Costume Academy 2013

It's that time again! Costume Academy is coming up on March 9. It's always a fun day--I get to hang out with my fellow costumers and geek out all day over costumey techniques. I always get inspired (if not a little too ambitious!) after Costume Academy each year.

This year I'm teaching two basic sewing classes:

Zippers 101 (back by popular demand!)
Sewing By Hand: Taking It To the Next Level (buttonholes, blind catch stitch, and more)
I'll also be there with my millinery supplies in the Vendor Room.

For more information, please go to the GBACG webpage here. Hope to see you there!

Costume Academy 2012

I'll be back this year teaching! The full skinny will be posted to the GBACG website soon, when registration opens. I'll also be there with my millinery supplies in the vendor hall. Costume Academy is a great, one-day event where you can take three 90 minute classes a day on different sewing and costume topics, do a little shopping, and talk shop and ideas with fellow costumers. I always leave inspired.

Here are my classes and some of the event information:

Millinery 101: Create a Buckram Base
Most fascinators begin with a wired buckram base. Learn how to create a round or teardrop shaped buckram base that can then be covered with yourfashion fabric and all of your fabulous trimmings. In the first part of class we'll talk about supplies and techniques. The second half of class will be hands-on: we will take a pre-blocked piece of buckram, cut it to shape, apply milliners wire and bias tape to get it ready for your fashion fabric. Lots of samples will be shown. This is also an exellent beginner
class for those who want to learn how to work with buckram.
Kit fee: $6

Kit includes handouts, pre-blocked buckram, millinery wire, wire joiner, bias tape.

Students should bring: Scissors for cutting buckram (not your best fabric scissors) a soft pencil or chalk marking tools, hand sewing needles, polyester or poly/cotton blend all-purpose thread in neutral colors, thimble, and wire cutters if they have them (there will be a couple of pairs available in class to use).

You can see what a teardrop base looks like in the photo above.

Creating Ribbon Flowers

Ribbon flowers can be used to decorate many, many costume pieces from hats to shoes to purses. Learn how to make basic three dimensional ribbon flowers and add a little floral punch to your costume collection. We will start with a demo and a discussion of materials. The rest of class will be spent creating 2 different types of ribbon flowers and one set of leaves.
Kit fee: $5

Kit includes handouts, ribbon for leaves and flowers, stamens, use of finishing supplies.

Students should bring a basic hand sewing kit with them to class and wire cutters if they have them (there will be a couple of pairs available in class to use).

Costume Academy will be held on March 4, 2012 at the ASUC MLK Student Union on the UC Berkeley campus. I'm not sure what the registration fees will be this year, so please keep your eye on the GBACG website. (and p.s., classes sell out quickly!)