Mad Hatters - Back to the fore!

With Romeo and Juliet now done, it is time to go back to the Mad Hatters Childrens Charity Tea Party Portsmouth. Bit of a mouthful, but an incredible annual event that I was honored to be asked to design the costumes for for this years event!

 

For a refresher on the designs - save the Red Queen and the doormouse that I need to re-scan  -

 

Due to Tanya Pye - the maker for this event - making the White Queen and March Hare for her final project for her Costume Making degree at the Arts University Bournemouth, some changes needed to be made for them to be complex enough makes.

March Hare
Tanya has knitted the waistcoat to match the design, but the shirt, which was going to be digitally printed, unfortunately could not be done because with the way the fur needed to be scanned it did not print recognisably onto fabric. So, myself and Tanya went to fabric warehouse and I picked out a bright green gingham for the shirt to replace the brown fur design.
The other change is to the hat - it matches the design but with two more cups added on top of the first, and with knitted cakes added to the brim of the hat.
The breeches are the fur that I chose on another trip to fabric land and have been made with elastic at the waist and legs, with the tights bought and the actor providing his own shoes.
(photos to follow)


White Queen
The White Queen has stayed very close to the design, the only parts that have needed minor changes are that a crinoline has been added to give the skirt more volume, and the neckline has been raised and brought in slightly to make absolutely sure there are no modesty issues. In discussion with the tutors we came up with the idea of using minuature teacups and teapots to go among the flower clusters and Tanya managed to find miniature ceramic teapots, teacups and saucers in bulk online and Tanya and myself set about painting patterns on them with blue ceramic paint.


The others so far
The Mad Hatter himself needs only his purple coat buying and decorating - which I am very excited about! His was the first costume I designed for this performance so I am keen to see that he looks the part.
The White Rabbit has had to undergo a change in the form of his checkered waistcoat - this has been changed to a satiny patterned blue waitcoat, with the rest of the costume remaining as designed.
Alice is already completed, the dress able to be altered from last years performance.
The Doormouse and Cheshire Cat need only their waistcoats to be bought and then they too are completed, with the actors again providing their own shoes. On the Cheshire Cat, a female cast member is now playing the part which was an unexpected turn of events and with the organiser keen to have a more femenine costume we will be adding thin pink stripes to the white ones already on the waistcoat.
The Tweedles are supplying their own plimsoles, their hats are completed thanks to a making helper, and the braces are bought they just need their jackets and shorts.

The Red Queen concerns me as I have seen nothing to do with her costume. However, there are still ten days and with the focus on Romeo and Juliet there is a good chance Tanya has, in the rush to fill me in on everything else, begun it but forgotten to tell me.

 So this is where we are at the moment! I hope to be able to put the fitting photographs online and the finished White Queen and March Hare, currently waiting on the photographer to get back to me.