Karen's New Orleans Wedding

Karen, my last bridal client,  was just married only a week ago in a wonderful escapade through New Orleans!
They looked like they were having so much fun as they romped through graveyards and picturesque settings!
Hats off to the photographer who followed them around! I heard that everyone had a great time!

There were textures and layers and lots of silk for a beautiful Steampunk themed wedding! (there is our friend Kimberly on the left who introduced Karen and I - and has some fun pieces that Ive created!)

I built Karen a custom corset and matching bustle made of forest green silk. The corset had a contrast of a lighter green printed with Fleur-de-lys We also added covered buttons along the corset front and pocket. I made sweet little handmade flowers in green, white, and purple to embellish the bustle. And then I used the contrasting green as leaves to go with the flowers.

Under her bustle was a a skirt made of several layers of silk Dupioni in varying shades of ivory. And interspersed with the layers of silk, we added different fabrics of metallic gold and ivory.

We made the bustle and the underskirt detachable so that she could wear these things with other garments - which she did as she explored the city the next day.

She was so nice to work with - such a lovely person - It made me very  happy to see how she was beaming on her wedding day. Congratulations to Karen, Brian and and their family!

Lace Cuffs

Check em out!
Etsy!

SKIRT SALE!!

Hi All! I have put my Rattie Tattie Skirts on sale until Friday October 11th! All that I have is what is currently in stock in my Etsy store. Im not sure when I'll be making more - so if you like one of these babies and it is in your size, grab it now! They are perfect for this Halloween season, but are fun all year long! There are three channels with ties for ruching and scrunching up and down in a variety of ways for a variety of looks. Most of my Rattie Tatties are sheer or have parts to them that are at least semi-sheer. They are fabulous for layering or wearing with leggings!
I hope you are enjoying this Halloween Season!

All Stocked Up.............And Ready To Go!

It was not by design, because Im not one to create merchandise specifically for the holidays, but in my sewing quest to fill some racks for a Pre-Playa sale (which was a lot of fun - thank you 5&Diamond!) and finish up some items that have been languishing on a to-do shelf, I have been able to stock my Etsy store with lots of fun and pretty garments that will be a great cross-over for the Halloween season! This little green lace skirt would be wonderful for a Christmas party as well. (It'll be here before we know it!)

These are fun to wear and very versatile - three channels to scrunch and ruch up for a variety of different looks - but I don't see me making too many more of these Rattie Tattie Skirts in the future. Maybe once in a great while, but this is all there is for now. Grab em while Ive got em!

Ka Kathryn June Amorastreya's Wedding Jacket

Kathryn "Ka" June Amorastreya is a lovely woman who was married in a stunning gown that I did not create. However, she did hire both Black Lotus Clothing and Kathleen Crowley Couture to create her wedding jacket. The collaboration consisted of Ka bringing us her materials, which included silk and cotton fabrics. These were  screen printed with the milky way. Being an incredible artist with an eye for the beautiful and obscure, we were brought fabrics and trims that were inspiring and fun to use.. I made the ruffled doily appliqued jacket, which was then embellished by Black Lotus Clothing. As usual, the end result of this collaboration was left with a happy bride and a gorgeous wedding ensemble

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Old Califronia Charm

Usually when I set appointments for the weekends, I try to have people come in after noon. Its not because I need to sleep in. I give myself a morning or two to come hang out in Port Costa to have coffee, cornbread, and hang out with friends in  Earls' storefront cafe! There is a lovely community of diverse people here. People from all walks of life happen by. I have had conversations with tourists visiting from other countries, new neighbors, old neighbors, and Ive even found old friends from back in the day that disappeared. This is one of those magical places where you just end up and keep coming back for more! It has the flavor and vibe of an Old California - a time we'll never have again.

A few weeks back, I wrote a post about some pillows that I had made for the Burlington Hotel .  I call it my Pet Pillow Project. This hotel is a true hidden and relatively unknown gem of the San Francisco Bay Area! The hotel really should be recognized and preserved as a landmark. Through the efforts of a wonderful group of people, this old lady is being spruced up and revived. I am so pleased that I get to help in my small way with this sprucing up - for I love this old lady with all my heart! Port Costa is pretty popular on the weekends. I'm very sure that soon, this area is going to be visited quite a bit more!

My photos cant quite convey the charm of this place or the work that is going into it, but come by and take a look, have some strong coffee and cornbread, have a beer over at the Warehouse Cafe, peek into the windows over at the Theatre of Dreams, stroll through a little town that is surrounded by wild countryside and farm land, and walk the tracks along the Carquinez straits................and then if you plan ahead and let me know you are coming, you can drive back through Crockett and come visit my studio! Perhaps you'll end up going home with a new pair of Sampants! Perhaps you'll find a treasure that you cant resist!

The Donner Party

My sister Tricia took her kids and I up to Tahoe where we had a great time hanging out at Squaw Valley for a few days. As we were leaving, we decided to head over to Donner Lake and check out the Emigrant Trail Museum and learn more about the Donner Party.  I used to be pretty fascinated with this true story of adventure, bad judgement, bad luck, suffering and cannibalism. Its a kind of suffering that we can only shudder and guess about. The event is really just one of the hundreds of stories from those times, but it has remained one of the most notorious. And some of these survivors contributed to some serious molding of the state of California. Vallejo was in the running for becoming the state capitol! (Its the town over the bridge and next door to me!)

The wild, wild west is full of these stories of adventure and hardships. And depending on whose side you are on in the "taming" of this country, its pretty fascinating to look back on how we got to this point in time........what they wore, what they did, how they managed if they managed at all......................

Having grown up in California, having had ancestors that got in their wagons and headed west, having family that headed over to California during the last Great Depression, and now having  lived through a time of opulence and fortune to sadly  be entering into a new period of potential decline of our Super Power country, I am being drawn back once again to stories of courage and .hardship. Stories of what people are really made of when they are forced to make do with what they've got. Stories of never giving up. Stories of living and dying for a dream of a better future. It helps me to go on when I have one of those days of not being able to see the glass half full.

I do love an amazing gown. I love sequins and faded velvet and all the sumptuous clothing that were worn by the well to do from other eras, but it seems that these are the garments that most focus on when we think of the Olden Days. And understandably so. The real clothing isnt very glamorous. It is functional  with maybe a frill or two. You can tell so much about a people by what they wear. Its how I learned a lot of world history.

Tricia and I had fun comparing ourselves to the pioneer clothing worn by the real women of the mid 1800's. What a joke. We wouldn't last a day on the trail like this in our leggings, cute shoes, cowboy hat from Ross and designer capris. Of course, this isnt what we would wear on a cross country hike, but its really hard to imagine walking across rough country in a long dress. Hundreds and hundreds of miles of it. There was no sunscreen, so they had to wear those huge bonnets to protect themselves from sun and insects. They were hot and miserable. There were no lightweight cross trainers or hiking boots. They had hard soled shoes. Their feet must have killed them. They got real old before their time.

And bringing along children...........what spoiled modern child would be able to survive this? The story of little Patty Reed is so sweet. She had to give up her toys to lighten the load but she hid this little doll in her dress. This is just a copy. The original is in the Fort Sutter Museum in Sacramento because those were the guys who came to rescue them and she donated it to their museum.

A few relics. A few textiles. An old sewing machine. Native beaded garments, books, and guns. Lots of dioramas full of facts and visuals. Its not a fancy museum and you might not be very impressed as they get little funding ( I'm sure). It does give you a very clear idea, however, of how it was back then and what happened to those poor stranded  adventurers. There are lots of books on interesting subjects pertaining to the area and since one of the women working there used to be a librarian, she was able to give us a wealth of information on which were the best to read.

  I just finished this one. Its a quick read and he tells it like he supposed it must have been - not a dry read at all. Yet filled with facts enough to appreciate the soft lives that we lead.

If you are in the area, check it out. And here are some wonderful reenactment photos from Fort Sutter.

 Sorry about the vintage iphone photos. I wasnt thinking about using them for blogging at the time. But hopefully its a bit informative and entertaining!

Cute Rattie Tattie Skirt For Halloween - Or Whenever!

 

The ladies seem to be liking these skirts, and I had been eyeballing the sizes from a draft pattern all this time, which was getting old (and not very efficient), so I finally graded the pattern for XS - to XL. Now I can just cut without giving the size a lot of thought and can now focus on details. I can make larger sizes, so email me with your questions! 

These are all sheer black lace right now - because I happen to have a lot of that at the moment -  and because tis the season.............but I do have a couple more brown ones coming and some navy and red. (because I was feeling creative)

You can layer them one over the other or wear them with other skirts, pants, dresses, shorts and Leg Ruffles!

Here is a video of TigerLilly from Scotland wearing a black Rattie Tattie for her Tribal Fest performance. She is lovely, and works the music wonderfully - the opening bagpipes get me every time!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Kellsie's Wedding Dress

 I met Kellsie a few years ago at a party at my last house in San Francisco. Her sister was my roomie, Kristine Adams, and we had a big birthday/housewarming bash. So later on down the road, Kellsie came to me to work on the gown that she wanted for her wedding.  She brought me a dress that she had purchased earlier but it wasn't working for her any longer.  She loved it, but wanted a more Steampunk feel for her wedding attire now.  Silk was the main fabric used in the purchased gown. So she brought me some beautiful jacquard fabric, the dress, some ivory silk, and a Truly Victorian pattern  - style # 1879, the Cuirass Bodice with Evening Options. You can purchase this pattern from Lost Coast Historical Patterns or Lacis.    

 This was the dress before I cut into it. We decided that we would take the bodice off and make it into a skirt. This was a very full skirt and more of a hobbled bustle effect was wanted. The skirt was a wee too small, so when I started cutting down the skirt, I added more fabric to the back, repositioning the zipper, and that took care of that.  I constructed a sturdy, wide waistband to carry the weight of the skirt and to produce a nice line under the jacket.

This is the skirt unbustled. I ended up using most of the extra silk fabric given to me to make the inner structure of the bustle skirt. I chopped off quite a bit in front to shorten the skirt and to create a slimmer front. There were a lot of flowers on the train, but I repositioned them and placed them in strategic points where there would be hooks for bustling up the train when she wanted to do so. It was nice to have the option.

I followed the pattern for the jacket pretty closely. I always make a mockup first and it fit pretty well the first time with a few adjustments. Im dont even think I had to read the instructions more than once. It was pretty straightforward. I think I shortened the sleeves and lowered the front, then further squared off the front of the bodice. I used hooks and eyes to fasten the front. When I was done with the dress, Kellsie took some of the extra fabric flowers and made a veiled headpiece. She also did the beautiful embroidery on the upper bodice. Kellsie picked out her trims and I placed them where I thought they would look best. I think we did a lovely job. She had a strict budget and we used as many existing materials as we could. We reused a beautiful dress with lots of yardage in it, and we made something it  much more interesting. And now she has a Victorian two pieced gown that she can reuse if she likes.I'm sure she will since she too, is a costumer and loves to dress up now and then!

This is Kellsie and Kristine - two hot babes! Congratulations, Kellsie!
kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

SUbZero Festival - June 3rd!

Black Lotus Clothing, Katherine Summer  and KathleenCrowleyCostumeCoiuture will be vending at SubZero this Friday evening, June 3rd! This is an outdoor street festival is San Jose - Cant wait! As usual, we will collaborate in creating a great shopping experience!

SubZero Festival

6pm - midnight
San Jose SOFA disctict in Downtown San Jose
(on South First Street between San Carlos and Reed Streets

We will be putting on a fashion show that starts at 7pm - come check out what we are coming up with for the show! You will not be disappointed!

Come check our fashion show and then stop by and say hi!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Fingerless Gloves For The Romantic

Sometimes I like nothing better than to sit down and make these little delicate fingerless gloves!
Spring does this to me - it makes me want to sew up little confections to wear.
There are moments in my studio when I have mountains of lace and tulle and netting sitting in piles around me. Every now and then I just want to dive in...............but I check myself every time. Its the feeling you had as a child when you saw a pile of leave! Its a pretty sight, I must say!
Sometimes I just turn over the edge on the knuckle part and stictch it down, and sometimes I take a soft strip of tulle and bind the edges. Ive been hand stitching the thumb hole edges down.. I cant seem to make it work any other way. And I like how it looks.
Go to my Etsy store as I'll be putting these up when I can!

Bias Summer Dresses

 

Im starting to make some little summer dresses and slips. Flouncy and bouncy, pretty and versatile with an old world charm, these can be paired with pants, skirts, worn under or over another dress to create new styles for your every mood this season! Lightweight and practical, as well as feminine and flirty,  they are so easy to care for!

For those who dont understand the term "bias cut", this means that instead of cutting out a garment straight on the grain, I lay out a pattern on the fabric nearly sideways. When this is cut and sewn up, the fabric hangs on the body in a more graceful way. The fabric moves with you, is stretchy and form fitting without being sculpted. It is a process that uses up more fabric and many refuse to even to attempt to sew ANYTHING on the bias, but the results are well worth it. 

These little dresses are cute and affordable!

Happy Spring!

Check out my etsy store and give yourself a treat with a new dress! Keep checking in as I will be posting new items as I can make them!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

The 11th Annual San Francisco Edwardian Ball!

 I cant wait for this one! But its right around the corner folks, and there is so much to do! There are some amazing vendors this year and Salome's Suitcase are no exception! This is truly the costume event of the year and you do not want to miss it!

The Edwardian Ball 2011
The Regency Ballroom
1300 Van Ness @ Sutter
San Francisco, Ca.
January 21-22
Afternoon Vendor Bazaar - Saturday, January 22!!!!! Free Admission and full bar for those over 21!!!!!!!!
noon - 6pm


Anything goes in the Edwardian/Gothic/Romantic/Steampunk/Edward Gorey vein!

Don't forget to shop my Etsy Store - I have a few corsets and Pants that would be lovely additions to your ballgown or costume!!!!!!!!!

I'll be bringing some of my better costuming to this event to sell: things that would be fun to wear to the ball - so come on in and let us deck you out!

Saturday afternoon is a special day of shopping with free admission to the venue before the ball!!!!! No pressure! Just walk right in and drool over all the finery! You will, I know you will!!!!!!

Not only is the Regency Ballroom full of history and a San Franciscan architectural treasure to boot, the whole vending room will blow you away!!!!

Come say hi, come support local artisans - many of us earn our whole entire living this way! We need you. If you don't support the arts, the arts go away. What a dreary world that would be!

And the entertainment is spectacular!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Photo Love

Model: Unsinkable Molly
Costume: Kathleen Crowley
Photo: Black Lotus Clothing

Breakfast Blogging

I need never worry about being bored or lonely here in Crockett. In fact, I have more company and things to do to keep me entertained than I did in the city. Granted, I felt I had just plain done it all in the city and was ready to move on, but I have a full plate every single day. I am constantly amazed and inspired by all that goes on around me in this small town.

Never a dull moment.

Our last Stitch N Bitch  started at my house. Sandi, Lee, and Katherine Summer each brought their current project over and I worked on a quilt that Ive never been able to finish. But then the subject of photo shoots came up and we headed over to the Port Costa Warehouse for Bloody Marys, Manhattans, and the keys to the Burlington Hotel.

Ive blogged about this town before, I was yearning to live here once. And while I looked at several places for rent, the timing was never quite right and it felt just a little too isolated - which gives it that charm - but maybe not so great for the likes o me without a car. However, now it is  just a stones' throw away and so handy for a sometimes much needed break! Port Costa was a booming little town in its day and now it is the place to head to for charm, great drinks (Bloody Mary heaven ), outlaws and colorful characters. I'm a total tourist right now. But hopefully I can integrate into the culture of this area  somewhat............

Katherine Summer got the keys and we went into the hotel for a look see. Supposedly an old brothel and haunted, it is  available for rental and we got super inspired. It even has the names of the girls on the doors.Whether this has just been fabricated for amusement, I don't know - I don't think anyone really does anymore -  but it sure is a fun bit of local lore. I got lots of new ideas from wandering those halls! You can see more about our adventure here at the Salome's Suitcase blog.

Check out the wallpaper.

Theater Of Dreams is across the street. I'm a big fan. I believe Wendy Addison spends her time between her home here and her friends and business connections on the east coast. Her studio is usually open twice a year, but if she is around and you are around, she might let you in, Ive been lucky enough to catch her and check out her fabulous storefront. Can you say Vintage German Glass Glitter?

In order to start connecting with the community, several of us in Salome's Suitcase will have a booth at the Port Costa Arts and Crafts show this Sunday the 19th of September. We are not going to be representing Salomes' Suitcase - but will be hanging out, enjoying the day, and bringing some of our personal and  unique artsy crafty pieces that will be sure to be a hit. It will be at the old Port Costa School. Follow the winding road. You cant miss it!

So now I'm off to finish wrapping up some Etsy merchandise and making a trip to ye old post office!
See you Sunday!