Hello from Costume College!

 A view from the Ronald Reagan Library.

Hi everyone! Just dropping in to say hi and give you all an update on what we are doing. So you know, pictures from our trip will come after we get back home. Gabrielle and I are attending a costume college/conference in LA this weekend. Today was the first day and it was tons of fun! The classes we attended today were the following.

1. French Drape Pattern Making (We learned how to drape a bodice from any era.) - by Kathy Lear
2. Learning From Originals - by Katherine Caron-Greig {http://www.koshka-the-cat.com/} (We were able to see and touch this underbust corset from 1905 and two bodices which are featured on Your Wardrobe Unlocked.)
3. The French Farthingale - by Small Kimiko (We learned how to make one from the book, "The Tudor Tailor" which by the way is an excellent book.)
4. Coats, Wraps & Stoles - 1950s - by Amy Calcote (A class full of lovely information on outerwear from the 50s - my favorite era, plus it one era that looks really good on me.)
5. How to Make Continuous Bias Tape - by Amy Calcote (We learned how to make our own bias tape that will turn out right, and won't be all right angles! Hurray!)
6. Make the Camera Love You and You Costume - Amy Calcote - We learned how to pose in front of camera and how to flatter your figure on the camera. So our pictures should improve in the coming days.)

Tomorrow we have a lighter class load and shopping to do at the booths. Which should be fun as a lot of the costume and vintage reproduction pattern companies are here. 

I better get to bed now. Talk to you all later.

~Ashley

p.s.

I have some exciting purchases that I made here in LA to show you all at a later day. =) One is my first vintage dress I ever bought, it is from the 1950s. And guess what?! It fits me like a dream and I wore it today. I can't wait to show it to you all. And of course everything else I bought. =) If you can't tell, I have been having tons of fun on my vacation.
~Ashley