This page describes the activities worked on during the semester, including materials and sources. Some activities have photos of student work available on the Image Galleries page.
Millinery
Demo of different materials used to form hats including wool felt, buckram and wire, and Fosshape. You will be designing and then creating a formed hat from craft felt.
Materials: craft felt, embellishments, forms.
Resources
Maginnis, Tara. "Costume Design & Construction: Craft Felt Sculpture Hats." The Costumer's Manifesto.
Painting, dyeing, and distressing
We will learn how to think through and create distressed costumes appropriate for various situations. Demo of dye/print techniques used to change fabric surfaces. You will design and transform a thrift store jacket.
Materials: Light colored jacket from the thrift store, stamps, stencils, paints, embellishments.
Resources
Distressing Fabric. Alley Cat Scratch, April 22, 2008.
Corsets
A quick and easy way to pattern a perfectly fitting corset from almost any period. Demo, and then you will develop your own pattern.
Materials: a disposable t shirt, duct tape.
Armor
Discussion of various techniques for creating either leather- or metal-looking armor. We will design and construct gauntlets from craft foam.
Materials: craft foam (5 or more sheets), metallic paints, talons, jewels or other embellishments.
Resources
Pollack, Rachel E. "Classwork: Final Armor Projects." La Bricoleuse, December 4, 2007.
"Faking Leather." Alley Cat Scratch, April 22, 2008.
Maginnis, Tara. "Costume Design & Construction: 'Armored' Gloves using Craft Foam Sheets." The Costumer's Manifesto.
Wigs
We will either use Fosshape or baseball caps as bases for period styled wigs that use everything and anything but hair.
Materials: "hair", appropriate adhesive, bias tape.
Resources
Pollack, Rachel E. "Project(s): Wig/Hat Hybrids!" La Bricoleuse, October 21, 2008. (scroll to student projects at the end)
Masks
We will be creating masks that you have designed using Variform (a mesh thermoplastic). We will discuss the process of creating life masks to use as forms, but will use purchased forms to build our masks. Masks will then be finished in one of several methods which we will discuss.
Materials: paints, embellishments, fabrics.
Resources
Concepts for Masks (PDF)
Becker, Jonathan. Custom Theater Masks.
Empire, Maxx. Mansour Designs.
Florentine/Commedia dell’arte Masks
Jewelry
We will discuss techniques for creating jewelry pieces and then you will recreate a period piece from examples found in historical sources.
Resources
Examples of Period Jewelry (PDF)