Step Right Up!!

It is that time of year again. The year-end benefit gala for Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Detroit. CARS & STARS 2013.

As Director of Special Events for Music Hall, I get to create and produce this evening. By "create," I mean chose the theme (and have it approved by our President and Artistic Director), design the gala portion and produce the gala on the night of. The fundraiser has two basic elements; Gala and Show. I am the GALAura. ;)

There is so much involved in throwing a gala benefit... auctions, seating, committee meetings, menus, volunteers, fire breathers, jugglers and stilt walkers, flowers, linens and such, but I pride myself on the twist I give it - the ability to make it different than all the other events around town AND there are a lot of events around town. The biggest key is keeping the costs down, yet having it look and feel rich and sophisticated.

For the last 6 seasons we have had some wonderful themes - Hollywood, Ziegfeld Follies, Mad Men, Cotton Club and last year’s salute to James Bond & Austin Powers. (See previous blogs for pictures).

This year our theme is Circus. I had seen "Water for Elephants" and though I hated (yet it was well acted) Chistoph Waltz's character, the movie hit me to the core. I wanted to do a vintage Circus.

The first thing I had to do was get the idea approved by 'the Boss," which wasn't easy. The Circus has so many elements and being that it is a black-tie fundraiser the risk is of running the fine line between sophisticated and a child's birthday party, not that there is anything wrong with a child having a circus themed birthday party, it just isn't the look we want.

After 6 months, I got the go forward and the ideas flourished. Right now in the midst of it all I am creating costumes for my volunteers -"Bally Girls." The Bally Girls were a girls who sang and danced in the circus spectacles and were 'generally useful' throughout the entire performance. Use of this term probably came from the employment of real ballet girls and dancers in the great circus spectacles of 1880 to 1910. Later day bally broads remained with the show for many seasons working in a featured act, and often, married to a staff member of the show. http://circushof.com/glossary.html

Our "Bally Girls" will seat guests, help with the auctions and appear in the opening of the show.

Here is the progress so far...

 

 

The finished product! This photo is by Scott Lipiec 

 

Casablanca

A trustee at Music Hall celebrated his 80th birthday and his darling wife, Judy wanted to surprise him with a Casablanca themed party.

 I was somewhat amazed when researching the movie that I didn't find enough of what I wanted for collateral to decorate the room, so I created a few pieces from the fuzzy images on the Internet.

Each guest's place card was a "letter of transit."

It was a 3-fold card with the menu and trivia from the movie.  

 The Moroccan feast was prepared and served by two truly lovely people Chef Michael Otto and Ginny of Scratch Catering.

 

Even the staff go into the gig by dressing up!

Thankfully the guest of honor loved it!

 

Oh Henry!

Henry

Some fresh snow brought some fresh clothes.





My little guy, Henry (about 5 lbs) needs extra protection against the cold. He fur is more like hair. Michigan winters are a little harsh on the him. Since he refuses to wear his boots, (so funny when I get one on and go to put on the second one and he pulls off the first) I am insistent upon a coat. Don't want the little guy to get a cold. Might try to make him outdoor Dr. Dentons, remember those.

I find that the stores sell them for a lot of money with very poor quality so... thought I would try. This is my first attempt at dog clothing. It is made from some leftover wool & mink. Yes, Mink. I know what people will say, but it was given to me and it keeps him warm!  

The Lass is into plaid



Black Watch

This latest dress is for a party at Music Hall for


Black Watch and the Band of the Scots Guard

 

My family comes from two clans Buchanan (on my mother's side) and Fraser of Lovat (on my father's). My middle name is a sept of Fraser.

And I actually prefer the hunting tartan of the clan.

Frazer of Lovat

Since I didn't have the time to purchase the Fraser wool tartan, I used a different wool that I found at Haberman Fabrics. I hand sewed the top-stitching with white embroidery floss. I wanted something different.



My darling parents at an Elizabethan Feast dinner at GPYC both wearing daddy's tartan

On the night of the party I will wear my tartan (Fraser) sash with my mother's beautiful Scottish pin and secure it on the opposing side at my waist.

But upon further research, I have found that there are several ways in which to wear the tartan. Royal Scottish Country Dancers wear it on the left shoulder, yet Lord Lyon states that when worn by clans women, the tartan sash is worn over the right shoulder across the breast, and secured by a pin. Totally different than I was taught.

Little Red

The pattern

Next up on the sewing list is this "Very Easy" Vogue pattern.

I have made the dress several times because it's a style that works well on my body, and it IS easy! It only takes a few hours. But I haven't yet tackled the jacket WITH buttonholes. Buttonholes scare me. My mom use to sew them by hand, but now with my new machine I am going to experiment.

I bought the fabric last season with the intention of making a dress, but the fabric ended up on my dining room table as the overlay for my Christmas Eve party last year. Now a year later .... dry cleaned and ready to go, so am I!

It's a wool plaid with a gray & white striped silk lining with an exposed red zipper and raw hem edge. 

A coat for the Bou

I started making this coat at the beginning of summer. Before the temperatures reached record highs.  It was going to be fun. I had been given 4 yards of beautiful light blue wool by a friend of mine, Rosanne.  The fabric reminded me of "Alice in Wonderland."

Sadly, my dog, Mr. Boutte` became very ill. So I would sit sewing while he slept.

He passed away on July 1, and the coat was not finished. 



Mr. Boutte`

I thought I would never be able to finish the coat because of the memories it held so far, but as I spoke with a friend and told her about the coat, we came up with the idea to make it the "Boutte` Coat." When it's completed I will embroider his name in the lining.  

 Here is the coat so far, almost complete and it has a matching above the knee sleeveless sheath dress.



Lining

Wrapped in a Bou (Bow)



Summer sewing

With summer brings a layoff at the theater so... what is a girl to do, but sew!

Costume for Cars & Stars
James Bond/Austin Powers

Crazy kids! aka Danger Dancers!

All finished. It brought in $3,000.00 for auction!



Details

Mommy's little helper.

Quantum of Solace

For Cars & Stars 2012, thanks to Spoonflower.com, I am making a quilt that will be auctioned off on the night of. In honor of the theme "James Bond" the quilt will be called "Quantum of Solace."

If I had know how hard it was to make a quilt in two months I might not have done it. I understand the difficultly. I bow to the women who have for century's done this by hand and one day I hope to make one in that traditional way. So in my attempts to make this quilt I was going to enlist a machine quilter to do the quilting until I found out that there is a two month wait. I figured I would just jump in feet first and try to do it myself. How hard could it be?

I had had the fabric made, I sewed all the squares together, I put together the batting and backing,

then I started to sew away. I didn't know you have to sew from the middle out to the edges.

Needless to say, I have spent days riping out stitches. 

I also found that I don't like invisible thread.

Cotton quilting thread is wonderful.  A few more days and it will be ready for the auction.

Flower Power

I am working on Music Hall's Cars & Stars 2012 

James Bond and Austin Powers join forces to fundraise for Education. 

I am creating two party spaces and am currently working on Austin Powers.

Fur and Fleece what a lovely mess they make, but the fleece is a blast to sew.

The high top tables will be dressed in brightly colored satin with large flowers as overlays. All the fabric was found at Haberman Fabrics (Michigan's finest)  http://habermanfabrics.com/

Overlays- 

Dr.Seuss stripes look a lot like Austin

Peace out, baby yeah!









And what is a flower with out the mojo? I wanted to create the male symbol for the smaller tables that would sit under the floral bouquet. There will be four one in each color fur. Groovy, baby!

 

Mama has a new baby!

I arrived home today and there is was ... my new Singer sewing machine!

I have never bought a machine. So here are my two Singers!