My Faire Lady
I am a novice at costume design. It became an occasional hobby of mine after my first Renaissance Faire visit in 2013. I now make it a tradition to visit at least one faire each year—with the exception of the 2020 plaque year—and try to assemble a new costume each time. With each new costume, my skillset expands and improves.
The Viking
This was my first full costume design. I didn’t have a sewing machine at the time, so everything is hand-stitched. I purchased the long-sleeve tunic dress from a shop called Midgaarb.
Everything else was hand-made or modified, including the smokkr (apron dress, worn over the tunic), belt (purchased plain, which I burned with knotwork), shoulder cloak with faux fur (a very difficult material to work with!), and feather headpiece (inspired by the Norse valkyrie).
I also made a belt bag to accompany this costume, designed to hang from the belt and leather burned with a tree of life knot (my first time working with leather and using a pyrography pen).
The Paladin
This is my most recent project. This costume gave me a chance to create my first ever corset. The corset is made from panels of leather that I cut, hand-tooled, burned, and stained. I worked with an edge beveler to smooth the harsh edges of the leather, a swivel knife to mark a grooved border, beveling tool and mallet to stamp the grooves (a loud and exhausting process), pygrography pen to burn my own design, Eco-Flo gel antique to stain the leather, and leather punch with grommets for the cords that tie the corset together.
This all started with a set of armor (chest plate and paulders) that I purchased from the brand Mytholon. In addition to the corset, I made a cape that hooks onto the back of the armor. The cape has a faux chainmail cowl neck hood, and I also made a faux chainmail shirt to wear underneath everything.
The Faerie
While this costume is still a work in progress, it has already given me some new things to add to my box of tricks. Starting with a sketch, I designed a pair of faerie wings which I then modeled in Fusion 360 and 3D printed. These were designed with a U-shaped brace to tuck into a corset, and have removable screws that allow the wings to be worn up or down in a resting position.
The wing frame is wrapped in iridescent cellophane. I made a purple flower crown and matching flower bunches that can be tied around the base of each wing to cover the screw mechanic.
I also created a “petaled” vest to be worn with the wings. This became my first article of clothing sewn with a sewing machine! The vest is reversible, with a shimmery cream-colored fabric on one side, and a textured green fabric on the other. This added versatility can completely change the look.
