The Costume Maven

I just finished cutting out the pattern for my bustle. I am using the Laughing Moon Mercantile pattern #112 Hoops and Bustles pattern, View E. I am making the bustle as part of a steampunk outfit that I have planned. The bustle will also be able to be worn with a bustle Victorian costume in the future. I am using a blue sateen cotton for the bustle. The fabric is from my stash and I decided to use it even though I originally bought this fabric for a different costume that has not come to fruition yet. I will take some pictures and post as I actually get some progress made. Hopefully that will be soon as I plan on wearing this costume to the SF Dickens Fair.

A wise person once said that in order to tell a story, you start at the beginning, keep going until you get to the end, and then you stop. Pretty good piece of advice to keep in mind as I start my first blog post. When I was young, I learned to sew by watching my mother and my grandmother. For many years I only used those skills to replace missing buttons or fix torn seams. Then I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and was taken to my first Renaissance Faire as part of a guild. I had such a great time that I knew I had to make my own historic costume. I ended up making something new almost every faire for the past 2 or 3 years now. I have become a costume addict! I love making costumes, planning new costumes, and the hunt for that absolutely perfect fabric. It is true that whoever dies with the biggest fabric stash wins. Several friends convinced me to write a blog about my costuming experience and I finally took the plunge. I look forward to sharing my experience with costume of