MacBeth -costuming

   

 In January, I had the honor of helping to create, and alter existing costumes, for Skinhorse Theater's production of "The Scottish Play". For the week leading up to dress rehearsal, I moved my machine and materials into Tigermen Den in the Bywater, and hung out with these awesome talented people. The fact that the script had been economized to be preformed by only 5 actors was a plus, but then there were 5 people playing 12 seperate characters so the focus moved to changing them convincingly.
      Lee had already found a perfect pattern and material for the three weīrd sisters and I spent a day with him in his studio finishing, fixing, and reinforcing their hooded "body cloaks".

To Organize, I made a wanted poster for each of the characters. Where I had not yet photographed the actors in their costumes, I downloaded funny (sometimes) images of other versions of those characters from thespian history. As I surveyed each persons costume, I would write ideas down of how to add to it or a list of alterations that needed to be performed.

Crowns. Always a crucial wardrobe prop -after all it IS what all the murder is about innit? Thanks to Southern Costume Company in the CBD for letting me dig around for a few hours. Serious contender on the left and as a joke, the other.

 Below are some production stills by Bill Brown. Enjoy

Really had a wonderful time working with these awesome people. Looking forward to sharing some current sewing for theater projects that I am working on. Be sure you visit you some fringe in the fall.

Black and White Polka Dot

Black and White Polka Dot

UPDATE: Some highlights from our shoot! Enjoy.

Original Piece: swim suit

Black Mesh Swimsuit

A diy sewing blog

When I was a small child I had a well loved teddy bear, who often needed mending. My grandmother patiently taught me the basic sewing skills to keep my small furry friend from coming apart. It seemed like an incredible skill to have. Later, I began putting patches on clothing, which gave it new life, and more importantly, made it somehow "more mine". When I was 10 or so, I lived with an aunt who was a very experienced seamstress, who also made costumes for a local musical theater. At around this time for some reason, Hawaiian shirts were in fashion, and I really wanted one badly. The problem was that they were expensive, and I meekly asked my aunt if she could make me one. She said "No, but you will" and she took me along with her to the fabric store and not only did I get to choose my own patterned fabric, I learned how to use a sewing machine to make my own shirt. It was of course a little shabby, but it was mine. Knowing these skills seemed like wizardry and I began making, mending, and altering my own clothes. Later, I came to see it as activism which acted as a sort of upstaging of deeply ingrained consumer capitalist supply chains.

This blog is essentially a place for me to post and share all of my sewing projects since 2013. I am admittedly bad at documenting the process, but here are a few of the things I have worked on whether it was costuming for theater, making apparel for myself and friends, and curtains for bars and restaurants (https://www.instagram.com/studioludisnyc)