Meet Your Board: Crysta Frost, Costume Academy Coordinator

Why costuming? What brought you here?

I always wanted to expand my vintage-inspired wardrobe and thought that sewing would be a fun way. When I discovered historical costuming, it was super exciting to know that there were fun and nerdy folks out there just like me!

What’s your costuming focus?

I like playing around with most Victorian time periods and doing vintage reproduction.

Do you do anything else crafty or artistic?

I love ceramics! I’ve taken several classes over the years including some really great ones at the Richmond Art Center.

What’s your day job?

I work as a Technical Artist for a video game company.

What’s on the sewing table now?

Currently working on some dressing gowns for my partner to lounge around the house in.

What was your first/most memorable costuming disaster/learning moment?

Hah! The first skirt I ever made was way too big, so I just sewed the seam allowance on the side seams larger and the fit came out a little funny. Later, when I went back to see what I could fix about it, I also realized I had done the waistband all wrong and never finished any of my seams. It was gratifying to go back and do what I could to fix it. I still have the skirt, even if I don’t wear it all that often. It’s a good example of my growth.

What’s your holy grail costuming project? The one you dream of doing?

Not so much costuming, but a dream sewing project for me is making myself a parka. My family on my mom’s side is Inupiaq and I’d love to make a beautiful fur-trimmed parka in the style that my grandma and great grandma used to make.