Category: events

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Planny McPlannersons!

GBACG has announced our list of events for next year in the latest issue of our newsletter, although most of the info isn’t on the web yet. Of course, being on the board gives me the inside scoop, which has helped me plan my projects for next year. Here’s what I’m thinking:

Events:
Open House – 1/28 – of course! I’ll wear whatever is itching to be worn and doesn’t take up much room.
Queen Elizabeth I & the Pirate – 2/24 – I am so going to this fancy shmancy Elizabethan banquet (at the same location we did Lord of the Rings last year). Bella Donna may perform a few songs. I’ll wear my courtesan dress, of course.
GBACG Goes to the Gaskell Ball – 4/21 – I’m organizing this as have for the past 2 years, so I’d better go! Our theme is Victorian fantasy (fairies etc.). Not sure what I’ll wear — probably add wings and my butterfly mask to one of my bustle evening dresses?
Little Women picnic – 5/20 – again, I’m in charge so I’d better be there! I’ll be going as Meg (I get to be the girlie one!) and I’ve been on the hunt for the right fabric for MONTHS. Apparently it IS really hard to find a sheer cotton lawn or voile with a white ground and small lavender flowers – who knew? Grr.
Hogwarts End-of-Term Celebration – 6/23 – unless I’m randomly in Europe at the time, how can I miss a Harry Potter party? I’ll probably be going as Professor Trelawney, unless Bellatrix Lestrange’s costume is so good that I get a strong yen to throw something together. Trelawney rocks, because she has hilarious hair.
Surviving the Guillotine: A French Revolution Picnic – 7/14 – again, I’m organizing this. I’ll probably wear my anglaise or my polonaise, unless I miraculously become a faster costumer.
Bustles and Baseball – Aug. (date TBD) – although this sounds fun (going to a vintage revival 1880s baseball game), I doubt I’ll have time to make anything for it, and I don’t have anything 1880s in my closet. Boo.
Gatsby picnic – 9/9 – I’m so there (pink drinks! yay!) and I’m going to have something new this year, come hell or high water!
Walk/picnic at Cypress Lawn cemetary – 10/13 – totally depends on my mood whether I go. Costume era is 1850-1942, so that’s easy.
GBACG Goes to Dickens Fair – 12/8 – of course!
Edwardian tea – 2/9/08 – I am SO there, and so will my stripey 1908 suit.

So that means the docket is, in order of how I’m planning to tackle them:
1. Gwendolen’s 1874ish day dress – so I have something fabulous to wear to the Costume College gala!
2. Meg March’s 1860ish day dress – design contingent upon finding the right fabric.
3. 1924 day dress for Gatsby – made on my newly acquired vintage 1924 Singer (how can I not?)
4. 1909 suit

I’m sure other projects will sneak in there, of course.

FYI, I’m slowly integrating a new form of commenting on the site – those who’ve commented on recent projects have seen the new format (hosted by Blogger). If you have a Blogger account, you can sign in — otherwise choose Anonymous and you can put in your name and website/livejournal (if you want to). Let me know if you have any problems with it. This means that comments posted previously on main page posts are gone, but hopefully those discussions have ended already. This sucks, but there’s no other option.

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Costume College Teaching – Thinking Ahead

I’m starting to think about what I’ll teach at Costume College next year, as they are putting together a preliminar list of classes. Right now it’s looking like I’ll be repeating my 18th Century Overview, plus doing a lecture/demo on 18th Century Hair & Makeup (models needed!! Ideally I’d like to have three different models who come to class with their hair set in rollers, so I can style one of each into a 1760s, 1770s, and 1780s look, plus do makeup on one). Less likely is that I’d do a class on library research for costumers. Next year (2008) I’d like to do a demo on How to Drape a 1760s-70s Robe a la Francaise, but I need to make at least one more so I’m sure I have the technique down (don’t want to go claiming I’m an expert yet). Hmm!

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For My Bay Area Peeps

The V&A exhibit on Vivienne Westwood is coming to the de Young museum in 2007! Here’s the info on the exhibit from the V&A site. Woot!

Also, GBACG has been busy planning our events and workshops for next year. Something to mark your calendar for is Elizabeth & the Pirate on Feb. 24 in Oakland. This is going to be an amazing event: join Queen Elizabeth I and the Irish pirate Grace O’Malley for a banquet at Sequoia Lodge (where we held the Lord of the Rings dinner). Break out your fanciest Renaissance costumes, or your dressy 16th century pirate gear — or come as a cleaned up peasant. It should be magical — I can’t wait!

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PEERS Vampire Ball

On Saturday night I went to the PEERS Vampire Ball. I was so inspired by Marie Antoinette that of course I had to wear my new peach francaise, and finally got the courage to wear my new, huge grey powdered wig. And I finally found the beauty patches that I bought from Jwlhyfer over a year ago, and was excited to find that one was a bat! Yay! And I can report that eyeglash glue works perfectly for affixing patches.

The ball was nice but not fabulous — it was a much better venue than where it’s been held in the past, but it was hot and for some reason I didn’t really get into dancing until late in the evening (but then had some really nice waltzes). I did have a good time just mingling and chatting. There were some really great costumes there — lots of goth-inspired ensembles. I got a lot of compliments on my costume, although one of my friends overheard someone say (in reference to me), “I can’t believe that people would RENT costumes to come to this.” Um, sorry dearie! Handsewed every stitch! But I guess I should take it as a compliment, right?

I’ve posted my pictures, which didn’t turn out too fabulous — I think some of the settings on my camera may have been off. Anthony got a much better picture of my dress in his pictures.

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Gatsby Summer Afternoon

Last Sunday was the annual Gatsby Picnic, put on by the Art Deco Society of California. For some reason I always find this event exhausting (all the hauling of crap), but also way too much fun. I went with my husband Michael (who took all the pictures, hence why there’s no photographic proof of his existence), plus Trystan and Thomas, Michael and Sarah, Katie, Jen, Bridget, and Diana. We spread out with other GBACG folks near the mansion (a little too far from the music – closer next year!) and had a lovely picnic, lots of drinks and conversation, some dancing, and lots of looking at vintage cars. We even got pics in two different cars, and I got to sit in a rumble seat! Squee! REALLY hard to get in and out of, though. But still! A rumble seat!

Of course, I was cranky that for yet a THIRD year I was wearing the same old thing, so I am now all fired up to make something for next year. I may even make it soon, just so I am ready to go, as summer always gets so busy. I even have the pattern and the accent fabric (just need to find main dress fabric); I’d also like to make a real vintage-style slip and bra.

Michael took lots of gorgeous photos — not only can you see how fabulous we all are, but you also get to enjoy the moment early on when Sarah and I realized that we’d had too many drinks too soon (we eased off after that!). The car photos turned out great, especially this one where it looks like we’re actually driving. And I really like the dancing photos, where we’re doing our totally not period swing moves (someday I must learn to foxtrot!). Yay! Afterwards I slept for literally about 10 hours…

EDITED TO ADD: Right, linking to the pictures = a good thing.