the_sh0rt_stitch

21/05/2023

'Round these here parts, we send rentals back better than we found 'em
(Or make any excuse for some invisible mending on vintage wool wovens ^.^)

12/05/2023

I'M SO THRILLED!!! the first film i solo- costumed is screening!! :D :D :D

It was SUCH a pleasure to work with Malibu and the whole team, and huge thank you to Marlio for reaching out to involve me with this beautiful fable ^.^

09/12/2022

Sometimes, i give myself a little invisible mending - as a treat!
(Sometimes, i forget to take a "before: photo of the big, glaring white moth-hole in the 1967 Canada-Tartain Centennial tie.)

03/07/2022

Restoration has been the name of the game here, lately - and what a treat to have a genuine Ceil Chapman "bombshell" dress pass through my hands this week! A quick tack down on one side of the lable with original thread taken from the replacement of the dainty size/type A metal zipper, and she's ready to court her next dance partner over at !

15/04/2022

Holidays are for hobbies... like sunning on a windowsill.

01/04/2022

This method of invisible mending is just... so, so satisfying to me.
The coarse yarns of vintage fabrics and lightly finished seams; the (moth)bite-sized stages and easily markable progress; extending the lifespan of tangible (touchable!!) bits of history...
I'm in love!

This piece was a barely-there 1940s ladies wool suit. No lining, bias-bound seams, clean lines but little seamline details 💛 stay tuned for a picture of the suit itself
b.costumes

10/02/2022

who's idea was this, anyway?

10/02/2022

A button!!.. it was not worth the effort involved in R&D. .. now to do it only 6 more times...

24/01/2022

As puts it, we have entered Triangle Hell... the level of hell that precedes the nine circles 🔺️⚪️⚪️🟡🟡🟠🟠🔴🔴⚫️

20/12/2021

More fab b.t.s. shots from Evensong by the talented Nils Kimmel!

20/12/2021

Check out the behind the scenes shots (courtesy of the extremely talented Nils Kimmel) for the film I costumed through the beginning of this year! I can't wait for it to screen..... 😁😁😁

03/11/2021

Hole? What hole? Nope, no holes here!
Just a little re-weaving experiment on .b.costumes ' vintage dress

31/10/2021

Can't recommend the learning opportunities offered through Cappelleria Bertacchi highly enough!

Bertacchi Italian HatCrafter in Vancouver's historic Gastown sells handcrafted artisan hats for men and women. 4 generations of hat making from our small factor

26/10/2021

19/10/2021

Finally!! (Not "finally, she's done" but more "finally, I'm posting it so you call all see-") my super-dumb Mermaid Fascinator!! I love it. You cant really see the treasure in the bubbles in these pictures, but *I* know they're there, and that's all that really matters!
Huge shout-out to for the inspiration and encouragement, and to for offering the internship! BY THE WAY - they're booking CLASSES again in their spacious Water St. location!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND for crafty hat-fanciers!!

07/10/2021

Hi Y'all! I've been kind of quiet on here - i've been kinda crazy busy lately!
Today i had a rare spare moment, behind the scenes. It feels kinda illegal to be back at Bosa without my fellow costuming year classmates - feels like playing hooky from class!

01/09/2021

I've been a little quiet lately, but that's only because my fingers have been to busy to post! (... or too covered in glue...)
But she's finally finished! My last steps were to sew grosgrain ribbon into the underside of the crown... which, of course, meant more ironing-board "smiles" :)

19/08/2021

With these three mermaidy shades of and the possibility of hollow orb bubbles, my ideas snowballed! Mermaidy colours and bubbles? Undersea hat! And one could theoretically fill the hollow orbs with little somethings... what could I put in my bubbles? Endless possibilities!

18/08/2021

These Sinimay orbs inspired me more than anything else. Before this revelation it was less about the finished product and more about another clinical learning exercise: maybe I would learn some techniques, but I lacked direction as far as what the finished product would be.
But as soon as Jenna suggested making bubbles, my imagination went wild with ideas!

17/08/2021

Liz, you were close! Last week's dye came out little more aqua than teal, though. Then it was on to stretching and shaping my Sinimay onto a block, after which showed me other ways to play and shape some more decorative pieces, including "bubbles"!

Humorously, i found the bubbles MILES easier than the rolled-edge leaves. Getting the sinimay just the right level of dampness to activate the starch and working fast enough to finish before it was too dry was DIFFICULT for my inexperienced hands. The orbs, on the other hand: no sweat! Stretch, smooth, twist, dry. No problemo!

15/08/2021

Ahhhh! Work studio is nearly set up, and i'm itching for some projects! Are you in need of a , or small scale for your film or theater project? I come with access to a variety of industrial and domestic machines, work/prep area (with breakdown!) and fitting facilities, and a solid hook-up on costume rentals.
I would love to be a part of your project - lets talk!

13/08/2021

Sometimes time at B.B. Costumes is a little bit like being aTreasure Hunter or Archaeologist! This McCall's Culottes pattern is from 1957, and the Felt Slipper pattern is from '64! ... i wonder what other 'ancient' treasures i will find in these drawers... ;)
I LOVE being able to hold little pieces of history in my hands!!

10/08/2021

Yesterday was a big day! I'll tell you more about the restoration projects (on of which is pictured on my head) i started out with in the days to follow, but I CANNOT CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT because after the care and restoration part I GOT TO PLAY WITH SINIMAY!!!!
As usual: Step 1 = dye the material.
What colour do you think it will end up?

09/08/2021

Last week i finished my hat! And thus: my time honored tradition of "If there is a hat in proximity, you must at least try it on" (or as i like to call it, the Chekhov's Hat principle)
Tadaa!! More pictures to follow.

05/08/2021

My favorite silhouette of the Victorian era has always been the Curasse bodice. Hard to achieve without the spoon-busk, boning, and a squishy body form underneath, but...
I'd reeeeeaaally wanted to recreate the style of evening gown from Tissot's painting for my first half-scale project. My instructor put a veto in and suggested I save it for the second try - I can agree that this was definitely for the best.
For this mini we were to pick a character to fit our design to: I chose Lucy from the 1930s script of Dracula. A bright, vivacious, flirtatious character, Lucy does not yet know she us at the sunset of her life when Dracula presents himself at the Theatre. The contrasting red of the creeping roses forshadows how Lucy immediately ensnared by Dracula's thorny web, and two tiny rosettes on her satin choker necklace are more ominous still...

03/08/2021

Feathers? Ribbons? Yesterday was all about finishing touches!
Jenna gave me free reign to decorate my hat! There were so many choices available to me, and so many different looks i could arrive with the different materials. I played around with the idea of needle felting, Sinimay, colored ribbons and bows... but eventually landed back on the hint of an idea i'd had throughout the process...
(Stay tuned ;)... )

30/07/2021

The last thing i accomplished at this week's hatmaking session was my inner (sweat) hat band. To help adjust for size, we made it with an encased drawstring. I'm grateful having had Diane's patient mentorship at a few years back, to show me tricks like how to pre-curve things like bias facings with steam and an iron (ironically also for hat drawstring casings, now that i think about it! What an odd coincidence - You're a good man, Charley Brown!)

29/07/2021

Alright, alright! I'm hearing that some of you can't wait for the big reveal - hat: sans block!
Steps not pictured: shellacking (yes, that shellac) the brim and then crown, relaxing the unintentional lumps and bumps with steam and a press of wood.
Steps still to come: bands! All kinds of bands!

28/07/2021

Yesterday's post reminded me of the last time i had to hide features of wool hat construction with careful use of a stuff brush - waaaay back on the first production in my first year at ! and were so great to work with as my Keys on cap's Wizarding World-inspired production of Macbeth!

27/07/2021

It's time to release my hat from the block! First, out come the pins. Then we have to do something about those dimples!
A stiff brush goes a long way!