Suzi Clarke wrote:
In discussion with a couple of friends at the weekend, we fell to talking about when we started sewing. (snipped) Oh, and coincidentally to the sewing conversation, we wondered if it was a given that costume makers, whether professional, gifted amateur, or occasional maker, have cats? All the ones I know do.
I've been sewing since I was a little girl. My mom would let me sit on her lap in front of the sewing machine and "move" the fabric. I started making clothes for a teddy bear once I could use the machine (it had a knee-lever for power, so I did not have to reach the floor). I don't know how old I was, probably 7? I progressed to Barbie clothes and then clothes for a fancy European-made doll Mom got me (I think she got tired of finding dismembered Barbies around (the only way to get a regular blouse on a Barbie is to remove her head and her arms, stuff the arms in the sleeves (from the inside) pull the blouse and arms over her neck, and then reattach her head). Putting the arms back in the sockets was always annoying)). Dolls and teddybear alike had lots of costumes. Mom gave me a battered long pink floral silk scarf which I turned into a sari for Barbie. There was a contest at a local bank to make "international" costumes for dolls. I made several costumes for those dolls. The first garment I made for myself was a gathered-at-the-waist skirt, with a button, buttonhole, and zipper, and an interfaced waistband. I found Folkwear patterns after that and had fun making unusual clothes to wear. I made a Darth Vader costume in highschool (my friends and I were all 'under the influence' of Star wars). It was pretty cool. Then I got into science fiction fandom in college and started making lots of costumes. Most of them were from novels I had read and enjoyed. I would make historical costumes to wear for halloween. They were not very 'authentic' but people could mostly figure out who I was supposed to be. Now most of the costume sewing I do is for use in the SCA or to wear to work/school (I consider, for the purposes of this email, that any pre 1990 clothes or fantasy clothes I make to be costume). I did own cats, but that was only because I was not supposed to have ANY pets in the apartment and me and all my neighbors figured cats were easier to hide than dogs.
Now I have a dog. Totally a dog person. Note: I do not dress my dog in costumes. liz young _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
