Flashback Friday: Star Wars Cosplay

Hello all! We're starting a new regular feature here at Marilyn's Share and Tell Creative Diary, called Flashback Friday, in which we discuss some of our favorite past projects.

Over the past several weeks, we have been working on a set of cosplay costumes for a fan of Mortal Kombat (images to come!), which made us think of another costume we created for a fan some time ago.  This fan wanted a Zam Wesell costume (the bounty hunter in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones) for a convention, and she went above and beyond in her research for the role.  She brought us a cardboard cutout from the theater so we could measure the stitch length on the costume, and even pictures of the actual Zam Wesell suit from the museum where it is displayed IN AUSTRALIA.  Now that's dedication!

Our final product!

Cosplay is extremely specific, from the fabrics, to the overall look and movements of the character. When I was at ComiCon in San Diego this year, I saw some of the most amazing costumes of characters that some of the wearers had worked all year to create. For the Zam costume, it took three months to determine the thickness of the neoprene alone! Then there were all the stitching tests, with and without backing. Neoprene... now that is one difficult material to work with. Doesn't anyone believe in cotton anymore??

Sourcing the exact thickness and shade of neoprene

According to Wikipedia, "cosplay, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction." And let me tell you, cosplay is no joke. The intricate knowledge cosplayers have of the characters and dedication to every last detail of their costumes is fascinating, and inspiring! Most of the cosplay costumes we get requests for have been for characters that appear in American games, shows, or movies, but I look forward to the day someone walks in asking for a costume from Final Fantasy or Zelda: Twilight Princess... those will be interesting, to say the least!

Just as long as it doesn't involve neoprene... we've had enough of that for a lifetime!

Our cosplayer... and the original Zam, side by side!

If you could pick any character in the world, who would you be? Is it because of the costume, the powers, or the personality?

Our Town Reviews

The reviews are in! We got some nice mentions from Larry Bangs of DC Theatre Scene, Tim Smith of The Baltimore Sun, Chris Siggins of Maryland Theatre Guide, and Patti Restivo on explorehoward.com.  

There is still one more show today, 10/30, at 5pm! Don't miss it!

Hello, it's been awhile!

Well 2011 has flown and we're making some major renovations online here at the Sewing Design Studio.  My name is Brittany and I'm Marilyn's apprentice/#1 fan.  I'll be talking a lot more on the blog, while Marilyn does her awesome thing in real life.  She will still post every once in awhile, though, so look forward to that!

We've been pretty busy this fall, finishing up costumes for Chesapeake Shakespeare Comapany's production of Our Town (running through Oct. 30.)  I loved working on the bright colors of the dresses for the ladies; I think they will look beautiful against the gorgeous Maryland fall foliage in The Ruins at PFI Historic Park.  If you get a chance to see it, tell us all about it in the comments!

Costume Commission for Beauty and the Beast

I just met with the costume designer for Mt. Hebron High School. They are doing Beauty and The Beast for their Spring musical. I’m making 2 costumes for Belle: the pink dress she wears at the castle and the show-stopper yellow gown for the final scene. I’m also creating 8 sets of silverware and a pie server. Maybe some more, it’s still early in the production and I usually get asked to fill in missing pieces here and there.

More Intern Adventures at the Sewing Design Studio

My interns are hard at work on their pillows and are beginning to really understand the importance of a good pattern. I'm hosting a holiday par-tay for them tomorrow afternoon. I’ll bring in some home-made cookies and other goodies along with holiday cheer. We should have a good time before I send them off for holiday break.

Training Interns in Fashion Design

My interns are learning the importance of accuracy and patience as they work on the design project I gave them. They are to design a 12 x 12 inch pillow but it has to have at least 4 pieces on the face side. From there they have to develop the pattern pieces adding seam allowances, matching notations, grainlines...all the minute but important parts of bringing a design from the page to 3-D reality. Once they've perfected their patterns, they're going to actually make the pillows...and they get to keep them!

Party Trunks!

One of the great things about running a costume studio along side the bridal and fashion studio is that I have a huge closet to pull from. For your next kid's party, try renting a trunk full of costumes for the kids to play in. Give me a theme and I'll deliver a trunk full of fun costumes that will let imaginations take over!

For example, I recently got a call from a mom whose daughter is having a Royal Princesses themed party. I'll be filling the trunk with princess dresses, crinolines, and tiaras.

So much fun!

The Indian costume for Peter Pan is finished and has been picked up! Julie, who will wear it in the show said she was going to be the best dressed Indian on stage! Just what I like to hear!

Show opens next weekend at Laurel Mill Playhouse, Main Street, Laurel and runs until December 19th.

Laurel Arts Extravaganza

I am so excited! I'll be one of the artists participating in the Laurel Arts Extravaganza - just in time for holiday shopping!

This is a juried event so everything is hand-crafted and the artists' products pre-approved. Best of all, the proceeds will benefit the Laurel Rescue Squad.

Come see me in the old PG Office Supply building at:
342 Main St, Laurel MD 20723 (next to Laurel Board of Trade)
on
December 10, 2010 (5:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
December 11, 2010 (10:00 am – 5:00 pm)

For more info contact Gail Reinhardt at the Laurel Board of Trade at 301-483-0838. Or RSVP at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=165758556788297

Fashion ER

Just got 2 calls for sewing ER services.

The first is a bride getting married on Friday. Her corset needs a last-minute alteration by Wednesday! My friends at Bra-La-La sent her here since I’ve done this type of alteration before. So glad to be able to relieve some stress for a bride.

The other call is for an Indian costume for Peter Pan. I'm letting my imagination go wild on this one! The Laurel Mill Playhouse is mounting this show and it opens next week!

Even under pressure, I love creating things and making other people's lives easier.