the “Fantasy of the Fan Dancer” exhibit. I hope you will join me!

May also celebrates 4 years on Patron and 500 tips right here! You have until Monday to subscribe to my Patreon at the Advisory Committee tier ($5/month) and download my Very Little Book of Costuming Tips, which contains 25 helpful hints to improve your costume-making!

And now for your tip!

You can wash ostrich feathers.

I know it seems terrifying, it can be done! You can wash loose feathers or ones attached to washable clothing. Feathers on fans or headdresses and antique or fragile fragile get a different treatment, which perhaps will become another tip.

Note: if your feathers have been dyed, there is the possibility you’ll get some bleeding. Test a small spot first.

• Fill a basin (sink, tub, etc.) with tepid water and a little mild soap. Dawn is my go-to.
• Gently swish the feathers or feather-trimmed garment through the soapy water. Don’t rub or scrub.
• To rinse, swish through clean cool water. Repeat with new changes of water until the water is clear.
• You are going to be horrified at how your feathers look. Don’t panic!
• Lay your feathers on a fluffy towel to dry, preferably on a drying rack. Don’t try to wring out the moisture.
• The feathers will fluff up a bit as they dry, but after they are completely dry, steam them for maximum fluff.

(I was really sure I’d given you a tip about steaming in the past… I guess it’s a future tip!)

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 14 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s another celebratory Friday! B.A.B.E. turned 15 today! I taught my first burlesque class under the auspices of my own school on May 14, 2006 (it was Mother’s Day). I didn’t expect the class to sell out and I certainly didn’t expect that a decade and a half I’d still be running a burlesque academy. Thank you, everyone, for your support over the years — all my students, instructors, and anyone who has spread the good word about B.A.B.E. Here’s looking forward to many more years of bump & grind!

This tip comes from something I realized very early on as an instructor.

When creating a teaching choreography, be sparing with moves where you face away.

When performing on stage, we often coyly turn our backs on the audience. It’s a great tease! However, when you’re teaching and you turn away, you can’t see the students and they can’t see you! It’s even worse if you’re teaching in a space without mirrors.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 14 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s a celebratory Friday! You’ll see why when you read your tip…

The journey of 500 tips starts with a single post.

I never thought, back in 2011, when I started this blog, that I would get to 500 tips. I was just looking for a little content and decided to post an occasional tip. And “occasional” became weekly. And then that became a decade.

Big projects can be accomplished a little at a time, especially if you’re consistent about working on them.

I’m celebrating 10 years of Friday Tips and four years on Patreon! If you join my Patreon this month at the $5 level, you can download…


…a charming little PDF with 25 of my favorite costuming tips from this blog and a few new ones. Graphic design, including amusing illustrations, by Mr. Scratch (without whom I would never get anything done).

Thank you for accompanying me on this journey, Dear Reader!

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 14 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.