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We're Baaaaack!

Okay, apparently it's been basically 3 years since my last post here. A lot has happened. Mainly that I switched gears and went from putting all my focus on costume design to all my focus on writing. But, even with the switch, I've been working on sewing projects. I've definitely missed costuming shows. One of the big things that happened - I got to combine my love of costumes, fashion history, and body horror! My first horror poetry collection was published with Green Avenue Press back in August 2023. Fashion Trends, Deadly Ends Take a journey through a gruesome history of fashion. Rib removal, poisonous dyes, sewn eyelashes...the cost to stay in fashion. From head to toe, Brianna Malotke tells the tales of deadly fashion trends in history through beautiful poetry. It was a lot of hard work but I loved researching the history and figuring out what to pick to focus on for the final collection. I had a few smaller sections that were actually cut from the final book. Each sec...
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Recent posts

Mood Board for Writing Characters

The Dire Circle - " The circle is dire, much like the outcomes of these stories. In this black zodiac themed anthology, you may come to dislike other people...maybe even yourself."   When I pitched an idea for "The Dire Circle" during 2021, I wasn't sure that it would even get picked. But, once it did and I was given a Black Zodiac to then develop my short story, I decided to do what I do for costuming a character - I made a mood board for my main character.  My Black Zodiac was the Serpent and my short story for the anthology is Twisted Tales, Dripping in Honey . My story centered around a very femme fatale main character with lots of buried secrets. I looked to old Hollywood glamour, dark reds, demon eyes, and other glints of seductress mixed with sweetness to create Melia . For me, coming up with a name was very difficult. After creating what should would look like, having an idea of her voice, her outfits, her drive, everything about her, I still needed the...
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"She Kills Monsters" - Padded Armor Piece

Here is a quick breakdown of how I made a padded armor piece for the character Tilly when she's her D&D character, Tillius the Paladin, in the play, "She Kills Monsters."  For reference, here are my Tillius the Paladin Mood Boards: First step was using the actor's measurements I created a very basic front and back bodice pattern. I wanted the armor piece to be comfortable, slightly bigger, and the padded would provide the texture look I was aiming for with the overall piece. It would be worn over a long sleeve t-shirt and the actor would be wearing a belt over it that held the sword. Also worn over top would be a one-armed shoulder armor piece that would be black leather with silver accents. So, while a majority of the outfit was black (base layer, boots, belt, gloves) I wanted this armor piece to be more grey and scream texture to the audience.  Above: I cut out the front and back pieces in the grey fabric for the outer layer as well as striped fabric for the li...
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Malotke Writes - Updated Website

Guess who got new headshots done? Me! I've been continuing to submit various written pieces (poems, drabbles, flash fiction, short stories, etc.) and have been needing headshots for some of the submissions. Since I have been using my photo from senior year of college (shot for the fashion show program) I had decided that maybe it was time for some new, and way more recent, photos.  Pictured left is one of my favorite photos from the photography session. I've already updated my website using a bunch of the photos and I've sent them off for social media / marketing for upcoming interviews & anthologies that I'm included in.  Here is a link to my writing website: Malotke Writes
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"She Kills Monsters" - Demon Wings

In "She Kills Monsters" there are two evil cheerleader characters, Evil Gabi & Evil Tina. For this show I wanted them to have almost identical outfits for when they played the evil versions. Their look included matching cheerleader outfits, shoes, little black horns, and wings. Then one girl would wear black contacts and the other would wear sunglasses (she couldn't do contacts). This post is about the wings. For the wings I purchased two sets of two sizes of black wings. Then I removed the black glitter elastic straps from all the pairs of wings. Next was placing the small set on the "top" of the larger set. I had to hand sew them together due to the wiring in the wings & the thickness of the wing material.  See above for a photo on sewing the wings together. After sewing the two sizes together I cut and sewed new, white elastic straps to the wings. The cheer tops are white so I was hoping to hide the elastic as much as possible. After that the wings we...
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Quick Photo - Catnip bags

  Halloween catnip bags were made! Basic instructions: 1. Cut out rectangles (9 inches long & 5 inches wide) 2. Fold in half with fabric facing inside then iron 3. Sew two sides shut (1/5 inch seam allowance) & leave top unsewn 4. Turn inside out 5. Fill with desired amount of catnip 6. Turn top down, stitch top shut - machine "top stitch" or by hand  
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New Show Alert

I will be the Costume Designer for the upcoming production of She Kills Monsters at the Second Stage Theatre at Parkland College. The show is written by Qui Nguyen and directed by Michael O'Brien.  Some Insight into the Show from Parkland : Revised 2016 edition. She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons and Dragons notebook, however, she finds herself catapulted into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was her sister’s refuge. In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and ‘90s pop culture, acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.
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