Eliza+The Halloween Party

I can't believe Halloween has already come and gone. This year my family hosted a huge party with all of our friends and we had a lot of fun dressing up, dancing, eating good food, and hanging out. 

I dressed up as Eliza from Hamilton. I didn't do a good job of documenting the making of process over the last month and a half, but I'm going to write up a blog post all about it soon.

This is probably my favorite Cosplay that I've made, and it was so comfortable to wear! I decided to make it accurate to the stage costume instead of going the historical rout. I have a crinoline petticoat and a bumpad underneath for skirt support, and the back has a zipper (though it has faux lacing to look like it's laced up).

The shoes are American Duchess Kensingon's, which I purchased last year but didn't have an opportunity to wear until this year. I also wore my favorite Halloween socks, which is becoming a tradition for me. The shoes and stockings should be cream to be accurate to the Broadway costume, but I couldn't justify buying a new pair of shoes at the time, so I went with the pair that I already had.

I tried to take photo's through the night, but I only got a few. We had so many creative and fun costumes this year!

Lobsters and Petticoat's

I haven't had a ton of time for sewing lately, even though I have about a million things I need to be working on right now. But I did manage to squeeze in a new lobster bustle and crinoline petticoat last month!

Being that Halloween is just around the corner, and I'm the crazy costumer that I am, I started thinking about my Halloween costume early in August. I had decided on a costume that I've wanted to make for a long time now, but unfortunately I don't have the funds to do it properly at the moment.

The costume was Christine Daae's wedding dress from the stage version of Phantom of the Opera. It's always been a favorite of mine, but unfortunately will have to wait until a better time when I can do it right.

Anyways, that was what got me going on these foundations. While I was playing around with that idea and researching materials, I started with the undergarments. I knew I needed a larger bustle than the half bustle petticoat I made a few years back for my 1870's ensemble, and because it was a stage costume and I didn't need to be particularly historically accurate in material's, I decided I should make a crinoline petticoat.

This was something I've been meaning to do for a while, but just never got around to because I really don't like working with tulle of any kind.

And this crinoline lived up to my expectations. It was a beast to work with. Partially because I was making up the pattern as I went, when I really should have sat down and crunched some numbers before sewing, but I'm just gonna blame it on the crinoline. Fine? Fine.

In the end, the petticoat turned out quite nicely. It's made up of two layers and is stitched onto a bask with an elastic waistband. I actually added another small ruffle along the bottom edge of the top layer to help keep the shape around the hem, but I haven't gotten any pictures of it at that point yet.

Please ignore my hideous carpet. We just moved and haven't had a chance to update the floor in my sewing room yet.

The lobster bustle came together quite easily, and is taken directly out of Period Costume for the Stage and Screen. I think I will end up making another one that's just a little bit biggest, particularly on the bottom half, but otherwise I really like it! It isn't quite done, it still needs a ruffle along the bottom edge, but it's wearable.

Sadly since my costume plan's have changed the bustle won't be used, but I'll may still use the petticoat. But more on that in another post!

The Not so Secret Project

Okay, so I was going to keep this costume a secret. I wanted to show up at the costume party and see a certain friends reaction to it (she, like me, is a big fan of WICKED and her reaction would have been priceless). But I failed. And now everyone knows. So  thought I'd make a post about it.

I went and made Elphaba's Defying Gravity dress that she wears to the Emerald City through the end of Act I.

If you remember, this was one of the costumes on my 2015 costume bucket list. I wasn't planning on making it, I was actually planning on wearing Alice for Halloween, but I had the right patterns and fresh bolt of muslin. Less than a week passed before the dress was completed.

I'm still working on the makeup and need to make the hat, and finding a witches broom that doesn't look like it's made for a toddler is harder than it should be.

More pictures and info to come soon, but in the meantime here's a sneak peek that I posted on Instagram...

The Autumn Costume Party

Saturday was the big costume party at our friends house, which was super fun! Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of just me at the party, so I'll try to get some good pictures of my costume when I dress up again for Halloween. Hopefully it doesn't rain or anything.

But here's a few pictures from the costume party, which was filled with dancing, lots of laughing, and fun games!

Ellie as Astrid from How to Train your Dragon 2

Abby came in 50's glam

Peter came as Tristian from Weeping Willow (a Hunger Games fan film he was in)

Bethany as Emma from Once Upon a Time