I tried to make a pancake... but now I have an omelette!

Hello! Back to the land of the living (mostly) after a crazy few weeks juggling a job being costume supervisor on an opera, a part time office job, teaching and trying to find the time to practise, have singing lessons and get to a doctor to help me shake off a horrendous lingering cough (which inevitably impeded my ability to do the singing part). I know I'm still recovering from it all as my feet are killing me from all the running around town buying suits/tattoos/trimmings and I'm so tired I can't even make a pancake properly. But, I still had a great time working on Romeo & Juliet with a fabulous creative team and a super cast! I managed to get some of my own wardrobe/my Mama's wardrobe on stage and even some things I had made/adapted - 3 cravats, a Duke-ified suit jacket and some masks. 

Gertrude's mask for the party

Mama's fur stole made its operatic debut looking fabulous on one of Riverside Opera's Choral Scholars

Adding some trimming to the duke and making him a cravat

Capulet's party mask

Capulet's Cravats

I've dabbled in costume making before on a production of Mozart's Magic Flute, a roller coaster of co-producing, singing AND costume design back in 2011 with student led opera company Puzzle Piece Opera. It was brilliant fun and was with a team of people I greatly admire and enjoy working with, although as Bernstein said - 'to achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.' This was definitely true with learning a role, designing and making costumes and doing a degree at the same time! We singers do know how to push ourselves to the limit! I always loved the motto 'there's 24 usable hours in every day' - a quote from my favourite film throughout my adolescent years, Empire Records. However, what I was forgetting was that the character in question was a) on speed and b) fictitious. I am neither of those things, and also, I am human. Sitting up until 6am sewing and then going to college all day does not lead to productive and focused practise! But, if I do say so myself Pamina and her crew looked ace. Our Magic Flute was set in a medieval and fantastical world (with a hint of Robin Hood - I was in my Kevin Costner phase) with our three wenches corseted up and our armed men in tabards... chainmail is expensive and on a budget of £200 for the whole thing I think thats OK! Anyway, here is some photos of some of the costumes.