Sew Susan

02/05/2025

This is a finished (yay!) bodice for a flamingo in Wonderland. It started off as a mock-up for the Queen of Hearts’ bodice and it was looking pretty good, so we decided to use it for the flamingo. After fitting the Queen, I tried it on the flamingo actress and it fit her nicely too. I finished binding it and installed grommets today.

02/02/2025

I got to try the mock-ups for the White Rabbit’s military-inspired white twill coat on the actress last week and I am now working on the final jacket. Sewing is almost done, but now it needs trim! I also have cuffs and pocket flaps that I thought I’d trim before attaching. I have lots of gold trims to work with. This is going to be very cool

01/23/2025

Alice in Wonderland costuming continues. I’ve been able to try some mock-ups on the actresses and I’m on a good trajectory. Snow days aren’t helping, but I’m still plenty busy. I made this purple polka dot jacket out of an old curtain I picked up somewhere and it turned out so gorgeous. It was only meant to be a mock-up, but I finished it 95% of the way and it’s so fabulous.
I’m also 75% done with The Queen’s first lewk. While Alice is falling down the rabbit hole, the cast (including Her Magesty) sing a song and the costume director wanted a slightly different, lesser lewk prior to the fabulousness of the full ball gown. So she gets a ruffled bolero and fluffy tulle bustle skirt with the final bodice over pantaloons someone else is making.
Also, super excited to try on the White Rabbit’s mock-up later this week. It doesn’t look like much, but it’ll be gorge.

01/17/2025

Rough mock-ups for the Queen of Hearts. Which is your favorite?

01/03/2025

Updated Pink Queen (a hot pink mock-up for the are Queen of Hearts). Added boning and pinned on halter straps that came from another pattern. I’m trying to give more support and modestly to the strapless bodice for the sake of the middle schooler wearing it. Plus the halter will be hande touchpoints for the Elizabethan collar I’m going to add. Bonus: I think it look really rad!

12/29/2024

Apparently neither my mom or my little sister knew I was officially costuming for Alice in Wonderland, so here’s me to say I definitely am! I’m working with two other awesome costume designers and we have some super fun things going on. I started sewing in earnest this week. The purple vest is for the Dodo Bird, the hot pink bodice is just one layer of the mock-up for the Queen of Hearts (I modified a pattern a bit and had to make sure it still worked), and the rose sleeve is for the Queen too.

12/19/2024

Winter break — let’s do this!
This is my mood board for the Queen of Hearts. It’s going to be quite extra.

12/09/2024

I spy a bunch of adorable elves!

12/08/2024

Okay, Ashlyn is my favorite. I’m so glad she likes her costume!

11/25/2024

Yay! Here are some pictures of the IT! cast of Miracle on 34th St starring my elf costumes 😆
Seriously, love this theater!

11/22/2024

I have my Wicked tickets for tomorrow! I cannot wait! I really enjoyed this interview with the costume designer Paul Tazewell.

Go behind the scenes with ‘Wicked’ costume designer Paul Tazewell as he breaks down the stunning dresses worn by Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as...

11/22/2024

Everyone keep calm! I get to make the Queen of Hearts costume!!!
OFF WITH HER HEAD! ...but make it fashion

11/18/2024

I am done! The last of the costumes I am making for Miracle on 34th Street are in the mail! It is a box of hats that are not too small like my batch last week were.
Bonus pic of my daughter trolling me in Joanns with a tiny hat ornament. “Look Mom, it’s your first batch of hats!”

11/16/2024

It has become a tradition for the kids and I to go to the Alamo Drafthouse DC Area for the annual Elf movie party. Always the best time, and a fantastic way to kick off the holiday season!

I made the kids’ costumes a few years ago and they still love wearing them. I would like to make Dean a new Buddy jacket now that I know a lot more about jacket construction, and I want to make Grace a new Jovie now that I’ve settled on a different pattern for the set I’m currently making for the stage. Hers is a little out of proportion I think 🤷‍♀️ But we are our own worst critic and they still love them. I hope they never grow up to the point of not wanting to have fun like this. Stay young at heart, please! ❤️

11/15/2024

So, SewSusan, how are the hats coming along? I’m glad you asked. …sigh
I made a bunch of them, completing one step for all of them at a time. All cut out, all got little loops for bobby pins, all got interfaced, the brim got facings attached, and when I finally got the first one over the finish line by sewing up the back seam…it was WAY to small (red hat below).
I have theories about what happened, but we have no time to dwell on it. Last night I went through the stages of grief including looking on Amazon for cheap Santa hats that wouldn’t match in color or texture and deciding that my dresses deserve better. So I started over again this morning. And this time I made just one all the way through (green below). It’s maybe a little big, but that’s fixable.
Bonus pic of me in quite a state last night making a tinfoil hat, trying to analyze why heads are so weirdly shaped.

11/13/2024

Today I am working on the last of the elf hats for the elves of Miriacle on 34th Street at Imagination Theater! opening soon. My phone must be listening because it decided to show me this image of my boy in the Buddy costume I made him a couple years ago.