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Ladies and Gentlemen, The 1795 Barn Owl Robe

Ladies and Gentlemen, The 1795 Barn Owl Robe

The moment at least a handful of you have been waiting for! Last weekend I wore The Owl to Gaskells. I had been planning, crafting, stitching, and wrangling my way...
American Duchess
18th c Barn Owl Costume Madness : Progress at Last

18th c Barn Owl Costume Madness : Progress at Last

Despite my unexpected interstate move from California to Nevada, I have managed to get a little work done on the barn owl costume that I am to wear in, oh,...
American Duchess
1795 Barn Owl Costume: Feathers At Last!

1795 Barn Owl Costume: Feathers At Last!

The half-finished, un-feathered robe has been sitting on the dress form for months with so little love given to it...until TONIGHT. (ok, well technically last night, but y'know...) The base...
American Duchess
Festival of Feathers: Let the Madness Begin

Festival of Feathers: Let the Madness Begin

Good thing I put that linen toile together for this robe, otherwise I'd be 100% lost. Instead, I'm only 60% lost! Every tiny thing is a challenge. I realized, once...
American Duchess
OhGawdFeathers: Enter the Schlappen

OhGawdFeathers: Enter the Schlappen

I get to have a goofy title for this entry because quite frankly, this is all nuts. I received my feathers this past weekend, a great big plastic bag full...
American Duchess
1795 Owl Robe: The Perils of Plumage

1795 Owl Robe: The Perils of Plumage

Having survived the first half of the year's costuming rushes and events, it's time, at last, to start collecting materials for this year's Costume of Insanity, the Barn Owl Halloween...
American Duchess
Design Sketches

Design Sketches

Because of the nature, and cost, of this project, there must be much planning, sketching, and thinking before anything ever gets cut, stitched, or glued. Here are a few more...
American Duchess
Concept

Concept

A friend and I have been planning our Halloween gowns. A little early, yeah! She had an awesome idea of being a fox, interpreted as a Victorian bustle gown with...
American Duchess
About Feathers

About Feathers

The feathers will obviously be the most important part of this gown. They are the statement, and need to be done well in order to get the right look. I've...
American Duchess