Teachers for Costume College 2024!
Yosa Addiss
Yosa Addiss became a historic costumer after pursuing a degree in costume design. She created one of the first websites for custom-made costume gowns in the late 1990s. Yosa has moved on to a career in marketing, but remains a lifelong fan of historical costume. She finds something wonderful in every era, especially if the garments have pockets! Her preferred mediums are sewing, machine embroidery, and hand-crafted embellishments.
www.yosa.com
Malin Ahlen-Cordero
Malin Ahlen-Cordero has a degree in Archaeology from Uppsala University, Sweden. She is the co-owner of Thimble & Plume, a historical patterning and haberdashery company focused on pre-16th Century. Her interest in history ranges from woodcraft and silversmithing to leatherworking and historical sewing, drawing on years of studying traditional craft and focusing it through the lens of archaeology. She is a member of SCA. Her focus is costuming, period construction, and hand sewn garments. She is also the author of the 16th Century Landsknecht focused blog "Whilja's Corner".
Thimble & Plume
Nancy Alonso
Nancy Alonso has been a mother, nurse, stylist, Costume Designer, prop master and Fashion Designer since May 2013. Her specialty is costumes with unconventional materials like Resins, Wonderflex, Fosshape and PVA. She has worked in theater and on short films as well teaching sewing for the past 5 years. Nancy enjoys making jewelry, tiaras, couture dresses and historical clothing.
Grace Amundsen Barnkow
Grace Amundsen Barnkow has been a sewist since 2020, with a passion for history, crafting ensembles from Bronze Age Mesopotamia to 1890s New York. Her engineering background infuses a mixed-materials flair into designing patterns, molding props, and 3D printing. Specializing in extravagant hair, headdresses, and accessories, she brings a touch of whimsy to her work. Grace's latest venture involves a goat-to-coat project, using mohair from her own goats to craft a lavish 1530s Venetian coat.
An Tir Culturewiki
Lilli Barrett
Lillianne Barrett's mom taught her to sew and knit at 5. She began designing and making doll clothes and then proceeded to baby layettes. At 12, she began making clothes for her mom, her sister, and herself. She costumed high school, college, and community theatre productions while a student.She has a degree in History/Fine Arts-Theatre, did her graduate work in Women's Studies/History, and has worked professionally as a costumer for several of the smaller national and international contemporary dance companies and experimental theaters.
Trystan Bass
When she was five years old, Trystan Bass loved to dress up in black tights and a trench coat to play Mrs. Peel from "The Avengers.", she's been wearing funny clothes ever since. After learning to sew at her mother's knee, Trystan's hobby became creating her own gothic and historical outfits. She’s worked at Renaissance Faires, judged science-fiction/fantasy masquerades, held offices for the Greater Bay Area Costumer's Guild, played in the Society for Creative Anachronism, and critiques historical film costumes as Editor-in-Chief of Frock Flicks.
Frock Flicks
Elisa Bechtel
Elisa Bechtel is co-owner of Thimble & Plume, a historical patterning, costube, and haberdashery company known for their love of Landsknecht and 16th century fashion. She is a self-taught sewist and historical costumer and a member of the SCA, where her focus is costuming, period construction, and experimental archaeology. A historian by trade, she also worked in the costume shop of a living history program, learning to make 18th-19th century clothing. You can follower her current projects on Instagram at @handmadehistory.
Thimble and Plume
Laura Lowe Bower
Laura Lowe Bower has been studying and reproducing the styles of the 1920s-40s for over 20 years while swing-dancing & WWII reenacting. Her experience has given her insight into the style of the period, as well as practical knowledge of how women created and kept their style. She’s become adept at creating hairstyles from vintage diagrams and pictures while using modern products. She has participated in many, many events teaching about women’s involvement in WWII including doing work for the History Channel, presentations on the USS Midway, at Fort MacArthur, at Fort Rosecrans, and others.
Bridget Bradley-Scaife
Bridget Bradley-Scaife started costuming at age 12 when she got involved in Renaissance Faires. Since then, she has expanded her love of costuming to all time periods, but her current focus is on the 18th and 19th centuries. She is a member of the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild, a fabric enthusiast and former buyer for Renaissance Fabrics, and the owner of North & South Emporium, which specializes in mid-Victorian jewelry and accessories.
North & South Emporium
Jeannen Calvin
Jeannen Calvin started sewing and costuming for herself while in high school, and continued with studies in theater and fashion in college. For the past eight years, Jeannen has been designing costumes in Prescott, AZ at Suze's Prescott Center for the Arts (PCA) where she has costumed over 40 shows. Jeannen has also organized, cataloged, and maintained the extensive costume closet at PCA. She continues to hope for new learning and growth opportunities within the focus of her field.
Amy Carpenter
Amy Carpenter has been working in leather for the past 17 years. Her main focus has been high end leather replicas, accessories and pop culture fashion items. She is currently creating one of a kind pieces for the entertainment industry for HBO, Disney, and Hulu. Amy has also worked in the collectables market for 14 years creating fine art prototypes and samples for domestic and overseas manufacturing.
Legendary Costume Works
Brayton Carpenter
Brayton Carpenter has been creating costumes and working in leather for over 35 years. His work has been featured in books, museums, on stage and screen, and most recently on Perry Mason S2, The Mandalorian S3, and The Clauses S2. Brayton has a particular passion for crafting material culture and other gear in leather.
Z Carpenter
Z Carpenter is a very creative teenager who started making their own costumes at a very young age. They've always loved dressing up and playing pretend and are now interested in cosplay, historical, and fantasy costuming. This is their first foray into teaching, and they're nervous, but excited (nervouscited even). They're good at seeing an idea and figuring out how to make it with minimal instruction, and they love being as creative as possible.
Stephanie Clark
Stephanie Clark is a long time crafter and creator, mainly focusing on jewelry, costumes, and sewn goodies. She has been self taught over the course of 20 years, learning from friends, family, online sources, and working in a thriving family owned fabric store.
SweetlyHollow
Julia Clayton
Julia Clayton is an award winning costumer with over 50 years of sewing experience. She has made costumes for independent movies, plays, red carpet events, performance companies, and competitions. She works in all forms of materials: making hats, underwear, accessories, masks, and props.
Nexus Designs
Margaret Collins
Margaret Collins has been costuming since she was old enough to sew. She began attending Renaissance Faires in her 20s. This eventually led to her attending Carnivale in Venice with a duffle bag full of handmade costumes. She then took the jump and began performing with Renaissance guilds. She has been a Costume College attendee for several years and began teaching in 2023.
Olivia Competente
Olivia Competente is a jeweler and native of San Francisco. With a love of all things jewelry, she is versed in metalsmithing and her first love, beads. She became intrigued by metal clays in the early 2000s and has been a fan and artisan ever since. Olivia has her own company, Jewels By Olivia C, and teaches at her studio, Jewels By Olivia C Studio, in San Francisco.
Jewels By Olivia
Alena Craig
Alena K. Craig graduated this spring from Muhlenberg College, majoring in History and Theatre with a concentration in Costume Design. Growing up in Cordova, Alaska she was involved in community theatre and teaching traditional textile arts at The Netloft, a handcraft mercantile. She has a passion for making historically adequate and whimsical clothing especially things with big poofy skirts!
The Netloft
Cate Crain
Cate Crain has been costuming for over a decade. She loves both cosplay and historical fashions and is always looking for ways to make making things easier and more accessible.
HackingHistorical
Rory Cunningham
A professional costumer working in Hollywood for more than 35 years, Rory Cunningham is the owner of Bill Hargate Costumes Inc., a Union Custom Made Costume House specializing in film and television costumes from corseted frocks to superheroes and space suits to red carpet gowns. Many costumes created by his company have also been featured in museum exhibits.
Bill Hargate Costumes Inc.
Patty Davis
Patty Davis is the owner of a Historic Costume Studio in Ontario, Canada. She specializes in the design and construction of Victorian Clothing and Millinery. With all the knowledge and skill required to perform those tasks, she feels it's important to pass that knowledge on to future costumers; consequently, she spends a lot of time instructing new costumers. The world can never have too many fluffy dresses or fabulous hats.
The Costume People
Lauren Dedow
Lauren Dedow is a scientist who needed a way to let out her creative impulses. She's this year's Teacher Liaison, which means you'll see her running around all over at Costume College keeping track of all the classes and teachers. Flag her down if you have any questions or just to say hi!
Heather Dill-Tullo
Heather Dill-Tullo (@Dill_of_all_ Trades) has been sewing and crafting since she was a kid, but her costuming journey started in college with her first Renaissance Faire costume. What started as a necessity, has grown into a branching, twenty year passion ranging from historical and screen recreations, to leather craft and prop fabrication, to cosplay and incorporating electronics into her creations. She loves sharing her skills and knowledge with others as much as learning something new.
Cristina Donastorg
Cristina Donastorg is a self-taught sewist with an engineering background.
Linda Dunn
Linda Dunn has had a very active interest in clothing and costuming since an early age, encouraged by her mother, who wished that her “idle hands” have gainful employment in order to keep her active imagination in check. When Linda was eight years old, she wrote and illustrated a book on clothing design for the 1800s Fashion Doll, it included scale drawings of costume patterns, fabric suggestions, and a story. She has never stopped designing or looking for new ways to create. She would invite you to come with her as she continues to explore and learn.
Mark Edwards
Mark Edwards is a photographer based in Los Angeles. Growing up in Virginia, he was captivated by films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Quick and the Dead, and Blade Runner. He moved to southern California in the late 90s and landed his first role working for James Cameron on Titanic, resulting in 20 wonderful years of working in post production/visual effects. Today he is a full-time photographer specializing in live events, portraits, and company branding with Pop Culture flair (markedwardsphotos.com). In his free time he enjoys working on personal projects including classic noir and western inspired photography.
Michelle Fitzgerald
Michelle Fitzgerald fell in love with historical costume after seeing it on film and stage. She learned pattern cutting and fitting through her time working for Denver Bespoke, making suits and gowns for all bodies. Corsetry, in particular, was such a fun engineering project and a needed product in the costume community, that Clockwork Faerie corsetry was born. Michelle resides in Denver, CO with her partner and two children. She enjoys singing, playing piano, and hiking (in costumes of course!) in her spare time.
Clockwork Faerie
Leslie Flagg
Leslie Flagg, PharmD is an amateur costumer and historic hair and makeup enthusiast.
@printburndesign
Anne Freitag
Anne Freitag is a retired librarian with an interest in history. She does bookbinding, costume design (historical, steampunk, fantasy, and theatrical), and many other crafty things.
Morgan Gassman
Morgan Gassman is a former lighting designer, costumer, and stage technician turned banking administrator. She studied costuming under the guidance of professor Tara Maginnis Ph.D. at Diablo Valley College in northern California. After obtaining her theatre degrees, she went on to graduate from San Jose State with a B.A. in Communication.
Marina Gery
Marina Gery is an innovator at heart, with a passion for tech and all things creative. As the founder of PersonalFashion(personalfashion.us), her work revolves around high-accuracy 3D-body scans. Custom dress forms and digital avatars, made from 3D scans, bring new design possibilities and ensure the perfect fit. Marina started sewing in high school and has been making her own patterns since 2015, after attending LATTC fashion design program. Freedom to express herself through clothing and costumes is the best gift she found along the way and she is enthusiastic about sharing it with everyone
PersonalFashion, LLC
Zelda Gilbert
Zelda Gilbert is a retired professor of psychology with over 40 years experience in higher education. She currently lectures on various topics in political psychology and on costuming, mostly for the continuing education program at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. She completed a doctorate in counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky and studied political psychology at UCLA.
Steven Gillan
An Art Historian and historical researcher, wood worker, and doodler of Irish interlace, Steven Gillan has been the Chief of Clan MacColin of Glenderry, the premier Irish/Highland reenactment group on the West Coast, since 1982. He has guided research into Early Modern Gaelic life and culture in Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland with thousands of members over the decades.
Mary Gobet
Mary Gobet is a Historian first and Costumer second, but both began over 50 years ago. Living literally in the backyard of the best restored California Mission, La Purisima, and now living at the End of the Oregon Trail contributes to both passions. Her specialty is in restoration of antique purses and the collecting and studying of women’s diaries. Mary’s “day job” as a Market Analyst hides the fantasy worlds she plays in on the weekends.
Lia Hansen
Lia Hansen has been designing shows and teaching costuming for over 20 years in the Orange County area and at Vanguard University. She likes handcrafts and enjoys the historical research aspect of the profession. Her favorite time periods are the 1850s and the post WWI era.
Maegen Hensley
You know that moment when you've found your “people” and you can't shut up about all the neat things you make, the hundreds of things you plan to make, and the thousand things you will never make? That’s Maegen Hensley. Oh, and she is currently the Director of Asset Management for Prop Store of London located in Los Angeles area, was Costume College Dean in 2009 and 2019, and has been on the CoCo committee longer than her daughter has been alive.
E Hery
E Hery is a long time costumer with over a decade of sewing experience. Mostly in the realm of cosplay and lolita fashion, they have recently been dabbling in historical costuming. They are an award winning costumer and cosplay guest and experienced in a wide variety of skills from sewing to resin crafts to electronics. They are excited to help you level up your crafting skills. Follow their work on Instagram.
@theacalix
Lorelei Howe
Lorelei Howe is a twenty year old student at UCSC, majoring in Linguistics and minoring in Math. They began sewing during the 2020 Covid lockdown tailoring thrifted clothing, but they fell in love with costuming with the help of their experienced costumer and sewer mom, Nancy Howe. They have been fascinated with various forms of visual art for their whole life and are particularly fascinated with color theory, both how to make color palettes, and the science behind color. They also enjoy fiber arts like knitting and crocheting, writing, playing DnD with friends, and studying history.
Mela Hoyt-Heydon
Mela Hoyt-Heydon is a union Costume Designer, who retired as Chairman for the Theatre Arts Department at Fullerton College after 38 years and moved to Oregon in 2020. Her millinery shop, Atelier Mela, is open to the public, but primarily makes hats & costume props for the entertainment industry, her main client being Tokyo Disney. Mela is a founding member of Costume College, past board member of the Costume Society of America, and has designed for TV, film, theater, theme parks, cruise ships, and music videos.
Atelier Mela
Lalena Hutton
Lalena Hutton currently works as a theater costume technician as a cutter/draper, but she is also active as a historical costumer and a reenactor. She has trained in Couture and Tailoring construction techniques and loves to share her knowledge on the Thimble And Plume YouTube Channel.
Thimble and Plume
Miranda James
Miranda James is an amateur sewer with ambition larger than her skill level. Though Kristen James is her mother, she didn't start sewing until college, where she worked for the Costume Shop in the theater department. Her sewing focus is in cosplay, ren faires, and household decor. Miranda also dabbles in other crafts like watercolor painting and DIY home decorations and designs. What this really means is she knows her way around the Pinterest Boards and the Dollar Store. Her favorite costumes have been Imogen from Critical Role and Miss Piggy of The Muppets.
Kristen James
Kristen James has been sewing for over 40 years. She started costuming when her kids were cast in their school production of “Into the Woods”. Losing her mind for a hot second, Kristen volunteered to costume the entire cast of 30+ students on a shoestring budget. Thus began her career as an amateur costumer. From there she went on to making Madrigal Costumes, Ren Faire garb for family and friends, and the occasional Halloween costume. Now that her children are grown, Kristen has rediscovered the fun of creating historical leaning and fantasy vibe costumes for herself.
Mary Jane Jewell
Mary Jane Jewell has been sewing since the 1950s. She has taught beginning sewing at her local JoAnn's and was the costumer for several church choir productions. Recognized for her excellence in design, she has also received prizes for her quilts and a number of her historical costumes, including Best Journeyman at Costume Con II.
Quality Creations by MJ
Terence Johnson
Terence Johnson is a Los Angeles based cosplayer and designer. He was a designer in the 2023 Her Universe Fashion Show with his Green Prince look, inspired by Prince Naveen from Princess and the Frog, and won the Costumer's Guild Award at Comic Con Special Edition in 2021. He is known by his friends for being particularly interested in costumes that have capes, cloaks, or robes that touch the floor.
Jacki Jones
Jacki Jones is a hobby costumer who enjoys creating a Regency era wardrobe, science fiction get-ups, silly costuming, and is game to attempt any era! She has been sewing since she was a child and she encourages everyone to enjoy creating their dream projects!
Lisa Juarez
Sewing since age 12, Lisa Juarez caught the costume bug in her teens, and hasn't looked back! Her formal background in Design & Art History adds artistic flair to her creations and she likes helping others refine and develop their ideas. Past projects have included dance costumes, tents, home furnishings, and Cavalier-period garments. An LA local, she's haunted the downtown fabric district since the early 1980s and scrounged in thrift stores and flea markets for hidden gems perfect to incorporate into costumes. Now retired, she's particularly focusing on garments from the Elizabethan era.
Tanya K. Wilson
Tanya K. Wilson is a historic costumer that has worked in museums and special collection environments in roles ranging from collections preservation and research to exhibition design. Currently, she works as a reference librarian at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. Outside of her professional life, she is a research enthusiast with an interest in 16th Century Italian fashion. Lately, her interests have also taken her to researching the world of the Royal Scythians. She is obsessed with her two fluffy cats and is the author of the historical sewing blog Crinolines and Cavaliers.
Crinolines and Cavaliers
Becca Konieczny
Becca Konieczny's passions in life are needlework of all kinds, 19th century jewelry, dogs, and historical fashion. Becca has studied needlework with the Royal School of Needlework in the UK, the Embroiderers' Guild of America, and the American Needlepoint Guild. She has shown Borzois, Greyhounds, Salukis, and other breeds of dogs in the USA and Canada.
Robyn Koster
Robyn Koster is a disability and accessibility-focused seamstress. She is the co-costumer for Magical Realm Fantasy Faire, a nonprofit festival in Michigan, and the co-owner of a small costuming business with a focus on accessible and adaptable costumes for people of any gender, size, or physical need. She was taught to sew by her mother and grandmother. As a disabled woman, Robyn works to make fashion and costuming accessible and adaptable for all bodies.
Regina Lawson
Regina Lawson came up costuming high school theater productions and rock bands. She found her heart in historical clothing, making Victorian, 14thc, 15thc, and 16thc English, and 16thc German clothes, and specifically, researching and trying to reproduce Early Modern Irish and Highland Scots clothing. She's been doing THAT for over 35 years.
Katie Leonard
Dr. Katie Leonard is a professor of US History at Rowan University, studying the 19th and 20th century US. She enjoys making historic costumes from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Lana Lily
Lana Lily is a lover of history with a passion for historical sewing techniques. With a degree in Fashion Design from FIDM and more than 30 years experience as a historical reenactor she combines modern and historical techniques to create a unique approach to both historical and modern clothing creation. Lana found a love for teaching at Costume College and had the honor of being Dean of Costume College 2007. Lana’s class availability can be found at www.lanalily.com and her historical hair pieces at LanaLily.com.
Diane Lindsey
Diane Lindsey has had a passion for costumes and costuming since high school, studying costumes and styles from different eras, her first favorite being the Regency period. It was CGW and Costume College that motivated her to actually make the costumes and gave her the confidence to create styles she had only dreamt of creating. She considers herself an avid hobbyist, but has done costuming for little theatre style productions while living in the Bay Area.
Aiyesha Ma
Aiyesha Ma was drawn into costuming by pictures of pretty corsets and has been attending Costume College for over a decade. She has a large pile of in-progress projects and every now and then she actually manages to finish a project and attend an event.
Tara Maginnis
Tara Maginnis was Professor/Costume Designer at the University of Alaska Fairbanks from 1990-2007, and the Costume Designer/Adjunct Instructor at Diablo Valley College from 2008-2023, You can see her work at https://linktr.ee/thecostumer. TaraMaginnis.com
Sarah Magnuson
Sarah Magnuson of Sereblade Creations is from Tucson Arizona & initially started sewing when her mom taught her as a kid, then really got into it as an adult. Her initial interest in fashion design & cosplay was as a creative outlet and a way to create her own versions of favorite characters or to come up with her own original designs. She loves using intricate details to tell a story, as well as creating depth and texture within a garment. Sarah is an unapologetic nerd and goofball who delights in making those around her smile with silly antics.
Sereblade Creations
Rebecca Maiten
Rebecca Maiten is an actor and costumer living in the Seattle area, and runs the Youtube channel Lady Rebecca Fashions. She has been fascinated with historical fashions for as long as she can remember, and started sewing historical costumes about 15 years ago. Rebecca loves sewing costumes of any era, from the 17th C through Edwardian, and has more recently gotten into cosplay. You can also find her on Instagram as @LadyRebeccaFashions.
Lady Rebecca Fashions
Sandy Manning
Sandy Manning has been involved with costuming for a very long time. She loves researching and sharing the information she finds. She is semi-retired and enjoying every moment of it.
Leanna Marden
Leanna Marden is a professionally trained rhinestone worker who loves sewing, crafting, and historical clothing. She went to school for fashion design and has worked as a sewing teacher, a seamstress, and a historical interpreter.
Amy Wooten-Masters
Amy Wooten-Masters has a passion for playing dress-up. She was forced to learn to sew at age 8 from her grandmother who was done with all her over-the-top Halloween costume requests.
Elizabeth McCrary
Elizabeth McCrary first set foot on a stage at the ripe age of four, and was instantly, and permanently, ruined for Real Life. She grew up as a studio brat and has degrees in anthropology and archaeology, she has worked at several colleges and museums, and she had a day gig as an aerospace engineer. She did her time at Renaissance Faires, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Arts Festival, Disneyland, and as a professional actress and singer, and is still performing. She has been costume designer and shop lead for a local musical theater program for youths since 1995.
Sue McDonald
Sue McDonald is an avid costumer and a long-time seamstress, with a special interest in creating those special finishing touches that make a costume come to life. She has taught at Costume College for many years, teaching the classes making a beaded bead hatpin, making a Victorian or Edwardian purse, making a carpet bag, and making a buckram hat. She currently lives in Prescott, Arizona, where she sews for many of the local re-enactment groups.
Laura McNaughton
Laura McNaughton has enjoyed being part of the pattern company Truly Victorian since its beginning. She has an extensive collection of original fashion magazines from the later part of the 19th century and loves researching the changes of fashion through the years.
Truly Victorian Pattern Company
Heather McNaughton-Stewart
Heather McNaughton-Stewart is the force behind the Truly Victorian pattern line, established in 1997. She started her costuming journey at the age of 12, focusing on the Bustle eras. She attended her first Costume College in 1994 and has been a regular attendee/teacher/vendor ever since. She is an avid collector of historical periodicals and dressmaking patterns and information from the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
Truly Victorian Pattern Company
Natalie Meyer
Natalie Meyer has been sewing since she was 5 years old and began costuming 40 years ago with her nephew's first Superman costume. She began historical costuming when she became a docent at Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles in 1993 and joined the Costumer's Guild West that same year. She has been attending Costume College since and has been teaching for 20 years.
Jess Miller
Jess Miller has been Costuming ever since discovering the Renaissance Faire, the SCA, and the science fiction fandom all in the same year. She has a BA in Art with an emphasis in textiles and further coursework in Anthropology, which just confuses the issue. She has run local masquerades, is a Past Dean of Costume College, and will discuss costumes forever.
Therese Moore
Therese Moore is an educator, writer (pen name Tess DeGroot), tai chi instructor, and amateur historian who loves to create historic dresses, embroider, and crochet. Taught by her grandmother, who never used a pattern, she may not do it "the right way," but it gets done. She lives in the High Desert of California with her husband and two furbabies.
Tess DeGroot | Reading, writing and a good cup of tea
Ed Morlan
Ed Morlan started costuming without realizing it by sewing his own gear for military trainings and on an occasional movie set where some guys managed to get him to reenactment event in early 2000’s. He hand-makes wood and leather products and forges his own blades and weapons. He’s honed his leather skills and enjoys teaching at various cons to pass on his knowledge. Ed is a reenactor, 13th century longbow archer and dabbles in Roman, Greek, WW2 Navy, Pirate, fantasy, and Sci-Fi and has even enters costume competitions.
Jenn Mulvey
Jennifer Mulvey has been a part of the costuming hobby for almost 2 decades. She has spent many years dabbling in all facets of costuming. Jennifer has helped run conventions, been on boards, taught at cons, and has even entered a few costume competitions. She loves all costumes from historically based to fantasy and Anime. Costuming and Cosplay is a big part of Jennifer's life and she loves meeting new people and finding out what they love about the hobby. She takes great pride in making perfectly imperfect creations and would love to know what's next on your list too!
Jeanette Murray
Jeanette Murray has been creating, wearing, and loving historical, vintage, and fantasy costumes since 2007. She is primarily self taught with "champagne tastes on a cider budget". She especially loves to create the details and accessories so important to great costuming. She shares her creations on her blog "The Perfect Touch" and her YouTube Channel "aperfecttouch".
The Perfect Touch Victorian
Sabrina Nelson
Sabrina Nelson has been making clothes and costumes since the age of five when she made an evening gown out of a scarf for her Barbie doll. These days she's focused on history bounding and the occasional Marvel mashup. Clothing for plus, petite, and other real world people is her passion.
Sabrina Costumes
Edel Nevins
Edel Nevins is a German/American Army brat who grew up surrounded by art history & costume. This led them to pursue a degree in costume design and technology. After years of alterations and costume gigs, they are now a Costume Specialist Senior at Walt Disney World Resort and plan to move up into Creative Costuming.
Kelsey Nichols
Kelsey Nichols is the full time costume shop manager and resident designer for West Valley Arts in West Valley City, UT. She received her M.F.A. in costume design from Indiana University and has been actively working in theatrical costume design since graduation in 2016. She loves to design for the Georgian and Regency eras, enjoys creating fantastical new worlds, and is always intrigued by the challenge of creating a magical quick change. In her free time, she has taken up cobblery and is learning to make her own shoes.
Jocelyn Paine
Failing to build a pumpkin outfit from coat hangers when she was seven thrust Jocelyn Paine into costuming. A summer’s internship with Joseph Papp’s Shakespeare-in-the-Park at age thirteen (‘ahem’ decades ago) gave her the down-and-dirty skills she needed for historical yet thrifty costuming on various stages in Anchorage, Alaska. She stopped counting at 40 vintage hats.
Christienne Palmieri
Christienne Palmieri has been teaching needle arts for over 35 years, including sewing, knitting, embroidery, and more. Self-taught from the age of 9, she decided after a long accounting career in the corporate world to go back to school for a degree in Fashion Design from FIDM (while raising her then toddlers.) Historical costuming has always been a secret desire and with the discovery of CGW, she's finally making and wearing the costumes of her dreams. Perhaps a YouTube channel is next!
Emily Partridge
Emily Partridge, AKA @thesuckyseamstress, has been historical costuming since 2003. She enjoys historical research, planning costumed outings and events, and running amok with other costumers! She is a member of many historical costuming groups, and will dress up for any event or outing (she's probably already dressed up right now!). She sees sewing as a necessary evil and advocates for body positivity in costuming and cosplay. Emily lives near Seattle with her @handsomehubby and puppy son, George.
The Sucky Seamtress
Jill Passmore
Jill Passmore is the Visitor Experience Coordinator at the Oshawa Museum and has over 20 years of museum experience. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Classical Studies from Brock University. Jill develops and provides programming, and researches early education and Mormonism in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. As a historian, she enjoys genealogy and is an avid collector or toys and antiques. Jill is a mental health advocate and certified yoga instructor. She spends time gardening, knitting, and practicing yoga with her husband, two children, and their cat Olaf.
Oshawa Museum
Susan Payne
Susan Payne has been a costumer and cosplayer for over a decade. Blending her skills in costume design and cosplay, Susan's commitment to eco-consciousness transcends eras. From her innovative use of unconventional materials in contemporary wear, she transitions this into historical costuming, infusing the past with her eco-friendly approach. Through teaching, she inspires a fusion of creativity, history, and sustainability in the art of costuming.
DL Popplewell
DL Poppelwell comes from a family of sewers and crafters, so needle arts and crafting have been a part of her life as long as she can remember. In high school, she went on a school field trip to the Northern California Renaissance Faire and costuming took over. Her true passion evolved into creating accessories: hats, manipulated ribbon trim, silk flowers, feather decorations, chatelaines for the waist, wrist and fingers, diverse reticules and more! Now she’s even experimenting with growing it into a business and having a joyous time doing it.
DLP Historical Accessories
Trevon Powell
Tre Powell, also known as SirDressMaker on social media, is a lover of historical fashion and accessories. He specializes in the making of Victorian/Edwardian Fashion ranging from 1837-1918. He has partnered with the Tempe History Museum as a Costumer for all of their events and collections.
SirDressMaker
Wolfcat
Wolfcat has been playing with fibers in one way or another creating things since she was first taught embroidery at age 4. She enjoys a wide range of genres from Iron Age Finn through modern-day vintage historical clothing and science fiction/fantasy costuming, plus quilting and doll making. She will happily talk to anyone about almost anything and loves to hear about new techniques
Heidi Pritchett Molley
Heidi Pritchett Molley started costuming back in 2000, after finding out that simple round skirts at Ren Faire cost over $50. During her costuming peak, she focused on cosplay and mascot costuming and won both Hall Contests and Masquerade contests at DragonCon. Today, she focuses more on her spoiled cats and dog, and her craft business where she makes cute monster bunnies who also love to cosplay.
Laura Raynes
Laura Raynes has been knitting and crocheting for twelve years and sewing for three. Her favorite things to make are 1940s inspired garments that she can dress up for a full vintage look or dress down for a more subtle vintage vibe. She's passionate about sharing what she has learned to help others create garments that fit better (and are more unique) than anything one could find off the rack.
Jody Regan
Jody Regan has been a member of CGW for 24 years. She is also a past president of the San Diego Costume Guild. Jody was taught to sew on her grandmother's treadle sewing machine in the 1950s and honed her skills in high school home ec class and made her own costumes for roles in high school musicals. She is an English Country dancer and has been making Regency turbans for herself and friends for several years.
Carolyn Richardson
Carolyn Richardson has been making costumes for over 40 years, originally making medieval and Renaissance clothing for the Society for Creative Anachronism. Since then, she's expanded into other eras from the 1700s to the 1950s. She is an avid organizer, sewing machine collector, and works as a tax accountant when she's not costuming.
Ella Plum
Ella Plum is an avid sewist who is currently attending university for theater with a focus in costuming where she just finished her junior year. She loves making costumes and historically inspired clothing for herself and finding new, challenging skills with each project. Growing up in Southern California, she spent much of her time in high school volunteering with the Heritage Square Museum and learning hand sewing techniques to make her tour guide costumes. She now tutors newer sewists who want to learn and she can't wait to meet everyone for her first time teaching at Costume College!
Jen Rosser
Jen Rosser owns and designs embroidery for Jenny Rose Sews on Etsy. She is a self-taught seamstress and embroidery designer who uses her passion for film costume design to inspire her creative endeavors. By day she works in film and television animation and by night she rewatches period films with her husband.
Jenny Rose Sews
Andie Ruiz
Andie Ruiz has 25 years of experience in sewing, costuming, and historical reenactment. From Renaissance to Cyberpunk, she loves creating new looks and learning new techniques. Known as Captain Azzar in the steampunk community, she is adept in community organizing and an advocate for creating inclusive spaces. Her efforts have helped foster a culture of diversity that allows individuals to feel a sense of belonging in the steampunk community, both in-person and online events.
Captain Azzar
Carolyn Runnells
Carolyn Runnells was bitten by the costuming bug in 1997 after receiving two complete 1872 ensembles created for a docent in Virginia City. Since that time, Carolyn has traveled the world using costumes and art to bring historical talks to life aboard cruise ships and stateside. Certification as an interpreter at the National Association for Interpretation, an organization advancing the profession of heritage interpretation, gives Carolyn her unique historical approach to costuming and teaching art.
CarolynRunnells.com
Donna Scarfe
Donna Scarfe has attended Costume College since 1996 and has been teaching since 1998. She specializes in Renaissance millinery, but works with all periods including contemporary fashion hats. She took two short courses in England to hone her skills and believes you can never have too many feathers! She travels the Midwest Faires vending as Fyne Hats By Felicity and also sells through her Etsy shop. Donna is also a professional actress and ASL interpreter.
Fyne Hats By Felicity
Catherine Scholar
Catherine Scholar is a historical costumer with a passion for historical accuracy. She augments her work with information gleaned from a large collection of historical dressmaking and sewing manuals. She is a long-time teacher for Lacis, Costume On, Renaissance Fabrics, GBACG, and Costume College. She served on the guard of GBACG for ten years in a number of roles, including Newsletter Editor, Event Coordinator, and President.
Rebecca Shedd
Rebecca Shedd's journey in costuming spans 22 years. She knew she had found her passion and her people the moment she stepped into her first Renaissance Faire. From there, she has expanded her interest to include late 18th century, 19th century, and early 20th century fashion, as well as a smattering of cosplay. Beginning with her first sewing lesson from her mom, there's been no stopping her quest for sewing knowledge. She is excited to share some of what she has learned.
Lynette Shires
Lynette Shires became hooked on sewing at age eight when a teacher-friend showed her how to knock-off a pattern from an existing garment, enabling Lynette to create very cool outfits without the high retail price! Her love of sewing, designing, and teaching has been an inspirational and satisfying part of her life. She has taught high school, Adult Ed., and college classes in Basic Sewing Techniques, English Smocking, French Hand Sewing, Apparel Analysis, and Wardrobing. She especially enjoys sharing tricks and tips that make the creating process easy and fun!
Candice Silva Kenan
Candice Silva Kenan is an Accounting and Tax professional who has loved all aspects of Costume from a very young age. She is an avid collector of vintage sewing machines and has worked in various costume related jobs since attending FIDM, including giving Trolley tours of the LA Fashion District for The Fashion District Business Improvement District, working as a dresser for various fashion shows and assistant wardrobe shop manager for the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, and is a contributor at The Art of Costume.
Sew Historic
Laura Skarka
Laura Skarka is a library assistant, cosplayer, & crafter who has been sewing since childhood. Something of a “craft dragon”, she snuck costuming classes into her schedule while earning degrees in English and Medieval History and spent her formative years working at an old-fashioned hobby/craft store where she learned everything from beading to model-building to better assist customers and has applied that knowledge to her costuming efforts ever since. A long-time gamer, she has written historical costuming and cosplay advice articles and worked as a costumed performer for RPG companies and conventions.
Caroline Smeby
Caroline Smeby has been costuming since the early 2000s, and enjoys competing at events such as Costume-Con and San Diego Comic-Con. She does costumes from many genres such as anime, comic books, and has recently branched out into historical costuming.
Ruth Sofaer-Morse
Ruth Sofaer-Morse has been studying fashion for over 19 years and teaching throughout that time. Her first job was working in the industry as a spec drawer and pattern drafter, but she soon found that her love was elsewhere- fashion history and design. It took some time to find her niche, but it came in the form of hat making and she started a biz not long ago and has been at it ever since. She loves to use historical elements to complement modern hats and to make historical hats that are fun and fabulous.
RuMel Creations
Libby Stephenson
Libby Stephenson has been a historical costumer for over 15 years, during which she has explored almost every era of fashion history from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Currently, her focus is on the Early Modern Period. She holds a BA in French and Ancient Greek from the College of William and Mary.
Emma Stringham
Emma Stringham received her BFA in Costume Technology from Brigham Young University-Idaho and has been working in theatre and costuming since 2021. Emma has worked as a Hair and Makeup Designer for the last year and a half, as well as Wig Run Crew at various theatres in Utah.
Crystal Taggart
Crystal Taggart's first job was cleaning house for an old lady who had been a 1930s fashionista. That's where she fell in love with hats and vintage fashion. She used her sewing skills to put herself through college in pursuit of a degree in biology. For the last 15 years she has owned Crystal's Idyll, a costume company specializing in designing and creating historically inspired fantasy fashions and accessories. Her work has been seen on stage, screen, and anywhere fun people gather across six continents.
Crystal's Idyll
Laura Tan
Laura Tan, PT, DPT graduated from the George Washington University with a doctorate of physical therapy in 2015. Laura has been working in outpatient orthopedics and started working with an interdisciplinary chronic pain program in 2019. While she dreamed of sewing during grad school, she was finally able to realize her dream of learning garment sewing once she settled into her career. After enduring the various aches and pain of crafting, she has combined her professional and creative pursuits to share with her fellow costumers to help them continue to achieve their costuming fantasies.
Megan Terry
Megan Terry is a writer and editor who has been costuming as a hobby for 15 years and sewing for even longer. She dove head-first into the world of cosplay in 2009 and hasn't emerged since. In college, she began making fantasy-inspired clothing to wear in everyday life. While her main focus has been cosplay and fantasy costuming, she’s expanded into historical costuming as well as formal dress making.
Kendra Van Cleave
Kendra Van Cleave has been creating and studying historic costumes for over 30 years (although we won't talk about those early mishaps). She is also a fashion historian, specializing in the 18th century. She has published a book on 18th century hair & wig styling (18thCenturyHair.com), plus an academic book ("Dressing à la Turque"), and reviews historical costumes in movies and TV for Frock Flicks (FrockFlicks.com).
18th Century Hair & Wig Styling
Blair Van Tassel
Blair Van Tassel is a vintage enthusiast and Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild member. She found the costuming community on YouTube during the "inside times" and has been sewing ever since. Favorite eras span from 18th century to Edwardian, but day to day you will see her in 1930s-1950s creations. She is the most overdressed at every occasion and loves to talk about craftsmanship.
@freshprincessofblair
Chad Volpe
Chad Volpe is a 30+ year Renaissance Faire reenactor and semi-pro cosplayer with a focus on samurai, who has been a featured attendee and panelist at many cons over the past 15 years.
Margaret Ward
Margaret Ward has been sewing and crafting since she was young, collecting knowledge of many crafts. She has been coming to Costume College since 2015 and enjoys several costume periods and genres.
Bree Wardlow
Seamstress, corset maker, leather worker, and more - Bree Wardlow has been sewing and creating clothes and costumes since childhood. She has a degree in Accessories Design from FIT and has worked in diverse environments from Renaissance Faires to aerospace. She has a passion for historical costuming, especially the 18th century. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with others. She believes everyone can make what they want and have fun doing it, while being responsible and respectful of course! “Appreciation not appropriation” and “vintage style not vintage values “ are important.
Sew Your Dreams with Bree!
Jeannine Wayman
Jeannine Wayman learned how to sew at the age of ten. Over the years, she started out hating sewing, but then turned to quilting, and finally to costuming. She currently teaches Fashion and Design in a California public high school. One of the most important things about being a teacher is to encourage and support students in discovering a totally new art form, and having fun. You can check out her work on her blog, jninecostumes.
jninecostumes
Madame Askew
Natalie Meyer has been sewing since she was 5 years old and began costuming 40 years ago with her nephew's first Superman costume. She began historical costuming when she became a docent at Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles in 1993 and joined the Costumer's Guild West that same year. She has been attending Costume College since and has been teaching for 20 years.
Madame Askew
Dave Wilson
Dave Wilson has been a history devotee for as long as he can remember. A fascination with medieval heraldry led to so many other fields of interest that there are few things he's not interested in. He's taught at Costume College on heraldry, medieval tournaments, armor, cour boille (medieval fiberglass), hat boxes, frog closures, the 1915 panama pacific exposition, the 1521 Field of Cloth of Gold, leather uses during the Civil War, lost luggage from the Titanic (900 tons!). Best of all is the people he's met and the things he's learned at Costume College.
Kathryn Wolters
Kathryn Wolters has been a confirmed costume, metal thread embroidery, and historical jewelry 'junkie' since she was 9 years old, when she clothed her Barbie in Palace Minoan clothing, to her father's shock and dismay. Her history buff Mom was just amused. Since then she has played and taught over the last 50 years with numerous costume and dance groups, including Ren Faire, SCA, Friends of the English Regency, and various Victorian groups. The words 'Life Time Addictions' come to mind.
Country Countess
Erin Wooward
Erin Woodward has costumed and won awards for historical reenacting for over 30 years focusing on the 19th century. Erin also creates costumes for school and church plays and long distance running events. She is interested in all types of sewing and crafting, especially quilting, beading and crochet. As a high school teacher, she has taught both quilting and crochet to her students.
Chris Yeakley
Chris Yeakley is a serial hobbyist who dabbles in sewing, but spends long hours reading, thinking, and talking to anyone they can about fashion and identity.
Jo Yeakley
Jo Yeakley is an established sewist of over 50 years, an experienced teacher, scientist, entrepreneur, and serial experimentalist in all areas of textile crafts.
Diane Yoshitomi
Diane Yoshitomi has been at home with needle and thread for more than 60 years. By her twenties she was making all of her own clothes and after entering fashion design school she designed many of them as well. She began to "dress historical" in the 1990s while volunteering as a docent at a Victorian house museum and now enjoys recreating the fashions of 1800 to 1950. She credits Costume College with many new skills and delightful acquaintances which continue to open ever-widening horizons of costuming creativity and pleasure.
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