Anna Frozen Costume

Monday 18 January 2016

 
So I realised that I haven't really shared a lot of costume related posts on here and I want to include it more. I spent three years at university learning the skills to create costumes and learning how to fit them to peoples bodies. I love clothes as it's obvious on here and to be able to use them to showcase a certain character fascinates me. Yes I'm a nerd when it comes to costumes.
 
I'm currently working part time in a supermarket and trying to find freelance work as a costume maker. Oh and job searching for full time work (failing miserably). My latest project was making a costume for a lady for a kids entertainer. I made a replica of the Anna Frozen costume.
 
 

The costume consists of a bodice, blouse, skirt and cape. It was a really challenging costume to make but I felt so proud when I had finished it. Obviously there are things I'm not happy with as I'm a bit of perfectionist. The bodice was the trickiest part by far. I chose to make it out of a stretch black velvet so it had a lot of give. At first I sewed it up at the back but quickly realised this wasn't practical so the back had to have fasteners down the back. I had some velvet and poppers lying around so had to make do with those. All the motifs on the front and back were machine embroidered freehand using my sewing machine, I love doing free machine embroidery. I did the front panel twice as the first time I did the embroidery was way too small. The most painful part was the ribbon around the edges, I need to do them better but I tired my best.



The blouse was actually relatively simple to make, I've had quite a few attempts at making shirts so this process was pretty quick. Again the pattern around the collar, cuffs and at the front was machine embroidery. The fabric frayed a lot so I had to finish it with a zig-zag stitching along the seams.


The cape and skirt took the most amount of time. All of the pattern on the cape was hand painted and took me hours and hours to do. I was so proud when finished, I painted over 4 metres of fabric. And finding the fur trim for the collar was challenging but managed to get a similar lilac shade. I also painted the pattern on the skirt and the purple at the bottom.



This is hopefully just the beginning of making more costumes in the future. Please do let me know what you think, I always want feedback.

I Finally Caved

Monday 4 January 2016


 There's always that one thing that you want to get your hands on but costs quite a bit of money. I'm a bit of a nightmare to go shopping with. I'm so selective on what I buy as I come from a family that don't necessarily have tons of money. So my dad has installed the 'want it but do you need it' mentality into my brain. Well after Christmas I thought you know what Katie treat yourself, buy that sodding make up product you've wanted for months. I finally caved and made a cheeky make up purchase cause I bloody well deserve it.

Charlotte Tilbury is a brand I've heard so much about. The lady knows exactly what she's talking about and every time I go on the website I am amazed with how pretty every product looks. And there was one product I've wanted ever since first seeing it in some form of YouTube video, The Filmstar Bronze & Glow. Contouring and highlighting are two things I've wanted to perfect and I feel like this is the perfect start. Obviously I bought the shade light to medium for my pale pale skin. I actually haven't been that excited to receive a parcel as when this arrived. The packaging is an amazing metallic rose gold, a colour I have anew appreciation for. I've only had it for a few days but I am already falling in love with it. The contouring is so buildable and not that awkward orange colour that so many appear to be on my skin tone. I'm no where near master at contouring but I am seeing cheekbones starting to emerge which is a good sign right? The highlight is gorgeous and my face just looks so much more healthy with it.


If you're on the hunt for a face product that's on more of a pricey side then go for this bad boy.
Do I regret parting ways with my money, hell no. Do I see this being the start of wanting more Charlotte Tilbury products? No brainer, yes!

Time for a new start

Saturday 2 January 2016



Well here we are, another year has come and gone we're somehow now in 2016. I reached probably the darkest place I've been in a while at the end of 2015 (I've spoke about it in my last post so I won't dwell too much on it again..). I don't really like the bullshit new year new me that's bombarded all over Facebook, Twitter, basically every social media platform. But this year I am sort of joining the hype. I don't need a new year for me to change, it just so happens that new year has come at a point where I do need to make some changes.

Breaking up from my first relationship has knocked my confidence hugely. I worried before that there was no one out there who would ever want me.To finally find someone and then for that to just drastically stop after a month has just made me doubt a lot of things. I guess I've just dwelled on why I couldn't make another human being happy. But hey ho as I keep getting told plenty more fish in the sea and all that.
My weight has fluctuated over the last year and its making me so unhappy. Well I'm changing that, I have to so I can hopefully start to feel good about myself again. I've firmly established I will never 100% love myself as that's not how my mind works. But if I can increase the self confidence only slightly I'll feel a whole lot better. But I think mainly I just need to stop, dare I say giving a fuck what people think. I've learnt that you'll never please everyone and there will be people that simply don't like you.


Everyone has a different story. Mine took a negative twist currently, but I plan to create some happy memories in 2016. I hope to thrive upon new opportunities which I hope involve a full time job that gets me out of the retail hell I'm currently stuck in. I want to travel more, I need that thing what's it called.. oh yeah a holiday! I haven't been on holiday in years so to get away would be simply amazing and it's going to happen. Also to get what is an actual social life and go on more nights out, I don't even know what a night out is anymore.

Let's see what the next 365 days has in store for us then shall we :)