A change of date!

The Art of Costume Fair & Exhibit has been moved to Memorial Day weekend. Details are as follows: (subject to change in the next few months and also, more will be added): 

We are welcoming costume vendors of all varieties, from historical kits to cosplay. Steampunk, Sci-Fi, Anime, pirates, Harry potter, reenactment, theatre, movies, costume weapons, costume construction resources, anything costume will do. Costume exhibit and contest. Demonstrations welcome too! Contact us with proposals. Costume/Fan group tables available for free (if not selling), contact us for details.

Vendor applications can be downloaded HERE
Send via mail to ORS Costume Fair c/o Nora Azevedo
4811 SE Boardman Ave #1
Milwaukie, Oregon 97267

or email to ladiesregent@gmail.com

Costume contest/exhibit:Submission forms to come.
Three prizes will be awarded to participating costumers. Rules: Participants can submit as many costumes as they want to the exhibit and for the contest. Each submission is $10. It must be displayed on a dress-form or dummy to its best advantage and put on display in the venue for the two complete days of the event. Participants and visitors will be given tokens and they can also purchase additional tokens to be used to vote for the exhibited costume submissions. The costumes will be chosen by votes. Winners (top 3) receives a trophy (first, second and third place). Awards will be given at the conclusion of the event on Sunday. Submission forms will be provided. Photos of existing costumes, or concepts/drawings are acceptable.

You can right click on this poster image, and print and share as you like.  Thanks for participating!

Productive meetings = new events!

The ORS leadership had a meeting this past week, and the result is a nice busy list of events that reach well into the spring of 2014. Yay! Amid other plans, we are also working on the retreat for our state as well, but those plans will be announced when we have settled things.  In the meantime, we've already got something for our membership every month through March of 2014, which is faboo, and as it always happens, new things will pop up in between as we go along.  For now, our events page will be populated as venues are confirmed, with a few 'save the dates' so people have time to plan.

Among the many new events are a few new additions to the ORS Workshop Series, including two day workshops to create foundation costume pieces for a Regency wardrobe, including the 'unmentionables', and even gowns.  So keep checking in!

The first workshop to come up is a weekend workshop to create a set of Regency stays. With the assistance of experienced costumers, like Nora Azevedo, participants will be able to create a set of stays from start to finish (hopefully) during this workshop.  Materials for the foundation of the stays will be provided as part of the fee, and all participants have to bring is their sewing kit and fashion fabric if they want something fancy to cover the exterior of their stays other than plain white.

The ORS's Northwest Chapter has two very popular posts about Regency stays, and participants can use them to help decide which type of stays would best suit them.

An Overview of Regency Stays

Achieving a Proper Fit With Regency Stays

The Regency stay is a crucial, foundation item that is required to achieve the proper regency silhouette, there is no doubt about it. There are very few substitutes for the stay, even a bodiced petticoat has its limits. Gowns designed to work with modern bras have longer backs, and although superficially they have the regency shape, they do not have the accuracy of a period costume.  Any participant looking to advance their skill level and their accuracy in regency costume, and to have the foundation garments that they can build their wardrobe on, this is the workshop for you.  It's over a two days on a weekend, and will be held at the private home of ORS leader Mary Whittaker (aka Aelfgyva). See the events page for details.

And remember, all ORS workshop series events are costume-free. Show up in jeans, a t-shirt with a latté clutched in your hand. We don't always play dress-up, but when we're not all trussed up for Regency fun, we are at least getting together to prepare for it. ;)  See you at our next event!