Costume project: sketches

Here are the sketches I made to show my friend, who is the director of the play, what I have planned to design and sew for their big musical act in this cabaret.

Their big musical act is little town from Beauty and the Beast!

First thought was, easy! I like this type of costumes… I have always wanted to make historical and fantasy costumes, but I have never sewn corsets or very big skirts before, and will I even make good costumes? What about other smaller acts that needs costumes? How will I even get time to make all of this?

After reading the script I did realize what kind of costumes we/I could make and what kind of costume we could buy or borrow from someone else.

My friend and I did agree that I would focus on making costume for the beauty and the beast act, because it was a bit more challenging to get these costumes by buying it somewhere. Also it is more my style to make skirts, dresses and accessories, and I have a big interest in this time era.

When I started to make those sketches, I did have to think about how much time I had to make this, will I get enough people to help me sew, how many costumes do we need and how advanced should I do this?

My friend wanted big skirts for the “pink girls”, with petticoats, but I told her that I would not have time to make such complicated skirts, even if I wanted to. So I chose to decorate the skirts with laces to make it look like it have petticoats.

When I heard that we needed eleven big skirts, I was thinking that it would be possible to make that many skirts, because I could use those skirts as part of the sewing course I had, so those who was on the course could sew something simple. But we did only have two course days (this was a beginner course in sewing, so that’s why it took longer time then expected to make these skirts) and it was not even enough to make three skirts completely done… I had to cut it down to six skirts instead.

After the sewing course was over I tried to get others from the sewing course to join my sewing group to help me complete the costumes for this cabaret, but I did not have much luck with that, but one girl from the sewing course wanted to help me, and she has helped me a lot with those skirts (I am so tired of making those heavy long skirts, so I am really happy that I have her to help me).

If you did read my last post you might remember what this cabaret is about, if not please click here to find out!

But there is one more costume I have designed, and that is for the main characters in this play, the costumes for the penguins!

No, I did not choose to make a big fluffy penguin one-piece costume, because that would have taken me a looooong time to make. I have instead designed a circus inspired jackets with cute hats that match their jackets! They will also get a beak, but I am not the one who is making those.

I am soon done with all the costumes that I have planned to make.

Next time I will post a short DIY of how I redesigned a hat for one of the “pink girls” costume!

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