Events – Page 3 – Malvena Pearl's Emporium

Happy Birthday Laura Ulak

My friend Laura is an inspirational seamstress with a great sense of humor. This photo above was taken at Costume College in 2009, when we first met. She’s on the right.

The Costume College experience was overwhelming to me. It was the first time I’d attended and the folks I knew there were all caught up in different aspects of it: the classes, the events, preparing for the events and taking day trips to local museums and schools around Los Angeles. I didn’t know I was going until the last minute and most of the classes were filled by then, so I sat in on several workshops and presentations and met lots of new people.

I met Laura in a board room in the hotel that was set aside for Costume College attendees who needed to complete a sewing project. We needed space outside of the room we were sleeping in to “make it work,” as they say on Project Runway. It was also a place to show up and get help, if you needed help. It turned out that we spent hours in that room and stayed up very late. There were many people sitting around the table. I was assisting a young woman who had talked her mother into flying in from Canada to go to this weekend-long event. She needed help with a lovely 1870s-era dress (a la Anne of Green Gables) for the Gala the next night.

Meanwhile, Laura was sitting down the table from us, making very funny remarks and completing a truly amazing outfit. Laura’s outfit was a Tudor era woman’s costume made in modern fabrics out of camoflage-patterned parachute silk trimmed in reflective tape. She said she had a posse back home that usually offered a lot of help and I think she was missing them. I would have been missing them, if I were her. So we ended up in this room, working side by side with other costumers. I really liked her approach and her friendliness. That feeling of “we are all in this together.” If it isn’t fun, let’s find a way to make it fun, or heck, just move along. Let’s remember why we are here. She looked great at the event the next night. But the best part was the process: making something and sharing that experience with someone who laughs with you, is willing to help and share stories while you sew.

We kept talking all weekend, into the wee hours. She even let me crash in her room and we found that we shared a love of science fiction. It turns out that Laura had been making costumes with –and for– her friends for many years. They had a regular “Day of Wrong” tradition at their Renaissance Fair:

Laura said her group also attended the Dickens Fair in their area and were active in organizing costume events. She said she’d been making a living sewing Santa Claus outfits and called herself the “accidental seamstress.” I met a lot of people that weekend but Laura and I kept up our dialogue.

After Costume College we kept in touch via e-mail, shared our stories and tales of what was happening in our costuming and creative lives. She made me an “honorary member” of her posse, even though I live several states away. She and her husband came to visit California and we got to have dinner and enjoy a great visit. Her blog is called the Eleanora Project and she’s documenting her birthday and all the creative hoopla leading up to it, as well as her ongoing costume projects.

Here’s the latest photo of one of Laura’s recent creations for a holiday Steampunk event:

Now that I no longer have a Feline Overlord named Roo, I am an official Minion of the Wench Posse. We have found that we have a lot of fun talking, planning projects, sharing materials by mail and just egging each other on. Through Laura, I’ve gotten to know several other incredibly creative, weird, fun-loving and fabric-obsessed people. In 2012, we have plans to meet up at two different costume conventions where I will get to meet several of Laura’s Wench Posse in person. I plan to assist them them with the assembly of a project or two. I am so looking forward to that!

Laura is a kindred spirit. And I am very grateful for her friendship. Happy Birthday, Laura!

Helping out a friend

This weekend, the folks from Malvena Pearl’s Emporium will be in El Dorado County, CA, helping Jan Nixon with her annual costume jewelry sale. Lady Heather and Pig will be going with us for the road trip.

Jan was kind enough to join us for the Costumer’s Bazaar, so we’re headed her way to give her a hand. Her collection is extensive and she enjoys identifying each piece as well as seeing that it goes to a good home. If you’d like to see a few of the great pieces she offers, we have a few listed in our shop, here on the Malvena Pearl Etsy page.

Costumer’s Bazaar August 28, 2011

Malvena Pearl’s Emporium will be participating in the 2011 GBACG Costumer’s Bazaar, held on Sunday, August 28th, 2011 — from 1:00pm to 5:00pm at the Veterans’ Memorial Building in Albany, CA.

Here are some samples of the treasures that will be on sale:

pins a go go

The location of this year’s Bazaar is the Albany Veterans’ Memorial Building at 1325 Portland Ave., Albany, CA.

We hope to see you there!

Malvena Pearl at Greater Bay Area Costumer’s Guild event

Costume Academy 2011 Sunday May 22nd~ from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

ASUC MLK Student Union, 2475 Bancroft Way, University of California, Berkeley

Come find us in the Tilden Room on the 5th Floor!

Malvena Pearl

Purveyor of Millinery, Ephemera and Artful Diversions to Inspire the Costume Enthusiast

Peruse our selection of handmade & vintage hats from many eras, hair adornments, books, vintage catalogs, as well as accessories for men and women. There will also be framed Godey’s prints, ephemera and a special treat this year: vintage estate jewelry from a hobby collection. It’s all antique or vintage, unique, rare and one-of-a-kind costume jewelry made between 1850 and 1970. We will have patterns, sewing manuals from the 1920s-1950s and theatrical lobby cards. We also carry vintage ribbon, trim, buttons and other vintage notions. Bibliomania and Black Swan Books will provide assorted posters, prints and clothing, including embroidered nylons. We will feature four handmade bags by Wendy Lou in vintage fabrics.

new local friends

I wandered around the corner to Homespun bike shop yesterday and spoke with Jesse and Ami about their upcoming classes.

They are offering classes on all sorts of interesting topics like how to do worm composting, how to make pie, how to make handcrafted herbal body care products and much more! There may be a collaboration with Malvena Pearl’s Emporium and with the Oakland Needlers in the near future.

In the meantime, click on their photo below to check out their web site and wares!

Alice Through the Looking Glass costumes

Wow, a lot of events have been happening and business is certainly picking up since Jacque and I found the studio!

The Beeper Egg Hunt (and Mad Hatter’s tea party) for Blind Babies Foundation is tomorrow. I’ve had some generous help from members of the House Elf Committee, Ms. Dawn-0 and Ms. Helena, in getting the outfits made for Queen Alice, Red Queen and White Queen. We based the designs on the original Tenniel illustrations from Alice Through the Looking Glass, since that is the theme of this year’s Beeper Egg Hunt. We also found a Mad Hatter this week, Mr. KC3. Our kind supporter and inspiring pattern and costume-maker Lynn McMasters is loaning us a gorgeous Mad Hatter Top Hat!

Our feline Zac “assisted” with the construction of the White Queen’s dress. We have photographic evidence.

Now on to the crowns, sleeves, collars for the Red and White Queens, several pairs of bunny ears for the Foggy Gulch Band members and some top hats to cover for them, as well!

istock_000006936489medium1

Big Do-in’s

A client came by Casa Roo for a fitting/hemming of a pre-bought 1850s-style, cotton dress that she has asked me to embellish. Yay! She came by during the rainstorm, so that’s motivation for you.

Ms. Sahrye Cohen expertly helped us put together an entry for inclusion in the exhibit at the Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition in Emeryville March 12 – March 14, 2010.

On March 20, 2010, Malvena Pearl will have a table and display set up at the Greater Bay Area Costumer’s Guild Costume Academy.

I’m also working on the White Queen outfit, the Red Queen outfit and Queen Alice’s outfit for the 9th Annual Blind Babies Foundation Annual Beeper Egg Hunt in San Francisco. I’m organizing the first-annual Tea and Raffle with the theme of Alice through the Looking Glass. Come join us! Here is Zasu helping me complete the White Queen dress:

Oakland Museum White Elephant Sale Preview last Sunday

Sunday morning, I ventured forth with pastries and will-call tickets to meet several of the costume pals, the other hunter/gatherers of our little group. We met in line for what I call the Annual Department Store of Used Stuff in a huge warehouse in Oakland. All the proceeds go to support the Oakland Museum.

Throngs of people were in line, but (unlike the SF Opera Costume Shop Sale) there was much organization — volunteers handing out pre-purchased tickets in line to those who had pre-paid and answering questions. The line was moving quickly, right at 10 am, when the doors opened. (we didn’t have to get there to hold a place at 8 am, only to meet several other groups who had been there hours before, sleeping in tents on the sidewalk, as if we were waiting for the new Star Wars film to start.)

The selling floor covers an entire warehouse and is organized all year round by diligent veteran volunteers. Each area of merchandise has its own section and they have a system for writing up your purchases and bringing the bag to the entrance of each “department”, like at a real department store. At least that is what Macy’s was like last time I went there. This warehouse accepts donations All Year Round but is only open to the public on specific days. You never know what you will find.

Did I mention that all proceeds go to the Oakland Museum? Well, it’s worth repeating. Their volunteers are either teenagers or 50+ and are really helpful folks. The volunteers told me that this was the largest turnout they had ever had. It was jam packed with hardly any room to move in the fabric section with lines everywhere. And still, I didn’t have to wait 3 hours to get in, and another 3 to check out, like at the last big warehouse sale I attended. Phew.

One woman in line said she and her sister go to garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets everywhere they travel. They’ve been to sales like this in England, France, Italy and in other states in the U.S. They’ve come every year of their adult lives to this sale, in Oakland, though.

I spent just a little over $40 of my hard-earned money; that is equivalent to four hours, one half of one shift at my Saturday job. Here is my haul.

Thanks go to HH for giving me a ride home with this bag o stuff:

6 yards of gorgeous, flower-patterned turquoise/light blue and white cotton to make a 1960s Mad Men dress (inspired by Dress a Day blog) with my vintage 1960s sewing pattern

2 pieces of white fake fur with a pattern of black and brown and gray – for $1.00 each (more than a yard each) – I got these for LaRue who was bemoaning the lack of fake ermine when she was making a ‘Wives of Henry the 8th’ project least year

at least 4 remnant bundles of 1 – 2 yards of “masculine” patterned/colored flannel for Hank’s doggie outfits – his parents are designers who are very discerning about what he wears!

1 bundle of cotton velvet in a delicate moss-green color that is just screaming to become a Victorian bonnet

6 sewing patterns @ $0.25 each: children’s (for sizing Halloween costumes – never again will I “eyeball it” from an existing garment when a 3 year old grew two sizes in two weeks, know what I mean?); a men’s 1960s pajama/robe pattern with a festive drawing on the front; a women’s bathrobe pattern, and a set of Closet Accessories patterns! I’ve been getting organized!

2 -1960s dress patterns at $3.00 each – they are SO CUTE! Mad Men event, here we come!

Several $1.00 pieces of either leather or faux suede – I don’t care if it’s real or not, it’s a gorgeous color of pale blue/gray and will work well for linings or bodices or belts or hats or trimming corsets. I also got a $1.00 piece of ivory faux-or-real suede

2 pair of pink gloves from the Accessories section — one pair is real leather and it FITS ME – a rarity in the glove world; the other is just cute and has teensy buttons at the cuff (I think these were $3 and $4)

A 1930s/40s asymmetrical hat in gray tweed wool — this was going to be my big splurge of $15. I has to find out if Ms. S was going to “steal” or “borrow” it, it since it went home with her and and her partner, H. They ended up buying it for me in exchange for my providing H. with a ticket. I also helped H. pick out a parasol and an umbrella for his partner, S, who was late arriving. That was fun. HH and I helped him find an appropriate 1960s style hat and a different, yet matching purse. S. was very pleased with our “consulting” him. Again with the preparations for the Mad Men event!

And finally, I got a copy of Reader’s Digest Guide to Sewing that Ms. S recommended as she had used it for a sewing class. This item was purchased for a mere $5.00. It made my bag heavy but it’s like having a collection of Threads Magazine’s best instruction articles in one hardcover book – a deal by my standards.

We only had about two hours to hunt and gather, since this was the same day as the now-bi-monthly gathering of Mills gals in San Francisco for me, and the same day as the Greater Bay Area Costumer’s Guild Open House, for the other costumers.

There will be photos at some point soon. Promise.