Costuming Tidbits For Your Tits and Bits!

By Margeaux Le Gogo

Photo by KTB Designs. MUAH & Styling by the Bombshell Burlesque Academy

Margeaux Le Gogo is a newly debuted burlesque dancer and costume enthusiast. Starting burlesque at the Bombshell Burlesque Academy fronted by the fabulous Lila Luxx, she has developed her skills in costuming and is sharing what she’s learnt through her blog “Bobbins, Blush, and Bettie Bangs” (www.margeauxlegogo.squarespace.com/blog).

My final tidbits are a few handy tips that you may not have thought of but will definitely improve your costuming life.

Pin curl clips – they’re not just for your hair!

Pin curl clips are something I have been using for a while to hold together the glued section of a pastie while it dries. I have recently discovered that they are great to use as pins for fabric as well! They are especially handy for slippery fabrics and mesh and net fabrics where regular pins just slip out. They are also good for some stretch fabrics that regular pins leave marks on (in place of ballpoint pins). The best thing is that as a showgirl, you’re likely to already have them in your kit. So take them out of the boudoir and add them to your sewing kit!

Made to measure work surfaces

Having a large table to work on is a blessing. I personally use a 1950s dining table I rescued from the side of the road as my work table. Dining tables make great work surfaces, especially if you’re not also using them to dine at! To make my table even handier, I have stuck a measuring tape to one edge. You can use a metal ruler if you’re fancy but I just use a regular measuring tape. Having this always there on my table makes quickly measuring things so much easier.

Scaled toiles – or tiny little baby mockups

This tidbit is a little strange. I recently made a full circle floor length tulle dressing gown, a la Catherine D’Lish. I was unable to find a suitable pattern so I drafted my own. As I have limited pattern making experience, I wanted to test the pattern before I committed. Testing a pattern like this is difficult though, because it requires a very large amount of fabric, I ended up using about 10m of tulle to complete the robe. I was not willing to make a full scaled toile so instead I made a 1:10 scaled toile. I was able to quickly pattern and sew this at my desk at work out of spare fabric. I could easily test the pattern and see if it worked and what needed tweaking. Now this obviously isn’t going to help with fit but it will help with structure. So if your project calls for you to draft your own pattern and you’re unsure if you’re on the right track, then maybe consider making a scaled toile!

Duct tape patterns

The first corset I made was patterned using duct tape. You wrap your body in cling wrap then in duct tape. You can compress the body as you wrap to mimic how you want the corset to fit fully closed or you can not apply compression and remove the required inches from the pattern to take up reduction you want. You then mark up the panel positions and cut yourself free. You can use this method for bodices, fitted skirts, and things like bras!. I find it is especially handy for patterning bra cups. Instead of using duct tape you can use masking tape as it is less sticky and less likely to leave any residue on our garments.

Crystal bowls

I have often glued crystals to the bun in my hair to add a little something something. I use eyelash glue and its a little tricky for me to attach them to the back of the bun but it is effective. One day I thought, ‘Why don’t I just glue them to a hair net?’ But then how to a glue them to the hair net without gluing the whole thing to my table. I have to say it took me a long time to figure this out. Use a bowl. Some might be saying ‘duh’, but some might have been just as excited as I was to discover this tidbit. When crystalling any sheer fabric you can lay the piece you are working on over a bowl and crystal away without getting glue all over your table. Secure it in place with an elastic or simply pull the fabric taught at the base of the bowl and twist it up. Place the bowl on top of this to keep it in place. You can do this with stretch fabric too that need to be stretched while you crystal, although you made need to secure it more tightly.

I hope you found something useful in the above list. And if you’re interested in reading more about burlesque costuming as well as other burlesque topics, head over to my blog at www.margeauxlegogo.squarespace.com.

xo Margeaux