Occasionally, when reproducing a costume, you have to use materials for parts of the costume that are, basically, more expensive than the entire rest of the costume. Like, for example, when I was planning my Jamillia costume, the one thing that kept me from even starting on it for a considerable time (from 2005 to [...]
Tutorials
Crashing / Pleating Silk
How to crush silk permanently (aka crashing silk, Fortuny pleating, permanent pleating or crashing / crushing) This article was written by me some years ago for the Alleycatscratch.com LOTR website. I thought, however, that I should include it in my tutorials on this website as well. Also, I’ve made quite a few additions to the process which proved to be useful over [...]
How to make a tricorn hat
How to make a tricorn hat (like the one Marie Antoinette wore in the movie with the blue dress; but of course this basically also works for any other kind of tricorn hat – like the one Jack Sparrow wears in Pirates of the Carribean, for example!) First, you need some materials. Those are: The [...]
100% reproductions?
Why a 100% perfect reproduction of a garment is not possible When planning to reproduce a garment from a movie, a painting or photograph, most people ask themselves how accurate they want their reproduction to be. Some say that it has to be ‘the perfect reproduction’, and shell out lots of money (for materials) and [...]
Sew first, then dye
What’s so important behind the “Sew first, then Dye” rule? Well… it can spare you a lot of trouble. Plus, it will spare you remnant pieces in colors you perhaps don’t like any more afterwards. Let me explain the process: If you buy white fabric for whatever project which you anyway intend to dye, then [...]
Burning out velvet
Burning out silk velvet How does ‘burning out’ work? Just because I think that they are necessary – some explanations first. The burning out process (which, in some cases, is called by its french name – “Dévoré”) works with a special, chemical fluid, which is applied to the back of the velvet and are ironed [...]
Cage Crinoline
How to construct a Cage Crinoline Note: These instructions are just for round cage crinolines. It’s practically impossible to ‘calculate’ an elliptical cage crinoline this way. Materials you will need: First, a good image of an existing crinoline. Doesn’t have to be a cage. A graphics program (I’m using PhotoImpact in this tutorial). Or a [...]
Enlarging patterns
How to enlarge original patterns I am certain that most people who own books that contain original patterns which are resized, meaning smaller than the original patterns – such as the “Patterns of Fashion” books, which contain all patterns in a scale of 1:8 – at some point of time have to take the task [...]
Faking ermine fur
How to fake ermine fur First, it’s helpful if you have read this note on ermine fur in Elizabethan paintings. Materials needed for this tutorial: Depending if you’re choosing the ‘easy, but fake looking’ or ‘difficult, but correct looking’ method’: Easy, but fake looking Difficult, but correct looking white fake fur, hair length not longer [...]
Fabric dyeing
Here are various tips for dyeing fabrics. I will add more over time. Dyeing white fabrics ivory – Dyeing silk satin Tip for dyeing white fabrics ivory: Don’t make the mistake to use a small amount of *yellow* dye. Instead, use a *very* small amount of *olive* dye, even less yellow dye and – depending [...]
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