Year in Review

Well it has been a busy and eventful year for me. And like all those other costumers out there, I thought it was time for a year in review post. I managed to re-wear a good number of costumes this year, so I will only be reviewing the new stuff. There have been an abundance, so prepare yourself. I will start at the beginning...

January:
8th - 1960s skirt and blouse for a retro birthday tea. The skirt was then turned into a work skirt - so has since been worn out completely. The pattern though, has proved quite useful.

 

February:

12th - I rewore my pink regency dress, but failed to take photos.

18th - The red 1950s dress came out for a Retro Tupperware party. However, I did make a new 1950s dress for my mum (on the left)

March:

9th - Again, a rewear to the vintage fashion fair - 1950s yellow dress that I made a few years ago for my Birthday.

April:

14th - Edwardian Day ensemble for our titanic tea

14th - Edwardian Dinner outfit. Unfortunately, the lace was destroyed on my shoes, so I won't ever wear this one again, but I was pleased with my first evening dress - even if it was terribly simple. 

15th - 1920s dress for Miegunyah House event. I love the pattern and will definitely make it again, but the fabric choice for my first time wasn't so great. I loved the colour but hated the actual fabric. 

20th - Supanova Friday night - re-wear of my Ariel Costume

21st - Supanova Saturday - re-wear of my Stargate Offworld Uniform. And the brand new Pan Am Uniform. 

22nd - Supanova Sunday - Squid Girl. A very nice cool costume. Perfect for con's held in the warmer months. 

May:

6th - Re-wear of my natural form gold bustle ensemble. 

13th - Steampunk Safari costume for a trip to the zoo.

19th - Re-wear of natural form gold bustle ensemble. 

27th - Brand new 1950s yellow cotton halter neck dress that I made to wear to work. Perfect for a vintage outing. 

June:

9th - History Alive, re-wear of white regency gown with red open robe and purple pelisse. Though I did make a flannel petticoat to keep me warm.

10th - 1890s Bartitsu womens ensemble. I only need to whip up a skirt. 

15th - Supanova Sydney, re-wear of Ariel costume. Man, I have got my money's worth out of that costume, the number of times I have worn it. My brother however, got a new costume of Uncle Fester. 

16th - Supanova Sydney, re-wear of Saber Lion costume. The very best time to wear a fleece costume - winter. And a wet winter at that.

July:

13th - 1960s red wiggle dress for a vintage fashion fair. 

28th - Partial new costume for the Heritage Ball. The overskirt and bodice to make a new evening ensemble with a skirt that I have used in the past. 

And a new vest for my dad - an early father's day gift.

August:

25th - The ACG Ball. Using a few pieces I already had, I created my Madame Du Pompadour. 

26th - Adelaide Costume Picnic, Ariel comes out again.

September:

8th - A new 1950s dress for the vintage fashion fair out of some gorgeous fabric I brought back from Japan in 2010. 

13th - Steampunk GasLight Festival, a re-wear of my safari ensemble from May. 

15th - The Gangsters ball, again a new 1950s halter dress is made. I didn't realise how much I have used that pattern this year. I guess, when you find one that you like...

22nd - M Party for my Birthday, I dressed as Mio, my brother dressed as a My Little Pony and my mum dressed as Mother Nature in a new regency dress. Yes, I made three new costumes for it. 

29th - The Victorian Picnic, where I made my new Red Tartan Early Bustle Dress. I adore it. 

 

30th - The Kustom Krafts Vintage Fair, where I re-wore my red wiggle dress and hat.

October:

13th - I re-wore my red tartan early bustle dress for the Marburg Festival. 

20th - I whipped up a new hat for my green georgian ensemble after an unfortunate mud incident for the previous hat.

27th - Halloween party calls for a costume, and I whip out my Tia Dalma. 

31st - The pan am uniform makes an appearance at work as my Halloween costume for the day. 

November:

9th - Supanova Brisbane where I re-wear Saber Lion. 

10th - My K-On uniform has a re-vamp and is turned into Yui.

11th - The debut of Charlotte LeBouff from the Princess and The Frog. 

17th - A new 1960s peacock dress for a girls afternoon tea.

December:

8th - Re-wear of American McGee Alice for the ACG Skating Christmas Party

10th - The new 1850s white tartan silk evening gown for Proclamation Day. 

15th - Minoan woman for the RIFF Wine Dine and Recline. 

And to round out the year, I am working on a costume for New Year's Eve - but I will get to that soon.  I shudder to count up the number of things that I made this year. But I don't feel especially burnt out when I look at how many times that I rewore costumes. At least then I feel like I am giving them a bit more love.

Ancients WDR

Next on the agenda was the RIFF christmas party (my re-enactment group). This year we decided to do a simple Ancients Wine, Dine and Recline.

I have long loved the history of the Minoan society - from ancient Crete. Ever since I did a school project, I have loved the myth, the legends and the history. So, I saw this as the perfect occasion to fulfill that and make a Minoan womens costume. There isn't much information out there and I really struggled for how to put it together. I ordered a couple of books from Book Depository for some help and got cracking. There are a number of components that I made:

The skirt. Skirts are depicted as full of ruffles. So after a bit of fabric research, I purchased some linen and go cracking. The base skirt is a simple six gore out of some cotton sheeting that I had in my stash. It then has six flounces sewn onto it. They are made out of three varying shades of blue. The next part was to for the bodice. Most of my research shows bare breasted women with fitted bodices. I didn't really want to have the girls out on show for everyone to see, and was lucky enough to find images where the women are wearing a chemise under the bodice. I simply used one of my regency chemises as it gave the correct style of neckline. Then there was the bodice. It is made from two layers of red linen and it laces up the front with hand stitched eyelets and some red lacing cord. It is also trimmed with a band of black and blue banding running down the seam of the arm. If I had more of the trim, I would really liked to have added some around the cuff of the sleeves - but it was something from my stash. The bodice is cut as the back on a fold and the front shaped around the bust to support and lift. The sleeves are cut into the piece with a seam running along the shoulder and under the arm and side seam. It is made to fit very snugly. I topped it all off with a leather belt around my middle and some quick wig styling of my long black wig. Next time though, I am planning a whole new wig.

As for my contribution to food, I stumbled across a vague description for a pork Minoan casserole style dish. Since I had such trouble finding a recipe, here is how I made it...

Ingredients:

• 800g pork steak
• 1/2 bottle of white wine
• 1 Tablespoon dried Thyme
• 1 Leek, sliced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey

Dice the pork into cubes and marinade in the fridge with the white wine for at least 1 hour. Heat oil in a large pan and lightly cook the leek. You want it to be soft but not too browned. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Serve.

And with that, I leave you with some photos.