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Sew Susan

I make costumes for community theaters and people I really like. Most of my work is volunteering, but I could be open to commissions between shows.

01/13/2026

After a most successful run of Into the Woods (congratulations again, Imagination Theater - New), I turned my efforts to creating a gown for their next show The Quest for Don Quixote. This is a 17th century gown for Dulcinea, who, fun fact, is played by the same actress as Tree Mom in the last show. I based this gown off of paintings and historical reproduction gowns and I think I nailed it. Might not be perfectly historically accurate, but I just love her.

The bodice fabric and the pom pom trim was found at NOVA Creative Reuse Center in Leesburg, VA. The fabric for the skirts came from IT!’s fabric stash. The chemise is a cotton handkerchief-weight fabric from my stash. I’m popping her in the mail today, California-bound!

11/11/2025

“Shiver and quiver, little tree
Silver and gold throw down on me
I'm off to get my wish!”

Oh my gosh, you guys. This dress. I’ve been dreaming of this gown since the moment Kate and Marc drafted me. Sheis for Imagination Theater - New’s Cinderella, for the upcomig production of “Into the Woods.” While we were in Paris, Kate and I found this amazing silver fabric and this buttery champagne gold satin. I had a lot of ideas, but there is a limit to my skill right now and it took me all this time to figure out what I could do and make it amazing. And in the end, I am so thrilled with this gown.

She has a full-length circle skirt in gold (so twirly) with a sweetheart neckline bodice that was lovely on its own, but not Enough(tm). I draped the silver around the skirt to give it the split front, still draped and lovely (art nouveau, remember?).

That bodice, though. I tried so many things to make it worthy of this role, and eventually, I got that Eureka Moment(tm).

Did you know Cinderella’s mom spirit is a willow tree? Well, we decided she’s a willow. I pass a beautiful willow tree every day while walking my dog and every day I asked her for inspiration. Finally I made willow tree leaves out of silver fabric. They are three times the size of real willow tree leaves, but still proportionate. After lots of playing around and some philosophical discussions with Kate about how we like symmetry, I give you this gorgeous bodice!

As I placed these leaves on my dress form, I used dozens of pins to make the leaves do what I wanted. Then I stitched each point where the pins penetrated the bodice with a single sequin. There are more than 100 sequins hand-stitched to the bodice, keeping those leaves in place. And oh my gosh I love her so much! I can’t wait to see her on our actress.

11/09/2025

Presenting: the Witch’s Fabulous Gown (post-curse), created for Imagination Theater - New’s upcoming production of Into the Woods!

A lot of the fabulousness comes from this incredible crinkled taffeta that looks mostly purple from this side, but as the light catches it, it shifts to green. After the chaos of the ruffled cloak, I wanted something more streamlined. I love this gown pattern because it doesn’t have a bodice and a skirt joined at the waist. It is a long column that is shaped with fisheye darts. The original pattern has the column end at the knees and extends into a pleated flounce. But I wanted more drama, so I extended the column to the floor and added in fabulous godets at the seams. To make them floof out like I want, I stuffed them with tulle and strapped them in with a zigzag of elastic. I think that’ll keep them in line. Add in some accessories and some attitude, and it’s going to be epic!

10/17/2025

Next up is Cinderella! It so happens that my little sister Becky is the same size as this production’s Cinderella, so I took the opportunity of her visit from NC to dress Becky up in two of Cindy’s looks. So convenient!

The first look is the opening look - cute blue blouse, cute corset style medium brown bodice with magical swirl embroidery you’ll see again (spoilers!), a dark brown skirt that I’m leaving unhemmed to let it weather and distress naturally, and a lighter brown subtly-patterned apron that I’ve intentionally distressed with hopes that it naturally distresses some more.

The second look I have ready to share is for act 2 when Cindy escapes the castle to go back into the woods incognito. She’s trying to look like her former poor, neglected self, but the castle has slightly nicer options for her. So her bodice and blouse are the same, but the skirt is nicer (you guys, this fabric Kate and Gwyn found is to DIE for). The contrast between the browns of the bodice and skirt wasn’t enough so I added a swag’d dark brown apron. It’s not done yet, hence all the pins helping keep the “effortlessly” draped look stay in place. It’ll eventually have straps like an apron to tie into a bow in the back.

Costuming for Californians from Virginia comes with certain challenges, so I try to make pieces adjustable by using corset lacing features and strategic elastic. I’m leaving the skirt unfinished enough at the waistline inside that my local seamstress helpers can adjust the elastic as needed. The blue bodice has exposed and generous seam allowances that can be let out a little if needed.

10/13/2025

The very first costume piece I started working on for Imagination Theater - New’s production of Into the Woods was the Witch’s hag cloak. The base of this monster is a black hooded cloak with sleeves. I snipped and ripped and ruffled more than 100 yards of 3” strips to layer all over for this dark and moody camouflage effect.

My inspiration was Broadway Elphaba’s gown. Her gown doesn’t have a hood, so ours is instantly cooler. I ruffled and gathered a ton of tulle for the outside of the hood. The hood is supported with an arc of boning around the front. You’ll also see a clump of tulle at the front that has lines and lines of fishing wire encased. I originally thought that’d be enough to give the hood the lift and structure I wanted, but that was insanely time consuming and not as strong as needed. I’m curious to see how the lights catch the fishing line. The sleeves are shrouded with more tulle tubes, twisted around the base sleeves for a cook effect.

Our gown has lacing in the back for a better fit, adjustable so the actress can account for whatever they wear underneath. It closes with magnets down the front so they can rip it off in a cool quick reveal. It’s crazy heavy, so one might need a stage hand to grab the back of the shoulders to help or something. Grace shall demonstrate in the comments…

10/07/2025

I Wish…

I am well into my next costuming adventure and thought it was high time to share! My favorite older sister and our friend Marc are directing a production of Into the Woods at their Imagination Theater - New in Placerville, CA. You may remember that this same dream team directed Rapunzel two winters ago. And while this Virginia girlie is nowhere near Placerville, I just HAD to be involved with the costumes.

Kate and I started dreaming up designs while we were in Paris earlier this year. She and Marc had a vision to give this production an art nouveau feel, which I knew nothing about, but now I can happily talk your ear off with all sorts of knowledge. It’s dreamy and romantic and will be just gorgeous. I struggled with how to make peasant costumes art nouveau, but as you’ll see, I settled on drawing from elements of typical 1910-1918ish Edwardian fashion. A new era for me!

If you know the show, you’ll know that Into the Woods has something like 17ish characters, most of whom have at least two full looks. Soooo lots to do.

So far I’ve finished the Witch’s hag cloak, the stepsisters’ ball gowns, Cinderella’s peasant looks, her tree-spirit-mom’s willow tree gown, Jack’s mom’s peasant look, and have starts on almost everything else. Time is an issue, but I’ve got a plan!

This is super fun for me. I love having an “in” with two of the hottest directors of our time. ❤️

03/30/2025

As I write this, these incredible middle schoolers are performing their final show of Alice in Wonderland Jr. and i have all the feels. Break a leg, kids! Lots more stories soon.

03/22/2025

This is the third “Victorian teenager” dress I made for Alice in Wonderland. Alice’s big sister has two friends who tease Alice. This particular actress is so tiny and short waisted, I didn’t have a lot of real estate to decorate in Victorian fashion. I ruffled a ton of dark purple lining fabric and tried to recreate a look I’ve seen in historical pictures, but just came out funny and it would have totally overwhelmed her frame. You can see that look in the last two pics below. So I scaled way back and just went for some pintucks on the skirt and sleeves, plus a purple ribbon for the belt and a little bit of the ruffles, turned into one dainty flower. This actress is also the petunia later in the show (remember the scene when Alice is small and the flowers are mean to her and call her a w**d?). So I made sure she got the purple dress and I tried to make the flower petunia-ish.

03/21/2025

One week till opening night of Alice in Wonderland at my kids’ middle school! The first dress rehearsal was a couple days ago and I mostly finished everything in time. It was tight. But oh my gosh, I am in love with all of it!
This yellow dress is for Mathilda, Alice’s big sister. It was Mathilda who annoyed Alice so much that she jumped down a rabbit hole. Sisters, amirite? 😆
This is a Civil War pattern as the base (US Civil War = Victorian in the UK) but I changed it quite a bit to fit the actress. I added fun sleeves and the pleated “Bertha” at the neckline. Lots of pleating for the white hem ruffle. I think it is such a breath of fresh air in the bold yellow, and it looks lovely with the actress’ brown hair.

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Ashburn Farm Pkwy
Ashburn, VA
20147

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 11pm
Tuesday	9am - 11pm
Wednesday	9am - 11pm
Thursday	9am - 11pm
Friday	9am - 11pm
Saturday	10am - 11pm
Sunday	10am - 11pm

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