The Award Goes To....

I sew because I enjoy it.  When I don't have a backlog of commissions it's actually relaxing for me.  Even if I didn't decide to do it as a business I would make costumes for my family.  But sometimes you want more than just enjoyment.  Sometimes you want people to say "oooh, I love your work."  A bit of an ego trip?  No, not really.  Just human nature and the desire to be liked.

I've actually won several awards before.  In 2010 we won "Best In Shire" at the Evening At Bree costume contest at Dragon*Con.  Last year we won "Cutest Family" at the Yule Ball (Harry Potter themed) at Dragon*Con.  Last year I won (along with a co-costumer) Best Costume Design at the Pumphouse Players Awards for our steampunk version of Jeckyll & Hyde.  I'm proud of those awards, but I didn't put as much work into them as I did this past theater season.

The Pumphouse Players is a community theater group in Cartersville, Georgia.  My husband and I have been involved with them for three years and have become regular members of the organization.  This past year we did a version of Romeo & Juliet using a pirates/colonial theme to represent the Capulets (British) and Montagues (pirates).  In a four month period I hand-made over 30 costumes!  There was a lot of sweat, tears, and blood (literally) that went into those costumes.  Here are a few....

I absolutely loved doing this show and these costumes, but it was a lot of work.  Even though other plays for the 2011-2012 season did good work, nothing was on the scale of what I did.  So when the awards ceremony came, I was a little worried that I wouldn't win.

Once again, I worried for nothing.  My hard work paid off, people loved my work (it was voted on by all active members of the group), and I won Best Costume Design.

This coming season I'm costumer for several shows, so we'll see what else I can pull off!