Bewitching Stitchcraft

Welcome to my costuming blog!

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The "pinstriping" on what I've been calling the Winter Garden waistcoat. This is done simply by mixing 2 parts metallic taupe acrylic paint with 1 part fabric medium in a fine tipped bottle, which I then use to paint thin, thorny branches into the dark stripes of the fabric.

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I bought this dress for $30, and now I am slowly and laboriously taking it apart. Why will become apparent.

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Some of the extremely scant progress photos of my new Steampunk Automaton, and the finished product! Well, sort of finished. Like everything, I’ll probably continue to fiddle with it.

More posts forthcoming on the verdigris dress and the build on what my friends and I have begun to affectionately refer to as my “clock guts.”

Photos by Tina Bowden Saenz

Skirt altered from a handmadebyreplay piece

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My Red Fairy in The First Occasional Ghost Airship Allegory Steampunk Costume Contest! Got first place in the High Victorian category and a Marquis of Vaudeville CD signed by Toby Lawhon.

If you know anyone in these photos (or you are anyone in these photos) feel free to credit them!

Photographer: Joseph Hernandez

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Some pre-fashion show photos.

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My Red Fairy in Collin College’s Fashion Show “Under The Big Moon.”

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Well now, I’m afraid I’ve spent my entire spring break on a new cape.

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"...when I looked at my arms I could see that each black rose I had inked there had turned white with a green center, the night-blooming flowers of my dreams. I could feel something green growing inside me. Green as summer in my bones..."

WELL, I am feeling quite the clever-boots because I've managed to use printable iron-transfer paper to make my own tattoo tights! I've had this idea for a while of making some inspired by the "Green Heart" series (quoted above). The heroine, in the depths of her grief, inks black roses and bats and thorns all over her body, but as she grows and overcomes it, they turn to white and green roses and sparrows. The colors and everything aren't quite where I want them to be  and I've only done one leg but I'm still super pleased with myself. Also, I love how the vine looks like it's growing from the vein in my foot!

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My Elsa cosplay at Ikkicon.

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Photos from a tree lighting event at Mclane Children's Hospital. I would encourage any Elsa cosplayers to volunteer for as many events like this as you can! The kids really love it and it'll make you feel great too.

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Mysteries of Elsa's Cape: The "Big Snowflake"

A few notes on how I created my "big snowflake" design:

I looked through a lot of patterns when I was planning my cape. They tended to look something like this:

Or this:

Impressive and painstakingly made as they were, they were all simply missing that perfect grace and symmetry that I loved about it in the film. Unfortunately, this was the best reference photo I had:

Fortunately, I had the strength of will to stare at it long enough to figure something out. I knew that that big design on the upper part of the cape was actually a giant snowflake with some of the arms stretched out a bit to get that cascading effect. If it were whole and unstretched, it would look something like this, I think:

But it's not whole. In the film, I counted 7 whole arms (and two halves) out of the twelve needed for a proper hexagonal snowflake. That means that the shape of the cape itself is not a half-round as it appears to be, but more like 2/3 of a round. More on that later. Anyway, my end design looked like this, the arms stretched and altered to best fit the shape of the cape:

The layout of the smaller snowflakes is still something of a mystery to me, which is why I haven't really transferred any onto my cape, but I feel that the large design is pretty sound (if a bit wrinkled at the moment).

(What a nice picture of my beautiful dress surrounded by junk)

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Here I am again. Sewing pieces of painted plastic onto a silk dress.

How did it come to this.

Well I'll tell you, it's because I've been repairing and improving this dress since it's creation and my view of what it's shape and style and beading should be like has evolved over time.

Anyway, I'm just working on extending the sequin cover on the bodice by about two inches because I've decided I don't like the high waist I gave it before.

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More Ren Fest La Muerte photos!

Photographer: Don Ritchson

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A couple photos of my rather hatless La Muerte costume at Texas Ren Fest. I wish you could see how sparkly it is! Better photos to come, hopefully.

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Arm socks for La Muerte from The Book of Life. I knew that sparkly fabric would look like sugar! This costume is going to be the bomb.com.

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My most reliable reference pictures.