Merry Christmas!

This year christmas seemed to sneak up on me all of a sudden. I clearly remember it being summer just few weeks ago. Anyways, one reason christmas is kinda weird this year is that I'm not really waiting for it and kinda just wish it goes fast. What I'm waiting for is way past christmas and new years celebrations. But since it's apparently holiday now, let's try to enjoy that shall we?
(this is when I spent ages trying to find my camera because I'm...organized... *cough*)

Merry Christmas all and happy New year!

Ps. It's decided, this is The Christmas movie from now on.

*heart*

Long time no see

Whoopsie, it's been a while since I posted anything here. Well, let's see what's been happening while I was on my "blog break".

I (finally) graduated from school.

Now, looking back, those five-ish years just flew by. It was probably the best time I've had so far with all the amazing people, interesting subjects and projects and also the whole Living alone in my own apartment was pretty sweet. I'm so glad I decided to go to this school, I've had so many doors opened for me in the costuming and theater world and I've met many awesome actors, directors and other people that share my love for theater. <3

Then I got a sudden little project at the theater I've worked before. "Sudden" as in about a week before the premiere I got a call:
Caller: "Hi, I heard you're doing this project now."
Me: "I am?!"

Turns out that director from previous year had recommended me for the work and someone did forget to ask whether or not I can do it... Well, it was quite stressful but I managed to finish the project in time. I made/modified some costumes for the play "Jaakko Teppo goes to Mallorca".

Picture from  http://www.menokatu.fi

Then I started working at my local 2nd hand store. It's pretty nice work, thought in future I want to work with costumes and not so much in customer service type work. My boss and other people that visit there are very cool and no two days are alike at the shop, so I like it. (And I also get free stuff from there, like fabrics and such.)

Then, in my free time I have, among other things:

• Drawn a bit: 

Sephy

Zack 

(I kinda also created a DA account: http://risaha.deviantart.com/)

• Got a new car and glued buttons on its side (finally! I've wanted to do that for years!):

<3

• Made some plushies/soft toys:

Peco from BoF3

Prinny from Disgaea games (all hand sewn since I couldn't bother to set up my sewing machine)

• And I've also met awesome new people and made new friends in the interwebs and I always feel so welcomed when ever I talk with them in the chatrooms. <3

Well, I think that's all for now. See ya later ^.^

Again with the theatre!

Since my graduation day approaches, I've been thinking of all the things that happened during those four (or more like five) years of studies, so that's the reason for so many theater themed posts lately. Here! Have one more of those.

As part of our advanced special studies me and my three classmates designed and made costumes for a musical called "Rockville" at Rantasalmi youth theatre (I've mentioned this briefly before).


"Brian Carr, a worn-down rock star, is killed by a bolt of lightning while playing at Lollapalooza. The next thing he remembers is stumbling out of an elevator and being greeted by 2 distinguished gentlemen in white. They inform him that due to his dissolute lifestyle he must go save himself and a town called Rockville that has been devastated by a natural disaster and is being run by corrupt politicians. What they don't tell him is how. Brian Carr has no intention of saving anyone. He never would have thought that the faith of a child, a grandmother and a town full of people would teach him that through his own love of music, Rock would save Rockville."
 

Brian Carr and city's youth

Brian Carr and arch angels

Bad guys

Arch angels and Carr as angel

To learn more about original, Austrian production, go check their site.

More theatre stuff

As a part of my education, I had to carry out two practical trainings. At the first practical training (in 2009) I was working in fabric store (for about a month) and at dressmaker's shop (also about a month). Second practical training was kinda part of the advanced special studies. During this training we (costumier students) could familiarize ourselves better with what it's really like to work in theatre. At this second training (in 2010) I was working in Hasaniemi theatre as a seamstress in two different plays: "Uncle Fedya, His Dog, and His Cat" by Eduard Uspensky and "The Howling Miller" by Arto Paasilinna.

For "Howling Miller" I made few hats (nurse's cap and shop owner's hat) and a shirt from scratch, but mostly I did just some modifications to costumes and some accessories since most of the costumes were pulled out from theatre's costume storage. For "Uncle Fedya" I made most of the costumes from scratch and made alterations to ready-made garments.

Villagers and rural police chief

Howling Miller in mental hospital

Dog, Cat and Fedya getting ready for treasure hunt

Jackdaw, squirrel, bunny and "indian" cow

Fedya's mother

Fedya's mother and father (that bright pink dress was hiding under mom's black coat dress)

And apparently I didn't fail too much because at the end of the practical training I was asked to be a costume designer for next year's play "Rollo and the Woods Sprite" (which I did as my thesis).
 

Something I'm kinda proud of

Last summer I designed and made costumes for a summer theatre play Rollo and the Woods Sprite (Rölli ja metsänhenki in finnish). It was my "final" school project, thesis, which is kinda thing to show teachers what you've learned over the years and such. It was my first "solo" designing project and OH MY it was demanding. Play had 26 actors, lots of dancing, wire tricks, etc.
The whole process of designing and making all those costumes was stressful as h*ll, I had to work long hours and keeping director and actors AND myself as a designer happy with the costumes was (and always is) difficult. But in the end it was all worth it and I would do all that again without a doubt. The feeling you get when you see your own creations on stage for the first time is priceless.

Anyways, here's some pictures ((c) Noora Pasanen and Carita Huttunen). Looking through them always makes me happy.
"I made them"

There's another person under the skirt, she's not really that tall. (shhh, it's a secret)

School work, take 2 (Warning: picture heavy)

Earlier I posted some pics of my historical gown which at that point was still in the making. Now it's ready so here's some pics of all those billion layers that goes into that outfit. Note that a dressform isn't as curvy as humans are, so clothes look a bit meh. If I someday get good pics of somebody wearing it (most likely me), then I'll probably add them to this post.

So, what goes into this outfit:

Put on a chemise..

..a corset..

(same corset from behind)

...hoopskirt...

...petticoat...

...kirtle (not ready in this pic)...

(decorative trim on the hem of the finished kirtle)

...main gown...

...foresleeves...

...some bling bling...

...girdle (a.k.a. fancy belt thingy)...

...and Voilá! oh, and don't forget French hood (that hat thing)

All pieces made by me, including jewelry.
It takes a long time to get into that gown and you need somebody to help you get dressed, but it's a lot of fun to wear anyway.

High expectations

This happens often; I have high expectations about something and usually end up being disappointed in some way. Such thing happened with Rockville, a rock musical, in Helsinki. I expected a lot from that play since it was made by professional theatre. But no. It was disappointment. The youth theatre in Rantasalmi did so much better version of it (and me and three other classmates made costumes for it and they were awesome). They just gave so much more to it than those professional actors together.

But sometimes your high expectations are met. Like this movie I expected a long time and was so excited about it. That movie, of course, is Iron Sky. Following description is from their site:

"In the last moments of World War II, a secret Nazi space program evaded destruction by fleeing to the Dark Side of the Moon. During 70 years of utter secrecy, the Nazis construct a gigantic space fortress with a massive armada of flying saucers."

Sounds cool idea huh? If you're interested to learn more about the movie, go here.
That movie was real eye candy for a costume geek like me who's into military gear. I could watch it so many times and just examine all those uniforms and other costumes.

I saw the movie when they were doing preview-touring: Iron Sky on tour. Ticket to the preview event included Tour T-shirt, signed movie poster (signed by the director), iron sky -buttons, of course the movie and 45-minute seminar with director and producer.

Tour T-shirt <3

As the closing statement I add my favorite Iron Sky trailer (teaser trailer 2), and say this:

Go watch it!!

Kittys!

My mom's kitty Nöpö

My kitty Pam who found new comfy place to sleep

 I got cool new earrings and since they are cat-themed, pics ahoy!

Kinda looks like it's crawling through my ear lobe

...I will be the crazy cat-lady someday.. 

..who has epic flame boots <3

Digging around my picture folders

Well that is scary though!

This is so true sometimes...

The last cup of coffee on earth

This is just so fun :D

Pics are taken from various places on the magical world of internet

Revealing Garments: A Brief History of Women's Underwear

A lecture about women's underwear, duration about one hour.

Why?

Because it's very interesting.

 

Underwear takes the stage in this talk by H. Kristina Haugland, associate curator of Costume and Textiles at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The history of feminine undergarments—corsets and drawers, bustles and brassieres, stockings and shoulder pads—reflects changing ideals of women’s figures and societal roles, and reveals that ideas of beauty, hygiene, modesty and respectability are both remarkably transitory and enlightening. Drawing from works of art, advertisements, cartoons, literary sources and surviving garments, this generously illustrated lecture enhances the understanding of past and present attitudes and aesthetics. Supported in part by the Art Institute of Indianapolis. 
www.artbabble.org

Random googling FTW!