Category Archives: Costume as Art

Coincidence- Gift?

Walking quickly though a bookstore yesterday, to buy a magazine, I saw something amazing.  There, on a bargain bookshelf, a fabulous book. Priced at less than twice the cost of the magazine.

New Book

New Book

 

Of course I bought it.  The magazine, forgotten.

Rare to the point of being extremely unusual that I had entered the bookstore at all,  I moved quickly to the magazines, but the shelf was right in my path.  The book  was the only one of its kind, and the only one of this subject on the shelf.  Have you ever felt that something special just jumped right at you?

I realized later, that I hadn’t even really felt strongly about  buying a magazine and am not  sure why I had been so motivated to out out of my way to this bookstore on this particular day.    I ask myself…is it impossible to believe this book was a little gift?  I think it may have been…

Perusing the new book

Perusing the new book

Wedding Gown for Minnie Mouse

Here is the completed project!042041

Bodice for Minnie Mouse

I had recently finished a corset with steel bones.  For some reason I had ordered a number of tiny bones, and did not need them for that project.  Well, turns out that they were Minnie’s size!  Yes, her bodice has real steel bones…015

Here is the inside of the bodice, with my trademark heart inside.

And the front view below…

 

 

So that is a bit of my sewing life lately…

I am linking up with Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Friday for my dose of creative inspiration…

More with Minnie Mouse’s Bridal Gown…

I did a deep hem in her gown, and left it with a soft crease, not a hard one, so the satin would look luxurious…004

Bridal Gown for Minnie Mouse

Minnie Mouse’s skirt was quite extensive.  I created a bustle and crinoline to support it, and draped the skirt in white satin with plenty of poufs. Each pouf was held with hand stitching and hand beading. 007  As I worked, I had to store it on my dress form, because Minnie couldn’t stand up by herself! She measures over three feet tall, but she does mainly sit… I am linking to Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Friday.  I treasure her inspirations!

Bridal Gown for Minnie Mouse

My most favorite project recently involved creating a bridal gown for a celebrity- Minnie Mouse!  I loved creating this gown…Minnie's crinoline and bustle here is her bustle and crinoline I created.

Minnie's bustle under creation

Beginnings…. Journey- Works In Costume

Puzzling over linguistics…

I say often that silk is my media… sometimes I say I work in textiles.  I have begun some works now, and want to say that my media is COSTUME.

Meaning garments that refer to fashion history and all it’s meanings- but also, a work of art, one that might portray reality or not, one that might have layers of meaning or observation like a drawing or a textile work. 

There are so many artists working with clothing in this way- but how to describe it? Succinctly- as a category, the way a media is a category…

Cartridge pleating on garment

Cartridge pleating on garment