Recently I started helping with the costumes for a community theater production of Oklahoma. So far I’ve been trusted with some hemming and pressing, though I have hopes of a promotion to serging soon. But the busy work is fine by me as I get to watch the costume designer work magic with the unlikeliest of fabrics. His attention to detail shames me.
My reward for hand hemming skirts with six gores (think a 3/4 circle) was to rummage through fabric donation boxes and carry off whatever took my fancy. So here’s my haul.
I have no idea what disordered mind combined leopard skin print and sequins, but here’s the result, and I have over 2 yards. The silvery side looks like chain mail.
Continuing with the sparkly theme, I also brought home some turquoise knit covered with sequins in a meander pattern.
And still more synthetics, this time lots of organza.
My favorite is this dark green velvet that is so pettable. My camera refuses to get the color right.
I also got some lime green flannel and black wool suiting material. I may felt the latter.
I have no particular project in mind for this stuff, but it’s great to have fabric to play with that I won’t worry about wasting, as it cost me nothing. (Yes, I realize I did actually work for it, but it was an unexpected bonus.)
The Snarky Quilter 
I would not dare to even try to hem skirts for a theatre production. My sewing stops completely at quilting. Will be fun to see what you come up with to use those fabrics, though I am not expecting anything soon.
It turns out that a childhood spent in my granny’s sewing room made some impressions on my developing mind. And I’m learning techniques each time I head up to the costume department. I have vague plans for some of my “paycheck” but am stumped on that leopardskin sequined fabric.
Yes, who would have thought of sequins on leopard skin! I bet it is fun seeing the experts at work though.
I’m amazed at the amount of detail the designer puts into clothing that won’t be seen closer than 10 feet.
And will we be hearing more about the costumes? Pictures, maybe?
Interesting choices of fabric! I look forward to seeing what you do with them, too.
I am a lowly peon on the costumes, but I will try to take some pix once the dresses are complete.
Hurray! I am looking forward to it!
I was gifted boxes of fancy fabrics from a costumer. I have used a small amount of it, but as I don’t make art quilts it all just sits in a storage box, but then again you never know …
Your fancy fabrics sound like good material for fabric collages, which are usually smaller than the scale you work at.
Our youngest daughters theater experience was sewing dozens of Nun habits for a high school “Sound of Music” production. This effectively ended her theater career.
It sounds utterly boring. Of course, I’m becoming an expert at sewing on buttons.
Oh, the joy to be the underling helper! The good news is, as a volunteer, they have to keep you somewhat happy to keep your help coming their way!!
I think my big reward will be some comp tickets to the play.
mmm yummy! My mom was a costumer so I grew up with lots of unlikely fabrics around. Still, they were for work, not play. I never spent time experimenting with any. LOVE the turquoise (named for the stone mined by Turks…) On the other hand, I recently donated a big bag full of decorator fabric. The best one was yards of a heavy satin taffeta, woven with a harlequin diamond all in creams, with tiny dots of color at the intersections. Elegant, more elegant than my life will ever be. 🙂
I earmarked the velvet for a creation made with my silks. The sparkly stuff will await a surrealistic piece. I was thinking of using the turquoise for an underwater scene. Wait, you got rid of fabric? That taffeta sounds perfect for a princess of power gown.
It was very heavy. It would have been a royal robe, perhaps. Not enough drape for a gown. 🙂
I will definitely look forward to what you come up with as a plan for all that! I challenge you to use them all together, in one piece! 😉
The only theme I can come up with for your challenge is My Stash Threw Up.
GREAT name! And I bet you could the quilt off, if you were so inclined!