EMP Part 1 - Pajama Game Design Collaboration with University of Kentucky

My next project is the Extended Major Project (EMP), which is divided into two sections. For part 1 we had a couple of options which we had to apply for, and the one I went for was a collaborative project with the University of Kentucky. It is for a production that they are doing out there of the musical 'The Pajama Game' and we will be making about 8 costumes here, shipping them over and then two of our students will complete them on the actors.

Today I got the chance to speak to the designer, Nelson Fields, over skype about my design that I also got today, which was good to clear up a few questions, hopefully we'll get coloured versions and back views asap.
I don't really like my design as such, not because it's not a great design but because I guess I was hoping for a pretty 50s swing dress. On the plus side, its gonna really add to my portfolio, teach me a lot (its going to be checked fabric!) and just generally be a unique experience so I'm not too down! Also, Nelson has a brilliant design style, both in that its really clear for a maker, yet very characterful and expressive!

For part 2 it is a self initiated project, and when I thought about what was missing from my portfolio and felt I needed to do a female 18th Century costume with some textural work. I had also had discussions with my tutor who suggested I should do something pretty girly and frilly. At the moment this is the design I'm thinking about, although I haven't contacted the designer yet so who knows!

I'm also a bit tempted by this image of Queen Charlotte, but that is something I don't need to totally decide on til the new year so I'm not stressing over it yet.

So that is my news really. My SP costume will be finished thursday so I can get an image uploaded, then in the new year I'll be doing a photoshoot for it!

I promise one day I will do more than just a ‘quick update’ but for now:

I finished my Specialist Practice costume last monday. I say finished, there were bits missing and I didn’t sleep all weekend, but now it is done! I have an updated version of the design and hopefully this week I’ll manage to get a photo of it on the stand.

for your feeds

just so my millions *cough* of readers know, you can now find me at laurahockeycostume.wordpress.com

see y'all there!

EDIT: this is all lies! I am staying at blogspot!

Bad Alice Photoshoot

Just a quick update to with some pictures of the bad alice photoshoot.
Pretty funky though I do say so myself

Catching Up

So I finally have a few minutes before I have to crack on, the pictures I've promised recently!

Firstly I'm not sure if I ever wrote about going to The Invisible Circus' day of the dead event a few weeks back. We had the option of painted faces or masks and I really didn't relish the idea of getting on a bus in Bristol with a painted face so:

Mine is the beauty on the left, based on the work of Sylvia Ji, although nowhere near as good of course!

So next up, the lovely pleated fabric for my SP work:

excuse the brown lines, I was just marking out the edges before I took the plunge and cut them!



And finally, bad Alice is finished!

Excuse the bombsite that is my room right here!

Anyways, with a broken sewing machine I must crack on!

The Alice commision from my last post? This is the line drawing for it, and it needs to be finished by Friday...long week ahead methinks!

Round up of the last couple of weeks

I have been neglecting you little bloggy and for that I am sorry!

So the last week or so I have been mostly doing my SP costume (pictures soon, pleated fabric arrived today!) but there are a couple of other things going down!

I finished my Anne/Elizabeth toile. Its all ready for the fitting and then hopefully I'll be able to find some top fabric to start making it!

I got 'commisioned' to make a bad alice in wonderland outfit for my SP model...in 2 weeks! I've worked out the pattern now I just need to buy the fabric and get that bad boy made!

Today I got to work on a special someone's christmas present :D as well as making another where the wild things are type hat...which is exciting! pictures soon...it needs a little tweaking.

Also today I went and had my negotiated work from last term photographed. Looked great in the house so hopefully the pictures turn out well! And this evening I was in Poole for a performance of Moonfleet which I made a costume for last year. Was pretty unimpressed to see my first professional credit with my name spelt wrong, but on the plus side my costume was on stage the whole time! Very exciting for me! Also a super production, I would totally recommend it!

oh and another thing...

Here is the same dress with the Elizabeth bumroll, although its not fully padded.

Just need to sort out stomachers and I am done!

A weekend's work

This weekend this is what I have been doing:


This is the basics of the Anne costume, I now need to test out the bumroll for Elizabeth and see what happens...wish me luck!

I am working, I swear

Nothing finished, I just really like this photo that I took today

Updated Specialist Practice Design

It's still not quite right, but I think I'm getting there with it

Apparently it looks beige, but the slip and underskirt are meant to be like pastel gold, and the underskirt is a sheer fabric finely knife pleated. I like it, it really suggests femininity in contrast to the tailored jacket.

Where The Wild Things Are

The hat I mentioned yesterday?


I'm pretty pleased with it. I'm probably gonna make another and I'd do that a little differently, for example the ears are just jammed through both layers and hand sewn inside...which doesn't seem great but other than that I like it. I might have to make a pikachu one

Design bits (boo hiss)

So today I mostly made a Where the Wild Things are hat, which made me happy.
I also got on with a bit of finishing up of designs that are scattered everywhere!
First up is my potentially finished design for Specialist Practice (unless bella sends me something quick smarts)Which I kind of love and can't wait to make!
Next up are the tudor designs I did in March/May sometime. I had asked a designer to finish them off for me, but its been a month or two now and I got impatient so I had a bit of a fiddle and finished them

Anne hasn't changed much, I just added a bit of detail to her trim and extended it to go round her sleeves too
But Liz got very beaded!
Anyway, given that I am not a designer I'm pretty happy with them :)

10 minute dress

So between now and the last post I made a dress!
Admittedly it is made out of t-shirts, and there were literally three seams to sew, but I'm impressed!
I got the idea from here, the t-shirts cost me £2 each...£4 for a dress is not bad going...I'm falling in love with refashioning t-shirts I must say.


Sorry for the photo quality, but you get the gist...next time in a more interesting colour!

Black dress as promised

This one has taken me a couple of days and it does still need a couple of bits doing to it, but I figured its done enough to post!
So i basically bought this dress at the oxfam stall at Reading Festival for a tenner. I really liked the front panel, kind of double breasted look and I can never resist a little black dress so I just grabbed it.
Things I didn't love so much? How elasticated it was round the waist, it wasn't flattering it just made me look really oddly shaped; and the shoulder pads...who ever thought shoulder pads were a good idea seriously? It was also really baggy on top and unbelievably fitted on the bottom.

So I (naturally) hacked it apart, literally pulled it into pieces and almost started again. The whole front was one panel so that stayed together, but the rest came apart. I moved the shirred elastic waistband to just the back and used the sleeves to fill in the front panels. I finished it sleeveless.

Onto the pictures

From the front it looked a little like a chef's uniform to me:


But with a bit of tweaking:


I still not sure about the waist band, might just put in a plain panel...but I'll have a think. All I have left to do is attach a couple of snap fasteners and give it a wash!

Also, as promised, my hat.
I was working from this tutorial, it hasn't got the hawk yet because it actually turned out a little small, but for my first every crochet project I'm quite impressed

At the moment this is its current use although I am attempting to stretch it as I type...Fingers crossed!

Red Dress Shortening

Another item from my Sailor boy blag
I have a tendency of falling for lovely vintage long/maxi length dresses. Although I'm a short arse this is actually a good thing: I get awesome vintage dresses, shorten them and then I'm left with a nice offcut of material for the pile to hopefully make matching accessories....
but that is a story for another day, today here is just a quick alteration:


I just loved the pattern sections so much, and I actually I don't own any red dresses and figured I should branch out! I'm not sure it shows but on the front there was a dark stain which I was worried about, but a spin in the washing machine got it out...who doesn't wash stuff before they take it to a charity shop I ask you?


A much more flattering length for me and the dress only cost £5 originally! Love Sailor Boys
I'm currently in the middle of a really odd refashion of an 80s dress...should be done today or tomorrow. And I finally finished my crochet hat! It is a little on the small side but I shall get pictures up with the black dress

From sleepwear to ... everyday wear

I went to sailor boys charity shop a few weeks back and bought a couple of things. I've finally got round to altering the pieces I bought.
I often find it far better to buy things with an interesting design or that are nearly right and alter them instead of searching forever for the perfect thing...or buying from the highstreet
I bought this amazing nightdress/shirt thing that I just fell in love with.

It was a little long and baggy and the sleeves were just the wrong length...came to just above the wrist. there was also a sort of pleat thing from where the neckline had been cut out. I've tried to capture it in the above picture but I don't know if you can see it.


I shortened the shirt and its sleeves, added 2 darts on the back and stitched the pleat down. It looks so much better now, I can either sleep in it or belt it and wear it out :)