News ticker

21/07/2010

Fixed the broken link to Queen Victoria's dress. Here you go:

Also, Very Faery is now on Facebook! Yes, I'm breaking my own rules, ha-ha. I keep getting messages about my being on FB, and though I don't quite understand why it's easier to check on FB than to check on a certain website for updates, well....here it is :-)

Please understand though that very-faery.com will always be the main site and my FB profile is mainly for announcing updates. I will, however, post certain small projects there, like my jewelry and such stuff. Plus, I think FB offers better contact options - you can always message me there or post on my wall (I'm usually not in the chat though, so don't try) - or find my otherwise so hidden e-mail address :o)

So, here we go:

Very Faery on Facebook

 

 

19/07/2010

I just came across a new Disney movie called "The Sorcerer's apprentice". I have no idea whether
this is still in production or has already been released or what. However, Monica Bellucci is in it and
she looks gorgeous as always. I found a couple nice pictures and I particularly love the poster! Whee!

The lilac gown she has looks nice, though nothing
overly splendid, but a solid fantasy dress. Still...nice.
Click the poster to go to a little picture site I've created.

The changeant sleeves are beautiful, as are the cuffs and the trim around the hem. I'm excited for detail pics.	I love this one...	....and Monica apparently likes the color, she chose to wear it for a premiere, too :-)

 

 

 

I wonder whether we'll get to see her in more costumes than just this one...she definitely has another one on the poster.
Let's wait and see. The movie's supposed to be some "Fantasia" themed story....

+++++

11/05/2010

Long time no see...
I've been away to the UK for most of March and April. However, I've quite a few interesting updates
costume-wise....

++++

Keira Knightley is starring in another short film / art installation called 'The Maze'. She's playing an Elizabethan
Lady. Read more here. Below are some pictures and a video (I'm usually against Youtube, but...oh well *sighs*).

++++

When in London, I visited Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (right on the day of his birth - and death -,, 23rd April - yay!).
They have a permanent exhibition that highlights also costume design for the stage. On display are a few interesting
Elizabethan costume reproductions that were made under the supervision of late costume historian Janet
Arnold. Here are my pics (link leads to Photobucket album):

+++++

This original dress of Queen Victoria's was on display at the "Victoria & Albert: Art and Love" Exhibition in London.
It's a reproduction Stuart costume for a fancy dress party that both Albert and Victoria frequently indulged in.



The exhibition's running until 31st October, so if you've got the chance, go see it!
Due to my renewed fancy for Victoria & Albert, I took some pics of the Albert Memorial in Kensington Garden,
which are here, in case anyone's interested ;-)

+++++

For those into military fashion and uniforms, here are some pictures of Admiral Lord Nelson's full dress uniform
as a vice admiral, and an undress coat. Both are faithful reproductions after the original and are on display aboard
HMS Victory in Portsmouth.

Some general Portsmouth impressions including HMS Warrior and Victory are here - for those of you interested in
nautical things.

I have to admit that my visiting Portsmouth (and watching/reading a bit too much Hornblower as of late) resparked my
interest in naval uniforms. I've always liked them and, in addition to my James Norrington PotC uniform, I've always wanted to
make the real thing as well. So many other costumes came inbetween and had to be finished first; however now I'm going to
tackle a 1759 Midshipman's frock coat...this is going to be one of my next projects as I want to wear it in September for a specific
occasion....keep you posted :-)

For everybody interested in a good read on naval uniforms, let me suggest

+++++

Last but not least, there's a new exhibition at the City Museum of Munich (Germany).
"Mode sprengt Mieder - Silhouettenwechsel" (which can't be translated literally I'm afraid except for the latter part
which reads 'change of silhouette'). It's about the influence of corsets and underpinnings on fashion and how the
female silhouette changed over the centuries.

My pics are here! (Some teasers below)



It's a nice exhibition with approximately 30 dresses on display and lots of additional stuff like fashion illustrations,
drawings,paintings, shoes,corsets and so on. It'll be running until May 26th and it costs EUR 6,-/adult, so if you happen
to be in Munich, go see this neat little show!

There's a catalogue available (in German, via Amazon) that has huge, clear pictures of all the dresses and the other stuff.
Personally, I think they chose a rather lame cover image and some of the text inside (an imaginary story about a student
travelling back in time with a 'time machine' corset) is also a bit....non-scientific, but it's worth the price for the images.

Click the banner to go to the museum's website.

That's all for today...
Until next time,
*~* Ela *~*

 

24/03/2010

 

Today's the day On this day, 24 March, in 1603 Elizabeth I (1533-1603), reigned 1558-1603, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn died in Richmond, Surrey, England.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So much for a little historical sidenote ;-) I think I'll be doing these every once in a while now.

As for costumey stuff, I got some updates for you.

I did finally see Alice (twice) and am going to see it a third time, just to be sure and all, Johnny Depp, blah ;-)
Even if the movie's not quite living up to my expectations (the plot's a bit lame in some parts), I still did enjoy
it...especially the costumes. I've been in love with the Mad Hatter costume before though I had no plans on
making it. However, now I find myself seeing and buying and looking for bits and pieces for this costume *sigh*
Like this neat little Pin Cushion Ring by Clover:

Mad Hatter Original (Click Pic to see larger version)	Antique Style Pin Cushion Ring by Clover

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also like the thread bandolier that he's got; the coat, the lace...and of course the hat.....d'uh. Since I've
made several hats already and seem to be quite good at it, I'd like to give this one a try... :-)

Opera Galore

Very recently, I got hold of an old Sotheby's catalogue for Opera costumes and memorabilia from
the collections of Dame Joan Sutherland and others. Man, I had no idea she had such pretty
costumes for most of her plays! If you can, try get a hold of the catalogue. I found mine cheap on eBay.
Auction catalogues are a valuable resource anyway, and sometimes you just come across a special one.
Here are some scans of the color pages:

My favourites are the 'Gypsy' costume #65 in picture 3 and the complete middle row in picture 6 - I like the colors
of #61, the fabric of #94 and the style of #63.

Costume #89 in picture 5 and #59 in picture 8 have been up for auction again recently at Kerry Taylor's. I watched
the live auction and was amazed to see #89 sell for only $300! I wish I had bid on it as it's beautiful! I don't like the
role of Donna Anna in 'Don Giovanni', but what the heck ~ the costume's lovely!
#59 from 'Maria Stuarda' which is, in my opinion, far less beautiful, realized $700 or so. Here are the images from
Kerry Taylor Auctions (btw, you should really watch out for their regular textile and fashion auctions - they've got
amazing stuff!):

Delving some more into the subject of opera costuming, I came across an interesting archive that the Royal Opera
House has got. You can search their database for all the plays, ballets, operas etc. and look at the costumes.
Unfortunately, the images are rather smallish, but you get an idea. I adore the Tutus :-)

Duchess update

Last but not least, my special edition of 'The Duchess' arrived last week - yay! It's beautiful!

There's a costume special on it that doesn't run long (20 minutes or so) but has some design sketches and close ups
that look nice. I'm still trying to get screen caps in a decent resolution....


That's all for tonight *yawns*
Good night!

Until next time,
Ela

 

 

04/03/2010

I'm going to see Alice this evening *YAY*

Before I do so, let me show you some things. There's some really nice Alice merchandise coming out....

First off is this color palette from Urban Decay which has lovely hues such as 'Wonderland', 'Mad Hatter'
or 'Jabberwocky' (my favourite *g*).

I haven't yet received mine, so here are some pics I found on the net:

Click for bigger versions.

The palette is called "Book of shadows" and if we are to believe the retailers, it is currently sold out both in stores
as well as at Urban Decay's online store. There are many on eBay though, but if you decide to buy, check the prices
first. They usually sell for around $50, everything above is just too expensive (in my humble opinion).

It's a nice little gimmick though and Urban Decay's eyeshadows are really good - I've been using them for about 8 years
now and no complaints :-)

Also, a brand called O.P.I. (which I didn't know until now) is coming out with this set of themed nailpolish:



I'd like to have the display stand, pleeeez ;-)

There's also this set of Mad Hatter hat pins from Disney, available at the Disney stores:

They're far from being screen sccurate, however, for $9.90 they're a nice treat.

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~

I came across this movie lately:

The twisted tale of Bloody Mary

It 's about the life of Mary Tudor, half-sister of Elizabeth I. and daughter of Henry VIII. and Catherine of Aragon.
The film is an independent British project working entirely with amateur actors. Their Henry looks just great though!
Although it was apparently made on a budget and some of the costumes, esp. the hoods, do look a little awkward,
the film generally looks pretty good (take a look at their gallery - I like esp. the child version of Mary. You can save the
images by double clicking on them, this will open them in a new window).

Overall, it looks like much work, effort and dedication went into this film, so I'm definitely going to buy a copy - also
because I think that one should always support independent projects - who knows, the next superstar director or
actor could be right out there.

That's it for today...
Until next time,
Ela

 

01/03/2010
Alice in Wonder Room

All of you who are just as excited about Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland as I am now have the chance
to see an original movie costume!

Selfridges in London is hosting an 'Alice in Wonder Room' showroom display. Some very nice people there
told me that it'll be up until March 14th - so go get and grab some detail pics while you can (and don't forget to
send them in....).

Here are some nice new Alice pics for you as well:

Alice:

White Queen:

Red Queen:



Knave of Hearts (now, that's a yummy costume!):


And lots of Mad Hatter in my Photobucket.

 

 

25/02/2010
Behind the scenes of an Oscar winning costume company!

Pictures ©Angels The Costumiers

During my research for the Victoria dress, I found out that London-based Angels The Costumiers are now offering tours
of their workshop! This is a unique opportunity to get an inside look into the costume making business. Their credits include
all the major films of recent years, plus many many TV productions. Take a look at their credits here. Here's a description of
what the tour includes.

I e-mailed them, as I will be in London by the end of March, but unfortunately the tour is only available for groups up to 12
persons and we are only two. So, I'm now posting this in the hope of rousing some more people for a tour some time in the
future (though I admit this may be of interest mostly to UK or European residents).

However, wouldn't a kind of 'international costumers meeting' be nice? So, if you happen to plan a London visit and are
interested in the tour, drop me a note! I'll try to gather a group together and work out a time (I'm bound to school holidays,
so I'm thinking some time in summer...just as a general frame..or maybe next year). The very best of cases would be that
you're staying in London anyway from between March 27th - 30th ;-)

I'm willing to do all the planning concerning the tour, however, it'll be up to you to organize flight, transportation and
accomodation (although I might be willing to try and find a hotel for all of us, it depends on how many are interested).

So, the maximum number of participants is 12 and the price for the tour is £150 + VAT (abt. $229 excluding VAT).

It sounds expensive but I bet the tour is worth every penny :-)

Please note: I understand many of you would want to go but can't do it for this or that reason. Please understand though that e-mails saying: 'Oh, I would like to, but I dont know, it depends, I'm not sure, I'll have to wait' etc. do not help me at all. So please, only e-mail when you're 100% sure you want to do this, you realize that London is an expensive city anyway and you can afford it. Thanks :-)

 

 

 

To contact me: arwen_undomiel at rivendell.zzn dot com

23/02/2010

'The Young Victoria' just won a BAFTA for best costume design.

Which is great, 'cause guess what my latest project is? Righty - a Victoria dress! :-)

The movie's not yet been in cinemas here, but I own the DVD (which has been out in UK since last year). It's scheduled
for release in April, and we want to attend the premiere in costume. At first, I was torn between the cornflower dress, the
strawberry dress and the yellow ball gown.
I decided against the blue as already have so many things in blue and wanted to do a different color. The strawberry
dress is gorgeous and I still want it, but - take a look at the embroidery! It's impossible to manage it all 'til April (for those
who are not familiar with it: it also has a wide embroidered 'ruffle' at the hem!), and for once the fabric seems to be hand
made, not purchased. Remains the yellow one which is actually my favourite. I like the color combination between the dress fabric and the
roses.

Albert's still undecided as to what he wants to wear. All the uniforms are too complicated because of the military attire which we can't
reproduce that quickly in an adequate level of quality - though we do have a really good replica of the garter star^^

I'll keep you posted on any progress on the ball gown. I have ordered the yellow taffeta for the underlayer and it's lovely, but it seems
to be impossible to find striped silk organza with he stripes running vertically and not from selvage to selvage or diagonally or in any other
fancy, weird direction.

Here are some first screencaps of the yellow ball gown. More to come.

*~*~*~


As for my Tudor gown, I'm finally able to continue - I ordered some boning for the bodice in September (!!) which arrived
finally at the beginnig of February (!!!) after two dozen e-mails or so.

I don't know what it is with those shops. Don't they want to sell anything or don't they care...*sighs*

Anyway, I finished the French Hood that belongs to the dress (currently hunting for a piece of black silk for the veil. It's so
incredibly tiresome to find what you need around here). It came out very nice I think ~ photos following soon.

*~*~*~

Ela's DVD corner ;-)


This was one of the films I recently watched, because I was in a 'King Arthur' mood.
It's from 1967 and stars Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave. Honestly, the movie itself is horrendous.
It's a musical, however, the music sucks and most of the character design sucks as well (my humble opinion)
but there are some truly gorgeous settings and costumes in it. Not really true to the period of course as there's
plenty of sixties fashion thrown in, but nevertheless. I like especially Queen Guenevere's winter cloak and
wedding dress. One of Lancelot's outfits even ended up for sale on Antiquedress.com!
I haven't made any screencaps yet, so for now, here are some promos:

 

*~*~*~ Personal stuff ~*~*~*

I made this pair of byzantine inspired earrings after watching the movie 'Tirante el bianco':

These are actually real freshwater pearls.I thought I could use the earrings for any kind of byzantine
or roman outfit - if I'm ever going to make one^^

*~*~*~

I got this neat 19th century needle box for a birthday gift:

Isn't it cute?^^ Everything is still original, hardly ever used and in pristine collection. I wonder whom it
belonged to, and whether it is a hand (home) made object or a kind of mass production. There's no
brand name or number, so I can't find out.
Do you own a similar piece and know more about it? Please share!
arwen_undomiel at rivendell.zzn dot com
Thanks! :-)

*~*~*~

And finally, here's a book recommendation:

Beadweaving - Major works by leading artists (Masters series)
ISBN 160059039X

This book contains not only jewelry but many many decorative
arts objects, figurines, displays, sculptures - all made of beads.

The artists' works are so different and yet each of them has its
own beauty. It's incredible what can be made out of simple glass
beads!
I like this book for drawing inspiration or just looking at beautiful things. The level of photo-
graphy is amazing! And whoever shares my passion for objects connected to the sea will find
some true gems in here!


That's all for today.
Until next time,
Ela

 

22/01/2010

Duchess costumes!

A random Google search for UK country houses the other day brought up this lovely link: For romance readers, a blog
by three novel authors about ' all things romantic in writing and reading'. And look what they've got!

© National Trust Photo Library, photos by Andy Tryner, scans with kind permission by Elizabeth Hanbury.


These postcards were for sale at the Duchess costume exhibition at Kedleston Hall. Thanks to these, we are now able to identify
at least two mystery dresses that have appeared in a few exhibitions but couldn't be identified in the movie until now.

I've created a little Duchess research page ~ read on to find out more about these costumes, and see some more Duchess
images that I found:


Courtesy of Glamhag on Flickr


Courtesy of Ellie from Elliephants Delights

 

12/01/2010

Welcome in the new year, my fellow costumers!

I am back from the Russian Court - the exhibition in Amsterdam - and I brought back some eye candy! The exhibit itself is wonderful.
If you do have the chance, go see it! They've literally hundreds of gowns on display, plus many many extra things like paintings,
furniture, letters, decoration objects, fans, hats, gloves...

Here's a little teaser:

Wanna read more about the exhibit and then look at the photos? Go here!
Wanna skip the blah and go directly to the pics? Follow me!

And yes, I have changed the color scheme...
Actually, this is my favourite color, so I guess it'll just stay for a while ^^

Until next time,

Ela