About me

My interest in costuming began as a very young child when I would try to recreate the costumes I read about in books with the costume trunk my mother put together for me with old formal dresses and disgarded clothing.  I kept it up with participation in high school musicals, a confusing (to my parents) interest in reenacting and as an adult a real interest in the beauty of historic clothing.  I had been taught to hand sew and embroider as a child but didn't really take an interest in it until my machine broke down in 2009.  I began sewing a costume for the local renaissance faire by hand and the results turned out quite well.  Friends began to come to me for help with making costumes that were hand sewn (period correct) when they didn't have the skills or time to do them on their own.  This sparked my interest in doing things as close to "right" as possible, using period stitches and techniques.  I eventually want to free myself from a reliance on printed patterns and be able to create my own ideas from scrap.  For the present I have to rely on patterns to guide me, but I have been able to create a few small projects on my own. 
I have a wonderful husband whose patience with my obsession comes from his own love of history....and he puts up with the living room being periodically draped in fabric and often being banished to the kitchen with the dog when I need the space.  He has even been known to help me with a hem from time to time.  Our dog is very helpful as well, reminding me to come back to earth when I get too involved, threatening to eat my sewing if I don't take a break in the evenings and napping at my feet while I sew or do research.
I try to do every piece as good as possible, but I do not sacrifice strength and function for beauty or speed.  Being a reenactor I need everything I make to hold up to really being used, I like everything I make to look nice and function well, just as I am sure women of the past did.  After all, women are women, we may have changed our roles, but we still like form, function and comfort (in context, of course!).