The Season Of The Burn

I was kindly reminded this morning that Burning Man will be upon soon!

So I am passing the kindly reminder to place your orders now if you are hoping to get something made for the Burning week!

You can order Fluffie Rufflies directly through my etsy shop - just find the custom ordering section in my index!

Or you can shoot me an email and I'll get to you ASAP!


Dancers: Barefoot Bellydance - are they not gorgeous??????????
( I made their pantaloons and wrist cuffs!!!!! )

XXX
kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

The Swine Swindle

I have to write this.
At the risk of pissing some people off - and not to disrespect or in any way create grief for those who have been affected or lost a loved one, almost 40,000 people in the U.S. alone die from the flu or flu related symptoms each year. At least those are the statistics Ive been seeing. (and for some reason, now I cant find these statistics anymore online.......hmmmmmmmmmmmm)

So WTF? Now people are afraid to come to Tribal Fest because of the flu? People, people people............the AIDS virus is still running rampant, and people are still not using condoms..........Mad cow disease is still found in our meat supply...........the bubonic plague has been controled, yes, but is still alive and well. Nobody wants to get sick, but lets get this widespread flu panic thing under control and get real. Even those who should know better are panicking. Lets keep the panic about other things, shall we? The world economy. The lies we are force fed each and every day. The pesticides ingrained in the seeds that our food sources come from. The monoplization of patents for cloning life. Cloning life!!!!!!!!!!! The relatively undrinkable water that we have to drink every day. Cancer from our toxic lifestyles. Global warming. AIDS. Where is the worldwide hysterical panic in all of that????????????????????????????

Wash your hands for fucks sake and don't touch your face. I'm more concerned about all the literal crap that goes into processing our food or the deforestation and decimation of the rain forests.

We're all gonna die, folks. Every single last one of us. From an asteroid, or solar flames, or an earthquake, a clogged artery, or a virus. The list is long, my friends.
We are probably due for a global cleansing very soon, but every time there is a scare, not much happens, does it. It will one day, though. I think we are all aware that it happened in the early 1900's and it will happen again. If this is it, I want to keep living til it hits me. I will not quake in fear.

If we had a healthier planet, we wouldn't have so much pestulance to worry about. And actually, this is natures' way of keeping the population of humans in check anyway. Its not working anymore, is it, though Gods knows Mother Nature tries.

Unless you have an autoimmune system that is easily compromised, lets get on the plane. Wash Hands. Use your antibacterial gels. Or even wear a surgical mask. Use common sense. You may or may not get sick. Last time I went overseas, I got very sick and had to dance anyway. But it wont stop me from getting on a plane next time.

Lets dance and shop and have fun! I seriously doubt you will die from the flu. Not here. Not now. Lets not let ourselves be distracted from things that get overlooked when the media seizes upon an opportunity to distract us! You know what Im talking about!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Nerds

So today Kae came back for the second time this week to help me get caught up in all the admin that I get behind on. She is wonderful. Hire her! I actually got other things done. Imagine that!

Not only is Kae amazing at digging me out from under paperwork and emails, she is a wonderful dancer and teaches when she is home in Japan!

Today, after helping me out, Kae, Kristine and I walked over to Hadley Northrop's new studio where there is an art show going on. And there were Kristine and I on the wall!

We are SUCH Nerds.
:)

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

The Turkish Roman Style

I have not been dancing for a good year or so. Just quit. Had had enough. Feet hurt. Knees hurt. My troupe had no ambition. I just ended it and concentrated on work.

But all work and no play makes Kathleen crazy, so I went to Elizabeth Strong's Turkish Roman dance class tonight. Its my favorite dance style. So earthy and fun. My favorite music to dance to - and I actually did a fusionie version of it once onstage that some say looked good. But they may have been just being nice. You know how those Brits are. ( I love you! ) Its also easier to perform something new (at least for me) when no one I know is watching!

As soon as I get the steps down with the 9/8 rhythm, I'm fine. I can get the drop hip thingie to look somewhat reasonable. But as soon as the hands and arms come into play, the whole thing falls apart. Elizabeth doesn't teach often so I go when I can, which just isn't enough. I'll have to be satisfied to watch YouTube performances and wait til her DVD comes out. I do like it though. I can see me totally having some attitude with it once I get it down. If I ever do.

At least I got a good workout and stretched muscles I seem to forget about when I'm at the gym. I had a good time.

And Elizabeth was wearing her black stretch velvet Sampants. They really look great on! The stretch velvet circular ruffles drape and swing so nice when she dances. I forgot how nice they look on a real body. Ive been making them lately out of black cotton/Lycra with a double ruffle and they are very nice too. But there is something about the black velvet. I almost stopped making them because some people said they are too hot in the summer. I say buy the cotton/Lycra if you cant take the heat, but that velvet is the stuff. I just love it!


Class info if you are near the FatChanceBellyDance Studio and have some knowledge of the footwork for next week!

Elizabeth Strong-Fancy 9/8 Footwork of the Turkish Roman
Two Thursdays: 23 and 30 Apr 7:30-9pm

Take two specialized Turkish Rom ("Gypsy") dance classes in two weeks. The first segment will cater to beginners in this style. More fundamental breakdown of rhythm and technique will be included, and students will familiarize themselves with the flair and feeling of this expressive folk dance. Then ramp it up a couple notches for more complex foot patterns and layering. The second segment will be for those who already are comfortable with the basics of this style, or who are willing for an initiation by fire. Really dance the dance and feel the joy that comes with getting to fly within this form!

Please wear yoga pants, a plain hip sash, bare feet and a comfortable top. Bring a notebook or video camera if you like. Please use videos only as a personal learning tool.
$16 or two ticks from your class card.

Photo: Brad Dosland
Taboomedia.com
kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

The Fog Is Back

I survived our little heat wave and was so relieved when the fog finally rolled in. It was kind of the same feeling you get when you've been needing to pee 4EVER and you finally do. Just a rush of relief. Sorry to be so graphic - that's just how it felt.

But I cut out more fabric than I thought Id be able to while dripping wet. It was so very east coast in the summertime. I couldn't remember the heat like this. And then I had to laugh as I remembered that I spent most of the last two years in a basement. missed the worst of the bad weather except when it rained a lot and got flooded out. Well, its always something, isn't it.

I had the History Channel on in the background all weekend. Armageddon Weekend - my favorite so far. There are so many ways the world can end. Im sure we've all known that - If not by our own hand, then by an asteroid or solar flares. Its just all so dreary and morbid and I love it all. The end is near, folks. My big question is - where do all the souls go if we are all evaporated at once? Do the souls evaporate too? Do souls have a shelf life? Is there another planet for our souls to reincarnate on? But wouldn't that be a bit like an invisible alien invasion? Maybe that happens here. Maybe that would explain a lot. Does an alien soul with no where to go feel comfortable reincarnating in an alien body on a new planet? And vice versa? Perhaps that is what is happening to my poor neighbor who wanders the street shouting at everyone all day. Maybe that is what schizophrenia is all about.

No. I'm not on crack. But perhaps Ive been invaded by a poor alien soul with nowhere to go. Welcome home, buddy!! Back to work I go.

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Work In Progress

The weather has been very warm here in old SF and esp. in the Mission District. We are not used to it and we either wilt or get angry or go out more at night or all of the above.

Last night, the junkies in the hotel next door were performing (as Kristine put it so eloquently) "Syd&Nancy the Play". We were highly amused - and its always fun as long as it isn't in our building.

Our building is actually very quiet and filled with hard working people who get up early, go to work, and go to bed at a decent hour. You can actually feel the vibe as everyone rises to greet the day and then settle down to get their rest. No loud music. No partying except for a dinner or the occasional gathering. It is not what I'm accustomed to - and I rather like it! - My little oasis in the sea of humanity. My garden of Eden in the jungle.

Yesterday Jessie from downstairs and I had root beer floats in the garden that we have resurrected from neglect. Like the Phoenix rising from its ashes, the buds are popping out on the once thought dead Camellia's.

The day before, Hilde from Brighton came and spent a couple hours before she had to go home. It was really nice to see her again.

Last night, Kristine made an amazing Portabello mushroom dinner with fresh herbes from our porch garden. I can still taste it. She told me a bold faced lie when she said she couldn't cook! Hah! There is a huge jug of Sangria in the frige that I dare not touch til I get a lot more done today.

My son informed me that I'm going to be a grandma. Wasn't he just a baby like yesterday? Spring. That eternal baby maker. I'm calling it Damien for now. And no - I will not be making a line of baby clothes. Im still a bit in shock. When the hell did my kid grow up? Its a little too soon to get excited, but I suppose this means that I will have a new tattoo next to the one I had when Haydn was a tot. His name and the baby's intertwined. Awwwwwwwww.........

And in between all these daily little interruptions that make me happy or wondering where time has gone, I have been cutting fabric for Tribal Fest garments and costumes. It is slow progress in the heat. The goal was to cut out all my fabric and then sew it all up - but we'll see how it goes. I'm already running out of stuff I need! The saga never ends and life goes on..............a true work in progress.

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

10% off all custom orders til this Saturday the 18th!

10% off all custom orders until Saturday, April 18th! This came about by my getting tipsy the other night when I went to see FCBD and students, plus Helm and other dancers.......and deciding that this would be a good thing to do. You have to order directly through me via email - dont order through etsy.

Ive been obsessed with doing quizzes on facebook. This was my first car. It was a little more beat up than this and ran like shit, but I loved it til it could be loved no more. It had a little compartment under the front hood that you could open up with a lever. My friend Kieth and I painted big lips around it and I would open and shut it all the time. Not while I was driving though, I dont think it could do that! It was my first of 5 cars.




Im also doing the 5 more concerts......I have written down as many as I can remember and Ive got half a notebook full. I still cant remember them all. I think thats a pretty fun accomplishment. To have gone to so many shows, I mean.

So thats what I do right now when I need to walk away from the sewing machine!

10% off all custom orders til this Saturday the 18th!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

A Perfect Day

Easter is usually just another day for me. I don't get into the religious holidays since I'm not religious, merely spiritual. But my son, Haydn, was down visiting and since all the relatives had the flu, we hung out at Dolores Park for the 30th anniversary of the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence. How much better does it get than that? We met up with friends, soaked up some rays, watched the glamor and the tragedy and admired the bonnets!



Matt James and Tom Holly in their Easter Finery.



And then we had a campfire down in the backyard in our newly acquired fire pit. Hot dogs and baked beans cooked in the fire and eaten right out of the can! And for desert, smores.



It really was a perfect day!

My Sister/My Love for Mordake

The ending scene of Mordake where he just cut his "twin" off of his head and is now dying. Love the music and visuals! It was also a fun costuming project! And I love the story.......

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

This Fine Spring Day

Yes, thats Ms. Courtney Love and Im pretty sure those are my sleevelets that she's sportin.............which reminds me that Ive got to make more!

Lotsa packages going out today! And then one more large shipment of way backed up orders and I'll feel like I can breathe a bit. What am I saying............then its the Tribal Fest crunch sewing marathon. I want to take Fluffie Rufflie Dance Pants, maybe some pantaloons, hopefully those tops from that bag of pretty fabric sitting on my table, SKIRTS - skirts: the promised skirts, sleevlets, scarves, pantaloons and pretty cholis.....how the hell am I going to accomplish all this????????????

We'll just see what I can pull out of my magical hat!

Maybe I'll win the lottery - well, we all dream, don't we! Some people go crazy when they strike it rich. They buy stuff they don't need - cars, furs, houses.......you name it and then they lose it all.

I just want to pay some debt, buy some health insurance, buy a car that runs good, take care of my aging parents, buy shoes and clothes (of course) within reason, and get the little workshop/ atelier of my dreams. I want to employ people who know their stuff, work their asses off, help me grow my business, and in turn, I will treat them well. That's all. That's all I want.

Oh, and to travel around the world and help out my son and Friends and family.

Oh, and to hire someone to field all the crazies and people who want a piece of me!

Oh, and to retire in one of those fancy/shmancy elderly homes that cater to all your needs.......and then just put me in one of those pretty baskets and bury me green in a field somewhere. Give me to the worms. Amen.
:)

Well, Im off to pick up Haydn at the airport for a mother and son Easter reunion!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

New Cotton Lycra Sampants!!!!!

Victoria is super happy in her double ruffled stretch cotton Sampants!

I'll be posting them up on etsy as fast as I can get them made! As soon as I make them, they seem to walk out the door! Same Sampant fit, same great feel!

Model: Victoria
Photo: Kristine Adams

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Bloomers, Baby!

Bloomers! Ive got Bloomers!! A shorter variation of the Fluffie Rufflie Pantaloons! Cute, Comfy, Easy to wear, and a great filler for your wardrobe! Great with skirts and dresses - Ive been wearing them a lot and they are pretty versatile .........nicest bloomers since 1849!

These would be great for a Victorian or Steampunk inspired wedding!

Ive been on a new order moratorium for about a month now. Ive had so much catching up to do and I just had to take some time off to eat and sleep. You know - the important things in life.

So I ate and slept a bit and only have about 15 orders out there needing work on - many mostly done waiting for final touches.

I can take some new orders now. I'd like to keep it to Fluffie Rufflies and just have everything else available on etsy as I can make it. I also have to get ready for Tribal Fest and our next Tribal Boutique.

When ordering, please give me a few months at least and realize there are people ahead of you in line. I have to make those ahead of you my priority although your order is special as well!

Ive spent the last couple years trying to make everyone happy and it has ended up with a couple people getting angry that their orders were taking so long. That's how it is, though, folks. And while I only want to make cute, pretty, or amazing things, I have to have the time to do it in. Its the 'I only have two hands' syndrome. And although I have helpers when possible, I do most of it.

So this year, I am hoping that I can make all those skirts, tops, pants, and outfits that Ive wanting to make. Patterns too. But the patterns just don't seem cost effective at this point in time.

Model: Victoria
Photo: Kristine Adams

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com