Sew What?! - Blog

End of the school year blues...AND A STUDIO!

5/22/2024

Alas! The last week of school is upon me, so I will not get to see my students for the summer, BUT I am excited for my summer camps to begin. This year I will be returning to the Young Actors Theater program as the designer and manager of their three summer shows. I have an excellent team selected, and I can't wait to dive into the shows. I also have the opportunity to train the staff and manage them at another summer camp with Traveling Players.

And throughout this summer I am going to be setting up my wonderful STUDIO!!! For those who do not know, in November my husband and I purchased our first home! Now one of the most amazing features of this home, is that there is a studio in the backyard! I am having so much fun transforming the space into a working haven.

2023 Is Here and Starting Strong!

2/4/2023

2023 is here and starting strong!

I was nominated for Best Costume Design Of A Play Or Musical (Non-Professional) for my work on Macbeth at City of Fairfax Theatre Company! Though I didn't win, I was a runner up!!!! I was so incredibly honored to have been nominated, and even more so to have been a runner up out of the 20 or so nominated designers in my area!

Check it out here: www.broadwayworld.com/washington-dc/article/Winners-Announced-For-The-2022-BroadwayWorld-Washington-DC-Awards-20230127

But the good times haven't stopped yet!!! DC Cosplay Photo Shoots partnered with the Workhouse Arts Center to create a popup gallery displaying works of cosplay in the form of photos, props, and costumes. The gallery will open the weekend of February 3rd and continue until the night February 11th. If you would like more information on the event check out the Facebook page here.

I know I have been a bit behind in photographing costumes that I have created, but just know that this year is going to (hopefully) be the year of intense photography. I hope that I am going to be able to hold to that, due to scheduling, but I really want to have these documented so they can be shared with all of you.

I am so excited to start the year off with all of you!

Gallery Information

Broadway World Regional Awards Results

Something Wicked This Way Comes!

9/10/2022

School is back in session! Classes are abound! This year I am teaching SOOOO MANY CLASSES, I am so incredibly lucky to teach such a wide variety of classes, and have such wonderful students. With my school days so full of fun, cosplaying has been on a little bit of a downswing, but never fear my fabulous friends, I have some fun projects planned that I am slowly working on, but ALSO I have a show that opened on Thursday!

I am so proud of the show I am working on, it was a bit of a shorter timeline than I am used to working, but the show has started off and feels like a huge success on my end. I was approached by City of Fairfax Theatre Company to bring to life the tragic tale of Macbeth! Yes, my friends, a show with epic battles, betrayal, and royalty...and super fun costumes to contruct. For this production I was able to make chest plate armor, bracers, and some lovely gothic inspired costumes. I am so excited that I have photos to share from one of our dress rehearsals. So if you aren't able to come out and see our show, you can still enjoy the aspects of the story captured in the photos. (I have also been assured that there are more photos to come!).

It's been a busy summer followed by a few hectic weeks. I am hoping that everything will start to slow down a smidge so i can unwind with a few new costume ideas. But at least the hectic few weeks have been so incredibly fun! I can't wait to share more with all of you soon!

Click Here For More Info On The Show

Click Here to See Photos

Summer is Back Again!

6/1/2022

It's that time again! Summer is here!I don't know about you but I am excited for a little time off! This year I'm making some big changes, and I hope it leaves me with some more time to sew for myself for fun, and maybe a little less stress. I am hoping over the next couple of weeks to finish a new costume, as well as to try a few new thrifting transformations inspired by some of the Campaign 3 ladies of Critical Role.

I have also found a new photographer friend to help me share my costumes with you all! I am so excited for everything coming up. And for a few costumes that I finally was able to get some photos of, that will be showing up on here sometime soon!

If you haven't had a chance to take a look I have some new costumes and photos to share with you! I have two Swan Princess inspired costumes as well as a new Elsa look and photos of an older Elsa look! Click the images below to see more photos.

It's Summer Time!

6/22/2021

It's summer time! I am so excited that the school year has ended, though I miss my kiddos terribly. With more time at home I am working on some pretty major things: cleaning my sewing room, historically inspired costumes, and new cosplays of course!

But beyond catching up on all of the cosplay productions that I usually do, I am teaching some fun summer camps for students. In these camps I can introduce kids to sewing, and high schoolers to the wonderful world of cosplay. These camps have been going over rather well, and it is so great to be able to interact with these crafters. If you are interested in the summer camps I will be running through Compass, click here.

Not only am I working hard on new costumes, and crafty kids, but I also went to a photo shoot to photograph my Magical Girl Fairy Godmother cosplay! I just can't wait to see how the pictures come out! I have high hopes that I will be able to share these photos with you all very soon!

But of course, that can't be all that I am up to! I also have another show in production: Godspell with Sterling Playmakers, we are still overcoming challenges with the world we now live in, but it is so nice to be back in the swing of theater again. To get more information on this show, click here to be redirected to the site page where you can see some pictures and a synopsis of the production.

I can't wait to share updates with you all very soon!

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Busy and Loving It!

5/7/2021

What a month! I have been slammed with work teaching, and also costuming for a show that is opening on SATURDAY! (5/8/21). I am really tired, but even though I am tired, I feel GREAT! I am crafting once a week with my kiddos, and teaching them new skills to take with them as they grow older. I am directing some new actors and actresses, and writing scripts for them so that they can tell their stories and shine!

Cosplay items have been a little on the slower end of things this month, but I have a historically inspired costume that I am, oh so very close to finishing, and some fabulous new ideas I am beginning to collect the materials for.

To check out my latest production, click here to be redirected to the site page, where you can see some pictures and a synopsis of the production.

If you are interested in checking out the subscription craft club I have made, click the tab "Crafty Kids Club!" you will be redirected to my education based site with all the information.

Crafty Kids Club!

3/9/2021

Well the cold is finally passing! And with winter starting to move on can only mean one thing...MORE PROJECTS! I have been a busy bee...to absolutely no one's surprise. This month I have finalized next quarter's classes that I will be teaching, as well as creating something new and unleashing it upon the world!

I have created a craft subscription box for elementary age kiddos! I just love crafting, and the crafting that I did growing up clearly left an impression on me. I really want the children of this generation to have similar opportunities to craft and grow as a community, just like I got to. With times being what they are, I know that not everyone is comfortable going out into the world just yet. DON'T LET THAT STOP YOUR CREATIVITY! I have partnered with Compass Homeschool Enrichment to bring my fun little crafts to as many people as I can! This is another new adventure, and we are still learning as we go, but I really think that this is something incredible worth doing. Keep your fingers crossed that this fun idea gets enough of a backing to get crafts into as many kids hands as I can. If you are interested in checking out the subscription craft club I have made, check out my education based site with all the information here: https://www.sewwhatlearning.com/crafty-kids-club.html

Curtains About to Rise for My First Production of 2021

2/1/2021

Guys...it's been a while since I could say this...but IT'S NEARLY TIME FOR THE CURTAIN TO RISE! I am proud to have been a part of the team for the virtual performances of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland presented by Sterling Playmakers. This show has been a roller coaster from start to finish to overcome all of the challenges that have been thrown at us due to lockdown and virtual performances. Though a challenge, I think this production is going to be fantastic! Our actors, actresses, and production team have overcome much to be a part of this. So please join us for our virtual performances on February 12th and 19th. For more information please go to https://www.sterlingplaymakers.org/alice-in-wonderland

Are you curious about the process I used to costume a no contact, no budget, virtual production? Join my Patreon at the Costume Design tier or above to see the post exclusively on that topic, as well as other fun posts. Would you like to have input on what I work on next or learn about Cosplay? (https://www.patreon.com/sewwhat). Join me on my creative journey, and see some new concepts before anyone else.

Looking Back at 2020

1/9/2021

I had a nice little break at the end of the year, culminating in finishing my original design Anna costume, adapting the colors from Anna's first coronation gown and the shape and design of Anna's intro gown in Frozen II during the song 'Some Things Never Change". This was a costume I started in March, but I lost steam due to interest in other designs. This costume started out the year 2021 with my first completed costume!!!

Upon reflection of all of the work I completed in 2020, I was really excited about all that I was able to do this year. With the world changing due to a pandemic, unemployment due to quarantine and shut downs, and such uncertainty with aspects in my own life, I am proud that I was able to create so many beautiful things. I know that many people want to move into 2021 and pretend as if 2020 never existed, but not me. I want to look back at 2020 with the knowledge that when things were bad, and looking bleak I was able to take time for myself and create. I plan on looking at 2020 as my year of inspiration and creation. Below I am going to share the photos of the 2020 costumes I created/photographed.

Going back into the swing of work with a few winter workshops (a few of them Cosplay related). I have just been so excited to get back into my new and ever evolving routine of teaching people to create in whatever way that I can.

Would you like to see what I am teaching and WHERE I am teaching check out https://www.sewwhatlearning.com to see what classes are going on!

Would you like to have input on what I work on next or learn about Cosplay or Costume Design? Join my Patreon, to see all of this and more. ( https://www.patreon.com/sewwhat ). Join me on my creative journey, and see some new concepts before anyone else.

Revamping My Etsy Shop and SALES!

12/4/2020

This last month has been interesting. I am really getting the hang of my teaching schedule and have some AMAZING classes and workshops on the horizon. Working all of these out has really taken alot of time and effort, but I am so happy that I did it, I really think the winter workshops I am teaching through Compass are going to be incredible. If you would like to see all of the classes I am teaching and where I am teaching them, check out www.sewwhatlearning.com . I have even begun teaching private sewing lessons and consultations, I have really loved teaching people how to sew and am so happy that I can start doing that again.

As if creating 8 week long workshops, setting up private lessons, and teaching my classes wasn't enough, I decided that I really wanted to revamp my Etsy shop with some new and holiday items. I am putting out more items as I finish them, and it feels really great to make these small items with the intent of selling them. To check out my Etsy shop click the 'Shop!' tab or go to www.sewwhat.shop .

I have not worked as much on cosplays as I would have liked this month, but with everything else going on, I really don't feel bad about that decision to prioritize other things. But that being said, a few weeks ago I met up with two incredible friends to shoot ALL of my Jasmine costumes!!!! I am so excited to see how they turn out, especially since Jasmine and Belle were my favorite princesses growing up. Belle has been getting a bunch of love lately, but it is now time for the Sultana to have her time to shine.

Author

I love to sew: be it reattaching buttons on a coat, sewing a new dress, or even making something beautiful to wear or compete in.

I am 27 years old and a graduate of the University of Texas - Arlington. My base of operations is constantly on the move around the country.

I am looking forward to the adventure that Sew What?! is offering me as an online portfolio.

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