Linda Abrams
Linda began sewing for her dolls in single-digit ages, got a portable Singer for her 13th birthday, and sewed her own clothes until college. When she joined the SCA 35 years ago, she could sew anything from a pattern…but nothing without one! The SCA’s Company of Clothiers fixed that, with historical patterning. From obsessing on “Peter Pan” in nursery school, Linda always knew she would have to fly. She now has a Private Pilot’s license and flies her vintage 1946 Ercoupe — a much sturdier plane than those you’ll see in “The First Women To Fly!”
Maria Aceituno
Maria has been working in the Costume College programming team for 3 years now. As a lifelong crafter she has many hobbies like sewing regular and historical clothing, with a dash of crochet and embroidery work when possible. She is a full-time educator at a local University who focuses on technology and curriculum. Her job is high-tech but her hobbies are not, it’s a nice way to keep balance.
Priscilla Atwell
Priscilla Atwell has an AS in Fashion Design and has costumed stage productions for 15 years. She has worked the Renaissance Faire for 40 years demonstrating spinning, weaving, lace making and knitting. She has expanded into Victorian Fashion–finishing 6 ensembles and all the underpinnings from the Civil War to the Bustle Era. She has taught Hardanger Lace and Bobbin Lace at Costume College. She says that someday she will organize her textile items but until then she’ll teach.
Trystan Bass
When she was five years old, Trystan Bass loved to dress in tights and a trenchcoat to play Mrs. Peel from The Avengers. She’s been wearing funny clothes ever since. She’s worked at Renaissance fairs and science-fiction conventions, launched the Greater Bay Area Costumer’s Guild online, organized gothic fashion shows, won Best in Show with the Eugenie group at Costume-Con 26, plays a 16th-c. baroness in the SCA, and performs as a saucy Venetian courtesan with Bella Donna. But her all-consuming passion is to nitpick the historical costumes in movies and TV as Editor-in-Chief of Frock Flicks.
The Lady Detalle
TheLady Detalle, has been sewing since she was three and began her foray into sewing historical fashion a decade ago, with a special love for the 18th and 19th centuries, her loving husband and silk! She is a historic costumer and re-enactor, dancing at Stratford Hall & other historic houses, loves to spend time at CW, teacher at Dress U and Costume College and won awards for CC2009’s ‘Madame Guillotine’ French court gown. A Masters in business and a busy career, with free time spent sewing and attending events, she shares her passion of sewing & wearing historical fashion at theladydetalle.com and historic accessories Etsy business, ladydetalle.com.
Joyce Bolin
Costuming for over 15 years 1860-1912. American Civil War Society, Board of Directors; Co-founder of the Orange County Costume Guild; Founder of the Ladies of the Traveling Tea Society
Bridget Bradley-Scaife
Bridget Bradley-Scaife started costuming at age twelve when she got involved in Renaissance Faires. Since then, she has expanded her love of costuming to all time periods, but focuses mostly on the mid-Victorian era. Bridget loves researching and collecting images of historical clothing and especially loves finding the supplies and fabrics to recreate them. She is an active member in the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild, a buyer for Renaissance Fabrics, and the owner of North & South Emporium, which specializes in mid-Victorian accessories.
Monie Bryan
Failed my Sewing Class in 8th grade, so I had sew phobia for years. Fell in love with historical Sewing (when I was 9 I saw “Romeo and Juliet” and went to my first Ren Faire), but was too afraid to attempt. With a lot of help, I began to mangle fabric 30+ years ago, this was the journey. Now I try to impart some of the wisdom I have received along the way.
Burnley & Trowbridge Company
Angela is the owner of Burnley & Trowbridge Co. and founder and coordinator of “The Historic Fashion Workshop Series”. She has been involved in historic costume and textiles for almost 30 years supplying historically accurate textiles and related products to the Historic Fashion community. She has researched and lectured on many subjects related to historic costume, most especially textiles and it’s fashion consumer and has taught and co-taught workshops for over 16 years. Although her background is 18th and early 19th century, she is amazed and takes delight in the fashion of all time periods!
Jane Cadieux
Jane Cadieux’s creative passion has found an outlet through designing and making historical and fantasy costumes. She first learned to sew from her mother, Girl Scouts and 4H classes. In college at UCSC, she combined fine art and literature to study the arts of the past then continued her education interning in costume shops at UCSB and Allan Hancock’s Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts. She has been a participant in the SCA and in a Renaissance Faire guild. She sells custom costumes through her Etsy store, Dryad’s Grove, and specializes in making the padded garments historical fighters wear under their armor.
Brayton Carpenter
Brayton and Amy Carpenter own Legendary Costume Works. With over 3 decades combined experience in design and fabrication, they have worked in a variety of textiles, leather, metal and synthetics. Their portfolio showcases a range of genres, and their work has been featured on stage, screen, film, in print media and museums. Working for many companies in the collectibles industry, they create prototypes and samples for domestic and overseas manufacturing. These days their main focus is on leathercraft; designing and manufacuring high end leather costume accessories, pop-culture fashion items and leather project kits and tools under their LCW brand.
Tonya Clevenger
Tonya Clevenger has been fascinated by historical fashion and costuming for many years. Together with her husband she “timetravels” in as many eras as time allows. A long time attendee and former teacher at Costume College she also is a speaker on various historical subjects and often will be found in fashion shows. She is a docent at Heritage House in Riverside, California, one of the very few remaining 1890s homes in that city. She has a passion for vintage photographs and is an avid collector. When not in her sewing room she can be found scouring antique stores for more photos!
Olivia Competente
Olivia Competente /Jewels By Olivia, a jeweler, is a native of San Francisco. With a love of all things jewelry she is versed in metal smithing and her first love fused dichroic glass. Olivia now teaches all things jewelry with her mother Dina Competente at the Sharon Art Studio in San Francisco. I love all things sparkly and colorful.
Rory Cunningham
Rory is a professional costume manufacturer and has been in the Costumer’s Union for over 29 years. He’s taught costume construction at UCLA and been a Costume College teacher for over a decade. He has worked on Acadamy Award nominated films as well as several Emmy winning television programs. His career has spanned the big and small screens as well as theme parks, theatre, red carpets and catwalks.
Jeannette Darlington
Jeannette has a degree in engineering and a long-standing interest in historical costuming and material culture.
Chris DeAngelo
Christina DeAngelo enjoys exploring the line between accurately reproducing period techniques and using cutting-edge modern technology. She also delights in the structural elements of period fashion, be it hoops, corsetry, starches or sleeve supports. When not at the laser cutter or sewing machine, she’s probably staring cross-eyed at photos of a garment, trying to figure out how to reverse engineer it. Her current focus is the 19th century, but other eras occasionally sing her their siren song. She shares her successes, failures and tutorials at www.thelacedangel.blogspot.com.
Mary Dotson
Mary is a long time costumer with a particular love for medieval and rococo era clothing and a love of making headwear. She is known in the Society for Creative Anachronism as Maria Chiara Datini.
Carolyn Dowdell
Carolyn (aka The Modern Mantuamaker) is a dress historian with an MA and PhD specializing in 18th century clothing construction. Over the course of her research she has examined approximately 500 extant 18th century garments. She’s also a 20-year obsessive hobby and professional seamstress who sews both all of her own everyday clothes as well as historical reproduction fashions spanning the 18th to early 20th centuries. Most recently, Carolyn assisted with the DAR museum exhibition, “An Agreeable Tyrant: Fashion After the Revolution” by drafting scaled patterns from several of the garments on display and writing an essay for the catalog.
Elizabeth Emerson
Elizabeth Emerson is a collector, curator and costumer specializing in all things trim-related. Her current collection of ribbons and passementerie stands at over 5000 rolls from 1840-1950. The medium of ribbon stretches across many costuming platforms and she has previously taught classes in period appropriate ribbon/trim selection, ribbon for millinery use, silk flowers from ribbon and Victorian pleated and folded trim construction.
Jennifer Erlichman
Jennifer has been making costumes since her first Renaissance Faire in 1994. She serves as Musical Director for Belladonna Historical Performers, and is on the Board of Directors for the Guild of St. George – Northern Chapter. She has been making costumes professionally since 2006 for performers from Renaissance Faire through the Dickens Christmas Fair, and her specialty is bridging the gaps between historical accuracy, wearability, and comfort for today’s modern performers.
Sarah Faltesek
Sarah Faltesek is never satisfied with her bios, so she decided to list her loves and call it a day. Sarah is a trained anthropologist and hobby costumer, a beekeeper, a flamenco dancer, and self-taught werewolf folklore expert. Ask her about her Feminist Agenda.
Julie Fox
Julie credits the beginning of her love/hate relationship with crafting and historical costumes to watching The Six Wives of Henry VIII on Masterpiece Theater in the late 1960-early 1970s. She began sewing at the age of 9 and started crafting at age 10, and made her first period costume in 1977. She has continued to study historical costuming since then. Julie is founder of Foxes Period Costumes and has created commission work for historic and cosplay events and weddings since 1983. Her work won accolades at the RWC in 2000, and has owned a small online shop for period clothing since 1996.
Karen Fox
Karen Fox began her costuming obsession as a kid, taking apart thrift store finds and making things. While she has drafted and created hand-made historically accurate costumes from the finest silk, she still loves the challenge and creativity of making something from practically nothing. Her experience includes an MA in counseling psychology, a lifetime of dress up, highlighted by experiences as costume director for St Maximilian and Ballet America Nutcracker, as well as co-director of Belladonna Historical Performers and cast member of the Adventures Club at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair.
Eric Gerds
Eric Gerds has been a part time teacher at Santa Monica College for the past 23+ years. When he is not teaching he has worked in both the Aero Space industry and the entertainment industry. Some of the companies that Eric has worked for over the years include, United States Air Force, Boeing satellite systems, CBS, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Frank Gehry Partners to name a few.
Liz Gerds
Liz has been fascinated by costumes and dress-up since childhood and made her first costumes during her high school years. She has created costumes for stage, historical recreation, equestrian competition, and weddings. Her professional portfolio includes working for AlterYears, FarthingalesLA, Boss Wench, Real Pirates, UCLA TFT and others. Liz is a Past President of the CGW and has been involved with created Costume College from the beginning. After taking a year off she is happy to return as a teacher.
Steven Gillan
Steven has headed Clan MacColin of Glenderry, the oldest operating 16th Century Highland and Irish reenactment organization in the United States, since 1982. Through extensive and ongoing research, he has striven to establish and enhance a plausible historic impression for Clan MacColin. His research has been used by many subsequent Highland and Irish reenactment groups from the Middle Ages to the English Civil War. He studied Art History, and is a devotee of pre-industrial wood working.
The Historical Hairdresser
As THE Historical Hairdresser T’Lynn has worked with clients the world over! From Mythical creatures , royal figures and historical reproductions. Her work has been see in Museums, award events and shows, NY fashion week, Theater, opera, TV and Film for the last few decades. T’lynn Has participated in costume college for over 22 years. Her desire is to inspire and bring forth YOUR ability to CREATE beauty in all you do ! She is here to support your creations! Thru tips and tricks. EVERYONE can style hair with patience and the right tools!
Tracey Gorin
Tracey Gorin has been beading and crafting since she was a young girl, but didn’t begin costuming until 2003. As a beginning seamstress, she found sewing a wonderful challenge, which allowed her to expand her creative repertoire and gave her so much inspiration! Tracey loves learning from others, finding new ways of doing things, and combining talents into new projects. In her non-costuming life, Tracey works as an audio-visual engineer, and loves using technology to support learning and education in a variety of fields!
Annette Grace
Annette has been sewing off an on since she was a child, in the past 10 years the emphasis has bee in historical costuming of various eras, while also occasionally branching out to cosplay, fantasy, and steampunk. Annette loves researching various details of each time period such as recipes, culture, and cosmetic/hair techniques. Annette is the president of Historical Citizens Association, volunteers on the Costume College committee, and is a previous CGW board member.
Beth Grover
Beth Grover worked in the fashion industry as a patternmaker/technical designer for major brands such as Lucky Brand Jeans and Quiksilver, but loves working on historical costumes most of all. She has a B.A. in History and an A.A. in Fashion Design. This is her first year teaching at Costume College.
Lia Hansen
Lia began her involvement in costuming 50 years ago. She is currently the faculty costume and makeup designer and faculty member at Vanguard University, and works with American Coast Theater Company.
Cathy Hay
Cathy Hay is the founder of online corset making and costuming college Foundations Revealed. She is also fortunate enough to be mentor to a group of 15 or so creative entrepreneurs through their 2018 journey. With a weakness for old clothes – very old clothes – and a surplus of ambition, she’d like to think that we are all continuing the work of Worth, making sewing an important art form again (as well as an essential ingredient for our mental health). Cathy belongs both in England and in northern California, suspended between two worlds.
Denise Hendrick
Denise Hendrick started her costuming and re-enactment journey over 20 years ago. The hobby eventually led to an apparel design degree, followed by starting Romantic Recollections in 2005. In 2014, Denise launched a line of machine and hand embroidery designs inspired by extant garments and period illustrations in order to help other costumers bring the beauty of historic embroidery to their own projects.
Maegen Hensley
Maegen Hensley hated what she first wrote (sounded too much like a dang resume), so she’s taking another approach. You know that moment when you’ve found your “people” and you can’t shut up about all the neat things you make, the hundreds of things you plan to make, and the thousand things you will never make? That’s Maegen. She’s a talker about her love for costuming. Come to her classes and feed her addiction. Oh and she works for Anovos, is Assistant Dean, and has been on the CoCo committee longer than her daughter has been alive.
Heather Hofshi
Heather Hofshi lives in San Diego with her time-traveling family. She has been costuming for ten years and enjoys most eras from the ancient to the far future.
Katrina Homer
In 1987 Katrina visited DC with her family and while at the Smithsonian found her self dressed as a Revolutionary War Minute Man. Katrina has been playing dress up ever since.
Meg Horan
Meg is a sewing educator and historic costumer. She has been sewing for over a decade, and has a degree in Costume Construction and Design. Pattern drafting and draping are her passions. She loves hot mugs of tea, reading the manual, and anything Agatha Christie.
Mela Hoyt-Heydon
Mela Hoyt-Heydon is a union costume designer for the entertainment industry. She also serves as chairman of the Theatre Arts Department at Fullerton College, which has one of the largest costume construction programs in the United States. On the non theatrical side of her life, she was a speaker at Colonial Williamsburg’s Millinery Symposium last year. She is a member of Fashion Council, Costume Society of America, The United States Institute of Theater Technology and United Scenic Artists. Her recent costume design work includes The Drowsy Chaperone, Memphis, Jane Eyre, The Complete Female Stage Beauty and her company, Atelier Mela, just completed costumes for Shanghai Disney.
Mary Johns
Mary has been sewing historical costumes for 20 years, and runs the costume department at Riley’s Farm. She loves sharing knowledge and learning new things.
Zoe Jones
Zoe has been making costumes and practicing fiber arts since her teens. For several years she has been fascinated by the history of lace as well as techniques of lacemaking. She loves research so much you will rarely see her in a finished costume!
Maryann Jones
Maryann has been costuming forever and specialized in costuming for kids.
Kevin Jones
Curator, FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles
Mal Keller
Evidenced by a more than 20 year career creating magical things in the fields of film, television, comics and toys, Malaki strives for a unique look in all he creates. Whether detailing artwork, crafting props and costumes, or designing and building toys, each of his creations develops its own sense of personality. Past credits include Alien resurrection and Starship troopers on film, Star trek deep space 9 and Buffy the vampire slayer on TV, as well as Airwalk and Heineken advertising campaigns. Working in foam, clay, resin, plastic, wood, or any other material to get the job done, he has even worked with Chocolate!
Sophia Khan
Sophia is a historical costuming enthusiast and professional technical designer at Walt Designer Parks and Resorts. Focusing on Mid 18th through Mid 20th Century fashions, recreations, and research. She received her BFA in Fashion Design from School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Regina Lawson
Regina costumed high school theatre productions and rock bands as a teenager. Starting in 1985, she has costumed Highland and Irish, English, and German re-enactors, as well as dabbling in Victorian, and 16thC and 17thC Polish and Turkish clothing, and the odd Baby Beauty Pageant contestant and bride. Now Historical Clothing Coordinator for Clan MacColin of Glenderry, the premier sixteenth century Irish and Highland re-enactment organization, Regina carries on her 30-year obsession with the mysteries of early-modern Irish and Highland clothing
Jen Lemus
Jen has been sewing historical clothing for 15 years, focusing in the Victorian era. She was taught to follow a commercial pattern by her grandmother on a Singer Featherweight, only catching the historical clothing bug in college. Meticulous in her detailing, Jennifer struggles with leaving a seam unfinished and strives to make beautiful, accurate garments that are pretty inside and out. Jen works in STEM been known to get very mathy in her dress making. She once figured out the puff ratio on a hem treatment using trigonometry, proving that yes, you can use this stuff in real life!
Adam Lid
Adam Lid has worked for the past 20 years as a historical consultant/instructor/technical coordinator specializing in military and fashion history with an emphasis on the 1870 to 1920 era. More recently, he has been working as a design consultant at Lily Absinthe, a business specializing in historically-based clothing that is owned and operated by him and his wife Karin. Adam also has an interest in the history of the American West, spending time at his other residence in Tombstone, Arizona. When he is not working, he spends time working with his horse and studying the history of cavalry.
Air Bubbles Cosplay
Arielle Lien is a self-taught costume designer and avid cosplay. She began her costume journey in college and since then, she has designed 7 theatrical productions, including “Chicago”. She has also built over 10 costumes for herself, winning 5 awards. Starting as a seamstress, she has shifted gears towards armor building, props and electronics and wants to share her knowledge with as many people as possible. She can found teaching working with worbla panels across the Pacific Northwest. In her free time she plays the games Destiny and Magic the gathering.
Lana Lily
Lana Lily is a lover of history, with a passion for detailed research of historical clothing. She received a degree in Fashion Design from FIDM and has more than 20 years experience as a historical reenactor. Lana enjoys sharing her knowledge of historical techniques by teaching classes at various venues which can be found at www.lanalily.com and offering historical millinery through her Etsy shop North & South Emporium. Involvement in the CGW resulted in the honor of being Dean of Costume College 2007
Gina Lovin
I’m just your average home sewer who loves historical costuming. I’ve been sewing for 50 years but only costuming history for, maybe 6 years. I especially love the hats and bonnets that bring an ensemble to life and the under foundations that give those very historic silhouettes.
Rebecca Lowell
Prior to graduating from FIDM with degrees in Fashion Design and Costume Design for Film & Television Rebecca spent about eight years involved in re-enactment, learning various historical sewing and construction techniques. She has a love of research, teaching, and all things vintage. Rebecca is a past CGW President and Dean Emeritus. She currently works as a Soft Goods Prototyper for ANOVOS, has a vintage resale business, and coordinates an annual vintage doll convention.
Constance MacKenzie
Constance is a professional Costume Maker for Theatre, film, TV with a life long love of Historical Costume. Recent work has been for Mary Poppins Returns, Wonder Woman, Dickensian and Downton Abbey. She has also made costumes for Glyndebourne Opera House and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. She started her costume-making career at Kentwell Hall, in England taking part in sixteenth century reenactment when she was 12 and has not stopped dressing up since.
Rebecca Maiten
Rebecca Maiten is an actor and costumer living in the Seattle area, and has been fascinated with historical fashions for as long as she can remember. She started sewing in high school, and has been creating historical costumes since 2010, both for herself and as commissions. Rebecca loves sewing costumes of any era, from the 18th c through Edwardian, and also specializes in Disney Princess dress reproductions. She is also one of the founders of the Puget Sound Historical Costumers Guild. More information can be found at LadyRebeccaFashions.com.
Sandy Manning
Sandra Manning teaches math and science in the bush of Alaska but has been involved in costuming since she was 15 years old. She has been involved with masquarades at Science Fiction Conventions and has taught at costume college in the past.
Lauren Maringola
Lauren is the lady behind Wearing History sewing patterns and blog. She has been a historical and vintage costume addict for over twenty years and has worked professionally for theatre, indie film, and her own company. She is a graduate of FIDM where she obtained a degree in Fashion Design and also studied Costume Design for Film and Television.
Paige Mattern
I am a self taught costumer, I have been costuming for over 30 years. I dabble in Renaissance, Victorian, Regency, Steampunk, and Fantasy costumes.
Sue McDonald
Sue McDonald is a long-time seamstress and loves to dress in period attire. Early in her re-enactment career, she discovered how difficult and expensive it is to acquire all the accessories needed to make an outfit complete, so she set out to make them. Sue has given lectures and workshops at Costume College over the last five years in making a buckram hat, making a Victorian-style purse, and creating beaded-bead hatpins and pendants. She also makes custom hats and clothing by request, and offers some of her creations at www.bustledress.com.
Lynn McMasters
Lynn McMasters has tried her hand at almost everything that one can do with a sewing machine, from everyday clothes to period costumes for porcelain dolls, educational puppets and costumes for such places as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Point Reyes National Sea Shore and Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens. In the past 10 years, she has concentrated on period hats and has started a line of period hat patterns. Examples of her work can be seen on her website, lynnmcmasters.com. Lynn has taught at Costume College, the GBACG Costume Academy, and workshops at SCA Arts and Sciences. She teaches corset making, millinery and Elizabethan embellishment-related classes, as well.
Natalie Meyer
I have been sewing since I was 5. I started making costumes in the 1980s with a series of Superman costumes as my nephew grew. I Became interested in historical sewing when I became a docent at Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles. I was Dean of Costume College twice and have been a teacher for about 15 years.
Christine Millar
Christine Millar has been a costume lover all her life. In particular, she loves all things rococo, in particular their over the top embellishments, such as embroidery, laces, trims, etc.. With a personal motto focused on always remembering to have fun, she specializes in making time for hobbies, even when life gets in the way. When not costuming, she enjoys putting people to sleep (her day job), playing esoteric board games, and painting miniatures for tabletop games set 40,000 years in the future.
Jess Miller
Jess Miller has been costuming since discovering the Renaissance Faire, the SCA and science fiction fandom all in the same year. She has a BA in Art, emphasis textiles, and further coursework in Anthropology, which just makes her that more confused. She has run local masquerades, is a Past Dean of Costume College and will discuss costume for hours on end.
Margaret Monos
Playing dress up was Margaret’s favorite game as a child and nothing has changed. Having learned to sew in 3rd grade, it is something that still gets her creative juices flowing. Margaret focuses on early 20th Century but also enjoys creating costumes for Regency, Victorian and Fantasy. Last year she began her journey into the 18th Century.
Ed Morlan
Ed started costuming before he even knew it by designing and sewing his own gear for military trainings and finding his way to an occasional movie set. While on movie sets, he met a group of guys who managed to get him to a real reenactment and ever since he has been very involved in costuming. He runs his own sutler store at reenactments, hand-making both wood and leather products. He’s honed his leather skills and enjoys teaching CoCo. Ed is a civil war reenactor, 13th century longbow archer, Rev War Longhunter, and dabbles in Roman, Greek, WW2 Navy, Fantasy and Sci-Fi.
Jennifer Mulvey
Jennifer Mulvey has been a part of the costuming hobby for over 7 years, wherein she has served on both the Costume College Committee for a number of years and the CGW, Inc. Board of Directors. She enjoys all aspects of costuming from historical Civil War reenacting to sci-fi / fantasy. Jennifer is a “certified” friend maker and loves to welcome new people in the costuming world, so she has hosted the Freshman Orientation for the last number of years. Never claiming to be an expert, she is always glad to lend a hand whenever a costume is in need.
Kim Oriold
Kim has a love of all things 18th century and started making 18th century costumes 8 years ago. She soon realized that a beautiful costume requires both beautiful accessories and the perfect hairstyle. After much trial and error, she came upon a relatively simple technique to achieve the classic “pouf and buckle” hairstyle favored in the mid to late 18th century. Recently she opened her Etsy store – Queen and Cavendish, which specializes in unique reproduction and inspired 18th century jewelry design.
Jennifer Rosbrugh
Jennifer delights in the nostalgia of the past and brings it into her modern life by creating historical ensembles. Since 2008 she has been connecting with others around the world who also love costuming and dream of the past. She runs the Historical Sewing blog and hosts popular online sewing classes at Classes.HistoricalSewing.com. After making her clothes for over 30 years Jennifer has developed a penchant for 1870s bustle dresses and crazy 1830s fashions; although, the 18th century now calls strongly. She loves dark chocolate, God’s grace, and is a long-time teacher at Costume College.
Diana Rotheneder
As the owner of Renaissance Fabrics (www.RenaissanceFabrics.net), Diana Rotheneder is passionate about curating and carrying wonderful historical fabrics for the costuming community. She has been sewing historical clothing herself for over 25 years and her current loves are Victorian and the 18th century. Diana has learned many things over the years and taught many classes at Costume College and beyond. She looks forward to sharing that knowledge with you!
Laura D Rubin
Laura Rubin is an aggressively interdisciplinary researcher, writer, and costumer living and working in the Silicon Valley. She brings together the history of dress and technology, with an emphasis in experimental archaeology and primary source research. She also lectures in history and theory in exchange for cocktails.
Nicole Rudolph
Nicole is currently a graduate student at University of Nebraska-Lincoln studying costume history. Her particular interest is in shoes, and she has been a practicing historical shoemaker for 7 years.
Carolyn Runnells
Carolyn was bitten by the costuming bug in 1997 after receiving two complete 1872 ensembles created for a docent in Virginia City, NV. Since that time Carolyn has traveled the world using costumes to bring historical talks to life aboard cruise ships, covering time periods Renaissance to Edwardian. Carolyn also developed the video “History Undressed” sold on Amazon and has presented this show to various service organizations as Edutainment. Teaching sharing information is a passion that Carolyn has enjoyed and looked forward to doing for years to come.
J. P. Ryan
J.P. Ryan is a Costume Historian, Designer, and Pattern Maker who specializes in the last half of the 18th and the early 19th century. Her international following is anxiously awaiting the release of her next pattern, an early Regency jacket.
Andy Schmidt
Andy Schmidt’s experience with costuming goes back to 1979 when he became a member of the Queen’s Court at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Agoura, CA, and had to produce his own costumes. When he took up photography as a serious pursuit in 2007, people told him, “Shoot what you know,” so he began shooting re-enactment events, posting his images on Facebook under the moniker of the Shotwell Collection. In 2010 and 2011, he came to Costume College to shoot the Red Carpet, and he was invited to serve as the official Studio Photographer in 2012.
Kristine Scott Sosa
One of Kristine’s first memories of her Dad, was going to the 5 and dime store and picking out floss, hoop, needle and pattern to embroider something. That was her toy. Lifetime seamstress and long time teacher. Fashion historian, social anthropologist. Corset maker. She wears many hats! She did hair and make up for TV and movies in the 90s. After ruining her knees as an EMT, she has come full circle and is back to stitching and sewing and crafting all day long. PSBCreations.com is her baby. Bringing history to life is what makes her happy!
Cindy Settje
Cynthia Settje is the owner of Redthreaded, a small business specializing in historical corsetry and theatrical costumes in Boulder, CO. Her clients span the range from Broadway shows to individual reenactors and costume enthusiasts. She has a BFA in costume technology and has worked professionally in costume shops throughout the US, including the Santa Fe Opera and the CO Shakespeare Festival. She loves costuming for the way it uniquely combines artistry, textiles, engineering, history, storytelling and collaboration.
Taylor Shelby
Taylor Shelby is the owner of Dames a la Mode, a company that reproduces Georgian-era jewelry. She lives in Washington DC.
Hallie Smith
Costumer, cosplayer, LARPer, crafter, knitter, all around making stuff junkie. Firm believer in the idea that “finished is better than perfect.”
Trish Sova
Trish has been sewing since age 5 and costuming for about the last 20 years. She has worked as a receptionist, IT help desk, and at two different independent fabric stores. Now she works at the costume shop of the Detroit Opera House, when she isn’t volunteering with the local Boy
Tracey Spencer
I was first introduced to bobbin lace in 1995 while I was traveling in Belgium and bought my first pillow, book and bobbins and had them shipped home. In 1996 I moved to England and took my bobbin lace pillow and supplies with me. I found a couple of lace groups and learned to make bobbin lace. I returned to the U.S. and have continued to make lace and do demonstrations for various craft fairs and historical events. I enjoy sharing the history of lace and telling stories of lace makers.
Joni Steinmann
I studied abroad, I choose a more theoretical art history bachelor over practical Art as my study. For my Masters degree I trained as a textile conservator, but having worked as one for 3 years, I started to feel the unaddressed desire to create. Over the years, I have tried many different art media as a hobby, but it wasn’t until I started making corsets and costumes, that I could fully express my creativity. When I admitted to myself, that I am in fact a designer and founded the Rainbow Curve Corsetry label in 2015, I truly found my passion.
Kristin Stonham
Born into a line of sewers, Kristin is sure hr grandmothers would never have thought of all the things she’d do with what they taught her! Over a decade after watching a costume competition and declaring to a friend “We can do that too!”, she’s still going strong, dabbling in every type of fabric craft she can get her hands on.
Lauren Stowell
Lauren Stowell is a historical costumer focusing on 18th century women’s dress. She is an author, blogger, footwear and pattern designer, and CEO of American Duchess Inc. and Royal Vintage Shoes LLC.
Christina Stroffolino
After assisting her husband Malaki Keller on countless costume builds, it was inevitable that Christina (AKA: Mombie Zombie ) would be bitten by the creative bug. Her main passion became Resin and Urethane casting for which she uses to create many wonderful geeky fandom pieces. Her many years of “Out of the box” thinking has led to a remarkable understanding of tools and techniques for which she is happy to impart to you all.
Kendra Van Cleave
Kendra Van Cleave has been creating and studying historic costumes for over 20 years (although we won’t talk about those early mishaps). She also is a fashion historian, specializing in the 18th Century. She has recently published a book on 18th Century Hair & Wig styling (www.18thcenturyhair.com), and is working on an academic book about Turkish influence on 18th century dress.
Jenny-Rose White
Jenny-Rose White is a professionally licensed Hair & Make-Up Artist based in Northern Virginia, specializing in Bridal, Special Events & Historical Styling. She became fascinated by historical fashion and costuming at an early age, and has been sewing historically inspired costumes for over 20 years. Jenny-Rose is fascinated by many eras of historical fashion and hairstyling but c1775-1810 is the one that makes her heart flutter. She is the webmistress of jennylafleur.com and the proprietress of the JennylaFleur Shoppe, an online shop selling Aids and Accessories for Historic Hair Styling hosted on Etsy.
Kathryn Wolters
Kathryn has been a avid costuming , jewelry , embroidery ,and accessory ‘junkie’ since the age of 10 , when she started making clothes for her Barbie doll . 50 *plus* yes later—she has sewn for ‘grown up’ Barbies, Kens, and Skippers—and just about anyone *else* who will stand still in front of her long enough. She also learned to make her own jewelry and accessories—and metal thread embroidery, including gold bullion work and started teaching all of these over the last 40 years. Along the way she has played with a lot of different groups, mostly historical–amongst them–Society for Creative Anachronism, Past Times With Good Company, Friends of the English Regency , and various Victorian groups. The words ‘Life Time Addictions’ come to mind here.
Diane Yoshitomi
Diane Yoshitomi has been at home with needle and thread in hand since age nine when her grandmother taught her the basics of crewel embroidery. By her 20s she was making all of her own clothes, and after entering fashion design school she designed many of them as well. She began to “dress historical” in the 1990s while a docent at a Victorian house museum, and now enjoys recreating the fashions of 1800 to 1950. She credits Costume College with the skills and acquaintanceships which continue to open ever-widening horizons of costuming creativity.