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...

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...

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.