Dear Constant Readers,
I’m off in New York today, having performed at The New York Burlesque festival last night. But I wouldn’t forget your tip!
Measure twice, cut once.
It’s a good rule for anything: fabric, wood, metal, paper, whatever materials you might be using.
And don’t forget the corollary:
Measure once, curse twice.
I am all too familiar with this situation.
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!
Life is too short to eat cheap chocolate.
Dear Constant Reader,
It’s National Sewing Month! (or at least so Red Snapper tells me…)
Here’s a Sewing Friday Tip!
Use a Post-It as a sewing guide for large seams
Most sewing machines have stitch guides on the throat plate at 1/8″ increments, but they are only the width of the plate. My machine only has marks up to 6/8″, but I sometimes need to sew wider seams that that.
Measure out from the needle and put a Post-It down at the desired distance. I set it so the near edge of the paper (where the sticky stuff is) is the guide. Make sure it’s straight!
Here’s my machine set up for an inch and a half seam.
Of course, you can also use other low-tack sticky items, like masking tape or painters tape to create your temporary guide. I always have Post-Its on my desk (in a very attractive holder, I might add) in my sewing room, so that’s what I grab.
Happy sewing!
Dear Constant Reader,
I’m sorry I have not been a faithful correspondent recently, but things have been busy. A quick rundown:
Despite your valiant efforts, I was not a finalist for a Golden Pastie award, so you won’t have to see me beg for votes in the weeks leading up to The New York Burlesque Festival.
However, I *was* the winner of The Great Teaseday Cookie, so you will be able to see me at The Teaseday Club on October 7th.
The Burlesque Your Way students had their final class last night and I can say for certain that the Student Showcase on September 23rd is going to be a treat! Get your tickets so you can say “I saw them when…”
And finally, The Boston Babydolls are taking their show on the road in October. Because Boston and the environs are terrible when it comes to venues (and getting worse all the time), we could not find a space that was appropriate to bring you The Wrathskellar this year. Instead, we’ll be presenting Out for Blood, our spooky & sexy Halloween revue, as we travel around New England! So far we have dates in Western MA, VT, and RI.
But I know what you’re really here for… your Friday Tip!
Kill your darlings.
It’s been attributed to Mark Twain, William Faulkner, and several other famous authors. Who cares who said it; it’s good advice. They were talking about editing out some of your favorite verbiage, but we can apply the same philosophy to burlesque.
Sometimes you’ve got that one wonderful thing in an act. Maybe it was the concept that the entire number was built around. But things aren’t going so well. As painful as it may be, jettison your wonderful thing and see what happens. You might go in a whole new and better direction!
I speak from experience — the whole reason for “The Faerie Queen” was so I could perform a particular magic trick. Although I worked very hard to master the trick, I couldn’t do it consistently well, which was making me crazy — this was the raison d’être of the act! And then I realized that even if I could do it perfectly, there was absolutely no way to transition smoothly into and out of the trick. Reluctantly, I cut it out entirely. And the act is the better for its sacrifice.
Dear Constant Reader,
Today is your last chance to nominate me for the “I Woke Up Like This” Golden Pastie award! Thank you!
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!
Rehearse with your costume as soon as possible.
Burlesque is very costume-driven. Your costume can shape your choreography and vice versa. Phantom clothing comes off so much faster and easier than the real thing. So, rehearse in your costume elements, or reasonable facsimiles, as early in the process as possible and you’ll discover all the problems and treasures all that much sooner.
Dear Constant Reader,
Please nominate me for the New York Burlesque Festival’s “I Woke Up Like This” Golden Pastie award! Nominations are open until August 29th!
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!
Do something nice for yourself today.
Dear Constant Reader,
I’m on my way to the NJ Burlesque Festival, but it wouldn’t be Friday without your tip!
Expect any media coverage to get 3 things wrong.
Dear Constant Reader,
I think it’s Friday. Being on the road completely scrambled my schedule, but I wouldn’t want to neglect your Friday tip!
When packing the car for a road trip, make sure you don’t bury the emergency gear (spare tire, jumper cables, &c.).
The Babydollmobile has a whole plastic tote full of stuff for the standard road emergencies (flat tire, dead battery, out of gas), plus a first aid kit, some additional tools, and, of course, duct tape. The hope is that we never have to use any of it, but we keep the box where we can easily get at it.
Happy motoring!
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! I’m on my way to Pennsylvania right now, but I certainly wouldn’t neglect your tip!
Get it in writing!
Contracts protect us. You shouldn’t feel like a diva by insisting on having one. If you have a difference of opinion with a producer, venue, or performer, you’ll be able to pull out the contract that both parties agreed upon and signed.
If you want to learn more about contracts, and you’ll be at the Ohio Burlesque Festival tomorrow, take Scratch’s class, Worth the Paper It’s Printed On: Contract basics for non-lawyers.
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip:
Sharpies are good for more than just writing.
You can use them to hide scuff marks on shoes. Black works like a charm, but I once used a gold Sharpie on the pumps I wear for my April March tribute. If you clip the tags out of your costume pieces (like you should), but there’s a little white stub left, color it in with a Sharpie. We’ve even used the markers to make white snap tape blend in better with the costume. It’s quick, it’s dirty, it works.
Oh, The Glamourous Life! 