Time Waster...

So right now I'm sitting in the office of my campus theatre, waiting for the temporary scripts for our Black Tie show this year (RENT) to finish photocopying (ssssssshh...) and I thought to myself... Now would be the best time to update stuff! I mean, it's not like I brought any work to do! (I really didn't)

So what's up with me.

Nothing.

But seriously. I'm the assistant costume designer for a show that opens on Wednesday, and although all of my costume work is finished, I still have a few prop and set construction things to complete that are included in my grade. FOR INSTANCE I have to make a flamenco dress for a porcelain doll. From scratch. Without a pattern. Honestly, I'm so frustrated with this project. I start it and it seems to be going well, but then I botch something and I have to start over or I finish something and realize that it's not right...

And then there are the dresses that the lead designer and I are creating that are the set. Yes, the set. There are 8 dresses all made out of moulding cloth, which is a, you guessed it, mouldable cloth. It's so cool. One side is canvas while the other looks like aluminum foil. Personally, I'm obsessed, and I keep stealing the scraps that she doesn't want anymore. Future project for my room? Hmm...

But yeah. After the show opens I have minimal assignments to complete my independent project. I have a photo journal which will include my ADVENTURES IN SEWING and a few other things... and that'll be it! Basically a scrapbook. STOKED.

What else... I'm going to be involved in a radio play that's airing Halloween night on our campus radio station. I just read the script today, and it is beyond awesome. I got chills just READING it, let alone listening to it!

Also, I auditioned for a fine arts student's independent film yesterday. I'll be hearing back about whether or not I got a role HOPEFULLY tomorrow. But who knows! I like to think that my audition went pretty well. I think.

AND ON MORE SHOW NEWS, I got Oompa Loompa #3 for the G&G production of Willy Wonka. You got that right. #3. I'M MOVING UP IN THE WORLD!

Uh... Pretty sure that's all. For now. I will be uploading Episodes 2 and 3 of my Adventures in Sewing very soon, because I know how much you are all obsessed with them. I'm so interesting.

BAH.

Cat's Adventures in Sewing - Episode 1

I've started sewing.

I mean, I've sewed before with a needle and thread, attaching buttons where I need to and occasionally altering a halloween costume to fit my needs. But I've started sewing FO REALZ.

Update: a friend of mine kindly reminded me of how we took Home Economics in Grade 9 and made frogs with a sewing machine. I called mine Gimpy for a reason. Here he is:

Alright. Now back to the regularly scheduled post.

Update update: one of his eyes just fell off.

It all started with a class I took last year that was, at the time, called Production 2, which is one more than Production. In this course, we looked at set design, building set maquettes, makeup design, prop construction, and costume design. Each of us picked a play and had to do all the above things for it. My selected play was The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.

Now, if you know me, I love this play. My first introduction to it was the movie with Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, Reese Witherspoon, and some other people. I LOVED that movie, fell head over heels in love with Mr. Everett, and that was that. If you know me, you'll also know how much I adore steampunk. It's just so... classy! So elegant! So rough. So vintage! I LOVE IT! So I put two and two together.

For our final assignment, we were required to create costume renderings for each of the characters in the show. HERE are mine!

Jack

 Lady Bracknell

 Gwendolyn

 Algernon

 And my personal favourite... Cecily!

So there were a lot of buckles and such. You may say that Lady Bracknell isn't very steampunk, but that's how I designed her.

ANYWAY. Once I had finished my assignment, I realized that I loved doing this kind of thing! Creating fun, crazy costumes! But, there was one problem.

I don't know the last thing about creating costumes from scratch.


So I hatched a plan. I applied for an independent study in costume design and got it! So I am currently the assistant costume designer for a play and next semester I will be a STRAIGHT UP costume designer!

One thing my mentor recommended I do was take sewing lessons. So I found a second hand sewing machine and have been taking lessons with a friend of mine all semester. We've done a couple of projects, which include:

Writing my name on fabric and working with appliques (it's a mustache!)

And making a pencil case! Outside:

 And inside:

And that's been it up to now. I'm the process of making a really cute skirt, but thanks to a really shitty sewing day on Monday, it's still not done. Oh well. Give it a couple more weeks and I'll have something more to show you!

I promise to myself to update more. I promise...