Basque to Basics. Wonder Bread does it best.

Lately my projects have included, complicated pieces, tons of trim, and everything from cat toys to puffy paint. However today's was simple, classic and very refreshing. With assistance from Mio Gubeneric we created a fantastically fit , 11 layer, hooped rehearsal tutu for Joffrey ballet academy dancer Hilary Katzman. It was very enjoyable to create something simple with fantastic fit, and finely made. I made the top layer of tulle 1.75 times fuller then i normally do to give this simple skirt a richer, fuller look.

Walnuts, Pecans, Cashews, Filberts, any kind of NUT really.

I was recently commissioned by the Charleston Ballet Theatre to design and create a new Nutcracker Mask for there existing production. The turn around on this project was very brisk, under two weeks. Thankfully I recruited the help of two amazing friends, Miodrag Gubeneric (costume designer, and technician) and Lavinia Morozan (seamstress to the stars, and all around amazing lady).

The Materials list for the project was almost as fun as creating the mask with friends.

- Thermoplast plastic mesh to form the face

- Plastic flower pot to form face over

- Foam Pipe insulation for hair and hat bits

- Cat toys for feathers on top of hat

- Christmas Ornaments

- Shrinky Dink to create eyes and cheeks

- Velvet , Pleather, Lame'

- Rhinestones, Sequins, Paillettes, Puffy Paint, Heatbond

-Digitized computer embroidery for the teeth

Below are a few process shots, and the finished mask.

(Mio in Thermoplast Base / Applique' and puffy paint)

(me attaching banding to crown)



Finished Product.

New piece for one or my Favorite Choreographers!

This is a Unitard i just designed and built for a solo piece choreographed by Garrett Smith. It is for a Karly Wilkens of the Houston Ballet Academy. I really like the pop in colors between the wine nylon spandex and the yellow and fascia airbrushing.

Garretts only requirement was that this look have a hood, which turned out to be my favorite part :) Lately my approach to work in stretch fabrics has been to create looks more complex than leo or unitards. I work to give more form to these simple silhouettes. Below is a leotard design i'm working on to create a "bodice" feel in stretch fabric surprisingly for another new work by Mr. Smith.


--Below is the translation of my above design into stretch fabric.. Designing custom textiles is new for me, but was very fun, and perfect for the project.. See another finished dress from the piece, and a couple of the costume renderings in the blog tittled - Design for new work by Garrett Smith. -

Dragons are to Seldom Toddler PETS!

This is the Dragon Puppet i created to go with my nieces Halloween costume this year, she is going as a Princess of the Dragons. The dress i made her was cute.. but the puppet turned out way cool!

I Draped the pattern for the body in muslin.... I started by making a dragon "dress form" out of lumps of newspaper and masking tape.... i just kept adding paper until i had the shape of a body i was looking for...... a little twisted and whimsical... below is the paper base.



After draping muslin over this form i sandwiched high density upholstery foam between 2 layers of cotton Bobinette,, this gave me fabric seam allowance to stitch rather than trying to glue or stitch the foam bits together. It's a technique often used in making fat suits for theatre. The body of the dragon is once "piece" it's shape comes totally from a series of funky shaped darts, it is similar to how I created the ram horns for Stanton Welches "Dolls House" see them in the ballet section of my web page http://www.travishalsey.com/ .
Next i added a 1940's inspired bias cut and pleated belly (in picture above). Then i created limbs and covered the body and head with an orange burn out velvet. The eyes were made from Christmas ornaments, and the eyebrows and tail tuft from cat toys. (the feathers in some cat toys are some times much nicer than the kinds you find in craft stores) I would have to say that this little guys wings were my favorite part. They are made from a sandwich of grey crystal sheer with a copper mesh, and iridescent silk in between. The spines of the wings are made from plastic aquarium tubing, some times Home Depot is my first stop when starting a project like this.


The finishing work involved glitter glue, some nail polish(for wetness) , sequins, a chicken feather flame erupting from the dragons mouth, and of course a full round of airbrushing. I hope this inspires you for your next puppet project.

Design for new work by Garrett Smith

Coreographer and Inspiration Garrett smith is putting a new "neoclassical" work together in Utah. The base of this design is taken from an oil portrait relevant to the time period.... then i mushed some other colors atop of it, and twisted the pieces abit. These will actualy be leotards with stretch skirts, and i'm having the leotards digitaly printed to fabric , then they will be assembled in chicago. Shoulde be an interesting project.... I'm looking forward to it. :) I will put up photos when things get rolling.... (Below is one of the finished dresses)

I created 11 different bodices total. In the end i was very very pleased with the outcome. It's a process i will use again.

100 pieces are never enough.

This is the finished product...... (guesting tutu for Melody Herrera)

Guesting Season is upon the ballet world, and Principal dancer Melody Herrera of Houston Ballet has many special performances on her plate. She came to me with the need of a good universal tutu: Sugar Plum, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and any other classical rhinestone, and tulle draped lead role that may come her way.

The above sketch i sent Melody turned out to be what i like to call a "splash and a hand" design. It's a bunch of wavy lines, loops, and squiggles. In the construction of this tutu I've challenged my self to really read the design and convey as much of what i put on paper as possible.
Below is the start.

The picture above is the very fist layer of several on the center front panel of the bodice. The flat lining is cotton twill topped with a cream file, the colored floral pieces are dupiono silks that i will applique' and the edge of the pieces are airbrushed with a soft pink floral so that they blend into the rest of the bodice which is more pink.

Below is the next layer of embroidery, and beaded lace that tops off and tones down the applique' and painting.

I was very lucky to found a lace with patterns that are a mirror image, it makes the frankensteining cut and piece work of the lace much easier. Once the lace is applied and drips onto other bodice pieces i will incorporate a few petite silken flowers and some additional crystals and bead work.

I will post more pictures as the tutu starts to take shape.

The Amazing Aran Bell!

This is the third year I've had the joy of designing for up and coming ballet star Aran Bell. Aran has received numerous awards and honors from the Youth American Grand Prix ballet competition. The first custom costume i made for him was a Don Q. jacket, and last year a Paquita Tunic. This season he will be dancing Solor from the classic ballet La Bayadere.

Pictured above is the Back Neck section of this years costume. As usual I've sandwiched several fabrics together to achieve color and texture of the design. For structure and breath ability the first layer (flat lining) is a taupe cotton twill. Atop that is a green dupioni silk edged with a bias strip of a yellowy gold dupioni. To blend these pieces together i used the airbrush with a iridescent holly green and a piece of lace as a stencil. The top layer of fabric is a "bollywood" embroidered net. To add interest to the top layer i will attach some hand worked china silk ribbon flowers, and paint into some of the gold cording to tone it down in places. Today I'm working on the upper section of the sleeves, which will be made from a darker green dupioni and they will be "continental" or North American smocked, this will give them a woven and very expensive look. ........ more pics to come.....

Ok the sleeves are underway....