My first week was spent helping out with odd costume jobs for shows other than the panto and getting familiar with the people who work at the Lyric.
Our Countries Good:
– It had just finished on stage so I helped Kyle with some of the laundry tasks. Most items were washed and tumble-dried, non-washables were sprayed with isopropyl alcohol and then left in a hot box to dry. – The hired coats from Angels had some fit modifications that I unpicked paired a few seams and resewed buttons before Harry returned them.
Father Christmas suits:
– 3 new suits needed to be made that matched the previous costume. I worked with Kyle to follow the original pattern and construction method. We overlocked all pieces, washed them to check for shrinkage then sewed 3 coats and 2 pairs of trousers.
– We ran into issues with our coat the necklines being much smaller than the previous year’s coat – perhaps it was changed during a fitting and not translated to the patterns? Ideally, we would modify the neckline to match and make it more comfortable for the actor wearing a beard but without the designer present, we left it as is.
– The jacket sleeves were also left unfinished and without any fur so fittings on the actors could be completed first.
Starting work on Aladdin:
– I spoke with Harry who had allocated the costumes between him, Kyle and me. I began planning the Shera dame costume, breaking it down into elements I needed to make and what i would use. The fabrics had already been purchased but decisions like the choice to make the middle section a boned corset instead of a part of the dress were up to me.
– I started the pattern process by drafting a block based on Eman’s measurements. It wasn’t easy though, as the measurements were from last year and we weren’t sure how accurate they were. This was also my first time drafting for a plus-sized person, the pattern instructions are formulated for smaller bodies so it was a little difficult but I trusted my previous pattern-cutting knowledge and knew that there would be a fitting to make any adjustments needed. I made a dress pattern and corset pattern from this block then sketched the decorative details.
– Attended a weekly staff meeting
-Was introduced to the Lyric office staff in the office by Natalie. Everyone was very friendly but meeting so many new people simultaneously was quite intimidating.
