The Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild Presents:
Costume Academy 2012
Sunday, March 4th, 2012 - 10:00am-5:00pm
ASUC MLK Student Union, 2475 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA
Class Schedule
Session 1: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
A) No Pictures, Please!
Instructors: Ariyana Kylstram
We all want to look fabulous in our costumes. We made them to LOOK GOOD! Yet every picture of you comes out wrong somehow. There’s a tree growing out of your head, your smile is too big, you have 3 chins, and there is a horrible wrinkle in your dress. UGH! This only gets better with practice, so let’s practice. We’ll start with a very brief slideshow highlighting common problems and solutions, and then spend time finding your best angle with the help of a digital camera. All photos taken in class will be deleted to protect the innocent!
Kit fee is $10, payable to the instructor in class. The kit will include a sample CD/DVD of photos with tips and a handout.
B) The Cocky Cockade: Rosettes for 18th C. Hat and Hair -- CLASS FULL
Instructor: Jennifer Erlichman
Is your tricorn looking tired? Does your hedgehog hair need some help? Add color and style to your Rococo attire with rosettes! Rosettes or cockades were worn in the 18th both as a fashion accessory, and to convey political alliances. Worn on hats, hair, clothing, and shoes, they add a beautiful pop of color and authentic flair to any historical outfit. Learn to choose and pleat your ribbon to get the look at size you want, and how to attach them to shoes, clothes, hats, and hair. Students should bring a basic sewing kit with a variety of thread, needles, scissors and a thimble. You may also wish to bring any ribbons, buttons, or décor you would like to incorporate.
Kit Fee is $10.00, , payable to the instructor in class. The kit will include 3 types of ribbons, a button, and a jaw clip, plus detailed instructions. Additional items will be available for purchase in class.
C) Fitting Techniques
Instructor: Diana Habra
Have you ever made up a pattern that is supposed to fit you, only to find it doesn't? Have you mocked up a pattern using your measurements but found that it still needs 'tweaking'? Then this is the class for you! We will discuss how to make your patterns fit better and demonstrate how to correct a pattern that isn't fitting correctly (Including taking it on or letting it out). Bring a pattern mock-up that is giving you trouble and I will help you make it fit better. This class can be taken alone, or with Pattern Alteration.
D) Easy Lunardi Hats
Instructor: Catherine Scholar
Stressed by straw? Bothered with buckram? Make an easy and stylish Lunardi hat, suitable from 1780-1820 without any special millinery skills. Lunardi hats combine a wide straw brim with a puffed fabric crown. We’ll each construct a hat and discuss trimming ideas. Students should bring a zig-zag sewing machine (plus power cord), 1 yard silk taffeta, thread to match, scissors, wire cutters, pins, hand-sewing needles, thimble and ruler.
Kit Fee is $25.00, payable to the instructor in class. The kit will include a straw hat base, wire, netting or organza and a handout.
E) Overview of Bustle Era Women's Fashion
Instructor: Thena MacArthur
A combination slide show, discussion and antique examples of women's clothing from the 1870s and 1880s. Take photographs and look up close at rare examples of bustle gowns, hats, and any accessories we can get our hands on. An ideal opportunity to examine actual garments, both inside and out. The emphasis will be on designing authentic clothing through costume construction, accessories, and detail. Resources for those with free flowing cash and those on a budget. Bring a usb flash drive if you would like to take home a copy of the slide show.
Lunch: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Session 2: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
A) Hems That Make You Go Hmmmm!
Instructor: Carol Wood
One of the most difficult tasks in finishing a skirt is giving it a proper hem. In this class, the instructor will demonstrate how to accurately measure for and mark hems on various types of skirts including those with hem designs and vast underpinnings. Students are welcome to bring in their unhemmed skirts as examples for the lass (must be worn with underpinning and shoes for accurate results.) A handout with rules of thumb and handy reminders will be provided.
B) An Elegant Feather Headdress for the Titanic Era -- CLASS FULL
Instructor: Lynn McMasters
What will you be wearing on your head as you dance the night away while the Titanic sinks? What could possible top those beautiful beaded gowns? Feathers of course. Learn how to attach feathers to a band securely and so that your can control the angle. Good news this style of feather headdress can be worn as evening headwear for other periods such as Directoire, Regency, and 20s.
Kit fee is $4.00, payable to the instructor in class. The kit will include handouts, samples, wire, glues and florists tape. A detailed list of required materials will be sent once registration is complete.
C) Pattern Alteration
Instructor: Diana Habra
Patterns are often made using specific measurements, but they don't address things like shoulder slope, being short or long-waisted, adjusting seam lines or using a base pattern to create a different look. This class will help you adjust standard patterns to your needs and fit. This class coordinates with Fitting Techniques.
D) Millinery 101: Create a Buckram Base
Instructor: Katie Vardijan
Most fascinators begin with a wired buckram base. Learn how to create a round or teardrop shaped buckram base that can then be covered with your fashion fabric and all of your fabulous trimmings. In the first part of the class we’ll talk about supplies and techniques. The second half of class will be hands-on: we will take a pre-blocked piece of buckram, cut it to shape, apply milliners wire and bias tape to get it ready for your fashion fabric. Lots of samples will be shown. This is an excellent beginner class for those who want to learn how to work with buckram. Students should bring scissors for cutting buckram, hand sewing needles, polyester or poly/cotton blend all purpose thread in neutral colors, thimble and wire cutters if you have them. (There will be wire cutters available to share in class.)
Kit fee is $6.00, payable to the instructor in class. The kit will include pre-blocked buckram, millinery wire, wire joiner, bias tape and handout.
E) DIY Deco Style 1920's-1930's
Instructor: Angela Grimes
Are you gripped by a desire to Gatsby? Puzzled by styles for the Preservation Ball? Come check out an overview from fashion periodicals and images that provide the modern Deco Belle with styling ideas to make your Deco ensembles as period looking as possible and yet fit your own personality and sewing skills.
Handout fee is $5.00, payable to the instructor in class.
Break: 2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Session 3: 2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
A) Fine Feathers Make Fine Birds: Curling Ostrich Plumes
Instructor: Catherine Scholar
Learn the basics of turning feathers into plumes. We’ll go over steaming, shaping, curling the shaft and barbs with a knife, and combining multiple feathers into one glorious plume. Students should bring craft scissors, heavy white thread, needle and thread snips.
Kit fee is $7.00, payable to the instructor in class. The kit includes feather, plastic knife and a handout.
B) Paul Poirot Teens Turban
Instructor: Lynn McMasters
The class will make a turban a la 1912 over a felt hat using hand sewing and draping techniques. The feather part of the turban should be created in the Feathered Evening Headdress class in previous period.
Kit fee is $4.00, payable to the instructor in class. The kit will include handouts, a pattern for each student, fabric markers, sized poly hat blocks for stretching crowns. A detailed list of required materials will be sent once registration is complete.
C) EL (electroluminescent) Wire Bracelet
Instructor: Sahrye Cohen and Hal Rodriguez
In this class each student will make a light-up bracelet from a kit provided by the instructors. Students will learn how to attach EL wire to fabric, solder EL wire connections and build a circuit using inverters, batteries and wires. These skills are transferable to larger projects. Student should bring a basic sewing kit and a soldering iron if they have one.
Kit fee is $14.00, payable to the instructors in class. The kit includes electroluminescent wire, batteries, and holder, driver, and basic materials for project construction.
D) Creating Ribbon Flowers
Instructor: Katie Vardijan
Ribbon flowers can be used to decorate many, many costume pieces from hats to shoes to purses. Learn how to make basic three dimensional ribbon flowers and add a little floral punch to your costume collection. We will start with a demo and a discussion of materials. The rest of class will be spent creating 2 different types of ribbon flowers and one set of leaves. Students should bring a basic hand sewing kit, and wire cutters. (There will be wire cutters available to share in class.)
Kit fee is $5.00, payable to the instructor in class. Includes ribbons for leaves and flowers, stamens, use of finishing supplies and handout.
E) Late 18th C. Skirt Supports: Bums and Rumps
Instructor: Kendra Van Cleave
As side hoops went out of style, ladies in the late 18th century began to wear pads called ‘bums’ or ‘rumps. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of existing evidence about what these pads were actually shaped like! This class will examine what evidence exists, and demonstrate what different possible shapes look like when worn on different body types. Prototypes will be available to view/try on in class; bring and 18th C petticoat if you’d like to experiment!
Handout fee is $1.00, payable to the instructor in class.
Back to
GBACG Home
Back to
C.A. Home