Recommended Reading: Disney, Fibershed and Francis Marshall

A mixture of great books have arrived from the library lately, all very different but so interesting. The Art of Disney Costuming – Heroes, Villains and Spaces Between by Jeff Kurtti and the Staff of the Walt Disney Archive (2019 Disney Enterprises Inc) Everyone at home loved this book! It’s a big book, almost A3…

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The Last Book Week

Here in Australia, it’s Children’s Book Week. Primary schools across the country are reading, visiting libraries, doing book activities, and arriving at school for one day dressed as their favourite book character. Or whatever character can be conveniently tacked together from available costumes at home. I understand that some parents loathe the dress ups part,…

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It’s Book Week 2020!

Book Week 2020

This week was Children’s Book Week, which I thought had been cancelled due to you-know-what, but it was merely postponed. The theme this year was Curious Creatures, Wild Minds, and children dress up as a book character they like, or failing that whatever’s handy in the dress-ups box. I do acknowledge that some parents dread…

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The beards are back!

Knitted beards Hans and Lars funny

This week we dug out the knitted beard collection for some shepherds to wear in a Christmas play (I’m on the costume committee). You may remember these from a few years back (here and then here). We had a lot of fun trying them on. They look best with hats. The two loopy beards tie…

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Imagining the Magi – a trousers cutting challenge

Magi trousers 1

Next month my children will be in a Christmas musical play, which means line-learning in front of the bathroom mirror, Christmas tunes in everyone’s heads, and, naturally, costume making. One of my girls is part of the Magi, and requires loose drapey trousers for her costume. I was given a piece of maroon polyester from…

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Countdown to Book Week costumes

Book week costumes

Sunday afternoon was spent sewing things for Book Week costumes. It was pleasant to sit and sew in the warm kitchen, as the hail thrashed the windows and the trees bent over horizontally outside. For international readers, Aussie schools celebrate Children’s Book Week by inviting students dress up as their favourite book character. Our school…

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Kay Inverarity’s costume exhibition

Kay Invararitys costume exhibition

Royalty and Others is an historic costume exhibition on at Auburn, in South Australia’s Clare Valley. We just got home from visiting it. It’s a charming exhibition. There are about 17 costumes, all with a medieval or Victoriana theme, and all except one were made by Kay for various events. As well as the costumes…

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Must-have dress-ups: the bear costume

Must have dress ups The bear costume laid flat

Here’s a statement you may or may not agree with: all households with children require a dress-ups box. Our household does, and has gone a step further by having an adult’s dress-ups box. I’m going to pause writing here because I know exactly what you’re thinking. No, it’s not an “adult” dress-ups box, it simply…

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May 4th: Star Wars Day

Star Wars Day lego

As I idly flipped the calendar over for May, my eyes wandered to May 4th: Star Wars Day.  I’d never heard of it. Was it a day to remember Ronnie Reagan’s “Star Wars” strategic defense initiative, that had me designing nuclear fallout shelters in the covers of my school books back in the 1980’s?  Or…

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