This afternoon I got to see the closing performance of "The Little Mermaid" at the local high school. Hooray for quick recoveries!! The cast and crew did a wonderful job, as usual, and I got lots of hugs and thanks and a lovely basket from the director.
But for me, of course, the real reward is seeing the costumes on stage, during the performance, brought to life by the actors. They did a masterful job!! I didn't get any pictures during the show (photos were prohibited), but will snag a few when the official photos are posted. In the meantime, here's a shot of me with the three "major" costumes I did.
Of course I used PatternMaster to create all the base pieces. For Sebastian, I made a simple turtleneck and pants, then used 1/2" foam to make the shell pieces. The claws were simply giant mittens that slid over his hands, and they worked perfectly. They're kind of hard to see in the above picture.
For Flounder, I started with a hooded pull-over top and made it big and floppy. There was a casing with a drawcord around the bottom edge so it could look more poofy.
And oh, Ursula... What fun I had with this costume. Since the part was double-cast, I needed to figure out a way to not have to make two entirely different costumes. So I created a bodysuit for each of the two girls, and a buckle-on harness that had the tentacles on it. The tentacles were given some body by using foam pipe insulation, with some extra batting rolled around it to fill them out. Each tentacle was made out of three long triangular pieces, two black and one purple for the underside. They moved beautifully during her scenes.
Next week the same school is doing "The Giver." I only did a few things for that show (the Giver's robe and a few accessories for the other actors), but I'm still looking forward to seeing how well the book translates to the stage. Right now, though, I'm really chomping at the bit to do some sewing for ME!!
But for me, of course, the real reward is seeing the costumes on stage, during the performance, brought to life by the actors. They did a masterful job!! I didn't get any pictures during the show (photos were prohibited), but will snag a few when the official photos are posted. In the meantime, here's a shot of me with the three "major" costumes I did.
For Flounder, I started with a hooded pull-over top and made it big and floppy. There was a casing with a drawcord around the bottom edge so it could look more poofy.
And oh, Ursula... What fun I had with this costume. Since the part was double-cast, I needed to figure out a way to not have to make two entirely different costumes. So I created a bodysuit for each of the two girls, and a buckle-on harness that had the tentacles on it. The tentacles were given some body by using foam pipe insulation, with some extra batting rolled around it to fill them out. Each tentacle was made out of three long triangular pieces, two black and one purple for the underside. They moved beautifully during her scenes.
Next week the same school is doing "The Giver." I only did a few things for that show (the Giver's robe and a few accessories for the other actors), but I'm still looking forward to seeing how well the book translates to the stage. Right now, though, I'm really chomping at the bit to do some sewing for ME!!
WOW!! The costumes are phenomenal! Thank you for sharing your work with the world Welmoed-- I have been inspired by it so many times through the years. I'm also glad to hear you are feeling better.
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