Thinking About Christmas................For Your Lovely Neck

Every year, I am reminded that I am never in seasonal retail mode - this  means  that I don't have a bunch of merchandise made and ready for the spirit of holiday shopping. Its just not really how I roll. But I did make some pretty scarves just in time for  that buying frame of mind (and you know we cant escape our need for retail therapy even if we cant heavily engage in that pastime quite as we did in days of yore.........) And maybe you will need one of these for your fabulous holiday outfit!

I hope you like them as much as I do! In fact, I want to keep every single one! (this is the curse of my job)

Stipes and L:ace for your lovely neck!
Multicolored Loveliness to wrap around your neck and ward off the winter chill!

I cannot throw away my scraps of beautiful fabric! I feel that this is a huge waste - it is especially so in the garment industry - and I like to use every bit of material that I can, so when the bins of extra bits start overflowing, I take a few days off, get out my rotary blade, and start cutting out shapes and sections to piece into lovely concoctions for your wearing pleasure!

Doing this makes me feel that I'm having less impact on the environment. Textile production is a huge detriment to the health of our planet. Insecticides, dyes, chemicals go into our water - which is partly why we take our business overseas................nice. So I do sometimes feel terribly guilty for participating in the creation of this mess. But we all want clothing and pretty things. And it cant all be sustainable. So this is me - and you - doing our part. By using all the fabric that I purchase and not just some of it, I feel that I am not creating as much waste. And sometimes certain fabrics wont be found again. Ever. So I want to put it all to use and be as resourceful and as respectful to our home as possible.

I like to use my softest knits and laces to be worn around the neck! These are always pretty long, can be used for a simple accessory to accent your wardrobe, or to actually be used to keep your neck warm! Ive seen them used as a hip adornment in belly dance as well! This scarf is made of the circles that were cut out of the middle of bias flounces as well as larger pieces of pretty fabrics! They have been reinforced down the middle with a soft knit lace. They are durable and will last a long time. They make great Christmas presents!

Pretty, functional, fun, and as Green as I can get.......win

~This particular scarf is about 81" long!
~Ivory , black, white, Grey and pink stripes in many different knit fabrics - we've got some lace, some polka dotted tulle and cotton!
~Most of the tattered ruffled edges are unfinished but will not ravel and those that do ravel a bit will just add some texture to the mix!

Please convo me with any questions or email me at kc.costumecouture [!at] gmail.com before purchasing!

Kathleencrowley.etsy.com
Thanks!

Princess Noel

 I took an old medieval inspired costume made from silvery rayon fabric from the early 70's and cut it down into an 18th century inspired costume for the Shadowdance Fashion Show. This was the first full-on costume I ever made. It now has a new life and hopefully will find a new owner soon.

Ive been making quite a few of these little shortie corsets lately. Im working on a really pretty one for Unsinkable Molly. Contact me if you would like me to make you one. They are great to dance in. You get the upper stability of a corset and you can still move around with relative ease.

Model: Amber Burke
Hairpiece: FoolProof Studio
Eardrapes: Sandi's Ocean
Bindi:  Hi Beam Bindis

Hair and Makeup: Crops and Bobbers
Photo: Black Lotus Clothing

Another Great Collaboration

A while back I made these harem pants for Elizabeth Strong. They turned out awfully cute and I wasnt sure about them until they were finished and she tried them on. Simply because Im not a fan of that dropped crotch look, ( I saw the damage done back in the 80,s).........but this seemed a bit different - and it was...........the "cutout" parts in the front have a cowled, drapey effect, and it really works with the rest of the outfit, although its hard to see whats going on in the photo. Lesson: you have to look at the bigger picture. Espeacilly when making components!

Liz brought me some burn out velvet to work with and I already had the rayon striped fabric that I had purchased earlier as curtains at Anna's Linnens on Mission Street in San Francisco. It had that bronzie vintage feel about it, I was saving for some future project,  and I was happy to use it in this costume. Liz had a strong idea about what she wanted and I was able to play out that idea with a mockup and a couple of fittings.

Rose Harden embellished the pants later on and I believe that she and Medina Maitreya made the bra. FoolProof Studio completed the ensemble with headdress and ankle jewelry.

Another successful collaboration between members of Salome's Suitcase - what can I say. We all rock. And I do have to say that while we are all capable of making striking one of a kind outfits each on our own, it can be faster to have us all be making bits and parts here and there to pull together into one lush look. And lush describes what we do to a T.

These days,  Ive been wanting  to sit down again and make a whole outfit for myself or for someone else. The economic downslide has hit me hard here. I would love it if someone with great taste would just buy the lushes trims and fabrics and say, here, I'll pay all your expenses for a month if you would just concentrate on me and make me the coolest outfit that anyone has ever seen.........that's how I would like this all to work again.......It could be bridal or a great outfit or costume..........but  until people are ready to spend again, it is a nice feeling to still be making striking garments - components to your wardrobe - and  to help people shine in their spotlight!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com 

Sleepless In San Francisco

This is what happens when I cant sleep.

On Etsy.

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com