What has kept me busy up to now!

Hello everyone! I am so excited to be back to blogging and soon back to sewing for me!

The show was a tremendous success! We had 6 shows, one only open to elementary schools in the area and 5 to the public, out of the public shows 3 were sold out. At the last show people bought tickets knowing they would have to stand to see the the show!

I will show you pictures taken during one of the dress rehearsals taken by the photographer who did a fantastic job capturing it all.

I hope you enjoy!

Dorothy's costume was made using Simplicity 4136. Of course all the bias binding I did was my addition and I loved how it turned out. The dress fitted perfectly with no fittings issues the first time I tried it on!

All fabrics came from Joann and the trim was in my stash.

I was originally going to make the Cowardly lion's costume but the basic costume from the company we rent from was okay so we kept it and enhanced it. The wig was purchased by the school, I made new mittens and then added strips of the mitten fur to the shoulder fur piece and the shoe covering, as well as enhancing the tail to incorporate the new fur pattern all over the costume.

Here is what we got from the rental company for the Tin Man, poor guy looked like a spaceman...

 

 This is how I transformed him.

I took pieces from different patterns that featured gladiators and knights and I added the vest, boots a new funnel (which my husband sprayed painted for me!), we gave him silver gloves and I made him a bow tie to keep with the traditional look of the movie. The mom who was helping me added the silver electrical tape for additional texture.

 

Scarecrow looked fine we added raffia cuffs  and a burlap sash.

I made the burlap cape for when Cowardly lion gets crowned

I used Burda 7686 to make the jacket. The beautiful actress sparkled on stage!

Here you can see the rosettes I added to Glinda's dress to cover the buckles that strapped her for security purpose when she was flying in her  bubble. One of the talented actors made them for me! Her dress was too tight on her so I spent a good chunk of time adding in a v shaped pieced at center back because there were no seam allowances to speak of at the sides. The dress a friend of the director's had donated it to the production.

Using Butterick 6411 view A I made 18 capelets out of white ponte roma knit from Joann's for the poppies when Glinda covers them with snow. They moved beautifully on stage and the dancers loved them.

Along with the other mom we came up with the design for the crows and trees. We made feather accessories for the neck, wrists and ankles and the hats were decorated with feathers and sunflowers for the crows.

 The trees got hats with branches and apples and gloves with detachable apples that they could throw at the Scarecrow and Dorothy in one of the scenes. We wanted chic costumes and I think we got them!

I modified all costumes used for those actors that would be flying Glinda, the bad witch, the monkeys. I replaced zippers, hemmed and accessorized. Last minute I made a quick cover/quilt for Dorothy's bed, for the twister scene, that tied the yellow brick road to her bedroom (it had a yellow wide stripe in the center)

Here are a few more pictures of the show

Cool special effects

Scary flying monkeys

Huge production team

We had it all and I am so glad I got to be part of it!

Wish me luck!

Today is the costume parade which is when the director and I review all the actors in costume and approve, note changes to be made, etc. There are close to a 100, yeap. This weekend I also found out that this time around the harnesses for flying come out at each hip instead of out the back, so on Glinda's dress thankfully that spot fell at the end of the bodice so I was able to open up seams at each side and secure for the clips to come out. Now I have to deal with the witch's costume and the monkeys.

The capes got done this weekend!I brought them in to school just needing hooks and eyes sewn on and the actress who plays Dorothy who is a sweetheart sat with me and together we finished 13 sets (I had already finished 5).

I also have to grade the exams I gave my students last week and prepare for classes this week. This weekend both my kids were preparing for math exams so after the craziness of theater I had to put my thinking cap and do math to help them.

Did I tell you the show opens a week from Thurs? I have to tell you that I am a little overwhelmed, but I won't admit it to my family. In two weeks the show will be over and I can go back to my usual normal.

So anyways, wish me luck this afternoon!

Burda 7686 Glinda's bolero

Hello everyone!!! I hope everyone has been well and sewing up a storm so that when I'm done at the end of the month I'll have tons of posts to read!

Tomorrow Glinda's bolero is going to go to the theater room and to its garment bag so I took a couple of pictures to show you.

 Burda patterns rock, even in a simple little jacket they add details that make such a different, in this case darts in the back to bring in the hem close to the body, darts in the sleeves for comfort and better fit. You can see that there's an opening in the back of the jacket, it is there because the flight harness needs to come out.

The fabric is a poly-organza from Joann's (there is a lot of glitter in the special occasion isle!) In the picture below you can see better the silver dots all over the fabric and the sparkly clear and pink gems I added on the edges (finished with self made bias binding ,poly satin from Joann). Yeap, I thought they were self sticking ones, but they weren't so I glued them individually and I alternated between the colors. I know I'm insane but doesn't it look pretty? All I kept thinking was how pretty it will look under the lights.

I have made 5 capelets, will start on the rest tonight since I received the fabric from Joann's yesterday (white ponte).

Happy March to all (in case I don't make it back here soon!)