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Costume College 2015

I look forward to Costume College every year, because not only do I learn a ton from other talented costumers, I get to reconnect with friends from around the world. Previous years have planted the seeds for some of the collaborations that blossomed this year, and I value the connections I’ve made with other female business owners in the costuming world. This year I took a big leap and also became a teacher and exhibitor, as well as a student.

If you’ve never been to Costume College, here’s a great video that shows you how much fun it is, and how awesome all the costumes are.

I had plans for some costumes of my own, but life and work kept me busy. For the first time in years, I opted not to go crazy with late night sewing marathons and sewing in my hotel room in order to finish things in time.  I skipped having a gala dress, and decided to just wear jeans. It was such a relief!! Luckily, Alise still wanted me to feel fancy, so she packed a tiara and a pair of fabulous red and black Harlow shoes by American Duchess for me to wear. Having friends with good taste in shoes and the same size feet comes in handy sometimes!

In the end, I only really dressed up on Friday. I wore my cotton print gown with lots of new accessories – a red linen petticoat, a floofy silk gauze cap (I  need more of these in my closet), and a new apron and gloriously long fichu based on an example at the Met.  More about the fichu soon, since I’m hoping to release it as a new design this month.

I was excited to finish the fichu in time, because that’s also the day I taught my Overview of Embroidery class. I’ve been stitching out samples and custom orders this year, but hadn’t kept anything for myself. It was fun to wear some pretty embroidery while I was teaching about it. I was a little nervous to teach, but it went really well and people seemed to enjoy the information and pictures I shared. I’ll definitely be thinking about more classes I might want to propose for next year.  I’ve learned so much over the last 5 years as a student, and really enjoyed being able to give back by teaching.

Laurie Tavan of Martin Ave Photo and Daze of Laur snapped a couple pictures of me at the end of the night, as well as a larger crowd shot with Lauren of American Duchess*, and my friends Alise and Heather just visible in the background behind Lauren.

Costume College 2015 Denise

Costume College 2015 GroupOn Saturday I learned how to make Dorset buttons and Deaths head buttons.  Sunday was a corset flossing class with Cathy Hay, where I started a sampler of various flossing patterns.  I need to practice all three, but it’s great to have more small, portable sewing projects that I can work on while watching TV with the family or carry to sewing days.

Corset flossing sampler from Costume College 2015 class. All in all, it was a fun weekend packed full of friends and learning. I reconnected with friends and mentors in a way that make me feel excited about what I’m doing and ready to tackle some big plans for next year. I shared some of the Romantic Recollections embroidery designs, and had the fun of seeing a few of those designs being worn by customers. I feel like this year marks a turning point for me personally, as well as the business, and I can’t wait to see where it all leads next.

 

*Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you choose to make a purchase. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. If you want to see a full list of the products I use, check out the Products I Love page.

One Response to “Costume College 2015

  • It was wonderful to see you again, and especially to see you growing and trying new things! Glad to hear you enjoyed your experience teaching – I was sorry I missed it, and I hope I’ll be able to attend next year!

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