Corset
Corset made for individual measurements. Pattern for a corset from 1878, drafted by using a basic block than adapted to fit.
Boning channels of cotton twill
Holes punched by hand using an awl, then finished with metal eyelets
Busk inserted for front closure and raw edges finished with bias binding
Finished corset
Mermaid Headpiece
Show | Peter Pan
Venue | Sherman Theatre
Director | Lee Lyford
Designer | Rachel Canning
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Design Concept | The mermaids for this show were inspired by the idea of showgirl costumes created from items pulled from the trash. The biggest challenge was finding a way to create the turban from the original design that was sturdy enough to support the fans and stay secure for the actor's movement. I decided to create a wire base that molded to the head that the fans could be attached to, then concealed the frame underneath the turban
Wire frame base
Frame wrapped in foam and twill tape
Draped turban attached and
secured to the wire frame
Fans attached to foam base and
stitched into wire frame
Tootles' Scrap Hat
Show | Peter Pan
Venue | Sherman Theatre
Director | Lee Lyford
Designer | Rachel Canning
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Design Concept | This piece was made for one of the Lost Boys; these character's costumes were designed to look as if they had foraged through the trash to use bits and pieces to make their clothes. I rummaged through props storage to find objects that looked like they would catch a child's interest and then broke down the hat to make it look as if it had already been on many adventures
Original hat
Breakdown by sanding and painting
Faux rust effect made with sand,
adhesive, and paint
Close up of found objects
Cardboard Armor
Show | Peter Pan
Venue | Sherman Theatre
Director | Lee Lyford
Designer | Rachel Canning
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Design Concept | For this piece, we wanted to create what a child's idea of armor would be if they were making it by hand from pieces of scrap. The cardboard pieces were drafted from the actor's measurements, then stitched together with shoelaces and string. Because the armor needed to be sturdy enough to hold up for several weeks of performance, I backed the entire piece with a calico layer and bound the edges with twill tape.
Photo credit: Mark Douet
Lacing design made by punched holes
and threaded shoelaces
Shaping in cardboard created by cutting a dart then stitching the slashed edges together
Hand drafted pieces
Front and back pieces
Vintage Pins+
Painted Jacket
For this show we needed a large quantity of vintage style pins with two designs: 1980's LGBT slogans and American state parks. We were unable to find the styles that we needed in such large quantities that was realistic for the budget, so we purchased clear badge cases and researched old badges, then used photoshop to size them to fit.
