DC PR Anniversary Weekend: Tour of Arena Stage Costume Shop

For Pattern Review's anniversary weekend, SewDC arranged for Joe Salasovich, Arena Stage's Costume Director, to give us a tour.  What a treat!  Joe was incredibly generous with his time and vast store of knowledge.  We toured not only the costume shop but the entire backstage area, including the craft shop (where dyeing, millinery, and other non-sewing costume work is done), wardrobe storage, hat storage(!!!), the wardrobing room, the hair salon (who knew?), and the scene shop. 




We started in the costume shop, which is full of beautiful dress forms.  This padded out form was incredible!  Seeing that it is possible to make the form fit any size was inspiring to work with what I have (though my problem is the shoulders are too wide on all commercial dress forms and the bust too large).












 Joe shared their process for making costumes.  They often start with vintage garments as inspiration, many of which come from his personal collection.  They study the garment and carefully examine the design lines as well as the construction techniques.





When a design has been decided upon, everything is muslined and sometimes more than once.  If you look carefully at the muslin on the left you can see the safety pins that were used for fitting.  The final coat is on the right.  (Also notice the gorgeous roll of silk on the lower right!)













Once perfect, patterns are traced onto brown paper and hung on hooks for future use and reference.














Here's a panoramic view of the costume shop.  They have a mix of industrial and home machines.  Obscured by the table in the right is the Merrow industrial serger.  Gorgeous!  The boxes are for storage of notions, trims, decorations, and other miscellany like handkerchiefs.

The irons are industrial steam presses, and they use ironing tables rather than ironing boards, with hams and sleeve boards for shaping.  I was quite jealous of the ironing table.



I was amused by the "Hey Girl" memes on one of the cutting tables.  They love Ryan Gosling at Arena Stage...













One of the questions we had for Joe was whether the clothes were made to look good from the stage or up close.  He told us that all the clothes were movie ready.  When we passed this jacket hanging in the hallway, I knew he was telling the truth.  That level of plaid matching blows my mind.






















The shop encourages creative solutions.  When they wanted to create sort of rough and worn looking garments with a print, they used rusty nails to imprint a pattern onto the hem of a dress.  Genius!




I would have loved to have spent a couple hours in the hat storage room with a mirror!  There were shelves and shelves of hats arranged by color.  They do some of their millinery in-house; I was drooling at their hat blocks and head forms.






Arena is celebrating Italian Culture this year and when we visited was in the process of setting up an exhibit of Italian couture (these enticing shipping crates were in the freight elevator).










It was a wonderful tour.  Inevitably for someone who sews, I worked in the costume shop at my college.  It was actually a great shop and the theater program at my tiny college is surprisingly professional, but this was definitely a whole new level.  Thanks so much to SewDC for organizing and Joe for the tour and the group photo!

All photos are here.

DC Area Meetup and Fabric Swap Confessional

On Saturday, Nikki acted once again as our fearless leader and organized a DC area sewing meetup!  I love these events.  It's great to be able to bring projects you're working on and get opinions, to chat about sewing, and to find new homes for fabric and patterns that need to get out of stash.










We had an awesome turnout, and took over the whole front section of the restaurant (it was empty so they didn't mind).


















The front section was convenient because there is a long bench with a ledge behind it that we used for spreading out our swapping goodies.  And there were some goodies!  One woman's excess stash is definitely another woman's treasure.















I once again failed miserably in reducing my stash by bringing swap fabrics to the meetup.  But come on, how could I resist any of these?

I wore a new dress (you can see a sneak peek in the second photo) and had a great photo shoot.  More to come on that...

All photos of the meetup are here.

A Visit to the Cherry Blossoms

I will apologize in advance for having no sewing nexus here!  The weather turned unexpectedly hot and I didn't have anything new to wear to the cherry blossoms this year.  I didn't have a photographer with me, either, and the photo I asked a stranger to take barely shows the dress I was wearing (my Burda 06-2008-108 shirtdress with a cherry blossom-evocative print).



Even without a new dress, I wouldn't miss the cherry blossoms!

I visited after work on Monday, and got there just about sunset.  I loved this venerable old tree.







We had an unusually cold Spring, so the blossoms--which were originally forecast for peak bloom on March 25, because of our mild winter--were still not quite there when I visited on Monday.




I shared my blossom experience from people all over the world, everyone drinking them in and trying to get the best shots.  This one was a first for me:  a pet photo shoot.  This impeccably-groomed dog  was having none of sitting on the black-covered pedestal and posing decoratively under the blossoms.  None of it.  I do not know if the second dog in the picture was waiting his turn, or just a bystander.







Every year I'm surprised that this dead tree has survived a culling.  Its bare branches do make for a wonderful photo op, though.  Here I waited for the duck to paddle to just the right spot before snapping the photo.





The Washington Monument is getting covered in scaffolding to finally repair the damage from our Great DC Earthquake of 2011 (I use this ironically--I grew up in Southern California and while it was certainly strong enough to feel, it was not a big earthquake).  The scaffolding has its own charm.











There is nothing more picturesque than blossoms and water!














A kind stranger took my photo.  The lighting was bad, but the flash version of the photo was terrifying. Luckily, I was not the star of this show.









As the sun went down I headed home.  Can't wait for next year's!

All photos are here.

Silk Exhibit and Silk Confession

The Meridian International Center, across from Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park on 16th St. NW, is having an exhibit on silk from China through April 14.  The exhibit is free to visit.  I never even knew this place existed but it is a really lovely space--almost on a par with the Hillwood mansion (and, bonus, a 15 minute walk from my house).  Nikki found out about it and we visited after the DC meetup.












The dress above is made of hand-painted fabric.  The perfect detail is pretty breathtaking.  I can barely draw stick figures.  I like the cuffs that are part of the ensemble.  They are an interesting, avant garde touch and yet somehow don't scream "trying too hard."










The exhibit starts with folk art displays on the silk-making process.  This paper cutout--part of a set of four--kind of blew my mind.  There are also some brightly-colored folk art pieces, which are sort of in a naive style but have a sophisticated grasp of color.  I adored the blue-green piece.








Then come the silk samples.  There are reproductions of pieces that show Chinese silk-making techniques over millenia.   Nikki and I could not decide whether this reproduction embroidery had been done by hand or machine.  It is in a split stitch, and the stitches are so perfectly precise and even it seems impossible that a human could accomplish it!










The depth on this silk tapestry is astounding.  The tiny, perfect length fibers!  The shading and coloration!



The last room displays several evening gowns of the "more is more" school of design.  There was a lot to look at on each piece.

There is also a can't-miss video playing on a loop in this room.  It's worth watching the whole thing.



Nikki and I were mesmerized by this heavily embroidered Pop-Art-Meets-Tradition gown.  The pieces of the dress had been embroidered individually and then assembled, which I thought was curious.  We decided this means it was probably machine embroidered, as a machine would need flat pieces to work with.

I was so pleased that Nikki had found out about this exhibit.  What a gem.  And I couldn't believe it was free!  The docent was incredibly kind.  She seemed very excited to have us there and made sure we knew about the upcoming Festival des Artistes, which will be held this weekend at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.   The Festival will feature artists from China, Iraq, Israel, Peru, Brazil, the Gambia, and many other countries around the world.  So if you don't have weekend plans yet...

All photos are here.

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A while back BadMomGoodMom mentioned finding some silks at her local jobber for $2.99/yd.  It was so entirely tempting that I asked her if she'd be willing to get some for me.  She was kind enough to oblige and found these three beautiful pieces for me.  The two on the left are ombres.  The print on the right is so Downton Abbey, right?  Though I don't normally go for pale colors, I just love it.  I think Burda 03-2013-113 may be just the ticket.  It's evocative of a vintage look without being costumey.  I am normally highly skeptical of a dropped waist, but this one doesn't look like it would be too tummy-terrible.



Fabric Mart, you are my downfall!  For the turquoise cotton damask, I think I will finally tackle Vogue 8576 (now out of print).  I really like the style but it has a thousand pattern pieces so I've been putting it off.

The wool might become formal shorts.  Is this crazy?  I mean, the idea of me in shorts is crazy anyway, but wool seems to defeat the purpose of shorts.  But I like the look of this wool, with a slight hint of sparkle, for dressy shorts.

You've already seen the silver damask.  You can see that I again used the "wrong" side of the fabric, as with my Oscar de la Renta knockoff (which was also a Maggy London fabric).

The last piece is what prompted the order.  I need to make a rule against ordering anything online after 10 pm.  For some reason, this gold pleated knit grabbed me and wouldn't let go.  I don't know.  The boyfriend will LOVE it in a body-conscious summer date night dress, and the pleats will feel a bit camouflaging of the belly.  Whether I actually have the guts to wear a body-conscious dress made out of this stuff is a whole other question.  Though it is a knit, it has very little stretch because of the gold metallic coating (which I will wear on the inside, using the lighter non-metallic gold as the right side).  The pleats came out of a prewash completely intact, which was a pleasant surprise.

DC Area Sewing Meetup: Wish You Were Here!

It is so fun to talk about sewing in real life!

It had been a while since we last had a DC-area sewing meetup, so Nikki took the initiative to organize through the message board at Pattern Review (for some reason it literally did not occur to me to announce it on my blog until I left the house and was biking toward the restaurant).  We met at the Vapiano in Chinatown, which is convenient to all five metro lines.  It turned out to be a great place for a meetup.  Everyone orders their food separately at the counter, but the dining experience is not fast food.  We were able to take over a big corner of the restaurant with plenty of space to chat and to swap for a couple of hours.














People came from near and far--I think Baltimore was our furthest trekker. I think I was closest. The restaurant is only a little over a mile from my house (lucky me!).

Everyone was decked out in their fanciest sewn duds.














We circulated around getting to know one another and reconnecting, talking through sewing puzzles.
















DD brought a recent project, the Vogue 8881 high-low hem tee.  Everyone had fun admiring her excellent coverstitched hem, and we all agreed that we now want this pattern.














First things first, we had to eat.  You can see how much we enjoyed the food here.































Once we had our sustenance, it was time to get to swapping.  We collectively brought a truly huge volume of fabric and patterns.  Everyone went home happy (especially those of us who managed to get rid of slightly more than we took...very slightly).







In addition to fabric and patterns, a few people brought sewing books.  Sewandwrite graciously arranged to take our excess home to donate to an organization.  She braved the meetup despite a recent ankle injury.

I apologize, I don't know everyone's PR/Internet name.  Please let me know if you want to be tagged!

All photos are here.



Here's what followed me home.  The cotton knit is a Marcy Tilton, and it just happens to have "grayed jade," one of this year's Pantone colors, in it.  Next is a wonderfully soft cotton print in coral.  I am hoping to eke out Butterick 5490.  The wool herringbone was forced upon me by Nikki, who pointed out that I couldn't possibly resist a wonderful work-appropriate fabric for a skirt.  And finally, the rayon burnout was just too fun to leave behind.  Clio has recently been contemplating the possibilities of sheer, and, well, I'm copying her.

ScrapDC: (Re)Fashion for a Song

I read in the paper about a new local non-profit thrift store with a unique focus:  it's a thrift store exclusively for craft supplies.  Well, I had to check this out for myself!  I am totally spoiled because it's a 10 minute walk from my house.  By metro, it's accessible from the New York Ave. metro stop on the Red line.  I live at Shaw/Howard U on the Green line and found the walk easy and safe.

ScrapDC was sparked by the original Scrap in Portland.  Co-Directors Karen and Heather were so inspired that they had to bring the concept to DC!  That's Heather at left, playing in...I mean organizing...the pretty paper collection.  The organization is 100% volunteer run.














As you approach the store--a ground level unit in an artists' building--you are greeted by a colorful bulletin board.










The door opens to reveal the RE-Boutique in front of you, where local artists have gorgeous pieces for sale (at great prices).  I love the detail on this wool felt and bead necklace--definitely a statement piece!











As you turn to one side and then the other, you are amazed at how much can be available for your browsing pleasure in such a small space.  To the left are beads and patterns (25 cents!!!), with an ingenious yarn caddy over in the corner.












When you turn the other direction, there is so much to see I can't list it all!  Pretty papers, paint, clay, not to mention fellow crafters!  So much inspiration.













And oh, did I mention fabric?  This isn't even all of it, there's more opposite this wall.  There is bad news/good news for us fabric stashers.  The bad news is that Scrap has had so much fabric donated that they're not accepting any more.  The good news is that they have a ton of fabric and it's all $1.50/yd!  There are some fun, funky, vintagey pieces, as well as some standard sewing fabric.  I was looking for a nice cotton to muslin a woven pullover top I am adapting from a Burda pattern to be a TNT, and found the perfect piece.




If you're not a fabric stasher, (1) well, bless your heart, and (2) how about vintage notions?  Can you resist those?  Check out these metal teeth zipper!  And read it and weep on my vintage notion haul:  adorable navy microdot bias tape and TWO vintage belt kits.  I felt too guilty to completely clean out all the awesome stuff, so there's plenty left.  Notions are 50 cents each.  Seriously.  There is also a big box of laces and trims.






You don't even need to actually craft to take advantage of Scrap.   Making up goodie bags for a birthday party or shower?  Be green *and* economical by raiding their huge selection of gift bags.  Throw in some of the fun vintage stationery for good measure.

And speaking of parties, are you planning a kids' birthday party in the DC area anytime soon?  Because Scrap will do parties!  At the bargain price of $120 for 8 kids and 4 adults ($10/person!) they will provide all the supplies for a craft the kids will love and you won't have to clean up after.  In Heather's words, "We want them to be a fun celebration that engages the creativity of the kids (or adults). We'll make a festive atmosphere with decorations (reused of course) and each party will select a project to work on. Then we'll make an organized, or not so organized, mess with the materials and just enjoy!"


Heather was kind enough to do an interview with me.  Here's what she has to say!

If money, time, and space were no impediment, what would your vision be for Scrap within the community?

"This could fill pages...but in a nutshell...I see SCRAP as an organization that encourages a culture of reuse and creativity. Physically, this involves a huge warehouse that:
- serves as a space to drop off/pick up awesome materials
- serves as a gallery and boutique space to support local artists
- serves as a workshop/class/party location for anyone who wants to play and learn"


I recall that you have a day job. Can you describe how you fit everything in?

"My co-director is awesome and does a lot of the more immediate things that I can't take action on to right away. We also have a handful of committed volunteers who take responsibility for running store hours or working on outside projects. So really, the team of people surrounding SCRAP is what makes it happen."

What is your favorite craft or craft supply? Has that evolved as you've gotten deeper into reuse through Scrap?

"I like making functional things...bags, stationary, journals etc. I generally find myself inspired by a material--cool fabric or textured paper--that I decide I need to take home and make something out of. Feeling inspired by the raw materials is what made me fall in love with creative reuse in the first place and it's still a big part of what I love about it today!"



Here's a sneak peek of my ScrapDC project.  The fabric and bias tape for the top are both from Scrap.  The fabric was $1.50 and the bias tape was $0.50--a $2 top!

All photos from Scrap are here.

ScrapDC is located at 52 O Street NW.  It's open every Thursday from noon to 8 pm, the first Friday of each month from 6 to 9 pm (April 5 is the next one), and the third Saturday of each month from 10 am to 1 pm.  Which means it's open this Saturday!  Check the calendar for special events.

When I visited on the third Saturday last month the store was hopping.  Everyone was so inspired and there was lots of brainstorming about challenging and unusual projects.  DC is a career-focused and somewhat serious town, and it's easy to forget that it has an art scene at all.  My visit was a great reminder that there is definitely more to DC than 9 to 5.

For those of you not in the DC area, check out this list of Creative Reuse Centers in the US and share what you discover!