Seeing Spots

Boy, have I been busy! I have been rushing round the last week getting everything in order for my trip to Melbourne (I leave tonight!). Making dress and finding hats, gloves and purses to match. I am staying with a new friend and I want to make a big impact!

Here is the last dress I have made for my trip. This one gave me the biggest run around. What a tricksy little dress it is.

At first it was to have a full skirt. The pattern it came with had a full circle stating from the waist. I have a pretty high waist so I thought it might make me look a bit heavy up top so I dropped it by using the top of a wiggle skirt pattern and adding a gathered skirt just above the hip. It was very flattering but my fun 50’s dress had turned into an ugly 80’s dress! What to do? I ended up out of desperation for time just scrapping the full skirt and making it into a wiggle. Oh, well. Next time!

I wish I had enough time to make a matching hat.

Swing Time with the Andrews Sisters

Last night a good friend and I went to see Swing Time with the Andrew Sister but we were having so much fun we blanked on getting photos of us all dresses up. Ge, wiz! It only came to us as we were eating our fast food dinner in our PJs at home after the show.

So you will have to use you imagination.

Alexandra wore a beautiful full dress with halter neck made of emerald green satin.

And I wore the white flora wiggle dress I posed here but with out matching hat.

I did a little search and found a clip of the show.

If they play at a venue near you; go!

Hello, My Darling

Today I got a real treat. I was getting ready for work and picked up a book my boyfriend and I had bought at swap meet about two months ago, ‘But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes’ by Anita Loos (sequel to ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’) and in one of the pages was a piece of paper saying “Hello my darling.” I asked my boyfriend be he denies writing it. It must have been from the previous owner who we bought it from.

A million scenarios fill my head of how it got there. How romantic.

Aloha!

I was in a pickle. I double booked myself for a Hawaiian Luau and Rock ‘n’ Roll party on the same night. What a conundrum. I had to make myself a dress that would work for both and attend one after the other with minimal outfit alteration.

A halter-neck wiggle dress with flounce in a tropical print.

Might make myself a little palm tree hat to match.

P.S.

Just to let you know, this dress has been pinned to the mannequin to fit. Same as with my last dress. I have a bigger figure then most if the mannequins at uni so I pin them while I take photos.

Wardrobe

As nothing terribly exciting is happening while I am waiting for my fabric to wash I thought I would take you on a little tour of “Wardrobe” one of our main costume stores here at WAAPA.

Some of the photos are a little blurry and I wish I could have got some more detailed photos of some of the costumes down there but the space is limited and so is the light.

Men’s Felt Hats. (All other hats are kept in a different storage room.)

Womens Blouses

Evening Wear

Men’s Military

(70's on the left and 60's on the right)

(90's on the left 80's on the right)

Such a mess!

WAAPA has the most amazing fur collection.

Petticoats

Timeless Womans Wear

Wedding Dresses

I pulled this one out to show you just because I love it. I think it was used in a dance piece from the gussets under the arms but I am not sure what one. It's just too much fun.

Pill Box Hat with Veil.

I have been stalling working on my fabric-covered hat all month. I really had no interest in doing in at all. But, I had to stop procrastinating and get on it as it’s due this coming Monday. So yesterday I spent the whole afternoon wrestling it not having any luck at all so I decided to scrap the whole thing and start again from scratch. I found a cute little pillbox block and blocked it and this morning I picked it up and set to work. Annnd…Ta-da!

It matches my dress I am so chuffed.

WAAPA

I am at the end of my first year in the three-year course of Costume Production at the West Australia Academe of Performing arts and boy, I can’t wait for those holidays! WAAPA has been the biggest challenge I have ever had to face and it has sure taken it out of me. I am no longer the happy naive beginner sewer I once was but a hard empty shell of a seamstress. I have been fishing around on the Internet the last couple of days for photos of the costumes I have made over the year for my portfolio.

And I may as well show off. :P

A Ballet bodice for the dance piece in Second Slot.

A "We're in the Money" dress for 42nd Street in 3rd Slot major musical.

All three "Shady Ladies" Dress (the Red ones) for 42nd Street.

A simple chorus skirt for the musical Parade in fourth Slot.

A couple of Nuns Costumes for Dialog of the Carmelites in 5th slot.

I wish the pink one was mine. It's a dream boat.

I couldn't find anyphotos of the dress I made in first slot. I must of deleted of my hard drive. Gosh! I don't have any photos from 6th slot yet but it will be a fun one. It is a dance piece set in the 60's in Andy Warhol's Factory.

I'll keep you posted,