Tips & Tricks Costuming Necessities

What do you find that you need the most often when you start a new costume? What do you always have in your costuming kit? Do you keep scrap fabric for testing purposes? Do you have a big bolt of muslin so you have it when you decide to start a new costume?

Discuss what you find are necessary tools and materials for any and costuming projects.

 

I've found a good thing to keep around at 501st troops or other costuming events is a hot glue gun with extra glue sticks. Never know when you're gonna need it, and it can be used for a lot of quick, temporary fixes.

 

When starting a new costume noting can replace research! Visit as many sites about the costume as possible, look at all the photos, watch the movies (or whatever the source material is) and either read how others have made the costume, or ask questions.

After I've obsessed about the costume for a decent amount of time, I'll start with some patterns and put together a mock up. I try to use a fabric that has similar properties to the real thing. Muslin will not work for most of what I've done, so I used other cheap fabric. After that it's trial and error on what will work to create the desired effect.

 

i agree with lavagirl

Research. look into anything that can help you with your costume, including how the character who wears it acts(always a good thing to know in the future). search for patterns, and other things you'll need(gloves, boots, etc). I find that making a list helps.. so you can gradually check things off as you get them, and it also helps to manage your budget

 

I've spent years looking at reference pictures and compling reference libraries so everytime I go into the fabric store or a thrift shop. I am constantly scanning for materials for future projects. It is amazing how a donated dress that was worn for one special event can provide things like beading or lace or sequins or materials for mock ups or actual pieces. I must admit I have hundreds of yards of remnants and recyclables that have been used for projects. Velvet at $10-$20 a yard can often be that donated prom dress for $8-$10 for enough to do a project. I suppose open eyes and a head full of pictures have been my most needed supply.

Multitudes of thread colors and good supply of sharp, clean straight pins, good sissors, and a good tape measurer.

 

I keep 3 pairs of scissors one ONLY for lighter fabric, one for heavier fabrics (like canvas, denim, vinyl, etc.), and one for paper products (patterns). I have about 4 measuring tapes because I keep them all over the house - so there's one wherever I need it. A magnetic pin holder full of sharp pins. My fabrics are stored according to type in big Rubbermaid tubs, and my patterns are store similarly.

When I go to cons, I carry a small box with my scissors, straight and saftey pins, assorment of threads (based on what costumes I'm wearing), tape, glue, buttons, hooks and eyes, and sewing needles.

 

Three pairs of scissors, that's a good idea. I have 2, one for paper and poster board (which I use to make my leather working pattern templates out of), and one only for fabrics.

 

I agree with the scissors idea- Keep a pair or two specifically for fabric (don't cut other things with them! from personal experience, they get dull EXTREMELY fast and it ruins the fabric and creates unneeded frays)

It's also always nice to buy sewing things at odds-and-ends stores that are discounted. you never know when you may need it! it's always satisfying to say "Hmm i need this...WAIT! i have it!"

 

LOL! I drive my husband crazy because I won't let him use my sewing scissors to open tape on packages or for any reason, really. He thought I was the only one who did that.

 

Absolutely not. I grew up knowing I was not to use my mother's sewing scissors to cut paper or anything but fabric.

 

If I had a husband, I would keep my good fabric scissors hidden from him! I won't even let my mom use my decent paper cutting scissors, she's got my old sorta crappy, but still servicable hand-me-down scissors (she uses them in the kitchen for opening food packaging and things like that ).

 

Liquid Ninjitsu[/url]. This stuff is awesome - sticks to everything, dries pretty fast, nice and flexible.

A good swiss army knife is always a good thing to have (as all children of the '80s learned from watching McGuyver), in addition to a large stack of store bought patterns that you'll probably never use, but they were on sale for $1 and you're sure you'll find a use for them eventually.

I also keep my lovely assistant, Headless Bill, handy for test fittings and such.

Then there's the obvious stuff: scrap fabric for making muslins, loads of straight/safety pins, hand/machine needles, those funny little tomatoes that hold your pins, tape measures, spring-loaded scissors (best $10 I ever spent!), and the like.

 

I'm fairly new to this. I've kept any leftover fabric and other things from projects. I have some muslin, but I generally buy as I need - it's cheap. I bought basic sewing stuff - tape measure, pins, extra needles, and a seam ripper, etc. (must have a seam ripper - mistakes happen )

I have scissors in the kitchen for cutting packages, etc. scissors for crafting, scissors for sewing only, and another all purpose pair upstairs so I don't have to come downstairs just for scissors!

 

A notebook with ALOT of pictures

 

[quote="What ye sew that also shall thee rip!" ][/quote]

Good one!