Until I can secure a French Baroque estate for myself, this will have to do.

I have a flair for opulent, French Baroque-type interior design, with a color palette taken partly from that period but mostly from my continued, semi-subconscious favoring of modern goth style. When we moved into my current house, I was given the larger of the two non-master bedrooms. It's a plus for space, and at least it isn't covered with obnoxiously 80's wallpaper, but I swear my room has the worst carpet in the house.

See for yourself here, see also the rolls of fancy paper which I plan to turn into elegant wall art and possibly use to wrap around and cover things like frustratingly modern pencil cases.

Within the last 2 years or so my style has shifted drastically from modern (bold colors, simple shapes) to baroque/Victorian/1700s (jewel tones, flowing lines, and ubiquitous floral patterns), which is why this vintage tea cart I found at a vintage furniture consignment warehouse is holding my jewellery in things from the Container Store.

Did I mention that the walls in my room are stark white? That makes them easy to paint over, but horribly boring until I do. Here's a dramatic sample I painted behind one of my Venetian carnival masks. I'm hoping it will go on more evenly, and perhaps even look a bit darker, once I start on the real paint job using a roller.

Little pillows I bought from Ikea years ago, during my first, modern redecoration. I used scraps of old curtain fabric from the living room, which had a custom made set of gorgeous, sweeping drapes until my roommates got to them and decided they collected too much dust. I might try to make drapes for my window out of the remaining fabric, once I finish the other major things I have to get done in the space.

(Also, that tiny cube in blue floral fabric was once one of a set of fuzzy foam dashboard dice I bought on a whim - why waste the foam? The other die awaits re-covering.)

Fancy frame that I previously found way too feminine, but now fits my style very well. Nothing wrong with a bit of femininity.

You may note that in the frame is a photo from Forbes Life magazine of a few months ago.

It's a peach frock coat by Sete-Cento, an Italian couturier. Just by looking at the name you should have some idea of how much I love this company. I didn't find this image until I'd already started on my frock coat, but from now on I'll use this style of design as my inspiration.

This was supposed to be about interior design, but I can't stop my mind wandering back to costuming. I want to make a pair of stays or corset next, either in plain linen or with an outer covering of green fake-shantung leftover from my frock coat. Another idea I'm longing to get to before the summer is over is an odd mix of frock coat, jacket, and light summer dress in a white cotton knit that would keep me cool in the summer while staying true to my oddly nostalgic fashion sense. More on all of this when life allows.

Why yes, I do dabble in many, many things

Including jewellery-making, when the urge strikes.

While looking around Pearl Paint for my felt, I happened upon a wonderful green cameo in a metal setting that looks like pewter or slightly tarnished silver, and a package of nine transparant, plumbbob-shaped purple beads with wonderfully intricate end caps and wire loops at either one end or both. The combination of these two things demanded to be made into a necklace, so I bought the cameo and the set of beads for around $7 total. As I hunted in the basement for my pliers, which I'd need to fasten the purple beads to my chain, I unearthed a few unexpectedly wonderful things. Most importantly and unexpectedly, a pair of metal hoops with vinelike loops for attaching earring hooks and dangly beads. I'd had them tucked away for ages without finding any good use for, and they match the design on the cameo setting extraordinarily well. I also discovered a few more modern-looking beads in the same shade of green as the cameo, a ribbon, my trusty  needle-nose and flat-tip pliers, and enough silver head and eye pins to attach everything together. Before the night was over, I had designed and created an updated Victorian necklace and earring set, which I love. (Especially after seeing it in photographs!)

The green ribbon and cameo can easily be removed from the silver chain without having to remove the purple beads or even use a pliers, so if I ever need to adapt it to more period-correct costuming, it won't be a problem at all.

I can't remember the last time I was this pleased with jewellery I made. I think I've worn it every day since I made it.

Ze coat, she is feeneesht! (Almost)

That's right. This coat, which I've been working on for months than I'd like to count, is nearly finished! All the machine-sewing is finished, unless I decide to sew the buttonholes with the machine. All the major handsewing bits are done as well, the linings all turned under and the raw edges neatly hidden. What's left now is to sew the buttons on, probably add more embellishments in my wonderfully shiny silk shantung, and then grab up the courage to actually wear the coat some time.

Also, I've decided to try my hand at haberdashery and shoe re-covering. What internet blog-surfing can inspire me to do never ceases to amaze me.

For the hat, I plan to make a modernized tricorne suitable for daily wear from mid-fall to early spring. It'll be done in black felt, and I'll probably make a few clip-on cockades to attach or leave off depending on the occasion.

The shoes will be done in a light cream fabric, possibly silk, but most likely whatever inexpensive remnant I can find that would suit a shoe. I was chatting with my voice teacher this past week and mentioned that I plan to rework some shoes, and she said that it would be a wonderful idea for me to make myself a pair of character shoes. Plain, this pair will look 1700s, but I'll make some clips and bows and buckles to add if I'm acting the part of another period (or a higher class). Just when I thought I couldn't love opera any more, I find that it's a legitimate excuse to pursue costuming on the side. Meraviglioso!

Here's some hat progress -- exciting, right?

The shoes are a bit more satisfying to look at, at this point. There's one original shoe, on the left, and the shoe I've been deconstructing, scattered around the rest of the frame.

 

I'd rather do the hat first because I love the idea of not having to sew anything for a while, but it would be wonderful to have the shoes finished in time for this weekend's concert. Vedremo.

Oh, and yesterday my Italian genetics suddenly reared their tricolore heads, and I cooked my first real, fancy-style planning-ahead meal for myself. Sliced and fried (on the stove, in olive oil) eggplant with freshly cooked semi-saucelike grape tomatoes (sliced and cooked in olive oil with a bit of garlic powder) that were hot enough to partially melt the smoked mozzarella sitting between the sauce and the eggplant. To excuse this deviation from my normal crafty pursuits, yes, I took pictures.

Second interlude: Moar crochet and yes, I fangirl on occasion.

So, instead of working on costumes like a good little costume blogger, I've been doing more crocheting. Why? Because I don't sleep. Instead of sleeping, I watch episodes of the new series of Doctor Who on my netbook, and it's much easier to do that while crocheting than while cutting and sewing costumes.


Following as a natural progression from my Doctor Who-a-thon, I've been poking around to see where else I can find David Tennant's lovely Scottish visage and tremendous acting versatility. Though, sadly, I can't see him as Katurian K. Katurian (yes, that middle K is what you think it is) in McDonagh's The Pillowman (I learned he was in that completely coincidentally, by seeing his name listed in my copy of the script), I found a few other things, including the BBC and Masterpiece Theatre's 2004 TV series Casanova.
I could comment on how much I loved the costumes, or how interesting it was to watch the main character, or not really the character but how you're meant to perceive him, which makes it all the more interesting, change so subtly from hero to anti-hero that you barely notice the transformation until it smacks you in the face, but I'll refrain. For now.
While watching, my hands meandered over to a crochet hook and some yarn. After a few false starts (which I will lie and blame on my being riveted to the goings-on in the show, rather than the less interesting but true reason of my not being able to settle on a pattern), I found myself creating another doll, this one of Casanova himself. My style still declines to include limbs or facial features other than facial hair -- eyebrows in this case -- but appears adorable nonetheless. I also plan to make a Henriette, and probably a Bellino.

(I think his hair could use a bit more work. If work is done, I'll update the pictures. I'll also update the pictures if I splurge on Corel PSPyada-yada-yada, and can edit photos to a wonderful state of semi-realism again.)

After my experiences with this doll I decided enough is enough, and I really should draw up a pattern and follow it each time to make my plushies more uniform in their shape. I did, and I may post/sell it online after I've put more effort into marketing my own services as dollmaker. I'm not at that point though, so avid crocheters and DIY-inclined fangirls will simply have to wait. I'm seriously considering revising my pattern almost entirely, to make the dolls a bit larger and let them sit up more readily without assistance. We'll see how that goes, though.


I have another costume planned, with a post forthcoming after I get some much-needed sleep. Bon soir!

Interlude: crochet and shameless advertising

And at the dawn of time, before costumes, before sewing machines, before fancy hats and opera reviews, there was... crochet.

I've marketed custom amigurumi crocheted dolls on a few websites, but only took custom orders through e-mail, for a few reasons. Business tapered off, and so did the production of dolls. However, with a newfound love of opera comes new ideas.

Is it possible? Openly marketable merchandise of a somewhat well-known character without any copyright infringement? Gadzooks! Apparently, it is!

Lo and behold [my ultimate geekyness] - Cherubino!

Yes, the sprightly pageboy (a trouser role) from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, now in plush form!

Well, with characters whose appearance can change so often, as with operatic roles which vary from one production to the next, how does one know how to costume a doll of one of them?

Simply: whatever the customer (in this case, me) desires. I based this version of Cherubino on the character design used by this season's production of Figaro at the Met Opera. It was the first time I'd seen the show live, I loved the character and the way the actress portrayed him. Hence, immortalized in plush form.

I've also done plush versions of the band Dethklok (including Dr. Rockso) for myself, and Spiderman's Venom character as a gift.

Shelf of plush:

Here's a bit of shameless self-promotion -- I take commissions! Just about any character will do, though copyright laws must be observed. For any commission, I need the name of the character, and at least a full front and back photo. A list of details would also do nicely - the more information you give me, the more accurate the characterization. Prices vary based on level of detail. For this Cherubino, I'd charge about $25 plus S&H.

My current specialty is classical opera characters, as their copyrights generally expired many, many years ago. Any fellow opera geeks up for an adorable (and affordable, as far as customized, handmade-to-order things go) plush of their favorite character?

That's all the rambling and merchandising for now, the next post will introduce my current project: the Basilietta hat.

Ahoy fellow bloggites

How best to begin? I'm a singer turned singer-slash-costume designer, and off-and-on seamstress in my spare time. There's a possibility that I may get paid to costume a small theatre company a few times a year, and along with scouring thrift stores for bargain pieces that could somehow fit whatever show is in production, I've offered my services as a seamstress for any hard-to-find costumial bits that need to be custom-made. But there's a little catch, here: I've done my own costumes before, but I'm one of those insane people who prefers to work with their own measurements and a few wads of fabric rather than with a pattern. I thought it might be in my employers' best interests for me to gain a bit more knowledge of the field I'm shoving myself into, and good for me to have a bit of fun in the meantime, so a few weeks back I stumbled around the internets until I found myself at a number of 18th Century costume blogs. That's my favorite historical period, and I've since spent my nights perusing the web, looking for tutorials, ideas, etc. Thusly, most of the costumes, etc. on here will have nothing to do with the shows I'm supposed to be costuming, but little flights of fancy in case I can ever find a good 1700s reenactment group or society in my area.

At completely random intervals, or when I get bored, I'll break up the posts on costumes with one or two about another craft, or a mildly well-informed opera review. And, that's something I should mention: I'm a total opera geek. Half (or more) of the things I post here will be inspired by a production I've seen at the Metropolitan Opera or elsewhere, and I'd be interested to see if anyone notices my little references. The first one should be pretty obvious to anyone who's seen this particular production - but I'll post that soon. You've been warned, read the following posts with the knowledge that anything could start me referencing - or singing.

Oh, and the name of the blog? Well, though I can sometimes feel at home in a giant, froofy skirt, I feel much more comfortable with the freedom of motion given by a pair of breeches (after 9 years of martial arts training, it's frustrating not to be able to roundhouse-kick at one's leisure). I've got a soft spot for trouser roles in opera, and I'll probably end up channeling quite a bit of that influence into my costumes. I figure if I can pass myself off as a page or a girl in boy's clothing at a reenactment or two (and anyone who's seen me will vouch that I probably can), it'll be worthwhile - and it'd be much easier to wear a frock coat around this city on a daily basis (I like making my costumes multi-task) than to wear a robe Polonaise or panniers. ^^