Squeals - 129.121.107.232129.121.107.232/~costumer/wp-content/uploads/2013/...2 - Squeals, the official newsletter of Costumer’s Guild West, Inc. About Our Cover Model: Michaela

June/July 2016

Squeals

The official newsletter of Costumer’s Guild West, Inc.®

2 - Squeals, the official newsletter of Costumer’s Guild West, Inc.® -

About Our Cover Model:Michaela de bruce

DeaDline for article SubmiSSon for the next iSSue: July 1St, 2016

Send your contributions to the editor at [email protected]. All e-mail messages received are assumed to be for publication unless specifically marked DNP or DNQ (do not print/do not quote). We’re always looking for articles on costume-related subjects in the 100 to 400 word range. Longer articles also desired for serialization.Please include photos as attachments.

Michaela de Bruce is one of our Costume College essay scholarship winners. She creates artisan costumes of all varieties including fantasy, Sci-Fi, and historic costumes. Her work is incredibly detailed and you can follow her costume progress via her blog. http://www.arrayedindreams.com/blog/She also has lots of wonderful articles about costuming techniques.You can read more about Michaela’s costumes at www.arrayedindreams.com

Here’s a bit about the fantastic costume on our cover:

Mass Effect - femshep

Year finished: 2013Inspiration: Space knight! Seriously though; gothic plate in space.Armour: all wet-formed and tooled russet. Sealed with rub n Buff and painted in resolene-pigment mix.Rifle: scratch built from architect’s boards and fibreglassed.

Photos by Sylvie Kirkman of Little Noise Photography www.facebook.com/LittleNoisePhotographyNZ

- Squeals, the official newsletter of Costumer’s Guild West, Inc.® - 3

I have also done some spring (summer?) cleaning of my costume collection. As a Costume Designer for film and television you tend to amass quite a bit of miscellania, from custom costume pieces to vintage items to costume items purchased from costume rental houses, and even some pieces used on a well-known sci-fi show. Enough to fill about 8 trash bags!Additionally, a friend who used to sew a lot for herself was cleaning out her own storage and sent me several large boxes of fabric, much of it from the 1960s and perfect to create fabulous costumes for Costume College 2017 events.All of these wonderful items can be yours for donations to the Scholarship Fund at this year’s Bargain Basement. You won’t want to miss it!

The CGW, Inc. Annual Meeting will soon be upon us which means we will be electing several new board members. This is your chance to serve and further the vision of the guild. Please see Eileens article about the board positions and how to submit your candidacy. Remember, that you can contact any current or previous board member with any questions you may have.

You’re reading SQUEALS: The official newsletter of Costumer’s Guild West, Inc.®June/July 2016. Volume 31, Number 8/9.

From the Editor-in-chief: Rebecca Lowell

ContentsAbout Our Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .From the Editor-in-chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CGW Needs You! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .From the Costume College Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roommates for Costume College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rent a Sewing Machine for Costume College . . . . . . . . . . . . .What’s This Bargain Basement Thing About Anyway? . . . . . . .Caught on Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Red Carpet Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Red Carpet Etiquette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Costume College Event Check-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Volunteer at Costume College! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Meet ricRack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where to Buy Fabric (If You Don’t Live in LA) . . . . . . . . . . . . CGW Goes to the 24th Art of Motion Picture Costume . . . . .Fabulous Feathers Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CGW May Board Meeting Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12th Annual Bue and Gray Military Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Talk Like a Pirate Day event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Help Wanted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Colophon & Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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From the President: Eileen Smolenski

In the meantime there is plenty of CGW stuff to keep me occupied while I await the final design decision for the wedding gown. The March 20th Board meeting provided much distraction. Over the last few months, in this column, I have mentioned that there are several current member from the CGW Board of Directors who will not be seeking reelection in October. With this in mind, I have encouraged anyone interested to step forward. Please don’t be intimidated. You will have lots of support. In addition to multiple past Board members ready to answer questions and offer advice when needed, several years ago we created handbooks for each position of the Costumer’s Guild Board of Directors. These books contain a wealth of information between their covers. They are similar to the ones which detail the various chairperson responsibilities for Costume College that many of you are familiar with. Though these handbooks have been updated over time, at the last meeting, we determined that there is still some room for improvement. With this thought in mind, the CGW Board of Directors is working to add additional information that will enable a smoother transition into office for the new Board come October. Those that came before us did a great job with these handbooks. I hope our additions live up to their standards and help those that are still to come. But the President is going to need a larger notebook.

It is a pity my youngest daughter is not four inches taller and thirty pounds heavier. The wedding gown we are designing together would be perfect for this year’s Costume College Saturday Night’s Gala. The project, at least in its current version could easily be interpreted for a ballet production of Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. With the bride playing the part of Tatiana with the bridesmaids as her attendant fairies. It is uncertain how exactly this particular purple light saber wielding groom will be able to pull off the role of Oberon but there is still planning to do yet and the bride’s vision keeps changing. Wait, maybe the bride is carrying the light saber.

Save the Date!The 2016 Annual Meeting of Costumer’s Guild West, Inc. will be

on Saturday October 1. At this meeting will we have the election for the 2016-2017 Board of Directors as well as our annual fashion

show and project challenge. Further coming soon!


Costumer’s Guild West, Inc. Needs You!It is time to seriously consider serving our costume guild as a member of the Board of Directors. Without volunteers CGW, Inc. cannot exist. Currently we need up to eight members to run for office on our October 1, 2016 ballot.

Currently there are up to nine separate elected Board positions for CGW, Inc. Eight of those positions will appear on the October ballot. Because of the CGW, Inc. By-Laws changes voted into place February 2013, the positions of President and Treasurer are two year commitments, voted on during alternate year elections. Annette Grace will remain in the position of Treasurer for another year. We will be electing the remaining positions: President (a two year term), Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and up to four Directors at Large.

In order to serve on the CGW Board of Directors, a candidate must be a member in good standing and at least 18 years of age. They must also be prepared to attend most, if not all, of the Board Meeting throughout the year. There are six board meetings and the Annual Meeting in October. These meetings are held in a variety of locations around Southern California. It is possible for board members to participate in meetings via conference phone calls and via Skype as necessary.

Here is a list of the CGW Board positions and a brief description of their responsibilities. Additional information, as well as an in-depth description of Board Member Duties are available in Article X (ten) of the CGW, Inc. By-Laws found on our website at www.cgw.costumers.org under the Member’s Only link.

President: Presides at all meeting of the organization and Board of Directors, has day-today general and active management over the affairs of CGW, Inc. and supervises the conduction of its business, act as an ex officio member of all committees, with Board approval, appoints chairpersons for any special or standing committees as well as Parliamentarian. This is a two year commitment and voted into office on even numbered years.

Vice President: Performs the duties of the President in the absence of that individual and Coordinates CGW, Inc. events and recruit assistants as needed to facilitate them.

Recording Secretary: Takes and records accurate minutes of the proceedings of all meetings. Maintains a historical file of all documents relating to the organization, as well as continually updating the log of all Resolutions enacted by the Board.

Corresponding Secretary: Conducts the correspondence of the organization, and takes responsibility for editing and publishing the organization’s newsletter, Squeals. The Corresponding Secretary may select an assistant editor with the approval of the Board of Directors.

Director-at-Large: Acts as a conduit of information and communication between the membership and Board of Directors. Serves on committees and in other such capacities as assigned by the President and/or the Board of Directors.

If you are interested in finding out more information regarding the various duties of the individual Board positions we all welcome your questions. Contact information for each of the CGW Board Members can be found in the back pages of Squeals and on the CGW, Inc. web-site under the “About Us” link. Any CGW member, in good standing, aged 18 or older, who is interested in serving our guild, should submit a statement of candidacy of 100 words or less before August 1 to any current Board member in order to be printed in Squeals and added to the ballot. NOMINATIONS WILL ALSO BE TAKEN FROM THE FLOOR DURING THE CGW ANNUAL MEETING ON OCTOBER 1, 2016.


From the Costume College Dean:Dani Crum

Here at Costume College headquarters (which is an imaginary space somewhere between my living room and Heather’s kitchen) we’re hard at work preparing. Each committee member is working to make sure you get the very best experience possible. Things to be aware of: CoCo tickets are still available! Tell your friends to sign up for Costume College and enjoy the event together. 6/28 is the deadline for 75% membership refund. If you’ve had a setback or scheduling problems, we understand. You can get the majority of your funds back. Why not 100%? Because we’ve already spent money on publishing, mailing, etc. so the 25% we keep covers the expenses. After 6/28, you can still get 25% back if you can’t attend.

Now that you have your Limited attendance classes it’s a great time to sign up to volunteer. See Kristen Foggie’s article in this issue of Squeals for full details. So that’s it – we’re so close to our event! I hope you’re having great successes with your costuming, and are anticipating a wonderful event as I am.

Dani CrumCostume College Dean [email protected]

“You’re gonna need a bigger RAFFLE BASKET.”-- Martin Brody

Fabulous Items needed for our 2016 CoCo Raffle Baskets!The Raffle supports our CoCo Scholarship Fund.

Contact: Darlene Grodske - [email protected](Put “RAFFLE BASKET DONATION” in the subject line please!)

Costume College® is at the end of next month! Yay!!


My name is Simone and I am your roommate liaison for 2016. What does this mean? Well, it means I can help you defray the cost of Costume College, meet new people and have a blast by getting roommates! This is a free service designed for you to get the best experience while at Costume College®. When you send an email to [email protected], you will get an auto-response. Just answer some basic questions and bingo, you are on your way! Allow us at Costume College help you to have a really excellent time!

Contact us at [email protected] Please place CC2016 in the subject line. In the body of the text include the following information: • Your name • Phone number • Email address • How many roommates you would like • Gender preference • How many and which nights • If you have you booked your room • Smoking or non-smoking • Do you prefer a warm or cold room? • Are you a morning or evening person? • Are you new toCostume College®?

This service will provide you with email contact information and names. Everything else will be up to you. We will match you with roommates based on the information you provide. All monies for reservations will be at your expense, such as car spaces and food costs. Be sure to discuss division of costs with your roommate so there are no surprises. Remember not to over book rooms and to release any overbooked rooms as soon as you’ve made arrangements with your roommate.

Simone Bryan, Roommates [email protected]

Roommates for Costume College

Rent a sewing machine at Costume College!

You must choose a specific period of time to reserve your machine and return it back to the Information Desk immediately following your reservation time so that the next student may use it. You will need to provide your own sewing notions and tools. We recommed signing up in advance, but you may also check availability at the Information Desk once you arrive.For reservations and further information contact Eileen Smolenski at [email protected]

Will you need a sewing machine at Costume College? Perhaps you live too far away to bring one with you for a class?

For the second year, CGW will be providing sewing machines for rent. There will be several light weight XL-2600i Brother sewing machines available on a first come, first reserved basis. The cost will be $5.00 per hour.


Since the mid-1990's, a well-known feature of Costume College has been the raffle held at the Gala dinner and dance on Saturday night. At first, the prizes awarded to lucky raffle ticket holders were donations from the sewing collections of Committee members and attendees. Within a few years, there were so many donations they could not all be distributed at the Raffle. Memory suggests that it was George Popa who proposed selling the extras at "Bargain Basement" prices Sunday morning after the Gala.

Thus was born the Bargain Basement at Costume College (also known as The Exotic Emporium of Fascinating Finds).

The first Chairwoman was probably Zelda Gilbert. Patt Kopp inherited it from her and ran the Raffle and Bargain Basement for well over ten years. For most of her tenure as the Bargain Basement's chair, Patt held her Sunday morning sales in the hallways at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys, California. "We were lucky the Fire Marshal didn't shut us down," she says with a laugh, referring to fire codes requiring hallways to be kept clear in case of an emergency.

Since Costume College's move the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills, California, the Bargain Basement has had the luxury of its own room in Salons A & B. With this dedicated space, the Bargain Basement has been able to steadily grow, taking in an increased amount and variety of donations. A Silent Auction has even been added to bring attention higher end donated items. From humble beginnings in the hallways, the Bargain Basement has grown to be a source for unusual sewing needs as well as funds for the scholarships given by Costumer's Guild West, Inc. These scholarships provide an opportunity for interested costumers to attend Costume College who might otherwise be unable to go. (Check out on the internet: costumersguild.org > About Us > Scholarships.)

So what is this Bargain Basement thing anyway? It's a long-standing feature of Costume College that both provides an outlet for generous costumers to give supplies and a place for needful costumers to find supplies. Meanwhile, cultivates funds to provide fresh opportunity for those who need the chance to attend College. Ultimately, that's what the Bargain Basement is; a place to recycle old thoughts and parts into new ideas and outfits.

What’s this Bargain Basement Thing Anyway?A Brief History

by Tao Will, Bargain Basement Chair (after an interview with Patt Kopp)

“The RAFFLE BASKET?! You can’t handle the RAFFLE BASKET!!”-- Col. Nathan R. Jessup

Do you have something EVERYONE would want? Donate it for our 2016 CoCo Raffle Baskets! The Raffle supports our CoCo Scholarship Fund.



Caught on Camera!By Val LaBore

It’s that time of year where many of us are wearing some of our best costumes, or if you had lots of down time, working on your best costume for an upcoming event. Make sure you have someone take a photo of you or your group for this year’s “Caught on Camera” exhibit at Costume College 2016. This is your chance to show more of what you make but don’t have time to wear it to Costume College, or with the group you were wearing it with.

No need to send it to me now, unless you want to before you forget but you’ll get plenty of reminders in the next few months. Please try for a good focused photo. I can do groups or individuals, and can crop out unnecessary background to bring you front and forward. If it’s a group event, let me know the name.

HAVE YOU MOVED? OR ARE YOU PLANNING TO? If you have changed address or are planning to, please don’t forget to notify us.

You can make the change by emailing me at [email protected] or by mailingCostumer’s Guild West, Inc. 1917 Crestshire Dr. Glendale, CA 91208

Natalie Meyer, Bookkeeper and Keeper of the Member List

Photos can be emailed to me, sent via Facebook message, or give me permission to harvest from FB if they’re Public photos. Email [email protected] OR Facebook Val LaBore.


Costume College Red Carpet Updatesby David Grace, Red Carpet Chair and Emcee

There’s no better way to start your fantasy evening full of exotic characters than to strut your stuff down the Costume College Red Carpet. The main hallway will be lined with costuming fans anxious to see your fabulous creations! This is your chance to see what it is like to be on a Hollywood–type red carpet… cameras clicking, posing for the paparazzi, fans waving — the works!

In an effort to give you the full red carpet experience, we’ve made a few exciting changes that we hope you’ll enjoy.

As you make your way down the catwalk, you will arrive at the first “X” and do a turn. Next you will meet with the Emcee where you will be treated like a Hollywood A-lister. After another turn, you will be directed to one of the two paparazzi stations where onlookers may snap away at your stunning skills before sending you off for professional photographs or to be greeted at the Gala entrance.

If you’re a bit shy, don’t worry. This event can be exactly what you want it to be. We look forward to all the exciting characters we’ll meet on the Red Carpet!

The Red Carpet walk is open to all Costume College members, teachers, and volunteers, regardless of costume or experience. This event is open to the public for viewing. Costume College members and the public can grab a spot at the paparazzi stations early to get the best photos.

Remember, your picture will be taken and may be posted on the internet.


Costume College Event Check-In

Red Carpet Etiquetteby Dani Crum, Dean

Are you ready for the most wonderful time of the year?! Yes, Costume College is fast approaching and I am looking forward to welcoming you back and greeting new faces at Check-In. As usual, we will be past the elevators at the Salon Lobby.

Check-In for Students and Teachers will open at 7:00 pm on Thursday July 30th, and will continue Friday July 31st starting at 7:30am. It will shift to the Information Desk after 11:00am Friday and all day Saturday. I recommend you pick up your Welcome Packets as early as possible to check the programming information for any last minute changes.

A reminder to all TEACHERS - You will have YOUR OWN CHECK-IN AREA. Please look for it and don’t go to the student lines. If you are both a teacher and a student, please check-in at the TEACHER area. All of your check-in material will be there, so you do not have to stand in both lines.

Is this your first time at Costume College? Do you like to meet new creative fun friends? How about considering volunteering at Check-In for an hour or two? To all our past Volunteers we thank you and would love to see you again! This is such a fun event, meeting and greeting everyone and giving out our 2016 Welcome Packet a.k.a. Goodie Bags! My first time at CoCo was 2013 and I was completely blown away by such a large event and how smoothly everything went. I immediately signed up to help with activities for the following year. Now 2016 this will be my first year in charge of Check-In. I am thrilled to be a part of such an talented, fun group of people. I can’t wait to see my CoCo friends again and new friends I have yet to meet.

Geri Rex, Check-In Chair

David and his team are hard at work creating a wonderful event. With new rope lines, photo-op spots, and a bypass option, the red carpet will be better than ever!

This is truly an event where everyone involved is part of the action. Whether you’re a spectator, a Gala guest, or part of the committee, you make it happen. As part of that, we’d like to remind everyone, especially the spectators, of a few important guidelines.

• Please DO take photos. This is a photo-op event and a great place to see your fellow costumer’s latest creations.

• Please DO NOT ask the gala attendees to STOP for photos. We’ve got to get 250 people through the rope line, past the photo-op spots, through the photography area, and into the banquet hall, all in about half an hour. You do the math. We have two designated “pause for photo” stations on the actual red carpet in the lobby outside of the hall. So take as many photos as you want, but do not slow the line!

• Please DO NOT heckle the gala attendees. It’s fun to play at being paparazzi or star-struck fans, but not all our attendees are comfortable with that kind of attention. Please be sensitive and don’t hassle people.

• Please DO keep the bypass lane CLEAR. It’s very important to allow those not comfortable with the Red Carpet to use the bypass to get to the Gala.

• Please DO have a great time. Whether you’re watching, photographing, or swanning down the carpet, enjoy yourself!


Calling All Costume College Attendees:Don’t Forget to Volunteer!

Costume College is an all-volunteer driven event and volunteers are still needed in many departments! For example; setting up for the Gala, lending a hand in the Hospitality Suite or the Panic Room, getting a first look at some amazing costumes as an attendant for the Cavalcade of Costume, or sorting items to prep for the Bargain Basement.

To donate just a little of your time, please send your availability to Kristen Foggie at [email protected] or [email protected] .If you prefer to wait to volunteer until you get to College, stop by the Volunteer station located near the Information Desk in the Salon Lobby.

We have amazing daily raffle prizes and our grand prize gor the weekend is tuition for Costume College 2017!

We look forward to meeting you!

Kristen Darville-FoggieCoCo16’ Volunteer Coordinator

“Keep your friends close,but your RAFFLE BASKETS closer!” --Michael Corleone

Donate to our 2016 CoCo Raffle Baskets!The Raffle supports our CoCo Scholarship Fund.



Meet ricRackWe appreciate this opportunity to introduce ourselves to the CGW!. We are the kid’s non-profit ricRACK, Repurposed and Altered Costumes for Kids, based in New Orleans. ricRACK was started by a group of costumers who felt there was not enough opportunities for kids to learn about the costuming arts, especially sewing and crafting. We decided to do this via the world of repurposing because we feel as textile artists we also have a responsibility to teach children how to reduce textile waste through re-using and repurposing. Did you know in America alone, we dump 14 million tons of textiles into the landfills each year?! ricRACK makes sure all of our students are aware of these facts in our classes. ricRACK has many outreach programs, but our focus is on sewing classes, crafting classes, and our favorite, Summer (Repurposed) Fashion Camps. 90% of the materials in our classes are donated, by theatres, costume shops, individual designers and crafters, and retailers. Most of our founders have a background in theatre, film and tv, and know what excess and waste there can be in the costume shop. We ask you to keep us in mind if you are ever culling your stock or have old bins of fabric set aside. We accept just about everything…we get trims, buttons, costumes, patterns, rulers, accessories, sewing machines, even a washing machine!

Check us out www.ricracknola.com, or on fb/insta: ricracknola.Thanks for your time,Alison Parker


Are there other options out there? Yep. Upholstery stores can be a great resource for period looking fabrics, be sure to wash them first though. Upholstery fabrics in the U.S. have chemicals in them that you don’t really want on your skin. Ebay and other online sites and thrift stores can also be a source of fabric for costumes. It can be a bit challenge to figure out exact color and weight of a fabric from online dealers, though some will send samples on request and for a small fee. Hobby Lobby has recently made forays into the west coast and they do have some fashion fabrics, but they seem to cater to the quilting crowd more. Last but certainly not least are the garment districts. Los Angeles and New York City aren’t the only places there are garment districts. Apparently Dallas, TX and Philadelphia, PA also have garment districts. This blog: http://www.andreaschewedesign.com/blog/shopping-for-fabric-readers-suggestions, mentions a bunch of other places, and is where I found out about the above garment districts.

So, where to buy fabric for your next costume? There’s always Jo-Ann Fabric stores and recently, they’ve come out with a cosplay line of fabrics. I recently had the chance to take a look at the selection at my local store. I happened on these new fabrics on accident. I was really buying fabric to make new shirts for work when I saw the exact fabric I was looking for to finish my Supergirl costume. It was a heavy knit with limited stretch in the perfect color of red to match the blue I already had. I had read the press release, but was under the impression that they weren’t coming out until next year. If what I saw at my store is any indication of what we can expect to see from this line, I have to say they are OK. Not great, not bad, just OK. I did see several interesting stretch pleathers. One that stood out looked like studded leather for armor, but I thought all of them were on the thin side and if I were sewing any of them I would want to flat line them with a stronger fabric. As for the rest of the line I didn’t see anything I haven’t seen in the store before, some of it was like the Halloween fabrics that come out every year. As for price – save your coupons. These fabrics start at $30 a yard. Anyway check out your local store and see what you think. While you are there you might want to check out Simplicity’s new Cosplay Catalog it’s got a list of all their costume patterns and apparently some coupons, though it comes with a price. I found out about it on this blog: http://www.andreaschewedesign.com/blog/cool-cosplay-catalog

“Mama always said, Life is like a RAFFLE BASKET.You never know what you’re gonna get!”

--Forrest Gump

Please donate to our 2016 CoCo Raffle!The Raffle supports our CoCo Scholarship Fund.


Where to Buy Fabric(if You Don’t Live near Los Angeles)

by Jennie Smolenski

For those who haven’t yet heard, Hancock’s Fabrics is going out of business. By the time you get to read this article there probably won’t be much left in your local store, if they aren’t closed. This is not good news for those of us who depend on chain stores for our costuming needs.


The 24th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design and A Graceful Gift: Fans From The Mona Lee

Nesseth Collection at FIDM Los Angeles By Cat Lane Fowler

We happened to be there on Cinderella day, so there were scores of tots in tiny Cinderella dresses making tiaras and eating mini cupcakes. I managed to get a wand and a purple ring myself! There’s no age limit on wanting to be a pretty, pretty princess it turns out!

In addition to giving out free programs and postcards, FIDM also prints out a thick companion booklet to accompany the exhibit, filled with more in-depth details on the costumes, as well as interviews with the costume designers. One new change in recent years is that they now allow you to take non-flash photos of the exhibit. In the past, all photography was prohibited, and I’d have to bring a sketchbook to record anything I wanted to remember. I was thrilled with this new change, and took dozens of photos to my heart’s content.

After meeting some friends in the courtyard, we ran into a gaggle of tiny Cinderellas donning their sparkly crafts and making their way to the Cinderella costumes featured in the center of the grand entryway. Cinderella’s dress is a fantasy of blue and lilac fabrics festooned with thousands of Swarovski crystals. Seeing the Cinderella costumes in person illuminates the rich cinematography employed by the movie so that it almost looks animated at times. Each costume appears at least two shades lighter in person.

Kate Hawley’s Crimson Peak designs were a big highlight for me. Her collaboration with Guillermo Del Toro led to a very stylized take on the Turn of the Century as well as with the film’s dark siblings who dress in their parent’s hand-me-downs from the 1880s. I noticed that even the hems on the character Lucille’s dresses weren’t hemmed, the better to have them fray and look decayed. The teal blue velvet dress features a gorgeous garland of acorns and reproduced Victorian trims that mirror the decaying house of the film’s title. The character Edith’s “clasped hands” mourning belt features real human hair and imitation ivory. They even reproduced an extant pair of 1890s black and gold button boots, even though they’re barely seen on screen. I could have gazed at those dresses all day, but there was just too much to take in.

In April, I was thrilled to attend the 24th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibit at FIDM Los Angeles with a group of fellow CGW enthusiasts. I’ve been coming to this event since 1998 and it never disappoints. Rain was predicted, but luckily it passed us by and we had a dry and beautiful day.

For anyone who has never been, each year FIDM displays costumes from films nominated for an Oscar for Best Costume and costumes from other films that year, as well as some from the previous year’s nominations. With over 100 costumes displayed each year, it remains the world’s largest annual curated exhibition of movie costumes in the world. For the costume enthusiast and budding designers, it is a must-see. It gives you a rare opportunity to see the garments up close, as well as tricks and optical illusions employed by costumers in translating their designs to film.

In the next gallery, Captain Phasma, Jakku Rey, Stormtrooper Finn, Kylo Ren and a few minor characters awaited. One thing that really stood out to me was how tall Kylo Ren’s costume is. It seemed to be about 7-feet tall. It was nice seeing all of the detail and stitching on Rey’s costume that you just can’t make out in the film.


Two costumes from Mad Max: Fury Road were represented, including the stunning armor that Charlize Theron wears as Furiosa. Since it won the Oscar, I was hoping for more than just two costumes from Mad Max, but they might get more for next year. Chances are, they’re just on loan to another facility.

Other Films represented were: Far From The Madding Crowd, Macbeth, Victor Frankenstein, Beasts of No Nation , Bridge of Spies, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Jem and The Holograms, Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Longest Ride, Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation, Pitch Perfect 2, and Straight Outta Compton.

Many of the films last year featured mid-century design. Brooklyn featured a gorgeous hand-painted skirt that Siorse Rhonan wears, and Carol and Trumbo also showed some lovely vintage looks from the 40s and mid-50s. The Danish Girl and Suffragette represented contrasting cultures in the Edwardian era through the 1920s.

It was also fun for me to compare the two Westerns in the room: The Revenant and The Hateful Eight. The gritty, monochromatic palette of The Revenant contrasted sharply with the colorful and whimsical costumes of The Hateful Eight, highlighting its 1960’s Technicolor Western and Spaghetti Western influences.

A Graceful Gift: the Mona Lee Nesseth Fan Collection was the cherry on top of this spectacular exhibit. Featuring extraordinarily ornate fans from the Late-Victorian and Edwardian eras, each fan is paired with a gorgeous couture gown, in a palette of black and white to showcase the fans. The gowns almost steal the show on their own, but these fans are so special that nothing could steal their thunder. Made of mother of pearl, bone, wood and other materials, some are hand-painted, some carved and inlaid with fine crystals. The importance of that object in Victorian life, specifically among the upper classes, is evident in how seriously their construction was undertaken. This exhibit is worth seeing all on its own!

Further Adventures….A Day in DowntownAfter we took in the exhibit, we did some shopping at the gift shop where they feature unique jewelry by local artists, including a line of 3-D printed bracelets and other pieces. I always find something there that I can’t find anywhere else. This time it was a pair of earrings in the shape of a Victorian corset. Sold!

We also did some browsing at the FIDM Scholarship Store, which sells goods that have been donated. All proceeds go to the students. They have everything from $25 evening gowns to $1/yard fabrics to funky jewelry and shoes.

“I love RAFFLE BASKETS!” -- Princess Leia“I know.” -- Han Solo

Desirable Donations now being sought for our 2016 CoCo Raffle Baskets!The Raffle supports our CoCo Scholarship Fund.



Afterwards, we had to spend some time perusing their endless array of sweet treats and edible works of art. They’re famous for their macarons, so I had to get a small box of them, but choosing what to get there is agony, because it all looks so good!

We walked off our lunch with a trip up to The Last Bookstore, sort of an Amoeba Records for book lovers in a former bank building. Their film section is huge, and they carry many out-of-print titles and rare books. If you’re searching for that one out-of-print costume book, call them. It’s likely that they have a copy. They also have an upper level with art galleries, gift shops, more books, as well as many beautiful art installations using the books themselves as art.

On our way back to the car, we had to make a pit-stop at the newly restored Clifton’s Cafeteria. Now, it’s a virtual Disneyland of themed dining areas, bars and dance floors. The bakery has been re-vamped, and the Brookdale woods theme has been amped up to maximum effect with waterfalls, lush woodland décor and taxidermy everywhere. The second floor features an awe-inspiring Art Deco Bar and Dancing/Dining area, featuring a vintage Art Deco bandstand.

In the near future, a Tiki Bar modelled after their famed South Seas location will open on the next floor up, as well as a basement bar/lounge done up in a Turn-Of-The-Century theme. I have to say I was blown away by the remodel, and my hubby and I wanted to just stay there all night long. It was fabulous! It promises to be another location in L.A. where fans of the 1910’s-50’s will be able to dress up, have dinner, dance and drink the night away in their best finery.

The only damper on our great adventure came when we finally got back to the FIDM parking structure, a little after 7. The lot was closed, and we had to convince a security guard to open it for us so that we could get out. An outside company runs the lot, and didn’t tell us that they closed after a certain hour. The guard informed us that for future trips, you are not to leave FIDM property while parked there.

Well, as long as you’re just going to Bottega Louie after! It was a trip to remember, with friends old and new. FIDM is already announcing that next year’s 25th Anniversary exhibit will be the biggest yet. It’ll have to try pretty hard, because this year’s was one of my favorites in memory.

Underground parking at FIDM is $5. Lot closes with FIDM, so plan accordingly. Street parking and local paid lots are also available.

Upcoming FIDM exhibits: Mad Men: Dressing The Male Ego --June through December, 201610th Annual Art of TV Costume Design –July through September, 2016

A short walk up the street and we found ourselves morphing into Kirsten Dunst from Marie Antoinette at the delightful patisserie and café, Bottega Louie. My, how L.A. has been rapidly changing in the last few years! The parking lot I used to park at behind the restaurant is now a high-rise apartment building and the light lunch crowds I used to enjoy there have been replaced with a huge throng of customers vying to taste the delights within. Nonetheless, after a very brief wait, we divided into two large tables and were given a choice of complimentary sparkling or still water. On the weekends, they have an all-day brunch, which we took advantage of with an order of Eggs Benedict and Salmon Millefeuille, layers of smoked salmon, puff pastry, cream cheese and fresh herbs. Two in our group shared one of their famed wood-fire oven-baked pizzas and the non-alcoholic mint mojito lemonade was also very good (They do have a full bar as well).


“Fabulous Feathers” Challengeby Diane Yoshitomi

No doubt the only challenge on many costumers’ minds at present is finishing their circus-themed and Red Carpet creations in time for Costume College. But it’s never too soon to plan ahead for the next challenge, so for those of us who live in Southern California and therefore are able — I hope intending — to attend the CGW Annual Meeting in October, I present a few ideas for you to consider and employ in meeting this year’s costume challenge, “Fabulous Feathers.”

Mention feathers in conjunction with costumes, and many of us will think immediately of hats or bonnets trimmed with a variety and profusion of rainbow-hued feathers. But you can do a lot more with those gorgeous feathers than just put them on a hat: how about a simple 1920s beaded or spangled bandeau sporting a single feather; a towering Las Vegas showgirl’s headdress of sparkling jewels and sumptuous ostrich plumes; a historically accurate Court presentation headdress with its mandatory three ostrich plumes (think of Lady Rose’s presentation in Downton Abbey); a Native American headdress, such as a Cheyenne chieftain or Aztec warrior; or anything from plain or fancy in the world of fantasy? The possibilities are wide ranging, and well within the skill sets of novices and experts alike.

Feathers are also used in jewelry-making, from real ones incorporated into earrings and amulets to man-made feathers of metal or leather, and fashioned into necklaces, bracelets, earrings and tiaras.

You might prefer to make a garment, modern or historical or fantasy, made from a feather-patterned fabric. Or make that garment from a traditional fabric and trim it with fantastic feathers. If you are the fortunate possessor of an embroidery machine, you can embroider feathers onto the fabric of your choice; if not, consider the technique of appliqué —with felt or satin, beads or sequins — and put it on hat, dress, handbag, or shoes.

So while you are hemming that Gala gown, sewing snaps or hooks & eyes onto a circus costume, or adding a bit of spit ‘n polish to your Steampunk explorer Tea ensemble, spare a few thoughts on what you’d like to create for the Annual Meeting challenge. If you know you’ll be short on time, make something simple; if you’ve nothing major on the immediate horizon, go for something that will stretch your creative abilities and perhaps even lead you in a new costuming direction; but DO rise to meet this challenge and bring something to the meeting that will surprise and delight your fellow costumers . . . after all, there will be prizes, as well as admiring oohs and aahs!

Next month, a list of sources & prices for feathers and feather-related items. In the meantime, be sure to check our Facebook page, “CGW Annual Meeting Project Challenge” for further inspiration.

* All photos courtesy of Google images

Art Deco style Swan Embroidery Quilled Feather Earrings Flapper Headband


Aztec Headdress

Court Presentation Headdress

Indian HeaddressFantasy Headdress

Las Vegas ShowgirlHeaddress

Art Deco Feather Fabric

Peacock Feather Dress

Leather Feather Earrings

Peacock Feather Earrings

Piecework Feather Applique

Peacock Feather Applique


CGW Board Meeting MinutesMay 22, 2016

Attendees: President Eileen Smolenski; Vice President Becky Thelin; Treasurer Annette Grace; Recording Secretary Zoe Jones; Directors-at-Large: Maryann Jones, Lorri Gums, Dani Crum, Heather Pritchett. Absent: Corresponding Secretary Rebecca Howard

Location: At the home of Heather Pritchett, Burbank, CACalled to order: 11:53am

1. CGW Board - Officer’s / D@L’s Reports A. President, Eileen Smolenski

I. Contacted by Cal-State University Northridge, (CSUN) Valley Non-Profit Resources, continuing to compile information concerning non-profits in San Fernando ValleyII. Given old guild documents; passing on to Historian and/or Ops for inventory/storage.

B. Vice President, Becky Thelin (Activities)I. Wants to hold “Goes To” for Alice in Wonderland but needs liaison. Edwardian Combinations Workshop went well. Would like to plan a follow-up petticoat workshop.II. Going through old documents for information about previous Events budgets.III. Created and verified Facebook pages.

C. Treasurer, Annette GraceI. Net assets $ 69,389.04

D. Corresponding Secretary, Rebecca Howard (Squeals)I. April and May issues of Squeals were combined.II. Needs assistant editor.

E. Recording Secretary, Zoe JonesI. Went through old CGW documents/minutes for information about previous board-budget breakdowns and board-appointed positions.

F. Director at Large, Maryann JonesI. No report

G. Director at Large, Dani CrumI. No report

H. Director at Large, Lorri GumsI. Costume Fliers: “How to Costume For:” different time periods – going to survey people for interest in different time periods.

I. Director at Large Heather PritchettI. “Costume College Email Account Policy” is in the draft stage and will be emailed to board for feedback and finalization.

2. CGW Committee ReportsA. Scholarship Committee

I. Shawn, Eileen, and a third individual will be judging at the LACF the week of June 6-10. Two provisional volunteers.II. Action Item (Eileen): make sure Costume College Registrar has updated list of Scholarship winners.

3. Costume College 2016A. Dean’s Report

I. 489 studentsII. Gala (250) and Tea (130) are both sold out.III. 388 people signed up for limited attendance classes: approximately two classes per person, about 150 unfilled slots in 20 classes/tours.

B. Gala/Tea ticketsI. Discretionary tickets

C. Restructure Tipping of Hotel Staff: Action Item (Dani): write policy for tipping staff for future budget planning.D. Teacher Request List to Ops: request for it to get to Ops as early as possible so that inventory/new orders can be confirmed earlier.


E. Display table for Café Press itemsI. Do we want to sell items or distribute as prizes/raffles/etc?II. For resale, do we need to apply sales tax number?

a. Action Item (Eileen) check with legal advisor.III. Action Item (Maryann): take inventory of items.

F. Assistant Dean finalized travel arrangements for guest teacher; contacting three potential options for a second guest speaker. G. Need volunteer(s) for Programming (Student Liaisons specifically) to join the team. Interested people (remote volunteers are encouraged) to contact Dean or Assistant Dean.H. Weekend raffle for Costume College (onsite) Volunteers will be changed back to Tuition Scholarship for the following year’s Costume College.I. Member Concern: limited attendance sign up priority being discussed by board. Action Item (Heather): write up proposal for future priority changes for limited attendance classes.

4. CGW Old BusinessA. Annual Meeting: Saturday October 1

I. 2016-2017 Electionsa. Need to solicit nominations for the 2016-2017 Board of Directors.

II. Locationa. Action Item (Everyone): research meeting rooms for 80-100 people; prices for non-profit; reservation needed for most of the day.

III. Fashion Showa. Ask general membership for volunteers.

IV. Timea. Start mid/late morning.

V. Project Challengea. Diane Yoshitomi: “Fabulous Feathers”

VI. Refreshmentsa. Suggestion to have it catered; food decisions deferred until location is finalized.

VII. Speakera. Action Item (Everyone): come up with ideas for guest speakers.

B. Member of the Year/Gratitude of the GuildI. Discussed and voted.

C. Budget DiscussionsI. Reevaluate current CGW expenses and income with the goal of creating explicit budget guidelines and tracking for future boards.II. Action Item (Annette): create a spreadsheet to forecast next year’s budget based on past years’ expenditures.

D. Membership CardsI. Action Item (Eileen): work with Becky and Lorri to set up system to produce them.

E. Non-Profit InsuranceI. Non-Profit Insurance Alliance of California is soliciting coverage. Action Item (Annette): look into this.

F. SurveyI. Action Item (Eileen): send questions to Dean and Assistant Dean to be included in the post-Costume College survey.

5. CGW New Business A. Sister Guilds:

a. Establishing/Updating requirements for granting “Sister Guild” status.b. Need more effective method of tracking membership of sister guilds.

B. Action Item (Becky) Setting up Amazon Smile Donation account for CGWC. Dani would like to organize an Alice in Wonderland Tea event (fall) in conjunction with the Victorian Tea and Dance Society.

Meeting Adjourned 3:36pm


Artiddddd

Costumer’s Guild West, Inc. Presents

CoCo 2016 -- July 28 - 31 Costume College® Celebrates

Counter Culture: Rebels, Revolutionaries, and

Subversives

Time Traveler’s Ball (Gala)

A Midsummer Night’s Fantasy

Sunday Breakfast Breakfast with the Artist


Friday Night Social

Run Away to the Circus!

Thursday Night Poolside:

It’s a Mod Mod Mod Mod World

Sunday Steampunk

Explorer’s Tea

Artiddddd

Costumer’s Guild West, Inc. Presents

CoCo 2016 -- July 28 - 31 Costume College® Celebrates

Counter Culture: Rebels, Revolutionaries, and

Subversives

Time Traveler’s Ball (Gala)

A Midsummer Night’s Fantasy

Sunday Breakfast Breakfast with the Artist


1. “Machine Embroidery: the Basic and Beyond” Workshop Date: NEW Date: June 18, 2016 CGW Liaison /Teacher: Diane Yoshitomi. Cost: $5 per CGW Member; Tickets will go on sale near the end of May Sewing Skill Level: All Levels! Location: a residence in Greater Los Angeles area, CA; (near the cities of San Pedro & Long Beach for approximate distance reference) Number of Students: minimum of 4, maximum of 6 students

From our CGW Workshop Event Page: http://129.121.107.232/~costumer/cgw-workshop-machine-embroidery-the-basics-and-beyond/:

“Whether you are brand new to machine embroidery or already a seasoned practitioner, you are sure to learn a trick or two from Diane’s arsenal of personal experience in making the most out of this extraordinary sewing tool. Topics will range from what types of stabilizers (and where to find them), needles, threads, and embroidery designs that suit your particular project, to the intricacies of hooping different weights of fabric, utilizing the many aids built into your machine, and what to do when disaster strikes in the midst of a design stitch-out.A helpful handout will accompany your day’s instruction, and you’ll even get a peek at some of Diane’s favorite finished works as an aid to inspire your own future one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

The second half of the workshop will be devoted to making an embroidered reticule. You will bring your own fabric of choice and, if you use one of your own designs, you will also bring threads and stabilizer; or Diane will permit a one-time use of one of her designs, as well as threads from her store of same. Approximately one week prior to the workshop you will receive an e-mail from Diane listing all of the equipment and supplies you will need to bring, as well as her address and telephone number.”

Questions? Please contact us at [email protected].

2. CGW Group Outing to view “Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear 1715-2015 LACMA/Museum Exhibit “(Los Angeles) CGW Outing Date: TBD (Exhibit Dates: April 10, 2016 – August 21, 2016) CGW Liaison: TBD http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/reigning-men-fashion-menswear

This collection sounds fabulous! Who wants to go? Anyone want to go together to see this collection at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) as a group? Let’s pick a date! Perhaps we could schedule our outing close to Costume College for those who are coming in from the SoCal area? If you are interested in this outing, let’s chat!

From the Vice President: Becky Thelin

First off, a big “thank you” to Cat Lane Fowler and those of you who attended the CGW Outing to view the 24th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition” FIDM Museum Exhibit in Los Angeles. Sounds like a wonderful trip was had by all!

Here are a few events coming up in the next few months of 2016:


-Rebecca (Becky) ThelinCGW Vice President, 2015-2016VP Email: [email protected] Event Planning Email: [email protected]

3. CGW Talk Like a Pirate Day Dinner Date: Saturday, September 17, 2016; Time: 4:00 until approximately 8:00 p.m. Cost: $40 per person over the age of 11. Children 3-11 $30 CGW Liaison: Eileen Smolenski [email protected]

I recently had a good sit-down meeting with our CGW Liaison for the 19-Teens Workshop series, Colleen Crosby, to map out the rest of the classes/workshops in this series. We’re really excited about the future workshops which will continue on throughout this year (2016) and into next year. We’ve even started roughly planning the end-event(s) to cap off all this series! (Ideally, we’ll have 2 events – one in the evening and one daytime event.) If you are interested in helping lead or do behind the scenes work on any upcoming workshops/lectures/demos (or even planning the end-of-series event(s)) in this series we’d love to chat with you! We can always use some more help. So while we’re still lining up dates and teachers for the next sessions please be sure to check in on our CGW 19-Teens Workshop series Overview Page on our website periodically as we will be posting new information as we have it available! (Page URL: http://129.121.107.232/~costumer/cgw-series-teens/ ).

Happy Sewing!

Since International Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19, let’s do our own pirate themed event on the Saturday closest to it! Time to show off those Pirate outfits!(Please see Eileen’s separate article for more details.)

For More Details: CGW Events Page: http://129.121.107.232/~costumer/pirate-dinner/ CGW’s Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1151252798242440/

Questions about our outing? Please contact us at [email protected]

It’s been a few months since our last tea (in January) and I was wondering if it was time to schedule another Afternoon Tea at a Tea House outing. Anyone want to help plan one for CGW? Also, if possible, I’d really like to schedule a “Finish your project” workshop around June/July. (I’m sure many of us will be scrambling to finish things for Costume College – so let’s have a sewing group and cheer each other on to finish those items!) We still need to pick a date and location – so stay tuned to our Yahoo!Groups and Facebook for updates.


The 2nd US and 2nd Kentucky Cavalry cordially invite you to attend their 12th Annual Blue and Gray Military Ball on Saturday June 25, 2016 at the International City Masonic Lodge in Long Beach, CA. Come join us in your 1860s finery for a fun evening which includes dinner and dancing (to live music, with a caller). Plus this is an excellent opportunity to have your silhouette cut (for a separate fee) by the ‘Silhouette Man’. Tickets on sale now! Please see the flyer for details – we hope to see you there!

12th Annual Blue and Gray Military Ball

Photos from 2015 Blue and Gray Ball


Costumer’s Guild West, Inc. celebrates “Talk Like a Pirate Day” on September 17, 2016, with a trip Buena Park, California’s Pirate’s Dinner Adventure. The official web site describes an action packed evening of dining and entertainment.

Talk Like a Pirate Day

“The elaborate theater set provides the backdrop for this Broadway-quality show. Behold amazing swordplay, aerial artistry and acrobatics while enjoying a sumptuous pirate feast. The action is set aboard a fully-rigged 18th century Spanish galleon adrift in a 200,000 gallon lagoon. Up to 150 volunteers participate in this epic production, truly making it the “World’s most interactive dinner show!”http://piratesdinneradventureca.com/

Who has not enjoyed romanticized tales of the pirate’s life? Countless stories detail life on the high seas lead by brigands in their quest for treasure. Come dressed as you favorite pirate from history or fiction. Or possibly create your own persona. One of the nicest things about pirates, for our purposes, is that they have been around for centuries so don’t let a lack of time appropriate apparel hinder your creativity. Another plus is, that historically, the second hand clothing market was huge. Mix and match you period pieces. Wear something battered with something new. Use your imagination. It is all good. Or, don’t wear a costume at all, street clothes are perfectly acceptable but do join us. Almost anything goes. The only restrictions are NO WEAPONS and please remember that this is a family oriented entertainment, so please dress modestly.

Event DetailsWhen: Saturday, September 17, 2016, 4:00pm - approx. 8:00pmWhere: Pirate’s Dinner Adventure.7600 Beach Blvd, Buena Park, CA 90620Cost: $40 for all individuals over the age of 11. Children ages 3-11 $30.00. Children under the age of 3 are free when they sit on an adults lap and share their food. But, keep in mind that this is a loud show. Tickets will go on sale between July 25 and August 8 at www.cgwcostumers.org and include the cost of dinner, the show, tax and gratuities.Dining Options: There are several different dinner options including, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. Soft drinks, water, tea and coffee are included in the price of the meal. There is also a full cash bar available.Parking: free on siteAdditional information is available atPirate Dinner Adventure http://piratesdinneradventureca.com/

For those who would like costuming suggestions some very simplified ideas can be found online. The following are a few suggestions:How to make a pirate costume http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Pirate-Costumehttp://www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com/pirate-costume.htmlhttp://www.ehow.com/list_6624731_homemade-serving-wench-costume-ideas.htmlhttp://www.howtodothings.com/family-and-relationships/a3955-how-to-create-a-pirate-costume.html

Additional ideas might be gleaned from any of the pirate movies that have poured out of Hollywood for decades even though they may or may not be historically correct. Muppet Treasure Island is one of my favorites though some of the costumes might be beyond my skill level and make it difficult to completely enjoy the evening. Another possibility is something created for, or during Costume College 2013 when the theme was Cavaliers with a Touch of Pirates. The November 2013 issue of Squeals printed an article by Lisa Klassen recapping her CoCo lecture on making dreadlocks with synthetic hair if you want good basic step by step instructions.


Please consider writing a brief article, with or without photos, about any event that you attend. We are always looking for articles of interest to our readers.

Events

Date TBD - CGW Group Outing to “Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear 1715-2015 LACMA/Museum Exhibit “(Los Angeles) - check the website/FB for details

June, TBD- CGW Goes to the Movies: Alice Through the Looking GlassJune 4 - Dragoon Era (1850s) Living History at Fort Tejon www.forttejon.org/events.htmlJune 4 - 5th annual Admiral Nelson Ball, Fullerton www.admiralnelsonball.comJune 11- First Annual Perpetual Motion Steampunk Ball, Riverside www.dickensfest.com/steampunk-ballJune 18 “Machine Embroidery: the Basic and Beyond” workshop, tickets and additional information are available on the CGW website under the events link.June 24 - Time Traveler Ball Simi Valley www.simivintagedance.com/simitimetraveler1888.htmlJune 25-26 - Pirate Invasion and Mermaid Festival at Belmont Pier Long Beach http://alfredosbeachclub.com/seafest-pierdaze.htmlJune 25 - Blue and Grey Ball in Long Beach. www.walternelson.com/dr/node/2584July 4 - Old Time Fourth of July 1856 Celebration at Fort Tejon www.forttejon.org/pdf_files/4thJulyFLYR.pdfJuly 9-10 - Old Fort Macarthur Days Military Timeline Event in San Pedro www.ftmac.org/ofmd.htmJuly 20-24 - Comic-Con International: San Diego www.comic-con.orgJuly 28-August 1 - Costume College, Woodland Hills, CA. August 5-6 - Labyrinth Masquerade www.ftmac.org/ofmd.htmAugust 19-21 - Queen Mary Art Deco Festival http://adsla.org/infoSept 3-4 - Huntington Beach Civil War Days, 2016. Central Park on Gothard http://hbcivilwar.webs.com/Sept. 9-11 - Toshiba Tall Ships Festival Dana Point www.tallshipsfestival.comSept 17 - CGW Celebrates Talk Like a Pirate Day with a trip to Pirate Dinner Adventure. Buena Park, CA. See article in June SquealsSept 17-18 - Long Beach Comic Con http://www.longbeachcomiccon.com/ Sept 24-25 - Roaring 20s Street Jam in Pasadena www.roaringtwentiesstreetjam.comSept 24 - Roaring 20s Merry-Go-Round Party in Griffith Park www.roaringtwentiesstreetjam.com/ Oct 1-2 - Ticket to the 20s Festival at Workman Temple Homestead, City of Industry www.homesteadmuseum.org/festivalsOct 7-9 - Gaslight Gathering 6, San Diego, CA. http://gaslightgathering.org/Oct 8 - Tom’s Farm Civil War, 23900 Temescal Canyon Rd. Corona, 92883October 22-23 - 13th Annual Halloween & Mourning Tours. Heritage Square Museum http://heritagesquare.org/events/calendar/13th-annual-halloween-mourning-tours

For a comprehensive list of comic book conventions visit:www.conventionscene.com/schedules/comicbookconventions/

If your group has events planned, or there are events you feelthe membership would enjoy that we may have forgotten, please

email us the details at [email protected].


Southern California Monthy Activities Every Sun - San Diego English Country Dancers. 6:00-9:00pm, Ranch Bernardo Swim and Tennis Club, 16955 Bernardo Oaks Dr., Rancho Bernardo, CA 92128. (www.sdecd.org) Every Sun - Maxwell DeMille’s Cicada Club. Live Music. (www.cicadaclub.com/weekly_ schedule.asp)1st Fri - Simi Valley Waltz Practice. Victorian and modern dance. 7:30-9:30pm. Rancho Santa Susana Community Center, Dance Rm. 5005-C, Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley, CA. (www.simivintagedance.com/simiwaltzpolka.html)1st Sat - Cosplay Sewing Circle. 11:00am-6:00pm LASFS Back Room, 6016Tyrone Ave., Van Nuys CA. (except July) You don’t have to be a LASFS member to check it out. Open to club members and non- members; be advised that club members pay $4 weekly dues, and after three free visits non- members will be asked to join. Come to 3 for free! Lunch will be available, donation of $1- $2 suggested. [email protected] 1st Sun - Victorian Tea Dance. Scottish Rite Cathedral, 150 N. Madison Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101.1:30-5:30pm, $20. (www.victorianteaanddance.org) 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th Mon - West LA Sewing Circle. 6:30- 11:00pm. Email [email protected] for info 2nd & 4th Sun - English Country Dance. 4:00-7:00pm. Lindberg Park Stone House, 5041 Rhoda Way, Culver City, CA. (www.caldancecoop.org) 2nd Tues - South Bay Sewing Circle. Info: Jennifer Byrd at [email protected] 2nd and 4th Fri - English Country Dance, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 122 S. California Ave., Monrovia, CA. 7:30- 10pm. $5 pp, no partner/experience needed. Contact Todd Brun, [email protected] 3rd Fri - Simi Valley Victorian Dance, Simi Valley Senior Center, Multi Purpose Rm 116, 3900 Avenida Simi, Simi Valley, CA. [email protected] 3rd Sat - Orange County English Country Dance. Anaheim Downtown Community Center. 250 E. Center St., Anaheim, CA. (www.ocecd.sdecd.org)3rd Sun- Mrs. Beraha’s Drum, Valley Area English Regency Society. 1:30-5:30pm Reformation Lutheran Church 570 E. Orange Grove Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91104 $8.00 donation. For more information contact Laura (818) 992-1252

Monthly - Cocktails in Historic Places™. Hosted by Art Deco Society Los Angeles. (www.adsla.org)

Upcoming Films - Watch this section for “CGW Goes to the Movies” updates!June 3 - Warcraft (based on the video game)June 24 - Free State of Jones (Civil War era fiction)July 1 - The Legend of TarzanJuly 15 - GhostbustersJuly 22 - Star Trek BeyondAugust 5 - Suicide SquadAugust 12 - Cafe Society (1930s Hollywood, directed by Woody Allen)August 12 - Pete’s DragonAugust 12 - Florence Foster JenkinsAugust 19 - Ben-HurSeptember - The Magnificent SevenOctober - Birth of a NationNovemeber - Doctor Strange

Museum Exhibits Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715-2015. April 10, 2016-Aug 21, 2016. LACMA. (www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/reigning-men-fashion-menswear)A Graceful Gift, Fans from the Mona Lee Nesseth Collection. Feb 7-July 2, 2016 FIDIM Museum Los Angeles. http://fidmmuseum.org/exhibitions/current/


HELP WANTED

The CGW, Inc. Events Coordinator is looking for Event Liaisons to be point-of-contact persons at Goes-To’s and other events. If you’re interested, please contact Becky Thelin at [email protected].

The Squeals Editor is looking for someone to train to assist with Squeals. They don’t need to know InDesign as long as

they have worked with Photoshop or other Adobe programs, and I will train them to use InDesign.

If I’m training, someone in the LA area would be easier, but not required.

If you’d like to find out more please write toRebecca Lowell at [email protected]

Costumer’s Guild West is looking for a new Outreach Chairperson.This position requires an enthusiastic individual who will assist in the growth of our guild by distributing promotional materials to members who are attending various events, possibly organizing “Fan Tables” at conventions, and generally helping to spread the word about CGW.

Interested volunteers should contactEileen Smolenski at [email protected]

The Scholarship Committee is looking for current CGW members to help judge masquerade entries at conventions.

If you will be at any of the following conventions, and you are not planning to compete in the masquerade, please contact Colleen at

[email protected]: you must be available during the evenings listed below for judging.

Anime Expo 7/2/2016 SDCC 7/23/2016

ReminderIf you are going to an event and/or convention where you believe the attendees would be interested in CGW, Inc., please contact our Outreach Coordinator Lorri Gums at [email protected]

for a CGW, Inc. promotional pack.


Costumer’s Guild West, Inc. is Southern California’s costuming enthisiast group. We welcome all costumers from hobbyist to professional and

novice to master, whether histoical, science fiction, or fantasty.The mission of Costumer’s Guild West, Inc. is to promote the love of

costuming, be it making, wearing, or simply appreciating.

Colophon & Contacts

CGW website: www.costumersguild.orgE-mail discussions: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/CGWcostumers/infoFacebook: https://facebook.com/CostumersGuildWest https://www.facebook.com/CostumeCollegeTwitter: @CGWInc & @CostumeCollegeInstagram: @CGWInc & @CostumeCollegeTumblr: http://costumersguildwest.tumblr.com/ & http://costumecollege.tumblr.com/ CGW Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/groups/961007@N24/Costume College Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/groups/costumecollege/

Remember, you can switch your hardcopy Squeals subscription to eSqueals any time!Just send a note to [email protected] with the email address to which you’d like to receive

Squeals. It may take a month or two to process your request.

Membership Type PriceU.S. resident – paper or electronic $30

Canada/ Mexico resident – electronic Squeals $31

Canada/ Mexico resident – paper Squeals $38.50

Other International resident – electronic Squeals $36

Other International resident – paper Squeals $47.50

Additional Household Membership* - Household Memberships only available when added to a full membership.

$15

Officers of Costumer’s Guild West, Inc.®President: Eileen Smolenski, [email protected] Vice President: Becky Thelin, [email protected] Recording Secretary: Zoe Jones, [email protected] Treasurer: Annette Grace, [email protected] Corresponding Secretary: Rebecca Lowell, [email protected] at Large: Dani Crum, [email protected] at Large: Lorri Gums, [email protected] Director at Large: Maryann Jones, [email protected] Director at Large: Heather Pritchett, [email protected]

Appointed positionsCostume College 2016 Dean: Dani Crum, [email protected]: Becky Thelin, [email protected]: Kerry Wolf, [email protected] Committee Chair: Colleen Crosby, [email protected] Bookkeeper: Natalie Meyer, [email protected] Membership Development: Eileen Smolenski, [email protected] Website Administrator: Colleen Crosby, [email protected] Social Media Coordinator: Becky Thelin, [email protected] Outreach: Lorri Gums, [email protected] Director: Tim Jones, [email protected]

Editor-in-Chief: Rebecca Lowell, [email protected] Editor: Eileen SmolenskiCopy Editor: Laura RubinDistributing Editor: Robin Johnson

Many thanks to this month’s contributors and to the Squeals editorial staff.

Squeals - 129.121.107.232129.121.107.232/~costumer/wp-content/uploads/2013/...2 - Squeals, the official newsletter of Costumer’s Guild West, Inc. About Our Cover Model: Michaela

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