Costuming thing from Kay_Dee
1. Are you the type of stitcher who works on one project start to finish, or do you work several different projects at once?
I have costume ADD. I cannot work on one thing at a time. I may be sewing one project but I am always planning, researching, buying, thinking about other costumes I plan to make.
2. How do you decide which projects to begin? Need? Whim? Herd mentality?
All those things really. I’m making the battle costume because I need it for the parade. I do start things on a whim, but end up regretting it because I run out of time. A lot of costumes I start after seeing how other people have made theirs and think, “hey I can do that!”
3. What are the sorts of things that will cause you to hurl said project(s) into the corner and consign them to the pit of Hades?
If it doesn’t fit, which is always frustrating. Or if I don’t have the time or money I thought I had to make it. That always frustrates me when I cannot finish a project because of the lack of funds. Really I need to keep it one costume at a time.
4. Once consigned to Hades, will you ever return to the d*mned project and complete?
Sometimes. I never thought I’d be remaking the Padme Battle Costume but here I am doing so. There are some projects I’ll never complete like the Padme tatooine blue dress, but I should never say never, now that I have more experience I might be able to pull it off.
5. What about those projects you complete, and then decide you hate for whatever reason (doesn’t fit, don’t really like how it looks on you, etc.) How do you dispose of them?
I usually keep them and never wear them. If I am really unhappy with the costume, like my Elizabeth Pirate Vest, and I don’t have a lot of time to fix it like for A.W.E. I’ll tear it apart and use the pieces that I like and fix the other parts.
6. When disposing of old costumes, do you pick off the good bits (the nice lace, the vintage buttons, etc.) to use on future projects, or does the dress move on to the great wardrobe in the sky more or less intact?
Depends. The pirate vest I tore apart but that was because I ran out of time and used the pieces I absolutely needed.
7. Of course imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but have you ever gone anywhere (including to various Web pages) and found a gown that looks suspiciously like one that you created?
Nope, I’m not that good yet and I usually copy other people so there isn’t much of a point to take my advice. I always try to give credit to the people who have helped me create my costumes. Maybe one day I’ll have a costume people gasp at.
8. Have you ever lifted design elements from the gowns of other costumers? (Let me be specific: Not vintage garments, not film costuming, but gowns created by costumers you have come across, either at events, cons, or on the Web.)
Er, not really. I usually only make costumes based on films. Sometimes I’ll make dresses inspired by gowns from movies, like my first picnic gown, but other than that its strictly movie or TV for me.
9. If you could pay someone to do one hated task involved in sewing, it would be…
Er, sometimes I wish I could pay someone to sew the entire thing! But one thing, hmm…for my Ceremonial Gown it would be getting the bust to fit right. The seam doesn’t sit where it needs to be because of my larger chest. For my Padme Battle it will be sewing the arms to get them to sit right. Gosh I wish I had a dress dummy.
10. What are you working on now?
Padme’s White Battle Costume. I’m slowly getting things put together on it. I’m happy with it so far. I’m also planning to redo either the picnic gown or the parade gown. Hmm, I’m making a Kim Possible costume lol. And I’m probably going to make another gown but that is for me to know and you to find out. ;)