Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! I’ve been tidying up my sewing room and reorganizing my supplies. That reminded me of this tip:
Flexible measuring tapes are often made of materials that can stretch or shrink over time. Periodically check yours against a plastic or metal ruler. If the measurements are off, toss it.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 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,
Happy Friday! I’m pretty happy today. Our show in Salem tomorrow, Some Enchanted Evening, is completely sold out! After two shows in new venues, we’re back to our familiar stomping grounds at Deacon Giles Speakeasy Lab.
Also, Monday is my birthday!
Here’s your tip!
When using elastic in your costumes, if possible, make a casing instead of stitching it down.
When the elastic inevitably loses its elasticity, you can easily replace it by opening the casing a little, pulling out the old elastic and threading in a new piece. It’s a little fussy, but better than not being able to wear the costume anymore.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 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,
Happy Friday! This week’s tip is related to last week’s.
When washing rhinestone costumes, avoid soaking them for too long.
If you used a white glue, like Gem-Tac, even if you’ve let it cure for a good long time, immersing it in water for an extended time can rehydrate and thus soften the glue. Your rhinestones might loosen, shift, or fall off (or worse, partially fall off, leaving part of the foil backing behind.). The good news is, if you catch it in time, just leave it to dry and soon the glue will set back up again.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 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,
Happy Friday! I’m getting ready for our (practically sold out) show, Carnal Carnival, tonight, but I’m going to make time for your tip! And today’s tip is about time:
Let glue dry at least 24 hours before wearing a costume piece.
This will not happen.
This tip might have been brought to you by someone who decided yesterday to make and rhinestone new pasties for tonight’s show…
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 21 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,
Happy Friday! Time for a tip!
If unhooking a bra is a challenge, add a ribbon tie.
Sometime the timing is tight, or you’re holding a prop, or you’re wearing gloves, or you’re unfastening someone else’s bra, and you just can’t work those little hooks with ease. Fold the hooks and eyes out of the way and sew (or safety pin!) a length of ribbon to each side. Grosgrain ribbon is sturdy and satin ribbon slides easily, so choose the best one for your purposes. Remember to finish the ends!
When you’re ready to remove the bra, just pull the ribbon, untie the bow, and you’re good to go!
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 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,
Happy Friday! Have a tip!
When making non-symetrical pasties, and you want them to mirror each other, remember to flip your pattern over for the second one!
Yes, this was inspired by the pasties I’m making for our upcoming show. No, it’s not because I made that particular mistake. No, they’re not the pasties pictured — those are by Canova Studio. If you want to see the ones I’m making, you’ll have to get a ticket to Secrets of the Illuminaughty on July 8.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 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,
Greeting from San Jose, CA! I’m at Costume-Con this weekend. Two cross-country trips a week apart… I’m not exactly sure how that happened…
Anyhow, here’s your tip!
When measuring yourself for a costume or fitting one, ask a friend for help.
It’s possible, especially of you have an excellent dress form, to do this sort of thing yourself, but it’s always more accurate to do it on your own body. However, if you move, you’re changing your measurements. And you might need to contort yourself pretty seriously to reach parts of your body. I’ve been there. It’s much easier and more accurate to stand still and let someone else get the exact measurements or fit the garment on you.
This tip brought to you by Ava Fox crawling around on the floor Wednesday night after rehearsal to mark the hem on my new costume. My troupemates are the best.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 18 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,
Just a quickie! Book is due today!
If your hem falls down, temporarily mend it with pastie tape!
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 18 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,
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!
Have a friend take your measurements.
The measurements will be more accurate because you can just stand still while someone else who can move around you makes sure the tape is in the right place and reads the results. When you’re measuring yourself, there’s always the chance the results will be slightly distorted since it’s hard to hold the tape on yourself without contorting a bit.
Also, a friend will give a more honest reading than you might give yourself.
Accurate measurements mean better fitting costumes, whether you’re making or buying.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 18 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,
Back in December I posted about my first Burly Bundle and made an unboxing video. I thought you might like to see the finished results.
First I rhinestoned the filigree mask. I was a little daunted by those tiny yellow stones. They’re ss3! That’s like nail art size. I usually use ss16, 20, and 30 in my costuming. However, I used the included “rhinestone picker-upper” and it did make application very easy. Also, the rhinestone trays were very nice. I usually just use the lid of a jar or something similar. Tools that are actually designed for the job? What a difference!
I generally followed the included design plan for the mask. I could have gotten creative and maybe dipped in my own rhinestones to change up the colors, but I liked the suggested design just fine.
For the feather ornament, I had a lot of options — there were three curled black feathers, six small white feathers and three black roses. And all the rhinestones leftover from the mask. I decided on one black feather, off-set with white behind and to each side.
Since I had such fun with the tiny yellow rhinestones, I gilded the roses with them. I did have a bad moment when I could only find two roses. Fortunately I discovered under which piece of furniture Bartholomew had batted the missing one.
It can be worn on the mask as shown or on its own as a hair adornment, so I made sure to orient the base so that the clip was in the best position for me to wear it in my hair as well.
And now I have a fancy mask for Mardi Gras next week! (Not that I’m actually doing anything for Mardi Gras, but it’s always good to be prepared.)
If you’re interested in Burly Bundle, I think signups for the next bundle are open until the end of February. The project is always a secret until you open the box. If you do want to try it out, please use this link. You’ll get a $5 discount and I’ll get a little referral fee. (Other than being a subscriber who’s having fun, I’m not associated with Burly Bundle.)
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 17 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.
Oh, The Glamourous Life! 