Once upon a time, there was a not-so little girl with a not-so normal dream – to attend a Renaissance Festival in costume. All her life she had loved costumes, and dressing up for Halloween once a year simply wasn’t enough. There had to be more. More costumes, more opportunities to wear them, more people to wear them with her.
In the fullness of time, that childhood wish morphed into The Wench Posse – a group of likeminded (or easily bullied) women and one gay man who hang out, eat chocolate and Tator Tots, make costumes, wear those costumes on occasion, and in general have a Very Good Time. Everyone pitches in, even if it’s just moral support, and everyone at least contemplates dressing up. Not all do it, but they’re thinking about it. And once we’ve sucked them in, it will be hard to stop.
Why? Because dressing up is FUN. Don’t believe me? Well then, let’s take a walk down memory lane and see the fun stuff (and really messed-up stuff) I’ve worn as the Originator and Co-Founder of the Wench Posse.
We begin at the beginning, with that first Ren Fest costume, 2005:
Thrift store top, thrift store skirt, borrowed hip scarf and BAD makeup. Ah well, it was drizzling and cold that day – not conducive for looking one’s best.
Let’s move on to 2006, shall we?
This is my Arwen costume, made from a store-bought pattern everyone and their mother bought after Lord of the Rings came out. I felt incredibly pretty in this dress… but then I sold it on eBay the next week.
Moving on to 2007, aka The Year The Posse Was Formed.
My first real belly dancing costume. I was so proud of that outfit, as I designed it myself. My BFF, Official Seamstress of the Posse, and Co-Founder, Larue, made it for me. I think we finished 5 minutes before I walked through the gates of the Fest. Lesson learned – grommets do not hold well in synthetic velvet. I recently sold this costume, and I hope it’s gone to a good home.
Next up is 2008, aka The First Year Of Bristol and The Year Of The Wench. I had four costumes in 08, including this:
My Raven costume. Only worn once to Bristol, it’s now being reworked into a Steampunk Ballerina costume for Costume Con next year.
Wench Look #1. A black corset (my first!), a white chemise, and a gold/black Very Full skirt, ruched up on one side.
Wench Look #2. A red bodice, the white chemise, and the gold/black skirt. Plus, my first hat – not period appropriate at all, but I still love it. Larue calls it my Marie Lavelle costume.
Reworked Belly Dancing. This is the skirt and scarf from 2007’s costume, plus the jingle bra I made and a long-sleeved satin shrug. Very fun, if a bit over the top.
In 2009, I started to actually sew my own costumes – with a great deal of help from Larue. And now I am the proud owner of WAY TOO MANY, but once you get started, you can’t quit. At least I wear most of them more than once, right? That counts for something, doesn’t it? Look, just humor me here.
2009, The Scottish Wench:
This was made from two pieces of Saint Croix Weaving’s woven fabric, and it’s my family’s tartan. We’re MacDonald of Glen Coe, in case you were wondering.
2009, The Green Bay Packer Elizabethan:
Sadly, I can only wear this in Wisconsin. It will get a second showing at Costume Con in May 2010 – which is in Milwaukee. Yay!
2009, The Red Elizabethan:
My first, real noble costume. I LOVE this dress, even though it is desperately uncomfortable to wear. When I wore it to the MN Ren Fest, people thought I was a member of Court. So cool.
2009, The New Belly Dancing Costume:
This is the first outfit I made entirely by myself, from creating the pattern for the vest and skirt, to sewing it together (although Larue did topstitch the vest for me). I wish I had a better picture of it, but never fear – this WILL get worn again!
And there you have them – all my costumes, from start to finish. What’s in store for future outings? The Katherine Howard dress for Larue’s Wives of Henry the Eighth Project, a Scottish belly-dancing costume for the Scottish Ramble in February, a Queen of Spades flapper dress for Costume Con, and at least one more Steampunk outfit (plus weapons – steampunk is all about the guns). And I’ll probably make another noble costume – this time with a collar and sleeves.
Yeah, some might call this an obsession, a sickness, and a waste of time and money. I call it my hobby. So please don’t be all judgy. Just appreciate the pretty shiny and take it for what it is – a way to see my friends and have fun. But most importantly, it’s the realization of a childhood dream, and THAT is priceless.
6 Comments
No judging from me whatsoever…just lots of admiration for the pretty shiny!
And I really, really like the short bodice for the last belly dance outfit. (Gah! Stop it! Stop putting ideas in my head! I don’t NEED any more costuming ideas!!!!)
Congrats on the costumes, be they made in part or solely by you. They’re fabyooluss! You have reason to be mucho proud. I’m hoping to improve my beginner level sewing skills soon, with small, safe projects. You and Larue are inspirational, actually.
One question: Is it very difficult to create one’s own patters? I’ve always wanted to learn that, but have no idea how or where I’d learn it.
Er, I meant “patterns”, not “patters”.
Tis easier to take a pattern and modify it for what you want if you are starting out. I prefer it, still, actually.
Look how lovely you are in those costumes! Thanks for cropping out the rest of us in those early years. Not always pretty, sadly.
Hey there! I just wanted to tell you I adore your costumes!! I wish I had the skills to make costumes like this… I usually buy pieces and edit them a bit. I paid $150 for my wench costume. Halloween this weekend and RenFest Nov. 15!! Yay for adult dress up!
While your costumes are very nicely done and well made, aperson stumbling on the site by accident may look at the photographs and mistake you for a person of some conceit. Certainly you aren’t in love with your own middling good looks… it must be just a trick of the camera.