Dr Sketchy TONIGHT!

Photography by Nick von Fiction

Just a reminder that tonight is Dr Sketchy Brisbane with yours truly modelling in some weird and wonderful get ups and doing a very special performance for you.

Entry is FREE!

Glass Bar @Judith Wright Centre, Fortitude Valley

Bring your pencils and sketch books and prepare for a magical evening.

x Bella

Costume Care

I will make it fit! Applies to shoes on sale at 50% off

and squeezing all your stuff into one bag for a gig.

There is always one part of a gig that I absolutely dread. Unpacking after the show.

When I've worked my tushie off dancing up a storm, usually my bags are left inside the front door when I finally get home and faceplant my bed, and that's often where they'll stay for at least a day.

But I'm not foolish when it comes to costume care. It's easy to make expensive mistakes if you're not careful so I thought I'd give you the inside tips on what I do to ensure my costumes and props are in good condition time and time again. The same goes for party costumes, you don't have to be a performer to care for your clothes properly and if you have no intention of

using the costume again you could sell it on ebay if you keep it in good nick.

Consider Halloween, plenty of performers would have been heavily into the fake blood. I know I was! If you use it, make sure you have a few plastic bags handy in your case to wrap up any messy items to take home. There's no need to get that stuff all over the rest of the things in your case.

No matter how tired you are when you get home, if you have costumes with fake blood on them (or real blood for that matter) take them out of the case and at very least rinse out the residue in the sink and give it a spray with stain remover. You can deal with the rest in the morning.

In the morning, fill the sink with hot water and Di-San, or Napi-San and let the things soak for a few hours and hey presto! It should be spotless. Keep in mind that some fake blood stains bodies and clothes worse than others, particularly cheaper ones, so don't be slack or you may never get the marks out.

Take every costume out of your case and check it over for tears, marks or missing pieces. It's much easier to call a venue the next day about that missing bra than just before your next gig. Same goes for repairs and cleaning.

I know plenty of performers who don't get around to washing their costumes very often, if at all because they don't wear them very often. Consider however any time spent rehearsing in them and in summer performing in steamy, overcrowded venues your perspiration can degrade costumes. At very least check them over for marks. I once found a whole shoe print on one of my very precious gowns where I had performed amongst the crowd. Glad I found that before the next show!

I hand wash (never, EVER, machine wash) my costumes whenever I feel they need it. Be prepared for a tidal wave of glitter in your bath or laundry tub.

Finally make any repairs such as sewing buttons, beads & sequins back on, dealing with frayed edges or tears before storing them away.

Until you're rich and famous and can pay a minion to do your mending for you, make sure you always have a spare needle and thread to match the colour of your costumes handy!

Important: Check zippers, clasps, velcro, ribbons or whatever you are using to unfasten your clothes. A broken zipper can cause hell if it means the dress won't come off mid-act!

Also brush any wigs and store, and collect all the hairpins you've left in a trail from the front door to your bed and store them away for next time. Seriously, you will be glad you collected those bobby pins next time a show rolls around.

Everyone has their own method of storage but it will make it easier on you to keep your costume wardrobe organised in some way. I have a double rail on wheels. Dresses on the top rail in dress bags, all the other bits and pieces for each act in bags on the lower rail, shoes & small props on the tray at the bottom. El cheapo rails will probably not handle the weight of lots of heavy costumes so best not to be stingy. Something solid that doesn't use lightweight plastic connectors to hold the bars together. Trust me, I have learnt the hard way.

Gloves should be hand washed more regularly particularly if you pull the fingers with your teeth and stored together, as should pairs of stockings which should be checked for runs before packing away. You have no idea how many black stockings I have that don't match. Laddered stockings can be used to store gloves, stockings and other delicate bits of costume.

I think that just about covers it!

Until next time...x