Malotke Sews

For "Bus Stop" I had really wanted to make Cherie a wonderful, flashy costume for when she performs her musical number in the show. However, due to the overall look (set/lighting/other characters) and the fact that Bo then picks up and carries Cherie, I needed to scrap my strapless boned bodice idea for a top that would guarantee to not fall down. I ended up using a black tank top and adding some pink floral lace to it that was from the skirt's original hemline. I had constructed the original boned bodice but wanted to be safe and make sure there was no chance for a costume malfunction.  Below are some progress pictures for my bodice. Once I tried it on the actress (it looked spectacular!) I knew that if Bo grabbed her even just slightly in a different position, we could risk it slipping down. While it was tight I didn't want to risk it and we went in a different direction. The top ended up barely being seen due to the actress really loving the dressing robe and i...

For my 100th blog post I wanted to just share some pictures from the past few years that are just fun snap shots of my life as a costume designer: Senior year of college, showcasing my senior collection featuring millinery and a whole lot of black/white/red patterns. My first paid show as Costume Designer: A Christmas Carol . For the ghost of Christmas past I used my corsetry skills to make a lovely white bodice with gold detailing. I also got to make her skirt light up! What a great experience. Working on A Servant of Two Masters. Collecting set colors so I could go fabric shopping. My sketching skills are always a work in progress. I love diving into historical research and so I usually work with a lot of mood boards and notes to get my thoughts across. One of my favorite progress pictures from working on Farinelli & the King . I made a lot of costume pieces for that show and loved working a variety of textiles and colors into the show. One of my f...

More face masks just waiting to have their pleats sewn! Black, blue, and some fun Star Wars printed fabrics. Close up on my Halloween inspired plaid fabric face masks. Masks consist of orange and black plaid, black elastic, and black thread. Pictured above are the 10 fabric face masks I made yesterday!

The Final Look: A while back I finished this lovely dress but it when it was finished it was way too big for me. I had managed to drop a few sizes while I had been making the dress. Ever since it's completion it has sat in a pile of almost finished personal projects. I finally decided to make the necessary alterations so I could add this fun dress to my closet. I needed to basically take the dress apart and redo it. I took the skirt off, removed the zipper, and undid the side seams. I then added a front seam and took in the side seams. I redid the hem on the skirt and moved the waistline up a few inches to a more flattering place for my waist. When I sewed the top and skirt together I chose to do a couple of pleats instead of gathering stitches. With the geometric print of the fabric I thought it would add a little more visual interest. After this I  redid the zipper, choosing a shorter than the original.  Now it not only fits, but it is flattering on me and I am exci...

With everyone making home masks at the moment I thought I would do a little tutorial on the ones I have made specifically for myself. I looked at a lot of tutorials and different patterns online to construct a mask that worked for me. I wanted something very simple both time wise and material wise. Let me know if you have any questions! Warning/Disclaimer: This method is not industry tested or anything, it is simply a way of making a face mask using 1 piece of fabric and 2 pieces of elastic. It's just a tutorial, intended for educational purposes and nothing else. The decision to use this as a method of protection against pollution or viruses is solely your own. Please consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) website for updated information about home made masks and their effectiveness. First Step: Select your fabric. Check the CDC's guidelines for recommended fabric types. I ironed out my fabric choice, marked a piece 8.5 x 16 inches, ...

Recently I completed a super soft blanket for a gift for my mom for Mother's Day. I chose a lovely soft fleece with penguins and snowflakes for one side and a soft, silver fake velvet for the other side. One the silver side I chose to embroider a very cute Winnie the Pooh & Piglet design in a corner of the blanket. It was a simple project that I was able to finish in an afternoon. I sewed each side, turned it inside out, and top stitched a small section. Close up of the embroidery design.  Pooh & Piglet taking a nap on the moon.

Alterations: 1. Waist ties that were sewn into the side seams were removed from the dresses. 2. Added a couple of inches to the side seams to give the actresses more comfort. 3. Added solid white hem to the short sleeves.

For my waitress looks I knew exactly what I wanted, and I was not going to compromise on my designs. I found great light blue and white checkered dresses that buttoned all the way down the front and had short sleeves. After my first fittings I knew I needed to add a little bit of wiggle room for the actresses to be comfortable and to guarantee that none of the buttons would have gaping in the front. I also needed to add plain white trim to the sleeves to get the exact look I wanted for the diner dresses. First I needed to remove the ties that were attached at the side seams of the waist line. With aprons over top the attached ties were in the way and created a more lumpy look at the waistline. Armed with a seam ripper I removed the ties. Since I didn't have matching fabric and I didn't want a solid color addition to the side seams. I then ripped the ties open, ironed them flat, and serger the edges. These pieces are what I used to add an inch to each side seam on both d...

Two of the main characters in "Bus Stop" are Grace Hoylard, the owner of Grace's Diner, and her high school helper, Elma Duckworth. I had an idea in my mind that they would wear matching dresses and aprons, but their ages and personalities would be shown through their accessories and small touches, like makeup and hair. I found a great light blue and white checked, short sleeve dress that would work for both women. They did need altered to fit my exact idea - I ended up adding white to the sleeves and removing the waist ties that were attached - but they looked great! I paired the dresses with matching white aprons, white socks, and white knock off Keds.  For Grace, a business woman whose husband is always away, I added a white scarf to contrast with the actress's fiery red hair. As for Elma, an excellent student looking forward to falling in love, I took extra fabric from the dress so she could make a bow for her high ponytail hairstyle. Grace had a full face...

I love creating mood board during my design process. It's a great way for me to select my main inspiration and pair it with a color scheme. The mood boards help me communicate my ideas with the others members of the production staff, such as the director. My current show is "Music Man" and while the show isn't cast yet, the director is miles ahead with her scheduling and we've already had our initial design meeting. Pictured right is my initial mood board for the townspeople in "Music Man."  Of course the colors can be changed to accommodate the costume pieces available and the final set decisions, but for now it's a decent start to the general ideas for the background characters in the show. The director is hoping to hold auditions end of May, and then I'll be able to do measurements and start pulling costume pieces from the stock available. I am loving the 1912 time period silhouettes  and look forward to getting to piece together these l...

For "Bus Stop" it was very important that the main lady, Cherie, was blonde. Once the show had been cast I was faced with a challenge to take an actress with very long dark brown hair and make her a short, sassy blonde. I would say my wig experience is still in beginner mode, but I thoroughly enjoy working on wigs. I was able to find a lovely short, sandy blonde wig. It needed a little work before it would be show ready. First I used a wig shampoo. You let the wig soak in a shampoo and water mixture for about 10 minutes, rinse it, and let it dry on a wig stand ( not the mannequin head pictured to the right). After the wig was dry I lightly sprayed it with a leave in conditioner. Next I added a few more defined curls with some small rollers. After that I used a styling spray to make sure the curls would make it through an active show. In the end the wig looked great on the actress with the full costume and makeup.