Appliquéing fabrics is going to be easier this winter when I pick up my new sewing machine with lots of stitches!

Crystal Buckles from Swarovski are in and fun. I used a 2” square one on a Billy Idol “Rebel Yell” jazz skirt in pewter, eggplant, black and silver hologram colors.  

Custom dyeing has become part of my repertoire of tricks. I have included a variegated red-orange-yellow underskirt for an ice dancer, black tipped petals for Swan Lake, and pink edged underskirts for a “Walze of the Flowers” costume.

Fabulous Fabrics are available this year. I have a very feminine diamond puff mesh in turquoise, lavender and coral with coordinating fabrics. Some great new gold lycras in Shattered glass (hologram), Mystique and Bronze Tye-dye Mist are now available from Action Fabrics & Trim. Action Fabrics has some gorgeous and different jacquards. Key Lime Ombre, Georgia Burnout Velvet, a Japanese style Blue Jacquard and other fabrics too numerous to mention are now available from Your Designs.

Insets galore are in this year: in the bodice of dresses, down the side of jazz pants, and in the midriff of dance leotards and Arabian style skating costumes.

Matching costumes for Build-a-Bear or Sassy Cat have made some of my projects really fun.  I make a small facsimile of your costume for your creature to its measurements.  The cost for this is generally $25.

Recent Projects have included a costume for “Dance of the Wild Fairies” with a custom set of wings subcontracted to TuTu.com. I also completed a costume for “Walze of the Flowers” including a ballet style lace-up-look bodice, shear shoulders and creamy mesh sleeves with a green glissenette petal overlay over two skirts edged with pink dye and decorative thread trim.  I have done a modern interpretation of an Egyptian Blue/gold dress for an adult skater and a little girl purple/zebra print dress for “Move it Move it” from Madagascar. I did a gold and white costume for “All That Jazz”and a gold lace over gold hologram for “Putting on the Ritz”. Oh yes: Malaguena and Carmen challenged my Spanish and Italian sensitivities along with a Flamenco dress for a tiny FL skater. One of my favorites for color: Calypso in a dance leotard and pull on skirt, and a fun Renaissance style dress for Chronicles of Narnia.

Email me about your project!