Dear Constant Reader,
You know I’m all about education and you have a bunch of opportunities to learn in December!
The Nice and Naughty exhibit opens at The American Burlesque Collection today! I helped set up the costumes yesterday and I’m so excited for you to see everything. There are holiday-themed videos, the aforementioned costumes, vintage Christmas cards from burlesque dancers, and more!
On December 12, Betty Blaize will be teaching a pinup makeup workshop. Learn how to get the perfect crimson pout and crisp cat eye!
Last month I taught at BurlyCon and you can take the classes too! The recordings of Caring for Your Costumes and Who’s Who in Classic Burlesque are available until the end of the month. Just $20 each (and most of that ends up in my pocket).
And now for your tip! I can’t believe I’ve never given this one before.
Prewash your fabric before beginning your costuming project.
You want to preshink your fabric as much as possible so you don’t have any nasty surprises later. This is especially important with 100% cotton fabrics. You also want to get out any sizing. That’s a treatment that keeps the fabric looking good on the bolt, like starch. It can mess with the fabric hand and sometimes it’s made with some unpleasant chemicals.
Obviously, this only applies if you can wash your fabric.
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