Belles of the ball

Every year our local home school group has a civil war ball as an alternative to the standard prom. The kids love it because it removes a lot of the pressure to find a date, boys and girls dancing together etc. but they can have a great time getting all dressed up and just having fun.
What the dance does require is an authentic looking dress. This year I am making two to serve as rentals (for this but they could also be for the party scene in the Nutcracker) and my daughter needed a new bodice as she had grown. It is a good idea (and authentic) to make a bodice and a skirt rather than a dress. This allows alterations to be made more easily, and you can switch bodices for a fresh look.

My daughter in last year's  plum colored dress

I drafted new bodice patterns for all three girls and cut out toiles out of an old sheet, then went back made adjustments and cut out the lining fabric (a heavy 100% cotton twill).
My daughter's new bodice was inspired by Janet Arnold's "patterns of fashion" illustrations, Travis Halsey's "Regal" bodice and my own reworking. I changed the neck line and added sleeves.

My daughter's bodice in plum colored taffeta

The bodices for the other two dresses were a reworking of a Tutus that dance pattern (#2102) with a different neckline and sleeves. One will be in a pretty lilac taffeta, the other in a duck-egg blue.

Lilac plaid taffeta for dress 1

The lilac taffeta will have a draped front neck, as shown in the Janet Arnold illustration, while the blue dress is going to have ruffles, ribbons and flowers. These dresses will also have some lovely headpieces: one a simple hair band of ribbon rose, the other a lace and flowered "bonnet".

Beginning of the duck egg blue faux silk dress.

I worked on my daughter's bodice first as I had her to try things on. I have also been taking an online class called the "Couture dress" with Susan Khalje on Craftsy and learned some new basting and ironing techniques to get the underlining piece nice and flat.

One issue with taffeta (and other fabrics such as silk satin) is that you have to be very careful not to make mistakes, or when pinning, as it can mar the fabric. I made such a mistake on the purple bodice with the right panel so that it is is not 100% smooth. Also, to get the bottom cording into a nice sharp point, it is important to clip seams, carefully (hand) baste down seam allowance etc. so that everything will lie flat.
I spent what seemed like forever ironing the fabric, pinning, repinning etc. but the end result was well worth it. With taffeta's, satin's etc. it helps not to actually place the iron on the fabric but hold the steam iron above the fabric to "relax" it and then gently smooth and pull. Again a too hot iron can mar that type of fabric.

my daughter's purple taffeta bodice

My daughter's bodice looks good but the second bodice I made looked better.

Bodice 2 in duck egg blue

The sleeves on the duck-egg blue dress are lined and gathered. Once I've done another fitting I will begin to add lace, ruffles and other decorations to this bodice. The third bodice is a plaid taffeta and I tried hard to match the plaid but due to the shape and the bias cut panels it just was not possible to match everything perfectly.

Bodice 3 in lilac, plaid taffeta

This third bodice will had a pleated front as decoration. Both skirts will be cartridge pleated unto a basque style waist.
It is hard to photograph cartridge pleating. It is a technique which allows a large amount of fabric to be neatly gathered into a very small space.

Cartridge pleated skirt

"Bertha" and some ruffles for dress

The duck egg blue dress will have several layers of ruffles and a ruffles "bertha" in soft pink and gold lace.

completed duck egg blue bodice

Most of the pieces for the dresses are now assembled and once I have sewn them up I'll post some photographs.

Dress skirt ruffled and pinned.

The dresses will also have complimenting headpieces made with ribbon embroidery and I'll include a little write up of that. Enjoy!

Making hats for ballet

Just this week I made a hat for a dancer sight unseen.  When making a headpiece or any costume item choosing the right materials and colors is very important. The hat I was making was going to be brown with cranberry colored flowers. Sounds easy, no? but what is cranberry or even brown for that matter? Here is just a small example of shades of cranberry:

 If we are really honest though, color choices are much more like this; just look at the bottom row for "brown":

Since I did not have any fabric swatches I just guessed and made what I thought looked good; a bit risky but I figured if it looked pretty and had several shades, even if it wasn't a perfect match it would still look good. A good way to help with choosing colors and being on the same page when it comes to talking about colors  is to go to the paint store and select some of those chips.
Due to time constraints I had to go with what I had available so I dug into my stash and found some lovely velvets and some lilac and "cranberry" red silk. The dancer and I decided on the brown velvet for the hat base and then I came up with the idea to take silk organza and dye it several shades of "cranberry".

Fabrics from stash

 The next challenge for a ballet hat was its design.

Brown velvet, wired buckram shape and cranberry silk organza for the flowers.

No one wants a hat to fall off but on a dancer staying on your head is a minimal requirement not just "would be nice". A ballet hat has to be fairly strong too. A while back I purchased an e-book from Prudence millenry to help me learn how to make couture flowers and headbands. Using the methods describe there I made a frame of wire and buckram, covered it with some flannel and then applied the velvet. The book called for ice-wool, a short of wool knit batting but that is very hard to find and expensive so I substituted flannel as the flalene. I then dyed horsehair (a nylon, millenry mesh braid which is very strong but will blend into the dancers hair) and some mesh elastic and sewed that onto the bottom of the hat.
The flowers were made by hand, using bias cut tubing and hand cut petals. I also made some Yo-yo style daisies and sewed glass beads into the center to simulate stamens.
Although there are specialize sewing machines to sew hats, you can use a regular machine, I ended up sewing everything by hand to get the tight, clean finish I wanted. The book also shows that to get the best results, the hat shape should be hand sewn.

Hat after blocking

I then blocked and shaped the hat form. To do this I pinned the shape to a foam head and using steam, which softened the glue in the buckram, I reshaped it. Once the hat cools down, the buckram stiffens up again so that the hat keeps it shape. The horsehair on the bottom of the hat and the mesh elastic strap (which runs along the back of the head at the base of the skull) allows the hat to be pinned all around so it will not come off.

Close up of the flowers and hat.

I was happy with the completed hat and after testing it (sounds silly but I feel an once of prevention is worth it), it was packed up and sent off. Another busy week but certainly not dull!

It is not a dream: How to clean (ballet) costumes

 There was a time when people were afraid to wash: themselves, their homes, their clothing. As a result people well, ...stank. At some point in time we discovered that by washing our bodies, our clothing and our homes we not only smelt better, we prevented disease and clothing lasted longer.
In the ballet world there was (and sad to say still is) a superstition or false belief among some that washing is bad for costumes.
Incorrect cleaning could potentially damage a costume but not cleaning, well it is simply disgusting as dancers sweat, a lot. If an item of clothing is simply hung back into storage after wearing, it can accumulate mold and bacterial growth, besides the worst b.o. imaginable.
Can and should you clean costumes?
The simple answer is yes; the more complicated answer follows.
Besides general hygiene, cleaning a costume before it is returned to storage greatly increases the life expectancy of the costumes. Sweat, oils from the skin and other bodily secretions rot fabrics, especially natural fabrics (silk, rayon, cotton). Synthetics such as polyester, nylon and acetate will also deteriorate over time when not cleaned. This is more due to the bacteria and molds that grow and feed on the sweat and skin cells than the bodily fluids themselves.
A ballet tutu is largely made up of nylon net and the pants are either nylon/spandex or cotton bobbin-net. The basque (part at the waist) can be made from silk, cotton, cotton/rayon or nylon; again all washable. Bodices can be made of a wide range of fabrics, most of which can be washed but here it can get tricky. If the fabrics were not washed before being made into the bodice they could potentially run or shrink. Often spot cleaning or dry-cleaning can be used.
To clean a ballet costume first find out what it is made of. Next if possible remove any decorations. Often decorations are applied to a plate or overlay that is tacked to the tutu and the bodice.  Only Swarovski hot-fix crystals have a patented glue that is dry-cleanable.
For the tutu, soaping and then thoroughly rinsing the crotches with warm water is usually sufficient. A mild soap such as Orvus (OrvusWA paste, purchased at the tractor supply store) or hand soap such as Ivory works well. If needed (for blood, urine or other stains) you can make a paste or soak the crotch in a product such as Biz or Oxyclean. Rarely do you need to wash the whole tutu. If you do, soak in the bath tub or a small kiddy pool. Use a minimum of soap because the tutu net works as a huge bath scrubby and produces a lot of bubbles.
Always air dry costumes and if possible expose the items to sunlight for several hours. Just sunlight will kill both bacteria and mold if given enough time. The only down side of this is that (high doses of) U.V. light will over time break down synthetic fibers such as nylon, acetate and polyester.
For spot cleaning again Orvus or Quick and Brite work well. Quick and Brite is very good for wiping lipstick and other make-up stains off of tights and leotards.
For silk, adding a table spoon or two of distilled, white vinegar to the rinse water also helps to clean them.

Blue silk and lace peignoir from the 1930's, with original vintage buttons

I recently was given a large number of vintage items. All had been stored in a box in a basement and they smelled of mildew. I carefully hand washed every single item using Orvus soap, luke-warm or cold water and air + sun drying. Not only are they clean and no longer smell, their colors are brighter, the fabric is crisper and they will last for many more years.

A 1970's pants suit made of Indonesian Batik

Edwardian (1900's) black silk tulle with tambour style lace embroidery.

Cleaning ones costumes and Vintage items is simply protecting an investment of time and money.

Sending mom to the prom in style: mp dress part 3

 After my last post about the mom prom dress, I worked hard to get it ready. I sewed all the pieces together, added the sleeves, the hooks and eyes in the front and some hanger loops so that the bodice could be hung up easily.

front of bodice

back of bodice

I finished the skirt adding a stay tape to hold the pleats to the back of the skirt and also added hanger loops.

bodice and skirt front

back of bodice and skirt

The little hat also needed finishing. I had covered the buckram frame with a layer of cotton flannel so that any fashion fabric added could be pulled smooth.

Crown tip and brim covered with flannel "mull"

Initially I had wanted to make swirls on the top and side but after trying several things I ditched that as it was too much on such a small hat. In the end I opted for covering the tip with purple taffeta, black satin and using some patterned black satin bias binding to finish the edges.

Flannel covered crown tip and sating covered brim

After sewing the crown to the brim, I added a band of ruffled black lace (the same lace I used on the front of the bodice), a lace bow and decoration of feathers on the side of the hat.
Finally, I attached a band of horsehair so that Heather could pin the hat on and a ribbon to tie as well.

Mini top hat

Two days ago I was able to do the final fitting for Heather's dress. When everyone saw her in the dress there was a hushed, WOW from everyone. She really looked wonderful and elegant.

The bodice needed one or two final little tweeks and we agreed that it needed a touch of sparkle. The front hook and eye closures did not gape but the edge was noticeable. I think that if I were to make something like this again I would do it differently because such front closures are not as attractive as back closures. I added a strip of black lace along the neck line  and then hand beaded it with some beads and sequins.

I took several photos of Heather in the dress with her camera and with mine. When I returned home I found that my camera was broken ?! and the pictures I took with Heather's camera were not very good. I think it is time I take that photography class!!!

Just so that you have a vague idea what the dress looked like I am posting three photos and will replace these ASAP.

Back of dress

side view

Heather in her mom-prom dress with mini top hat

M.P. dress takes shape (part 2)

Since my last post, the mom prom (MP) has started to take shape. After our first fitting Heather and I ditched the draped bodice opting instead for a simpler bodice.
I then began to cut out the skirt and bodice. The two iconic Worth dresses that formed some of the inspiration for what I was going to make reminded me of something very important: making sure the pattern matched.

Worth flocked taffeta dress

Worth evening gown

Worth was a master of creating beautiful lines, that were pleasing to look at and flattered the wearer. He also had the advantage that the fabrics for his dresses were specifically made with the dress design in mind.
The flocked taffeta I was working with not only had a pattern, the pattern had a repeat. It was very important to make sure that the pieces matched or it would be ugly.
I started working on the skirt because it was "easier". It took some time but I was able to cut and then sew the skirt so that the pattern matched very well. The skirt could have had a train but it was left off so that is would be easy to dance in. The skirt was cut as a walking length skirt with the bottom edge faced in a black satin.

Back of the skirt with pleats

Next step was to work on the bodice. I started by cutting out the lining, applying bone casings and then flat-lining the fashion fabric to the back piece. Every time I cut a piece I would line it up and sew it before cutting the next to be sure that it all matched. The result was worth the effort.

back of the bodice with fabric carefully matched

Bodice front (inside part facing), quilted for strength.

I then cut and worked on quilting the two front pieces as I had learned in the couture bodice class I took at Tutu.com's school. Normally this is done on the back pieces of a (high end) ballet bodice where the hooks and bars go because these pieces have a lot of stress on them. This bodice does up the front instead of the back, so I felt it was important to  treat these pieces this was.  Tomorrow I will continue to work on the front of the bodice and hopefully finish it. I made the sleeves out of a plain black satin and laid out how I want to cut the front of the bodice. Again I am going to apply a technique I learned during Travis Halsey's class, called decorative fold backs (these techniques are detailed on a new DVD by Mr Halsey, available through Tutu.com)
One other thing I worked on was the little top hat. I began by making a wire and buckram hat shape.

wired buckram shape for hat

I then covered the crown and brim with black cotton flannel to create a smooth shape. I used some Fabritac glue to attach the flannel to the hat shape. Once it has dried I will cover the hat shape with black satin and add decorations in peacock feather colors (purple, dark green) and sew the brim and crown together.
More in my next post.

The "mom prom" dress

It is finally time to start on my friend Heather's "mom prom dress". Heather is our local MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) representative and she is going to their conference soon. New this year at the conference is the so-called "mom prom" with featured artist Plumb.

Since Heather helped me set up my blogs and has generally been a wonderful friend I want to make sure she goes in appropriate style.Together we came up with  a Worth inspired bodice and dress with a few "steam-punk" twits, including a miniature top hat and time permitting lace gloves.

I found a gorgeous black flocked taffeta,

black flocked taffeta

dug through my stash of fabrics for velvets, taffetas

deep plum taffeta

and laces to combine for the bodice.  I am going to use two patterns from Laughing moon Mercantile with some modifications: their five gored skirt and matching bodice pattern.

Today I did a first fitting and will begin constructing the skirt and bodice soon. We decided to make the sleeves out of a plain black satin, rather than the flocked taffeta and I am going to use some of the techniques I learned at  Tutu.om's tutu school to modify the front of the bodice. It will have some of the plum colored taffeta, some black velvet piping and a dark green flocked taffeta to create longer lines. The skirt will be made of the black flocked taffeta with a satin facing at the hem.
To finish off the ensemble, Heather will have a little top hat with peacock feathers and peacock colored accents (these colors and fabrics are mirrored in the bodice).
I need to get on to that now and will post photographs soon.

Swan lake on Stage

Leila Drake as Odile

Swan lake on stage:

I have to confess that Swan lake is not really my favorite ballet. It can be either overly dramatic or if the principles are not strong Odette can be insipid and Siegfried a bit of a fop. If the corps de ballet is only a bit off, than it just looks bad. If it is done well, it is wonderful but since Swan lake is "the ballet" it often is not. Like Nutcracker, it can be done to death.

Queen mother and Siegfried (Ryan Camou) Swan lake
 (photo credit Johann Studier)

This performance of Swan Lake was done well. The dancers looked fabulous and they moved as one.The two principles Leila Drake and Ryan Camou were wonderful to behold. No insipid or foppish characters here. Leila Drake was a strong, yet vulnerable Odette with flawless technique. Ryan Camou was dashing as Prince Siegfried. His lifts and jumps were effortless. Together Leila and Ryan made their roles come alive and made this performance of Swan lake exciting to watch.
Here are some great photos and a short video clip so that you can judge for yourself. Swan lake dress rehearsal: Little swans on stage

Leila Drake as Odette & Ryan Camou as Siegfried
Swan lake 2012
 (photo credit Johann Sudier)

Leila Drake as Odette & Ryan Camou as Siegfried
Swan lake Act 2
 (photo credit Johann Sudier)

I tried uploading some small video clips of Swan lake on stage but I was unable to do so. Instead I have added a few more photos of Swan lake on stage.

Leila Drake as Odette and Ryan Camou as Siegfried
 Swan lake
 (photo credit Johann Sudier)

 Swan lake Act 2, 18 swans on stage
 (photo credit Johann Sudier)

 Swan lake, Act 4, 20 swan on stage
 (photo credit Johann Sudier)

Leila Drake as Odette, Swan lake
 (photo credit Johann Sudier)

Swan lake, Swans
 (photo credit Johann Studier)

Swan lake: Leila Drake as Odette, Ryan Camou as Siegfried
 (photo credit Johann Studier)

My apologies for the quality of this video clip but this was the only one I could get to work. This was taken during the dress rehearsal of Act 2 of Swan lake. Leila Drake as Odette, Ryan Camou as Siegfried.
There are no photos of Leila as Odile on stage. I have included one here of her in the studio in the costume I created:

Leila Drake of State Street Ballet as Odile