Christmas With The Crawfords

 Once upon a time, a long time ago, back in the 1990's, I was commissioned to make a long silver evening gown for a fun little holiday show in San Francisco called Christmas With The Crawfords. My friend Chris March was in the show and I was hired  to make a bunch of the costumes that he designed. I love working with Chris - we just click - I get what he's trying to tell me, and I understand the scale of oversize that he is famous for. I pretty much discovered this while working on the show with him back in those days. We worked together at the famous Beach Blanket Babylon,  hit it off right away, and he has been throwing fun work at me ever since. I also get a bit of leeway with design if this is appropriate and it always works out.

So I got the call with "do you still have that Joan Crawford evening gown pattern that you made?" Well...............I actually, miraculously  had part of it. And the rest was from memory and about 2 measurements. Really. My height - a guess at a bust and waist from former projects - and it had to be fitted. With super stretchy  fabric. Oh my.

But it turned out perfect as you can see. This is Joey Arias as Joan Crawford for the upcoming show. Perfectly stunning as stunning can be. As always.

Go see the show if you are in or around NYC this holiday season! You will laugh and be charmed!!

Aprons For One Of The 70 Best Restaurants In The World!

Last October, I was commissioned to find materials and create some oldie worldie looking aprons for a new Restaurant that was opening up in my favorite town in the whole wide world: Port Costa!

The aprons turned out really cute. The old time look and fee of the Hickory fabric that we found suited the time travel image that the owners of the Bull Valley Roadhouse were trying to convey. We made about 8 of these aprons for opening night and a few months later, they had become so busy that they needed more. But on returning to the source of the fabric purchase, I found out that someone had come along and bought up the rest of the roll! This is not unusual and kind of the story of my life, but I couldn't believe it. That bolt of fabric had been lying around the warehouse for years! After we got our 15 yards, the rest sold immediately. This happens to be how things work, I guess. I somehow , often manage to arrive at the scene of a burgeoning trend.

So I spent hours finding a source for more of this Hickory. This is the old workhorse fabric that the early train engineer's overalls were made of. This was a very utilitarian fabric that is still being made in the U.S.A but is mainly used now for designer jeans. It isn't found in most retail outlets, so a bit of finagling had to be done. But we got our fabric.

And now my favorite town in the WHOLE WORLD is now home to one of the 70 best new restaurants in the WHOLE WORLD according to Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. Now how cool is that????????
I knew good things were in store for that town. And I'm here too, in the cute little town next door! So make an appointment to come out and see me and we'll make an appointment to go do brunch if you come out on a Saturday or Sunday. I fear it might be hard to get in sometimes, but we'll figure something out!

I'm so happy for Sam and Earl - the owners of this fine establishment! Not only are they extremely creative, but they are two of the nicest people that Ive ever met.

See you soon!

First Fitting

 My bridal client, Autumn, had this beautiful cobalt blue Silk Dupioni sent out to be embroidered by Cloud Nine Stitchery. The embroidery turned out so gorgeous against this fabric that I just have to share. I couldn't wait to cut into it!. We're making Autumn a little late 50's/early 60's inspired wedding frock with poufy skirt. She is searching for a petticoat right now. I always love the Malco Modes brand for a serious pouf. They rock the poufy petticoat, have a wide variety of colors, and you can take out some of the pouf if its just too much. I believe that they used to cater mainly to the square dance set and while they dont sell directly to the public, any good costume shop should have a nice selection.

I dont want to show the whole dress yet because Im supertitious that way - and its not done.  But I had to share how pretty this color scheme is.

So the next step is to have her try this on, make sure everything fits the way it's supposed to, check for any needed changes to the design, check the hemline and then finish construction.

Modern Combat

Modern Combat by kccc2011 featuring a long maxi skirt

Nina Ricci tiered dress
$1,790 - editnewyork.com

Herve leger dress
$1,150 - net-a-porter.com

Vintage floral dress
355 GBP - suzannah.com

Vintage cocktail dress
$150 - senseofashion.com

Long blouse
252 GBP - theoutnet.com

Rick Owens Lilies long maxi skirt
$492 - farfetch.com

High heel boot
449 EUR - jades24.com

G by Guess low heel booties
$80 - gbyguess.com

Black boot
$45 - hottopic.com

In honor of the fallen who gave their lives in order that we may prance around freely in our mock combat boots.

Efficiency

I'm always, always, always trying to find better ways to be more efficient. And with this economy putting a damper on spending, this has become very difficult. The less the public spends, the harder the artisan has to hustle to keep food on the table. Its nobody in particular's fault and I'm tired of finger pointing. It just is what it is and hand made goods are fighting hard to not be a thing of the past!

My friend Lee kidnapped me yesterday and we ran around doing errands and catching up. For some reason I thought that by moving closer to some of my friends, we would all see each other a lot more - but we are all so busy making, creating, designing and working, that we don't see each other much at all most of the time! But when we do, its great, and we can talk about whats working and not working in our creative lives.

Time management seems to be one of the things that hampers us the most. Sometimes we end up working til the wee hours of the morning - just to have to get up in a few hours and do it all over again. But I think that there is a lot of puttering around in all those hours that just sucks up our day. And I think that this is common for those of us who live and work in the same space. We lose track of time. We are in our own universe. We set our own stage and make our own hours and forget that there is a world out there that runs on an atomic clock somewhere that dictates how things should run hourly to the second - 24/7. It doesn't matter if you have calendars and clocks in front of you in our little worlds - alarms and bells and whistles that go off at certain times - yes, things have to be done at certain times of the day. animals have to be fed, we have to be fed, packages have to be shipped, deadlines have to be met...........................but damn it: the day gets away and then its a month later and where the hell did that month go????

I think that this is very common. Articles on how artists and the self employed think and work have been in my face recently. I think a lot of us have ADD or ADHD - call it what you will, but we don't think like the 9-5'ers, so our problems may a bit unique. But  I don't like how this has been working or not working  anymore. I would like to change this. I would like to get more done in less time and start to have part of the day just for me now and then. Fancy that.

 The nature of my beast is always going to determine how my day is spent. I have two hands only and four hands one day a week. I do the impossible job of doing things by myself and juggling way too many creative balls in the air because I simply have to. I love my life and I have a job that Ive created for myself.. I dont want my job to disappear. I need to be more productive with my time.

So the consensus with my kidnapper was that we need to set hours and treat those hours like one would a real job that you would leave the house to go to. We have to get up, shower, get dressed (perhaps even set our clothes out for the next day) prepare our lunches and plan our errands during our lunch hour just as if someone were handing us a paycheck. And maybe the clue phone has been ringing for years and I have not been picking up...........but I had to try all different ways to have my life. And now I'm trying this new self disciplined one....................and dont get me wrong - I work very, very hard!!!!!!!!!! It does take a great deal of discipline, will, strength, focus, and faith to live this kind of life...........perhaps we just need to tighten this up a bit.
New.hours will be 10am - 6pm.

Of course, I'm going to take fittings and consultations in the evenings and during the weekend when I can. Of course I'll still work late if I have to. Of course gigs and vending opportunities will affect any hours I lay out for myself............but maybe with this new mindset, more will get accomplished and we will all be happier for it!

Well, if I were to officially be starting this new schedule today, I would officially be late for work. Tomorrow is another day!
kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! by kccc2011 featuring gold earrings

La Regale formal handbag
$20 - endless.com

Carolee gold bracelet
235 GBP - houseoffraser.co.uk

Gold earring
$55 - ice.com

Sunglass
$13 - babygirlboutique.com

Background Picture Frame Bilderrahmen ab 79,95 € im Impressionen...
impressionen.de

CHRISTIAN DIOR - CHRISTIAN DIOR 'Cat Eye' Frames, 1950s
fashion.1stdibs.com

Harvey Berin - 1950s Applique Silk Organza Harvey Berin
fashion.1stdibs.com

1950s Fabric Topped Metal Footed Box Purse from fallsavenue on Ruby...
$50 - rubylane.com

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mother's of the World! Even if you dont have children, chances are, by your very nature, you have nurtured someone or something at some point in your life. This is just the nature of being a woman.

There are good mothers and bad mothers and mothers who just muddle through. Some love us, some hate us, some adore us, some dont like us at all.

They say that we choose our mothers before we come back to this life in order to learn things that we didn't learn from the life before. I learned a lot in this life. I learned that I have to be more tolerant of all people because we have no idea how someone else's experiences have come about. We live in a time where mental health issues are seen in a different light. We have more access for correcting our own behavior. We have every means to educate ourselves on self help and to better our thinking and consciousness. Our parents may not have had these things so readily available, they may have been stuck in old rigid patterns of thinking that do not pertain to modern life as we know it, and their parents certainly did not in most cases.

So we do our best. And we use our parents as guides to our own inner and outer development. They hold up the mirror and we either like what we see or we don't. And if we don't, its up to us to change - and not the other way around. Easier said than done, but its the truth.

XXX

Happy Royal Wedding - Those Kids Are Sure In Love!

It seems that you either have an opinion, or you just don't care. Of course, over here, there is a buzz, but we don't have Kings and Queens and all that goes with it. Our Empire is pretty dull and boring to watch. I, of course, would love to be part of that British world, but I just have to do my best to live vicariously through others.

I didn't get too excited until I turned on the TV to see what the new Princess was wearing down the aisle. Because what she wears is setting the trend to what women will be wanting to wear for the next few seasons. I was afraid that I would see something I hated.
What a relief when I saw her wearing vintage modern. (or would that be modern vintage ) What a relief!

But my mom is super excited about it, so when I turned on the TV, I knew she would be happy to see what Princess Catherine was wearing.............
 tra la - Princess Catherine wore a modern version of my mother's wedding dress ala Grace Kelly. The collar, the lace bodice and sleeves with the big skirt was very much in vogue in the mid 50's. I was super happy to see  Catherine in her Sarah Burton dress and matching shoes. I wish a had a photo of my mom's dress. It was probably pretty classic for back then, and of course, not rich like this,  but I always loved it.

And all this is going right along with the Wedding Dress Samples that Im working on - once again, I am right on trend!

Here is the official website with lots of photos (it says its "official")................and Here is where you can read about the dress!

I admit that I was terrified that I was going to wake up this morning  and see her in a strapless dress wearing a shrug.  I really was afraid. You just never know. Ladies - don't do this anymore. Most of you slouch. Not pretty. Lets move on to something else now. Hey! How about sleeves and button detail!

Now, they have been calling her a commoner, but those two are distantly related. And Im sure that this is how this whole prince marrying a commoner thing  is being ok with everyone. She is highly educated and they are distant cousins many times removed. It works.

She is beautiful. He is a cutie and they were obviously happy to be together. So refreshing!  I wasn't happy with her hair down and the tiny  bouquet. But that's just my opinion. I would have liked to have seen a stiffer veil perhaps and her hair up. But they are the new Royals and this is 2011. Nothing is ever going to be the same as it was before. And this is a good thing. Its going to be fun to see how the kids transform the monarchy and all that goes with it!

Congratulations!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

All Tied Up In Knots

Its been one of those weeks. Mercury is retrograde. My horrorscope has very little to say in a positive way about how this month is going to treat those born on my birthday.  Business is slow and today was very intense. Just like it said it would be at Astrologyzone.com. I have to say, they are usually right on the nose. This solstice is having a double eclipse or something like that and I personally will be ducking and covering. I advise you all to do so as well. Don't sign any papers. Don't buy electronics. Don't get out of bed!

Fortunately this is just temporary. But of course. Thank God.

And then I found out that Captain Beefheart died today. Well that just put the nail in the coffin of a day. I remember when I was pregnant with my son and my husband would play Captain Beefheart .......Haydn would start kicking viciously. I didn't think the music agreed with him all that well - or maybe it was just getting him all excited. It was hard to tell. That's one of my fondest memories today - being pregnant and Captain Beefheart. And now I'm kinda sad.

I got a lot done today nevertheless: cut and sewed some orders, made some  skirts to put up on etsy, answered emails, and tried to stay warm. But I hit a wall around 10ish and had to stop. I guess that sounds about right.......but of course I cant sit still and watch tv like everyone else does. I opened up one of my ribbon flower books and decided to start learning how to make those things.  And I made this. It would go on a hat in the teens. Out of a different ribbon, of course, but at least I learned how to do a new thing. And this saved an otherwise unpleasant day.

Its a little crude. But I'll do it better next time. I'll decorate one of my old hats.

The Price We Pay

“If you think excellence costs too much, wait til you get the bill for mediocrity.”
— Benjamin Franklin

 

And that is all there needs to be said..................

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com 

Wedding Gown Inspiration

One of my favorite things to do when I have a few minutes - or am just too tired to move away from the computer - is to go on Etsy and look up vintage patterns. I buy them when I can to add to my collection, but I mainly "favorite" them because I can usually just look at the picture and figure out how to make it anyway.

I feel like I am heading back to my custom dressmaking - which means, I hope, that I'm going to be able to focus again on the dieing art of making clothing that actually enhances you and makes you look your best. One of my favorite things, of course, is Bridal. Not only is it one of the most important days of your life, but you can really make a statement about who you are and indulge your fantasy about wearing a silhouette that you probably wont be able to wear on a day to day basis. You get to safely play dress up and its ok.

So I thought I would suggest to all of you who are looking for dresses with a vintage feel that you go to Etsy for gown ideas. You can take an idea from one dress and apply to another. Or you can get inspiration, or you can take the pattern to an experienced dressmaker and have them make you something similar that will fit you. The vintage pattern doesn't have to be in your size if you know someone who has pattern making skills.

I can grade a pattern to size. And its a lot easier for me if I have something to work with already - hence my extensive pattern collection! I always make mock ups of your dress first and we always have fittings. This ensures the fit that makes all the difference in the world.!

Its also best to plan your gown/outfit a year in advance so that your dressmaker can take the time she needs - and we always juggle projects - so planning is key to success! I would say that 6 months should be the latest you could consider..............even a "simple" design is something that has to be fitted and constructed. There really is no such thing as "simple" in couture.

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Little Princess Ivy

Little Ivy is lounging like a princess in the  silk and lace gown that I made for her. Refined and Regal as a princess of my lineage should be!

Ok - there WAS a castle in Belgium somewhere down the line according to some in my family...........but there were also a lot of peasants on dirt floors. We'll just pretend, shall we, that Ivy is a throwback to royalty for now. She COULD be!

I sewed the seams of some of this outfit by machine, but the rest was all hand stitched. I had a lot of silk scraps from various wedding gowns over the years and a bit of lacie loveliness that I couldn't throw away. So for those inclined to making baby clothes, you can do wonders with a lot of time and a few materials. This is not my calling, but I'm glad I did it. Hand sewing can be very relaxing and I enjoy it immensely, but baby clothes are a whole different world!  For those who notice these things, I would do the neckline differently next time. A simple little facing would have made more sense. I was using two vintage christening gown patterns with missing pieces. The directions were confusing and I just winged it. It was very intuitive and felt much like sewing with The Force guiding me! I sewed on pearls and buttons for embellishment. It turned out pretty cute - and Ivy is an awfully pretty baby regardless! But of course, Im biased.

Thank you Sarah and Haydn, for posting Easter photos!!!!!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Have A Very Fluffie Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone! Whatever you believe in, I hope you have a lovely day!

I personally opted out of the commercialism and toxic family functions years ago and choose to either spend it by myself or with good friends. Its a day of peace and quiet for me. I'll read and work on a dance costume for me today.

I finally got my Dickens outfit together and attended the Faire this year with my friend Erling. This was a huge accomplishment as I never have time for these things anymore. And I'm so glad I did. It wasn't quite as merry as I remember it from the old days (is anything ever), but it was merry enough and I had a good time. They do such a lovely job of giving us an old time Christmasie world for a month out of the year! A literal Christmas card event! It always helps to go with a dapper man with manners as well. I would love to vend there. It would be great if Salome's Suitcase could get in. I know we would be a hit. Well, I'll try to make it happen. Now THAT would be a blast!

And for those of you who have no idea who Salome's Suitcase is, we are a collective of adornment and apparel artists. We are united by a focus on unique design and quality craftsmanship!
We are:
Black Lotus Clothing
FoolProof Studios
HiBeam Bindis
Katherine Summer
KathleenCrowleyCostumeCouture
Medina Maitreya
Minerva's Antenna
Rosehips Designs
Yasemin Yildiz

Contact us at: salomes.suitcase@gmail.com

Since my room mate is in Egypt right now, riding camels and all that fun stuff, I kind of didn't want to make a fuss with decorating. It seemed like a bother. But my friend Matt dragged a fake tree over on Christmas Eve that he had found in a box on the street.
I felt the spirit of Christmas take over and lead me to my box of decorations and my hand was forced to decorate this tree with scraps of fluffie Lace. Leave it to me to have a fluffie tree! I love it! Merry Christmas!

Labor Of Love

Its been a while since Ive blogged - so much has been going on! Ive been vending and working on backorders and trying to get into the spirit of Christmas .......but only made it as far as Solstice!


First of all, my new little granddaughter was born last saturday. Ivy Skye. Fabulous name if I do say so myself! And she's awfully cute. Hopefully I'll go see her early next year.

I mentioned before, that I wasnt going to be making baby clothes. But I caved because of all the cute little vintage childrens' patterns out there. And the baby needs to be decked out. I mean, she just does.

I dug into my remnant bins and came up with a lovely grey/brown silk velvet that was used once several years ago to make a wedding coat for a lovely woman I know. I used a bit of blue silk velvet for the trims and bonnet. I made self covered buttons. I used up some of my bits and bobs and came up with a pretty cute little outfit. I wasnt sure if it would even fit as we usually pop out pretty big babies, but shes's a wee 7 pounds 14 oz. So no worries there. And worse case scenerio, she'll have doll clothes.

Then I took some scraps of Ariellah's wedding dress and made a little dress that resembles a christening gown, although that was not my intention. With a little china silk, I made a little slip - and there you go.......

And I vowed I would never do it again! (but Im always saying that about things) Its hard making baby clothes!!!!!! All those little pieces! Some of the pattern pieces were missing, so I did my best. Not so crazy about the neckline on the dress, but the directions on the pattern made no sense whatsover. Still, its pretty and the photos dont do it justice. I used this pattern for the coat and bonnet. The dress pattern seems to have disapeared. We didnt like each other!

Im sure I'll find the time down the road to make Ivy something cute now and then, but this was truely a labor of love! There is a reason these designer baby clothes cost so much in the boutiques!!!!!!



kc.costumecouture@gmail.com