FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
The Ghost of Christmas Past
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Outline the story …
Entry inspired by the Ghost of Christmas Past from The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. How do you translate an intangible feeling into something wearable? I wanted to make a costume that reflected my absolute love of everything Christmas, something that would feel nostalgic in a way, “the ghost of Christmas past” embodying those wonderful and warm memories, or ghosts of feelings that accompany that state of being. The true magic of Christmas! I turned to Dicken’s ghosts to find my way back to that joyful frame of mind, because thankfully, contrary to Ebenezer Scrooge, my childhood Christmases were very happy ones.
Visually, my inspiration came very strongly from one of Angela Clayton’s Christmas costumes, as well as the tradition of the Lucias on Santa Lucia’s day in Scandinavia. I also wanted my dress to be reminiscent of a night gown from a fantastical Victorian time that only exists in books and paintings, and I wanted it to be flowy like a ghost.
One of my goals for this costume was to buy no new fabric. The main white fabric is a very thin and flowy polyester with tone-on-tone paisley motif that had been waiting in my stash for over 15 years; the gold polyester faux-linen used for the bodice was a sample I saved from the garbage at the home décor factory where I work, as was the bodice lining (an old pillowcase). The belt fabric was a leftover piece of poly-cotton poplin. Only the red velvet trim and the materials for the crown were purchased specifically for this project.
Outline the construction…
This costume was made as my Single Pattern competition entry for Costume-Con 38, which was cancelled due to the Covid-19 plague. It was made using one of the commercial patterns, McCall’s 7271. The bodice was made following the pattern, but with the bottom cut straight all around. The bodice is bag lined. The sleeves I drafted to get that large, puffy look, with a gathered cuff away from the sleeve hem (self bias tape was applied inside the sleeve to create a channel for the elastic). The skirt consists of four panels of fabric tightly gathered and sewn to the bodice bottom. Red velvet trim is sewn to the skirt at 6 inches from the bottom. The dress closes with an invisible zipper at center back. The belt was made in three pieces to make it extra long and so I could tie it in a bow with very long tails. The trim and bows at the cuffs are separates, bracelets that close with Velcro.
The crown is built over a zip-tie frame covered in green glitter trim to which decorations are glued. The decorations are faux-pine tree branches, holly berries, pine cones, fake frosty apples, gold branches and fairy lights.
The necklace pendant was made from a piece of sea glass I found as a child glued to some felt and surrounded by glass pearl beads. Some rainbow beads lines also criss-cross the tree to give the look of a decorated tree.
You are amazing. This costume is perfect
Amazing costume, well made and beautiful
superbe
Belle harmonie des couleurs ! Tu me fais rêver !
Very nice costume and so well thought of and explained
Bravo
tu est tres jolie
simple adorable inniocence
j adore fois 10000000000000000000%
hug!!
Superbe!
Tu sais je suis si fière de toi . Tu es juste magnifique et lache surtout pas tes rêves
Vraiment réussi le costume! Et les photos sont magnifiques, comme toi ☺️ Bravo 👏🏼
Fabulous ideas that are stellar together and I LoVE that you recycle fabrics and materials to create new! of course I love Christmas and the old time feeling this ensemble creates!! It has a ancient Nordic Christmas feeling radiating that I am in love with.
You have talent G… keep seeing!!!
Impressionnée par le costume et sa description.
This is a very nice interpretation of Christmas Past.