Posts tagged Minnesota Society of Costumers

by Steve Schultz and Laura Ulak

Before last season’s Renaissance Festival, Steve came to me with a photo and a plan.  He had found a photo of the Sheriff of MNRF and liked the style of the outfit he was wearing.  I instantly knew which pattern he would need, as I had made a similar outfit years ago.

The style was a very traditional Henry VIII outfit:

King Henry VIII samples a tasty turkey leg at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, 2009.

The pattern was by Period Patterns, and is the Early Tudor Men’s Garments pattern, View IV, which you can find here.  (A note about Period Patterns – the instructions can be confusing, and there are TONS of photos of portraits and such that are included with the pattern that confuse you even more.  I would advise reading the instructions over several times before starting to cut out the garment.)

Steve wanted to do his own twist on the outfit and to incorporate leather (since he has a lot of experience sewing leather) and so we went through the process of making the outfit.  I made a muslin and fitted it to him, and he took the muslin home, cut it out, and sewed the pieces.  We had several meeting dates where he would put together various bits and pieces of the garment, and then we would meet to discuss fit, construction, etc.  Occasionally I would cut out pieces or check the construction on something, but it was very much a “Teach One, Learn One” experience.  I would demonstrate something, or do one side of something, and Steve would take the pieces home and work on the rest himself.

He also took apart pieces of jewelry that he found at various thrift stores and with the addition of other pieces he picked up at Joann Fabrics and Michael’s, he created a chain of office that was stunning:

Fit for a King.

The outfit Steve had picked was not necessarily complicated in terms of construction, but there were a lot of pieces and a lot of trim work, and some of the pieces were very large and unwieldy.  Often people look at patterns and think “Oh, I can’t do THAT!”  However, if the steps are broken down and only a bit is tackled at a time, people find out they are capable of much more than they think they are.  And while initially it looked like I would be making most of the garment, in the end it was Steve who did the vast majority of the work himself, because he was able to break it down into manageable parts.

The final outfit was fantastic.  It was well constructed, visually appealing, and had a big dose of Steve’s personality in it, which is something that helps to make an outfit successful.  You don’t want the costume to wear you – you want to wear the costume and have it represent who you are.

The lesson here is to not be afraid of something just because it appears difficult or you have never made anything similar before.  Steve was willing to take the leap, and the result was amazing:

The finished ensemble, complete with hat and walking stick.

Steve’s comments on the outfit and what MNSOC means to him:  ”I am most proud of what I have learned from you about costuming and the enjoyment from expanding my knowledge with each and every new one I try to create… This is what MNSoC means to me and what I believe it has to offer everyone first and foremost –  no matter who you are.  That is why I have wanted to be a part of it, to share and learn.”

Please share in the comments what YOU have learned from MNSOC and it’s community of costumers.