The Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild Presents:
Costume Academy 2021
Sunday, March 21st, 2021 - 9:30am-5:00pm
The Internet
Class Schedule
Check-In: 9:30 am - 9:45 am
Session 1: 10:00 am - 11:30 am
A) Of Pressing Importance (class is full)
Instructor: Catherine Scholar
Sewing is only half the story! Pressing and sewing go hand-in-hand. In this demonstration and lecture aimed at beginner and intermediate costumers, learn how to use your iron and other pressing tools to take your projects from “loving hands at home” to garments you can be proud of.
Student Provides: Note taking materials.
B) Proper Measurements for a Proper Fit
Instructor: Liz Martin
Starting with the correct measurement is essential for a good fit. Liz will demonstrate proper measurement taking techniques. Students will need to enlist another person to help take measurements. You will leave the class with a full personal measurement sheet which you can use for your own pattern drafting or when selecting patterns. Limited to 12 students.
Student Provides: 60/120” measuring tape, a piece of non-stretchy ribbon to tie about your waist, pen/pencil. Please wear close fitting attire for accurate measurements. Printer to print out PDF form.
Teacher Provides: A PDF copy of the measurement chart via email.
C) Fiberoptic Fairy Wings (class is full)
Instructor: Sahrye Cohen
Make a set of glowing fairy wings. In this class you will use a simple LED controller, LED strips, and fiberoptics to make battery powered light up wings. We will discuss different kinds of lighting and power for costumes. Limited to 12 students.
Student Provides: Glue gun and glue sticks, scissors.
Kit Fee $28.00 (shipping included): The kit includes wings, electronics, batteries, artificial flowers, fiberoptic strands.
D) Flip Out!: Achieving the Queen’s Gambit Look
Instructors: Jess Hutchison
Attending the Queen’s Gambit picnic but intimidated by midcentury hair? Learn the basics of late 1950s to mid 1960s hairstyles including curling and teasing methods, essential styling tools and products, and how to protect the finished set. Will include a demonstration of the iconic flipped hairdo from start to finish, as well as an explanation of how to use longer hair to achieve a dramatic but simple updo. Jess will also show vintage examples of hairstyles from magazines, casual snapshots, and film. She will also do a quick makeup demo to help complete your look!
Student Provides: Students can just watch if they prefer, or they can have their own hot rollers, brushes, setting lotion, bobby pins, flat pincurl pins, and hairspray on hand to follow along with the demo.Lunch: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Session 2: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
A) Rotating Darts (class is full)
Instructor: Catherine Scholar
Does it ever feel like you have to re-invent the wheel with every pattern you make? It's time to learn how to make one basic bodice pattern work for nearly every style! In this class we'll learn the basics of dart manipulation, changing up our small-scale base pattern into three new darted patterns and a princess seam pattern. Limited to 12 students.
Student Provides: Clear ruler, pencil, paper scissors, scotch tape.
Teacher Provides: Digital pattern for student to print at home
B) Vintage Clothing Care
Instructor: Ashley Elieff
Learn some tips and tricks to care for vintage clothing and accessories, mending, storage, and cleaning.
Student Provides: Questions about their vintage pieces or how to care for items, etc.
Teacher Provides: Resource list and information handout.
C) Three Plume Ostrich Hairpin or Hatpin (2 sessions) (class is full)
Instructor: Lynn McMasters
Large Ostrich feathers make lovely period hairstyle or hat decorations for 18th to 20th C. in class we will make one with three plumes. In order to do this the students will learn how to: 1) sew (6-9) ostrich feathers together to make three plumes, 2) shape and curl the plumes, 3) shape a metal cone and attach it to either a long drilled twisted hairpin or a long hatpin.
Student Provides:1) Bacon’s fabric tack glue.
2)Wire cutters, kitchen shears, craft scissors (or rotary cutter and matt).
3) Round nose pliers,
4) 7mm silk embroidery ribbon to match your feathers stems or 1/4” satin ribbon.
5) Heavy thread (button and carpet) to color match your feathers stems.
6) A darning needle.
7) Three sewing clips or alligator clips.
8) 6 to 9 ostrich feathers. I suggest that you get body feathers (drabs) and not wing feathers. You can choose anything from 12-20”. If you order them a little longer that you want you can shorten them from the base before we start putting them together. They need to match up in three sets of similar shaped-width feathers. You can have all your sets be the same length or staggered. If your feathers are fluffy and perfect you only need two per set but if they are thinner and maybe have some mite damage than three per set is recommended.
9) Optional, curling iron: a large bore for soft rolled edge or small bore (down to 1/2”) for tight curls.
Kit Fee is $7 +shipping. Includes: Fine gold colored wire, heavier 20 gauge wire, metal filigree piece, heavy gauge brass hatpin and clutch or twisted drilled brass hairpin.
D) The Housewife (Hussif) and How to Make One
Instructor: Jennifer Serr
Learn to make a traditional sewing roll-up to organize your tools. Historically called a Housewife or Hussif, this tool caddy, will roll up easily for travel or to keep your supplies organized in a lovely, easy to stash container.
Jennifer will guide you through the process of making your very own housewife, using materials you have purchased or even, that you may have on hand already. In addition to assembly, you will also learn different ways to make your Hussif appropriate to a certain era, by use of specific textiles and/or embellishments. 1700’s - present day.
Students provide: Materials - 1/3 yard of preferred woven fabric (for outer and inner sides), ¼ yard of quilt batting, Misc. scrap fabrics (for inside pockets), 2 yards of ½” wide double fold binding (could be self made or purchased)(for outside edge), 1 yard coordinating ½”-1” wide ribbon, small pieces of coordinating fabric and or felt for needle book.
Instructor provides: Handouts and materials list.
Session 3: 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
A) Achieving Closure: Hand-Sewn Closures for Historic Garments
Instructor: Cahterine Scholar
Garment closures can feel like one last challenge you need to face before your project is complete, one that can potentially ruin everything! In this class we'll learn historical techniques to make and apply buttonholes, eyelets, hooks and eyes, and pinning, so you can add that last finishing touch to every costume. Limited to 12 students.
Students provides:Firmly woven fabric:cotton, linen, wool, silk, blends. Nothing floppy, slinky, or sheer. About 8” square. Buttonhole twist or heavy thread, embroidery floss will work as well. Scissors, buttonhole chisel, or buttonhole scissors; Tapered Awl or something similar. Sewing kit (needles, thread snips, thimble, pins, beeswax, etc.), sewing thread for basting, any color.
B) Understanding Sewing Patterns
Instructors: Liz Martin
Learning to read and work with printed sewing patterns can be daunting, but once you come to grips with the terms used, and how to lay out your fabric, you will be well on your way. We will discuss common pattern terms, grainlines, and what those mystery arrows actually mean. Limited to 12 students.
Students provides: Notepad, pen, pencil, any device for notetaking
C) Ostrich Hairpin Part 2
Instructor: Lynn McMasters
See above description
D) Synthetic Hair 101
Instructor: Chang Meng
Learning the very basics of synthetic hair. We will cover choosing the right hair, creating some simple but versatile hair pieces appropriate for several eras, and tips and tricks on styling inexpensive wigs into more realistic wigs.
Student provides: Their own wig and/or braiding hair to style or ask questions about.
Teacher Provides: Resources, notes.
Back to
GBACG Home
Back to
C.A. Home