Malvena Pearl’s Emporium

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!

I found a studio to share with the lovely and talented Jacqueline Palacios! Yippee! It’s located at the Fruitvale Presbyterian Church on MacArthur Boulevard, in Oakland. More updates to follow as we settle in and set up. We started moving in and I can finally see the floor of my spare bedroom.

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!

February 26 and March 5 class at Lacis in Berkeley, CA
FELT HAT BLOCKING CLASS with Jacqueline Palacios.

A Friday evening, two session class where you will block and fit a basic felt form to conform to both size and disposition of the maker. Class fee is $70.00.

Details on this class are available on the Lacis web site.

This Saturday, my friend Jean of Bibliomania book shop and I will join the ladies of the Costumer’s Guild at the Albany Public Library for their First Annual Costumers’ Bazaar. We will also have some beautiful books on fashion from Bonnie at Black Swan Books.

Jean has lovely vintage books and ephemera on textile techniques = crochet, sewing, knitting as well as fashion plate prints from the 1880s - 1930s, and biographies of designers and the British Royal families.

I am bringing handmade/beaded jewelry, vintage garments (silk and linen tops that I’ve been turning into stage costumes), shoes, trim, fabric, accessories- VINTAGE HATS, silk and wool shawls, a hand-embellished hatbox, and The Tailor’s Tarot. I also have some childrens books from the 1920s and an extra copy of 9/09 THREADS magazine with the article on custom-covering shoes;

Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild Costumers Bazaar

Saturday, August 29th, 2009 — 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Albany Community Center, Albany, CA

Come Join us!!

My friend who one of the many B in my life, is a collector of vintage outfits. She has often assisted me in vintage shopping forays. She needed some last-minute support in getting her hair up and her hat organized for a wedding last weekend. B had purchased a hat at a shop in Berkeley and was wearing it with one of her vintage dresses.

I added some complimentary elements to the hat so it would match her dress and put her hair up into a French twist. She especially liked the banana-shaped, net flourishes that came on the hat but felt it might need a little something, in addition to some repair. I re-attached a barrette to the hat. And I added a bit of color with some green ribbon and some orange, silk flowers.

hat for wedding

hat and hairdo 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.)