Malvena Pearl’s Emporium

It’s the most Wonderful time of the Year!  Project List

With school starting and the little goblins and ballerinas getting ideas for their outfits, we’ve got a full plate here at the Emporium. (not to mention, our recent relocation a few zip codes away from the old MPE studio.) 

 Here’s a few of the ongoing projects:

8- 10  aprons for a kindergarten class so they can cook and do art

1 “Stitch” costume and 1 “Max as wolf” costume for a little boy, size 4-5; I have a size smaller piece to transform and re-use

1 Klingon costume for our friend Corvus, for whom I made a wizard costume, somce years ago, to his specifications - I like specifications!  (he sent me a photo of an action figure for a model this year - yay)

Completion of the two bonnets for the fabric-obssessed friends in the costuming group who have been promised the completion of these lovelies;  and then the preparation for Dickens Faire 09 gears up…

Now to find the copy of “Bleak House” dvd; you see, her majesty, Roo, has been clamoring for it, now that Autumn is on its way.  I think I might have to settle in with some “Jeeves and Wooster” on the dvd player,  in the background. 

I have converted two unsuspecting dvd-watchers to the wonders of  British television series: “House of Elliot” and “Jeeves and Wooster”.  And you pondered what I had been doing, when I was too busy to blog.  Hah! There’s no need to fear! The super-distractor is here!

Oh, and there are all these boxes of fabric and books to unpack, sort, label.  Ahem.

I completed the costumes for the character of Augusta Tabor, in “The Ballad of Baby Doe”, played by Lisa Houston.

Thank you again, Ms. M. I couldn’t have done this without your moral support and your loan of various garments to alter!

The show is set in the 1880s and 1890s and based on a true story.  You can see it at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Avenue, Berkeley

Saturday, July 11, 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 15, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 17, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 19, 2:00 p.m.

The names of Baby Doe, Horace Tabor, and Augusta Tabor have become mythical, but they are actual figures in Colorado history. An exquisite period piece of Americana, The Ballad of Baby Doe is based on their story of love, honor and politics, set against the boom times in Colorado in the 1880s when silver was king. Douglas Moore’s lush score depicts this gripping riches-to-rags epic through lyricism of irresistible beauty, soaring arias and rousing chorus scenes. A star vehicle for the late Beverly Sills, the role of Baby Doe will be sung by soprano Jillian Khuner.

CAST

I think I am finally done sewing M’s chemise, or shift. It’s linen and she had some vintage lace for me to add to it. I put in a channel so she may gather it up at the neck. Here’s a photo of the lace I sewed along the neckline. I enjoy hand sewing.

detail of M's chemise

linen chemise neckline from back

M. and H. talked me into going to the PEERS event in Alameda for Halloween. I hand sewed the silk covering on M’s hat with scraps of white silk from Betsy and some silver lacey trim from M. I think it came out well. It went well with her midnight blue outfit that she completed completely by herself. (She also made an outfit for her friend R.)

Malvena Pearl’s Emporium: Services and Products

We sell ephemera, jewelry, costume accessories and other fine goods on our esty.com web site:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/malvenapearl

And we offer these other custom services to you:

Beadwork and Garment Repair Service:
We repair beaded jewelry, beaded trim on garments and we do mending or repairs that require fine hand-work. Small or complex jobs are right up our alley. Drop us a note.

Custom Orders:

We work with you to design and produce custom orders for bonnets, cravats, fichus, capes, jackets, vests and other garments that you need. You may be attending a dance, a ball, an historical reenactment event, a retro-themed party, a fair or a convention. We’ve created and re-styled contemporary garments into the full range of costumes from the Victorian era through outfits inspired by science fiction, comic books, Japanese anime and fantasy literature.

We also make custom beaded jewelry designed to accent that costumes you already own.

Custom Made Hat Boxes:

Beth Woolbright creates hand-decorated hatboxes to suit all of your vintage hat storage needs, made to your specification. Have you got that special someone to shop for, who really needs a beautiful container, decorated by hand, to suit her fancy? Or if you need a dapper hat box, created in a vintage, gentlemanly fashion to store your beloved’s derby, fedora or pork-pie hat, then Please do send us your requests!

And remember to visit the Malvena Pearl etsy site to see our goods today!