Many months later, I want to share my experiences at Costume College this past summer. I wrote it awhile ago and have just been procrastinating on getting it edited and picture-fied. The weather here is sitting at a balmy -32C, so what better time to share a trip to southern California in July? ;)
I was a big nervous ball of energy leading up to Costume College this year! I didn't finish everything I wanted to bring, and I had to be OK with that, but what I did bring was great! About a week before we left, Nicole had decided not to wear any costumes at all. Since we had planned to wear Sarah and Jareth for the gala, this now meant I didn't have to bring Jareth (or a wig). In light of my wanting to keep luggage as light as possible, and bring as many overlapping outfits as I could, I had a few days to think about what my outfit plans were. In the end, I brought every 18th century piece I had, mid-Victorian (because petticoats), and the tea gown (because petticoats!). I tried to accessorize as much as possible, again overlapping as much as I could. At the last minute, I tossed in a knitted shawl, thinking it would probably be extra weight.
The cat definitely would have been extra weight. He did not get packed.
Wednesday was travel day. There were four of us on the same flght, but as we'd booked separately, we were all over the plane. I went to pick up Nicole at 5am, but had to go back home for my sunglasses! I nearly left them behind, but hello, California in July. I need to protect my eyes. Luckily we live close together. California seemed very hot to me, with its low 90s and 88% humidity. Edmonton is comparatively very dry, and I met many people over the weekend who were from the Carolinas and Virginia who were so kind in agreeing that it was hot... for me. I resolved to stay inside as much as possible and thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor pool at sunset. We made a trip to a nearby Target to pick up sandwich makings and breakfast materials and snacks, and we got super distracted by all the fun socks for sale. Target, we miss you. We didn't know the hotel had a very local shuttle, so we walked there and took an Uber back, and I managed to burn one shoulder on the walk. Curse you, Canadian tan!
the view from our room. Nice :)
On Thursday, my travelling companions headed to Universal Studios, while I had a limited class in the morning: Riding Habits with the JP Ryan (omgomgomg). I opted not to dress up though I had to bring the bits and bobs necessary for fitting (shift, stays, a petticoat, and either a habit shirt or fitted dress shirt). The class went very well! First we all had to be remeasured for waist length, as nearly all of us had measured wrong. We got a pattern with personalized suggestions on where to make alterations, and she showed us how to adjust the patterns for that. I made all of my adjustments to the front, since that is where my squish factor is. I was the first person to finish my waistcoat mock-up, since it turns out that I'm really a very average size, except for the squish! As I worked on the jacket, I stayed dressed in my bits and bobs, and thought boy, this was actually not bad (temperature, comfort, feeling like I belonged... take your pick). I was comfortable in all of the layers.
After the class, I went back to the room for lunch and to do some sewing until it was time to go back down for the opening of registration. I watched Forensic Files and stitched for like 4 hours, it was wonderful :) I'd started a cap to go with my 18th c. dresses before I left, found I had left the ruffle at home (dang it, I was so sure I'd packed it...), and quickly tried on my curtain-along gown to mark the hem and hem it. I originally hadn't planned to bring it, but the rearrangement of my costume plans meant I now had space in "the schedule" for it, but it needed a hem! The petticoat was weirdly long, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I made it. The back was fine over the bum roll, but the front was almost 4" too long. It got the world's fastest and most awkward hem.
The other Big Events on Thursday were the opening of Registration at 7, where there were limited numbers of limited classes available to try and get into (I really wanted to do the fabric district tour on Monday, but had forgotten it on my form), and the pool party. I had waited to eat dinner partly because of nerves and partly because I had no idea when my roommates would be back, and I wanted to eat with them if they hadn't done so yet. They arrived around 7:30 I think? I had terrible wi-fi connection for the first couple days and no cell service, we nearly missed each other! So we got changed for the pool party first and then went to eat, returning as the party was winding down. Oops. But I found my heretofore online-only friend Sara as we'd planned to wear Star Trek TOS skants together, and we had a lovely conversation for our first meeting :D
I loooove the "spiral" design.
Friday was mostly a "take in all the sights" day. The marketplace didn't open until after the social in the evening, which was fine. I went to a number of unlimited classes, first supporting NutMeg Sews in her presentation on costuming our living history site, Fort Edmonton Park :D I was wearing the Butterick 1840s dress, which I'd finally put the last bits on (posts here!) and finally gotten to wear. I got many lovely compliments on it. Most were intrigued by the asymmetrical pleating on the bodice. Perhaps the best compliment I got was from Jennifer Rosbrugh of Historical Sewing, who said (somewhat paraphrased) that I looked like a movie star ;) (What she said was that I reminded her of the actress who played Jane Eyre in the 2006 version, and had really nailed the look, so yay me!)
The social was... overwhelming, for this socially anxious introvert. I wore the Star Trek skant again as that had been my planned social outfit and I didn't have anything else. I did one tour of the room and then hid in the hallway. Maybe because we'd missed the beginning again because we'd gone for dinner and then gotten distracted by the dead mall the restaurant was in, but I heard other people say that they find the social the most anxiety-inducing event too. Ah well. There were some seriously amazing outfits there!
I found the cap ruffle in my luggage earlier in the day (I knew I'd packed it!), and had to attach it and the muslin cuffs to my gown for the next day. Before bed, I put my hair into rags to ensure I had Big Hair the next day. Ready!
On Saturday I got myself laced into stays and put on all of the layers for my curtain-along gown, including the linen neckerchief I made ages ago, and the mitts that Asa (Fashion Through History) had made for me. I felt pretty amazing :D I was also very comfortable! The only time I felt overly warm was when I'd gone into an area that wasn't as well-air-conditioned as some of the rooms, and that lasted all of 20 minutes. The curtain-along host, Jen Thompson, found me in the afternoon, and as I walked out of a room, someone said "there's another one of you 5 meters that way" but I never found them while we were dressed in the same fabric. (There was actually two others! One can be seen here on Jen's Instagram, and the other here on American Duchess.)
I found some trim in the marketplace that was perfect for the trimming I had in mind for the IKEA gown, right around the time I was going to go upstairs and get undressed for a couple hours anyway, so I spent another happy and slightly rushed couple hours attaching it and chatting with my other roommate while she got ready for the gala. I went for dinner with a beautifully costumed group of people (omg they looked so amazing) and then we went back for the gala. I mostly stood in the hallway with one of my travelling companions, just admiring everyone, who all looked amazing. I can't even begin to describe the amount of amazingness in that room.
The finished IKEA gown!
On Sunday I wore a teagown. I wore leggings and a camisole, no corset, and one petticoat, and was ridiculously comfortable all day. Except -- I was also cold! When I went up to my room for lunch, I also retrieved that shawl that I had brought but hadn't expected to need. I also had my last limited class, reverse applique sewing with The Lady Detalle. Before it started, I had a last burst of anxiety that my handsewing skills wouldn't be up to the task, but it was just fine :) I got pretty far, but I started with an easy template, a "C".
On Monday, we piled into the bus to head to the garment district. It was AH-MAZING. Many people had told me to go to Home Fabrics for silk, and they were not joking. The whole store was just incredible, racks and racks and racks of gorgeous fabric, and on two floors. I made a purchase that we left with the bus, and then went to explore with a small group (we totaled 7). At one point we split up, and I went to the millinery store, where I got 20 yards of bonnet straw and a cute little tricorn hat, and at another store I picked up some large hook and eyes to use on my eventual riding habit. Then I bought more silk at Home Fabrics, and hit the wall. There was so much to see and look at and try to find, and we only looked at a small portion of stores in one tiny corner of the district! It was really warm too, though it didn't feel as oppressive as it had the day we arrived, and even though I slathered myself in only SPF 30 sunscreen, I didn't burn at all.
Our trip home on Tuesday was delayed by several hours, so we got the dubious pleasure of spending 6 or 7 hours in LAX, but even that was not enough to dampen the amazing weekend we had at Costume College, and we spent a lot of time planning for next year. I can hardly wait!
Plus we got to see this enormous airplane!:
I am so grateful for the people I went with and the people I met, and especially the people who went out of their way to keep me company at various points throughout the weekend. I hope I didn't impose on you all too much. I had such a wonderful weekend, anxiety and all, and it was your amazingness that made it amazing!
I remember the lovely pleating on your 1840s dress! The piping on that was beautiful, too. Thank you for being so kind and letting me stare at your sleeves.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! :)
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