So I passed my PhD with minor corrections which have now been done and submitted.  As previously seen with my PhD this took longer than expected, well into January in fact.  But it is almost over.  And thus I have returned to Coalface Costumes!

I have 4 new tutus taking their debut at Colsterworth in the next few weeks.  I will, as always, hold off any images until those girls have danced in them but suffice to say they are all very different to each other.  Look out for that in a few weeks.

Christmas has been and gone and I hope everyone had an enjoyable season.  If you got some money as part of your gifts I wonder if you spent it on what I spent mine on.  Given my birthday and PhD had come in at a similar time I had about double what I usually have to spend.  And then I noticed one of my favourite costume makers had a sale on… My “go to” patterns are those of Dani Legge for stretch tutus and Suzanne of Tutus that Dance for all other patterns.  These are both very flattering, easy to adapt to differing bodies, and very easy to make.  But there are other tutu makers and patterns out there, some historic and some modern.  I spent my xmas money on patterns from Travis Halsey, achieving 22 patterns with his sale!

And there they are!  Please go have a look at his website because his work is absolutely stunning.  Having never had his patterns though I am going to start with one of the easier ones to get to grips before going onto something a bit more complicated but I will end up doing them all.  I have decided, once I have finished the 3 stretch tutus to be finished at the moment, to start with his degas bodice as I love the lines involved, being a bit of a sop for the historic, classical look over the more modern, sharp edged lines.  I hope to end with the bayadere bodice.

I have said before we are more than tutu makers here.  I am hopeful I will soon be able to tell you about a costume I am starting to make from a character in a computer game.  It will involve a long jacket, trousers, staff and wig/tiara combo so will be a complicated setup but I am soooooo excited to be asked to make it.  When I start the toile for the first fitting I will let you in on the research myself and the costume’s owner have completed.