Big Project Status

Bible Costumes for HMC:

I know I've been talking Very Much about the current Big Project, the HMC Bible Costumes, and therefore everyone pretty much knows we're on the last lap on it. But I thought I'd share a revelation we had about the pattern we're using... McCall's 2339. I intend to update my review of that pattern once I have some photos, but I thought I'd go ahead and share our insight here first. :)

It wasn't until I actually saw the costumes I made last spring on the guys that I realized there was a problem with it...for all I like the nice curve on the front of the vest, the thing is humungeous. Even in the smaller sizes it looked like it was swallowing the guys whole. So, before we cut any vests for HMC, I made some adjustments on all the pattern vests. This is the medium:




Basically, I slashed from the midpoint of the shoulder to nearly the hemline, then overlapped the cut edges about 4" at the shoulder and trued the seamline. In all honesty, I should've traced the pattern and pivoted that extra out; the big dart in the paper pattern has made it a little difficult to cut accurately. But...it's costume, not couture, (thanks, Ann, for that quote...it's been my mantra)...so close enough is good enough. Maybe when I've got a little time to fiddle I'll trace off nice flat copies. (Ha! Ha ha ha!)

I haven't actually seen any of the adjusted vests on any of the guys yet, but all the responses we've gotten have been very postitive...they're pleased. So I guess it works.

When the costumes are all done, I'm going to have a 'costume workshop' with the students and show them all how to wear them (especially the headpieces...and the girls will need reminders that the sashes go around their actual waistlines). That should be a good photo op for the whole project.

Costuming Scrooge 2006:
Cast list still isn't up yet...but I picked up some patterns that I'm sure will *eventually* be useful for $.99 each at Hancock's sale yesterday:

Simplicity 4923 (if you ignore the Jack Sparrow clone, there really are some great pieces in that pattern)
Simplicity 5042 and
Simplicity 5041

I got them each in all the size ranges available, so now we should be able to costume the schoolroom scene more appropriately...whenever that becomes financially and logistically possible. I still need to get some Jane Austen -era patterns, since that's really the time period for the Fezziwig's party, but that's not going to get redone for a few years. There are plenty of ladies' costumes out there; I haven't got such a great feel for what the guys were wearing (other than yards of linen wrapped around the neck) then yet...but that's just a matter of looking around at movie pictures. We'll get there, eventually.

But...actual status for this year is still up in the air. The decision has made to do one more day of open auditions before they set the cast...and we're still waiting to see what kind of arrangements we'll have for sewing space. I typed up a 'pros and cons' list of *all* the options I could come up with...and there were about 5, ranging from day-tripping in, like we've been doing for HMC, to booting the occupants of one of the nice new classrooms to another space for the duration of the production and setting up shop there...which I intend to submit early next week. So, we'll see.