Tag Archives: costume

CAT-ADOR JACKET

14 August 2014 by Julianne

I’ve been working like a rhinestone zombie. So much sewing to be done! Some of it is Burning Man related, but much of it is just other small jobs for other clients, not really interesting enough to blog about. I’m leaving for the playa in 6 days and I haven’t had a chance to do any prep work. Eep! So I’ll let this post be mostly images, because my brain ain’t so good at processing words lately.

This was one of my favorite projects in a long time. Nando is a very playful and sweet guy, and he wanted to bling out his plain peacock-blue matador jacket. Obviously this was right up my alley (which is where these pictures were taken, appropriately).

I just loved this project. It was so much fun to work on, and he was so pleasant to work with. It was an ideal project.

I made the cat heat using some fabrics we picked out together, some fabrics from my stash, and that heat-fusible bond paper stuff (I told you I’m not good with words).

Catador jacket, made by Julianne

The epaulet is constructed from that awesome silver vinyl applique, a red velvet pad, and orange tassel trim.

Catador jacket, made by Julianne

I made a cat toy necklace from some of the leftover trims.

I also made him a set of booty shorts, complete with crotch gusset, out of the copper kitty fabric, but apparently I didn’t give Nando enough rum to model them in my alley.

Catador jacket, made by Julianne

If you see Nando on the playa, tell him you recognize him from the internet!

NEON ZIPPER MASKS

15 July 2014 by Julianne

Nothing’s cooler than a black light, especially when you might already be losing your mind for whatever reason, and so I created a collection of zipper masks for just such an occasion. These materials were carefully selected for an awesome neon experience.

You can check out these zipper masks in my Etsy shop. If your heart is set on a design that’s already sold, contact me about a custom order!

Burning Man is held out in the desert, on a prehistoric lakebed. The ground is covered in a powder-like dust and strong winds off the mountains can create dust storms, possibly leading to whiteout conditions. It’s essential to be prepared and carry some sort of respiratory shield, and there’s nothing more fabulous than a zipper mask!

These masks are sewn by hand, and each one is a unique combination of fabrics. Clearly I love playing with colors, and I love making these!

I created this mask custom for a friend. She’s totally got the personality of a puppy who loves to chase a neon party.

I really love the elements of this mask that don’t glow. It’s positive and negative space, in light!

SPARKLEPUSSY Mardi Gras 2014

7 April 2014 by Julianne

The idea to dress up as a glittery purple cat hit me like a bolt of lightning, and before I knew it five of us were roving the French Quarter as a herd of cats.

This was the most Mardi Gras house in the Quarter.

We meowed, and scratched with our claws, and drank a ton of whiskey.

I designed, drafted, and basted the suit before we left for our epic roadtrip, and then did the final serging, pink components, and fur accents on Lundi Gras in New Orleans.

Originally the costume was going to be sleeveless (and therefore a little more roller disco), but I had to make several last-minute concessions to the weather.

As it happened, Fat Tuesday was about 40º and raining: unusually miserable weather, especially for March! So I added the mesh sleeves, and arm warmers, and had to wear layers underneath my sleek catsuit. Some of those bulges are a wool sweater that I managed to stuff in, and I was wearing a jacket for most of the day. So apparently I didn’t need to lay off the french fries.

The mask is puff paint and rhinestones on tulle. I need to add a clear plastic backing so that it stands up, since I wore the mask over my glasses. I really enjoyed this technique, and will play with it more (word to the wise: this took about 3 days to fully dry).

Can you believe the adorable pet tag?! Maria and Patrick made one for everybody, and mine is being stamped with “Sparklepussy.”

I really like this costume, but having to bundle up and still try to stay inside made it a challenge to have fun. I did catch a golden coconut at Zulu, and good friends + whiskey will get you pretty far in life.

I’ll have plenty of other opportunities to wear it, like Burning Man, and Halloween, and maybe the next party.