To thine own self be true…creating the costume you have dreamed about so you can become the character you need to be

For as long as I can remember costumes have fascinated me. As a small child I’d watch Little House on the Prairie just to have a glimpse of Victorian/Antebellum finery- usually worn by Nellie Oleson’s mom.  Cinderella was my favorite Disney movie because of the scene where the mice drape and sew her dress. Forget the fairy godmother magic, it is the needle and thread that make magic!  Back then I thought everyone went to the theater just to examine the seam placement, structure and embellishment on the costumes.  I’d try hand-stitching historical costumes for my baby dolls and my sister’s Barbie doll.  In college our friends began holding Halloween costume parties and the rest is history…costume history.

My Aunt Sophie taught me to sew on a machine when I was 8.  I bought my first machine with my own money at 14.  My best friend and I would make skirts and simple clothes to wear to school, but at that time I was afraid to express myself creatively.  Still, I built my skills through trial and error and the occasional Sewing with Nancy episode. Each Halloween and Renaissance festival would provide an excuse to learn a new skill and take on a new challenge.

I devour costume history, searching libraries, book stores and the web for old and new techniques, still learning new skills by trial and error: from Old English netting, and punto in aria to wearable electronics.  I don’t just make costumes, I research, plan, study, and pour a bit of my soul into each creation.

My latest challenge is here, in the virtual world… attempting to translate my passion into pictures and words.