2019 Teacher List

Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is a 30 year member of the community and founding faculty member of CoCo, who regularly competes at conventions and is a former Masquerade director for one of the largest Anime masquerades in the US. He has crafted costumes using sewing, 3D printing, latex appliances, and electronics. Find him at www.getoffourlawncosplay.com.

Cynthia Aronin

Cynthia Aronin has been costuming for roughly four years, but has been researching aspects of the 18th Century for ten years, reading all she can get her hands on. She has devoted a substantial amount of time to researching an apothecary persona for Civil War and 18th Century reenacting, including researching and recreating 18th century recipes for hair styling products along with hair styling techniques and medicinal remedies of the time.

Perry Ash

Perry Ash has been a Costume Designer/Pattern Maker in the movie industry for the past 25 years. He/She has a BA Degree for Cal State Fullerton in Theatre Production with Emphasis in Costume Design.

Rosey Asher

Rosey Asher grew up watching her mother sew, but did not start until her senior year of high school. With a focus on period-based fantasy, she will find just about any reason to build a new costume. Past examples include Ren Faires, a brief stint in cosplay, and some industry events. Now holding 15 years of experience in costuming, she can be found performing at the Northern California Renaissance Faire and the Labyrinth Masquerade in pieces she has designed and made.

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 over 40 years: demonstrating spinning, weaving, lace making, and knitting. She has also expanded into Victorian Fashion: finishing seven ensembles and all the underpinnings from the Civil War to the Bustle Era. She has taught undersleeves, frogs and knots, hardanger lace, and bobbin lace at past Costume Colleges. She always says that someday she will organize her textile items, but until then she’ll teach.

Cheryl Avirom

Co-Chair Tours – FIDM & Western Costume House

Trystan Bass

Trystan Bass loved to dress in tights and a trenchcoat to play Mrs. Peel from The Avengers at the age of five, and she’s been wearing funny clothes ever since. She’s worked at Renaissance Faires 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, played a 16th century baroness in the SCA, and performed as a saucy Venetian courtesan with Bella Donna. Her greatest passion is nitpicking the historical costumes in movies and TV as Editor-in-Chief of “Frock Flicks” (www.frockflicks.com).

Joy Baxendell

Steve Bogdan

Steve Bogdan is a former museum historian and collection curator who, since the 1980s, has presented hundreds of history related lectures throughout the Southwest. A multi-era reenactor since 1991, he spent a number of years as the head of a 1,000-plus member reenacting organization. Drawing on his work identifying uniforms, he has researched and recreated period correct military clothing for other museums, the U.S. Army, and multiple reenacting units. He has ridden with a period correct attired cavalry unit in two Rose Parades. He parleyed writing a history column for a magazine into a full time position as an editor/publisher.

Laura Bower

Laura Lowe Bower has been studying and reproducing the styles of the 1920s-40s for years, becoming adept at sewing vintage patterns, creating hairstyles from vintage diagrams, and adapting modern elements. Her 15+ years experience WWII reenacting have given her insight into the psychology and style of the period, as well as a practical knowledge of how women created and maintained their style. She has participated in many living history events focused on the participation of women in WWII, including work for the History Channel, Marching Through History, and The Spirit of ’45, and giving presentations on the USS Midway.

Marion Boyce

Marion Boyce is an internationally renowned costume designer working across film and television in Australia and overseas. Boyce’s credits include the TV series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries Series 1, 2 and 3, The Hollowmen, The Starter Wife and Nightmares And Dreamscapes. Films include Crocodile Dundee In Los Angeles, Joey, Zeus and Roxanne, The Dressmaker, and the television movies Hercules, Salem’s Lot, The Echo of Thunder, Noah’s Ark and Moby Dick. She was nominated for an Emmy and a Costume Designer’s Guild Award in 2008 for her work on The Starter Wife. See more on our Guest Teacher page.

Bridget Bradley-Scaife

Bridget Bradley-Scaife started costuming at age 12 when she got involved in Renaissance Faires. Since then, she has expanded her love of costuming to all time periods, but currently focuses on the mid-Victorian era. She is an active member of the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild, a buyer for Renaissance Fabrics, and the owner of North & South Emporium (www.NorthSouthEmporium.com), which specializes in mid-Victorian jewelry and accessories.

Rachel Builteman

Rachel Builteman is an avid reenactor, seamstress, and dress historian specializing in women’s fashions of the American Civil War era. Rachel has been sewing since middle school, focusing primarily on 18-19th century American fashions. She is a leading member of the Academy of Living History and Performing Arts and leads living history displays for schools across Southern California. She is currently working on her Master’s degree, with an emphasis on material culture and dress history.

Angela Burnley

Angela Burnley is founder & CEO of Burnley & Trowbridge Co. (www.burnleyandtrowbridge.com), as well as founder & coordinator of “The Historic Fashion Workshop Series”, now in its 18th year. She has been involved with historic costume and textiles for almost 30 years, supplying historically accurate textiles and related products to the community. She has researched and lectured on many subjects related to historic costume, specializing in textiles and the consumer, and has taught workshops for over 17 years. Although her background is 18th and early 19th century, she is amazed and takes delight in the fashion of all time periods!

Jennifer Byrd

Jennifer Byrd began creating with fabric when she was a young girl. Starting with Barbie clothes, she soon shifted to clothes for herself, then her family. Accepting any challenge, she also tackled home decoration, stuffed toys, spare tire covers, and movie screen repair! In 2002, she encountered her first corset … another challenge met and mastered. Shortly thereafter, in 2003, Jennifer founded CGW. Now historic and fantasy creations infuse her extensive interests. She can’t wait to see what’s next!

Brayton and Amy Carpenter

Brayton and Amy Carpenter own Legendary Costume Works (www.LegendaryCoustumeWorks.com). 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 companies in the collectibles industry, they have created prototypes and samples for domestic and overseas manufacturing. These days their main focus is on leathercraft; designing and manufacturing high end leather costume accessories, pop-culture fashion items, and leather project kits and tools under their LCW brand.

Francis Classe

Francis Classe has been costuming and making shoes for over ten years. He has studied raised heels extensively and is the author of “Chopine, Zoccolo, and Other Raised Heel Construction” (www.raisedheels.com). Although he specializes in the second half of the 16th Century, he is interested in all manner of costuming and shoemaking, both historical and fantasy. Francis is also the designer for Stratford, the Renaissance high heel offering by American Duchess.

Tonya Clevenger

Tonya Clevenger has been fascinated by historical fashions and costuming for many years and “time travels” in many eras. She is a member of Costumers Guild West and is a docent at Heritage House in Riverside, California (one of the few remaining homes from the 1890s). An avid collector of antique photos, Tonya has developed the techniques necessary to accurately date them. She has participated in many fashion shows and her closet is full of Victorian and Edwardian fashions. In her spare time she runs a successful booth at a local antique store.

Sahrye Cohen

Sahrye Cohen is the co-author of “Make It, Wear It: Wearable Electronics for Makers, Crafters and Cosplayers” (www.makeitwearitbook.com). She teaches workshops on electronics for costumers and has published articles on 3D printing in “Make Magazine” and on cosplay techniques in “The Virtual Costumer”. As the founding designer of Amped Atelier, her tech couture designs have been on the runway at New York Tech Fashion Week, Beakerhead Festival in Calgary, Canada, and at the MakeFashion shows in Xiamen and Shenzhen, China. Sahrye likes historic punch recipes, collecting antique hand fans, and all the fabric.

Lynn L Combs

Lynn Combs has dressed in historic costumes all her life: in parades, at historic events, on stage and now for business. She has a BA in Theatre Arts and Social Science, 30 years as a theatrical costume designer, and 40 plus years in historic reenactment. Find her at www.Holzer-CombeHaberdashery.com.

Gina Cowley

Gina Cowley’s obsession with fabric and sewing was started with a box of her grandmother’s scraps for doll clothes evolved into making her own clothes and Cosplay (before it was called Cosplay) costumes for friends, and has finally turned in to all things costuming. She studied Art History, Fashion and Costume Design in college. She now makes custom skating dresses and costumes for local theater, teaches costume design at the Orange County High School of the Arts and sewing classes at Atelier Mela, and has recently ventured into the world of tutu construction.

Abby Cox

Abby Cox’s passion for historic costume flourished while studying art history, history, theatre, and drama at Indiana University-Bloomington. From there, she aquired a postgraduate degree in Decorative Arts and Design History from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. She began putting her knowledge and skills to use at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, where she continued to study 18th century dressmaking techniques and hair care. In 2016, she left the museum world to work at American Duchess Inc. and Royal Vintage Shoes, where she serves as Vice President. She has co-authored 2 books, a podcast, some dress patterns, and several shoe collections.

Cozette Cravens

Cozette Cravens has been designing, creating and wearing folk and Historical costumes for many years. While dancing with folk dance groups, she learned the joys of researching and embroidering costumes. She has been told on numerous occasions that “It’s All About The Costume”. She admires how actors bring a character to life while wearing the right costumes. Her mother fueled her enthusiasm for sewing, from age 5 years old, and she hasn’t slowed down since. She experience in singing, dancing, acting, directing, and designing. She has done many things over her lifetime and is always learning from those around her. Find her at www.cozettescostumecreations.com.

Rory Cunningham

Rory Cunningham has been a professional costumer for over 30 years having worked on film, TV, and stage costumes. From fancy to fantasy, the sublime to the super, his creations have been worn by caped crusaders, panthers, and enterprising explorers, as well as being featured in several museum exhibitions. With more than ten years teaching experience at CoCo, Rory is now the owner of the only Union Costume House in Hollywood: Bill Hargate Costumes.

Jeannette Darlington

Jeannette Darlington has a degree in engineering and a long-time interest in history and material culture, with special emphasis on everyday clothing and accessories.

Chris DeAngelo

Chris 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 on her blog, “The Laced Angel” (www.thelacedangel.blogspot.com).

Joe Deese

Joe Deese is the founder and president of Lucid Studios (www.lucidstudiosla.com), a costume fabrication company based out of Los Angeles. He focuses his talents on the art of specialty garment design and construction for film and television.

Tana Donaghy

Presenting at Freshman Orientation.

Elizabeth Emerson

Elizabeth Emerson has, for a number of years, collected and studied antique textiles. This has grown into teaching a number of historical costuming techniques, many of which she publishes online at www.ElizabethEmersonDesigns.com.

Sandra Durbin

Sandra Durbin is an award winning fiber artist, who has been sewing for 65 years and teaching for 50 years. She has taught at Costume College, Costume Con, the San Diego County Fair, Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention, the San Diego Creative Stitchery Guild, Gaslight Expo Steampunk Convention, and as private lessons. She teaches sewing, embroidery, leather flowers construction, millinary, fusing fabric with a soldering iron, and ribbon work.

Leni Dyer

Leni Dyer is an Associate Professor and Costume Designer in the Department of Theatre & Dance. She received her BA from Kennesaw State University and her MFA from the University of Alabama. Her professional career has taken her all over the United States and the world. She has worked for the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA, The Omaha Playhouse in Omaha, NE, the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, MA, and more. She also spent time working on costumes for cruise ships which offered her the opportunity to travel the world.

Jennifer Erlichman

Jennifer Erlichman has been making costumes since her first Renaissance Faire in 1994. She serves as Musical Director for the 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 spanning from Renaissance Faire to the Dickens Christmas Fair, and her specialty is bridging the gaps between historical accuracy, wearability, and comfort for today’s modern performers. Find her at “the Ruby Raven” (www.rubyraven.com).

Chris “Hatter” Evett

Chad “Hatter” Evett is a costume designer/replicator working in LA, primarily on commercials and cosplay. Find him at “Chris Hatter Designs” (www.ChadHatter.com).

Joy Flasher

Joy Flasher has been sewing for more than 50 years. During that time she has sewn hundreds of garments with a variety of fabrics as well as running a business sewing custom bridal and formal wear. Her interest in historical dress goes back about 30 years. In 2003, under the guidance of Mela Hoyt-Hayden at Fullerton College she learned so much about historical dress and research resources, as well as all about CGW and Costume College and has been attending ever since

Christina Forst

Christina started historical costuming in her teens, when she grew too tall to purchase them ready-made. Her first love is the Elizabethan era, and she endeavors to spread the Gospel of the Ruff.

Julie Fox

Julie Fox credits the beginning of her love/hate relationship with crafting and historical costumes to wathcing “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” on Masterpiece Theater in the 1960-1970s. She began sewing at the age of nine, made her first period costume in 1977, and has continued to study historical costuming ever since. Julie is a FIDM Alumni, the founder of Foxes Period Costumes (www.foxesperiodcostumes.com), and has created commission work for historic and cosplay events and weddings since 1983. Her work has won accolades at the RWC.

Liz Gerds

Liz Gerds is currently employed as a Wardrobe Tech at UCLA. She 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 recreationists, equestrian competition, and weddings. Her professional portfolio includes working for AlterYears, FarthingalesLA, Boss Wench, Real Pirates and others. Liz is a Past President of the CGW and has been involved with Costume College from the beginning.

Tracylynn Gomez

Tracylynn Gomez, has grown up in the costuming world. Recieving training in historical attire and clownology. She is a licensed Cosmetologist and has styled for weddings, special events, theaters, opera, NY fashion week, tv, film, and the Grammy and Emmy award events internationally. Since 1996, she has participated in Costume College in various ways. She enjoys historical clothing and focuses on historical hairstyling. She loves glitter and crystals in costuming and hopes to arm you with the confidence to create! Find her at “The Historical Hairdresser” (www.thehistoricalhairdresser.com).

Sara Gonzalez

Sara Gonzalez is a former professor of costume design, and currently the proprietress and head seamstress at Ensembles of the Past (www.ensemblesofthepast.com), a company focused on creating bespoke historical clothing and offering reproduction fabrics and 19th century reproduction buckles. Professionally, Sara has done work for theatres, state museums, dancers, brides, re-enactors, and individual clients located around the world. She has 13 years of teaching experience, and thrives on both the research of extant garments and passing knowledge along to others. She also loves to travel, write, and spend time with her wonderful family.

Sarah Lorraine

Sarah Lorraine Goodman has been active in the online historical costuming community for 20 years and is one-third of the “Frock Flicks” team. She holds a master’s degree in art history, with an emphasis on clothing and representation in 16th-18th century European art (translation: she looks at how women from all levels of society were represented through their clothing). In addition to blogging and various research projects, Sarah participates in Dickens Fair, various Renaissance Faires, the Society for Creative Anachronism, and whatever else allows her to indulge in her historical costuming addiction. Find her at www.Modehistorique.com.

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! Find her at www.costumeconnoisseur.blogspot.com.

Annette Grace

Annette Grace has been sewing off and on since she was a child. In the past 10 years her focus has been on 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 styling techniques. Annette volunteers on the Costume College Committee, and is a previous board member of Costumer’s Guild West and Historical Citizens Association.

Judy Grivich

Judith Ann Grivich is a vice president at a bank during the day. At night, she is hunched over a sewing machine or crouched in the garage laying fiberglass. She credits her grandmother, a single mom who sewed for craft fairs for additional income on getting her hooked. She gave Judy her first sewing machine (From Fisher Price, it sewed yarn!) and taught her how to make clothes for her Barbies. Judy majored in theatre, worked in the costume shop, and has been cosplaying at cons since 1999.

Beth Grover

Beth Grover has worked in the fashion industry as a patternmaker/technical designer for major brands such as Lucky Brand Jeans and Quiksilver, and has experience working in fashion and costume archives. She has a B.A. in History and an A.A. in Fashion Design. Her personal blog is at “V is for Vintage”, and she is co-founder of Bon Voyage Sewing (www.BonVoyageSewing.com).

Heath Hammond

Heath Hammond has worked as an artist for the pop culture community and the film industry for over 18 years. In addition to his artistic talents, his specialties include historical consulting and costume consulting with an emphasis on military attire throughout history, and historical military research. Some of Heath’s exclusive projects include mural and landscape art for the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier at Pamplin Park Civil War Site, in Petersburg, Va. He has worked with such historic artist as Keith Rocco, and fantasy artist, Windy and Brian Froud, and Richard Taylor.

Lia Hansen

Lia Hansen has been teaching costuming and theatre in Orange County for almost 20 years. She enjoys introducing students to both the technical and design elements of the craft. Her two favorite eras are the 1850s and the 1920-40s.

Cathy Hay

Cathy Hay is the founder of online corset making and costuming site, Foundations Revealed. She is also fortunate enough to be mentor to a group of 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.

Maegen Hensley

Costume College Dean.  Presenting at Freshman Orientation.

Shannon Hoage

Shannon Hoage is an artist, costumer and builder. Years of theatre and other prop making and costuming making. Found her way into steampunk and cosplay. Has a small business Gears & Roebuck making all sorts of props and gadget recycled from old toys and junk.

Heather Hofshi

Heather Hofshi has been a costumer for over ten years. She enjoys every era from the distant past to the far future.

Katrina Homer

Katrina Homer is the owner of Damask Raven (www.damask-raven.com), specializing in silk fabrics and recreating past tailoring techniques.

Kristen Hopkins

Kristen Hopkins, costume designer, creator, and entrepreneur, is ready and able to help you learn how to create the costumes of your dreams. She has five years in the costume creation industry, working with small independent films, circus troupes, burlesque dancers, bridal fashion, and couture fashion. This is her first year branching out into teaching and she is excited to connect with new friendly faces while teaching skills she’s learned during her years developing a costume hobby into a fully functioning costume business. Find her at “Firetail Design” (www.firetaildesign.com)

Meg Horan

Meg Horan is a sewing educator and historical costumer. She has been sewing for over a decade, and has a degree in Costume Construction & Design. Meg teaches in the LA area, and is always uploading tutorial videos to her YouTube channel, “TortoiseandPlume” (www.tortoiseandplume.com). She loves hot mugs of tea, reading the manual, and anything Agatha Christie.

Mela Hoyt-Heydon

Mela Hoyt-Heydon is a Union Costume Designer who retired from Chairman of the Theatre Arts Department at Fullerton College in 2016 after 38 years and has opened a millinery shop in Fullerton, Atelier Mela (www.ateliermela.net). Her shop primarily makes hats for the entertainment industry, but is open to the public. Mela is a founding member of Costume College, a member of USITT, a past board member for The Costume Society of America, a FIDM Fashion Council member, and has designed for TV, film, theater, industrials, cruise ships, theme parks, and music videos.

Mia Jackson

Mia Jackson is a historical costumer, cosplayer and seamstress. Mia became interested in costumes when her young son convinced her to attend a LARP “war”, she’s been addicted to costumes ever since.

Morgan Kelsey

Morgan Kelsey has been reenacting since 2003, first with Civil War, then branching into other time periods. Her first completed dress was for a Titanic event in 2012. Her passion is historical authenticity, and she is always interested in learning new techniques to improve her wardrobe.

Sophia Khan

Sophia Khan is a historical costuming and vintage enthusiast. She is a Technical Designer for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and received her B.F.A. in Fashion Design from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago.

Cynthia Konow-Brownell

Cynthia Konow-Brownell has been a historical costumer for over 40 years. She’s always looking to work smarter, not harder! find her at “Northernridge Glassworks” (www.facebook.com/northernridgeglassworks/).

Jessica Lawson

Jessica Lawson is a representative from Local 705 the Motion Picture Costumers Union.

Regina Lawson

Regina Lawson 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, for the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Southern California, as well as dabbling in Victorian and 16th and 17th century Polish and Turkish clothing, and the odd Baby Beauty Pageant contestant and bride. Now Historical Clothing Coordinator for Clan MacColin of Glenderry, the premier 16th century Irish and Highland re-enactment organization, Regina carries on her 30+ year obsession with the mysteries of early-modern Irish and Highland clothing.

Sarah Lederman

Sarah Lederman has been sewing historical costumes since she was 13. In addition to personal costuming, she has also worked as a theatrical costume designer. She has just graduated with a degree in Victorian Studies and English.

Teresa Liao

Teresa Liao has been sewing since she was nine years old and could finally reach the foot pedal of her mom’s Viking sewing machine. She didn’t discover historical costuming until she started teaching a unit on Shakespeare as a new teacher and was desperate for a way to engage her students. Quickly sucked into the vortex, she has spent the past 20 years perfecting her craft (both teaching and costuming).

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. Find him at “Lily Absinthe Couture” (www.lilyabsinthe.com).

Arielle Lien

Arielle Lien (Air Bubbles Cosplay, https://linktr.ee/air_bubbles_cosplay) is a self-taught costume designer and avid cosplayer. She began her costume journey in college and since then, she has designed seven theatrical productions, including “Chicago”. She has also built over 12 costumes for herself, winning seven awards. Starting as a seamstress, she has shifted gears towards building armor, props, and electronics and wants to share her knowledge with as many people as possible. She can be found teaching classes on working with worbla 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 and offering historical millinery . Involvement in the CGW resulted in the honor of her being serving as Dean of Costume College 2007. Find her at “Lana Lily Deisgns” (www.LanaLily.com).

Constance MacKenzie

Constance MacKenzie is a professional costume maker for film, tv and theatre with a life long love of historical costume. Her most recent work has been making costumes for Britannia and Mary Poppins Returns. She started making costumes for 16th Century re-enactments at Kentwell Hall in England at age 12 and has not stopped dressing up ever since.

Sandy Manning

Sandy Manning has been costuming since the age of 15 when she got involved in theater. She normally teaches math and science in the bush of Alaska, but often finds time to knit and bead.

Angela Mash

Angela Mash is a costuming addict with enough skill to be dangerous to herself, but enough luck to still have all of her fingers. She is a 15 year member of the 501st Legion, Commanding Officer of the 405th Infantry, Halo Costuming and Props Community, and serves on the admin staff of The Dented Helmet, The Replica Prop Forum, and The Ladies of the Legions.

Sandra Maxwell

Sandra Maxwell is an author, historian and teacher and has been an active costumer and re-enactor for 50 years. She has won many Science Fiction Masquerade awards and been involved with the Renaissance Faire for nearly 20 years. She has participated in many fashions shows and her closet holds dresses from medieval to the 1920s. Currently, she is a member of the Great War Historical Society, teaching about WWI through her impression of a Salvation Army Doughnut Dolly, which has received praise from the Salvation Army itself.

Lynn McClelland

Lynn McClelland has been sewing and making other textile arts since she was ten, and can’t stop, many years later. Currently a reference librarian and teacher of research techniques, her first career was lab work in the pharmaceutical industry. She’s now delighted to talk about something that blends her love of both science and sewing, natural dyeing. Find her at www.instagram.com/hireath.arts/

Elizabeth McCrary

Elizabeth McCrary has been an actress/singer since the age of four, and done costuming since she was 11. She’s done her time at Renn Faire, loves Halloween, and is now the costume designer and wardrobe mistress for a musical theater program for youths.

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 to costumes for 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. 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. Find her at “…out of a portrait” (www.outofaportrait.com).

Shannon McSmith

Shannon McSmith has been a textile artist and embroiderer since the age of five and an avid portrait photographer since the age of 13.

Natalie Meyer

Natalie Meyer has been sewing since she was five years old. She started costuming when her nephew went through his various Superman periods and became interested in historical costuming when she became a docent at Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles in 1993. Since then she’s been dean of Costume College twice, taught sewing, produced historical fashion shows, and lectured on the history of the fashionable silhouette. Co-Chair, Tours – L.A. Fashion District

Christine “Sewstine” Millar

Christine N. Millar (AKA Sewstine, www.sewstine.com) is an avid costumer, artist, and gamer. She loves to focus on embellishments, including making trim and embroidery, and embraces the use of newer machines to make beautiful things of the past attainable today. She is originally from NYC, but is now proudly based in Saint Louis and is president of the Saint Louis Georgian Sewing Society.

Jess Miller

Jess Miller has been costuming ever since discovering the Renaissance Faire, the SCA, and science fiction fandom all in the same year. She has a BA in Art with an emphasis in textiles and further coursework in Anthropology, which just makes her more confused. She has run local masquerades, is a Past Dean of Costume College, and will discuss costume forever.

Jess Mitchell

Jess Mitchell attended her very first Renaissance Faire in 2019 and promptly fell down the historical costuming and re-enactment rabbit hole. She quickly became an officer of the Northern Chapter of the Guild of St. George and has spent the past six holiday seasons as an actor at the Dickens Fair in San Francisco. She is a self-taught seamstress who has been sewing since the ripe young age of eight years old and learned on a 1937 vintage Singer Featherweight. She looks forward to sewing for many, many more years to come.

Ed Morlan

Ed Morlan started costuming without realizing it by designing and sewing his own gear for military trainings and finding his way to the occasional movie set where he met a group of guys who managed to get him to a real reenactment. 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 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 previously hosted the Freshman Orientation. Never claiming to be an expert, she is always glad to lend a hand whenever a costume is in need.

Jeanette Murray

Jeanette Murray has been creating, wearing, and loving historical and fantasy costumes since 2007. She is primarily self taught with “champagne tastes on a cider budget”. She especially loves to learn and teach the art of creating the accessories so important to great costuming. She shares her creations and challenges for The Historical Sew Fortnightly through her blog, “The Perfect Touch” (www.theperfecttouchvictorian.blogspot.com).

Carl Nelson

Carl Nelson has been a member of the SCA for over 40 years. It was due to his interest in history and the SCA that he figured out how to make maille from historical descriptions. It has also prompted him to get a Batchelors degrees in history and geography.

Gail Nichols

Gail Nichols has been involved with costuming for many years. She began making Star Wars costumes for her children and worked in a costume shoppe doing the full gamut; sales, making costumes, and designing custom pieces. For the past 20 years she has worked for the Santa Cruz Shakespeare Festival, in the costume shoppe and as a Master-Stitcher and First Hand for the summer and holiday productions. She continues to work for Santa Cruz Shakespeare in its new independent state. Gail has taught at creative retreats, assisted other teachers, and mentored native artisans in Peru with product design and development.

Tamara Norris

Tamara Norris has been sewing & designing for 40 years. She has been costuming for theater for the past 12 years in community theaters and public schools. She is currently an instructor of Fashion Design, Costume Design, and Makeup at the only arts magnet high school in central California.

Leimomi Oakes

Leimomi Oakes is a Hawaiian-born, Wellington, New Zealand based fashion and textile historian and costuming teacher at Toi Whakaari, the New Zealand Drama School. She specialises in recreating historical fashions using period accurate techniques, and in exploring the way historical events and societal mores influenced, and were influenced by, fashion and textiles. Leimomi has been featured in “Threads” magazine and on numerous international fashion and sewing blogs and websites. She designs Scroop Patterns (www.scrooppatterns.com) and authors the popular fashion & textile history blog “The Dreamstress”.

Emily Partridge

Emily Partridge is a historical costumer who has portrayed Queen Elizabeth I at Renaissance Faires for nine years and is the founder of the Visions Of History Utah living history society, a non-profit group dedicated to historical costuming, recreating history and supporting events that educate and entertain using history in Utah. Find her at “Visions of History” (www.facebook.com/VisionsOfHistoryUtah/).

Scott Pennington

Scott Pennington discovered a love of making historical garments and pattern matching. This led him to an interest in drafting patterns through various different systems. For the last five years he has worked in the Dickens Christmas Fair Costume Shop helping to make costumes for various participants before and during the run. Scott loves sharing his passion of sewing with others and is eager to pass on his unique perspective on how things fit together.

JoAnn Peterson

JoAnn Peterson earned her AS in Electronics and a technical and management career at IBM before returning to college to earn her AA in Fashion Design and Production. After graduation in 1994, she worked as a patternmaker for several corporations and independent fashion designers before concentrating solely on her company, Laughing Moon Mercantile and Bijou Patterns (www.lafnmoon.com). Today she creates and sells sewing patterns for men and women, craft patterns, and machine embroidery designs. Together with her husband, she also owns The Pattern Printing Company (www.patternprintingcompany.com), which prints for independent pattern designers and individualst.

Jonnalyhn Prill

Jonnalynhn “Wolfcat” Prill has been playing with fibers in one way or another creating things since she was first taught embroidery at age 4. She enjoys a wide range of genres from Iron Age Finn through modern-day vintage historical clothing and science fiction/fantasy costuming, plus quilting and doll making. She will happily talk to anyone about almost anything and loves to hear about new techniques.

Jennifer Rosbrugh

Jennifer Rosbrugh delights in connecting with others around the world who love sewing & costuming through the Joyful Community at her Historical Sewing blog, podcast and with popular online classes at Classes.HistoricalSewing.com. She has been making her clothes for over 30 years and has developed a penchant for 1870s bustle dresses, crazy 1830s fashions, and more recently dirndl fashion.

Diana Rotheneder

Diana Rotheneder possesses 25 years of expertise sewing historical clothing, from medieval to the 20th century. Her current favorites are 18th century and Victorian, although she is quickly developing a love affair with the early Edwardian period. She has been fortunate to study extant garments from Colonial Williamsburg, the Museum of London, and the V&A. As the owner of Renaissance Fabrics (www.RenaissanceFabrics.net), Diana uses her skills & knowledge to curate and carry historically appropriate fabrics for the costuming community. Diana has taught many classes at Costume College and beyond and she looks forward to sharing her knowledge again this year.

Nicole Rudolph

Nicole Rudolph has been studying historical shoemaking since 2011 and currently works as the designer for American Duchess and Royal Vintage Shoes. Her focus in shoemaking began with women’s 18th century heels, but has expanded through the 19th and early 20th centuries. This spring she completed her MFA in fashion history at University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a thesis on the evolution of women’s shoes in the 19th century and their connections to health and morality.

Carolyn Runnells

Carolyn Runnells was bitten by the costuming bug in 1997 after receiving two complete 1872 ensembles created for a docent in Virginia City. Since then, Carolyn has traveled the world using costumes to bring historical talks to life aboard cruise ships. Stateside, Carolyn has presented various edu-tainment programs to service organizations, conferences and historical societies. Teaching and sharing information is a passion that Carolyn enjoys and looks forward to doing for years to come.

JP Ryan

J. P. Ryan has spent more than two decades studying the clothing of the latter half of the 18th and the early 19th century. In search of the details of authentic design, fabric, construction and finishing, her studies have taken her into the collections of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Gallery of English Costume, The Hereford Museum and Art Gallery, The Museum of the City of London, and many others. This understanding of 18th century clothing is reflected in her pattern line. Find her at “The Recollections of JP Ryan” (www.jpryan.com).

Donna Scarfe

Donna Scarfe saw few merchants had a variety of good quality hats and decided to fill the void. She has been creating hats for 20 years and studied in LA and England. Her company, Fyne Hats By Felicity, creates a wide range of custom hats (period and contemporary) and her Renaissance hats have turned up at Faires from coast to coast. Her hats have sold at charity auctions for the American Cancer Society and the Des Moines Opera. Recently she made fascinators for weddings in England and Scotland.

Malcolm Scott

Malcolm Scott has been a costuming end-user and a historical re-enactor for the last 40+ years and is known for his authenticity and attention to detail, and has constructed numerious small objects and personal accesories to augment his costumes. If you’re really curious, ask him about his Elizabethan codebook. For those who recognize the name, he also ran CoCo OPs for a decade.

Kristine Scott Sosa

Kristine Scott Sosa’s first memories of sewing is when she was six, going with her Dad to the five and dime and choosing a hoop, floss, fabric, and needle for embroidery instead of a toy! A lifetime seamstress, long time teacher, fashion historian, social anthropologist, dress maker, and corset maker, she wears many hats. She did hair and make up for movies in the 90s and after ruining her knees as an EMT, she has come full circle and is back to stitching, sewing and creating all day long. Bringing history to life makes her so happy!

Cindy Settje

Cindy Settje is the owner of Redthreaded (www.redthreaded.com), 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.

Kate Silverman

Kate Silverman has a B.A. in History and an M.P.A. in Public Policy from the University of Colorado. Her research focuses on colonial history, dress history, and early modern to early 20th century intellectual history. She has been interested in costuming since she was a child, but began constructing her own historic costumes in 2015. She currently works in book distribution and publishing.

Hallie Smith

Hallie Smith is a life-long crafter, 20+ years seamstress, lover of glitter, and eternal student. Master of zero trades, but enthusiast of many, she teaches sewing classes to children and works in an elementary school theater when she isn’t chasing her own two kids or sewing for her Etsy shop (www.etsy.com/shop/lynthia/).

Joseph Solomon

Joseph Soloman has been interested in history since his youth and fascinated by historical costumes and clothing. He is happy to share the results his research into various historical outfits and the fabrics make them.

Gayle Steinmeier

Lisa Stewart

Lisa Stewart is a sewing and digitizing educator living in Colorado. With a degree in Fine Art, she loves crocheting, quilting, embroidery, and garment construction. Surface design and mixed textiles feature strongly in her work, and she often integrates several fiber art techniques into each project.

Kristin Stonham

Kristin Stonham is a long-time costumer and advocate of all arts of the needle. Find her at www.tinkerstitch.blogspot.com.

Lauren Stowell

Lauren Stowell is an entrepreneur and author who became particularly interested in the 18th century in 2003. By 2009, Lauren had started her blog, American Duchess, to chronicle her historical costuming adventures. In 2011, Lauren launched her first 18th century shoe design, which quickly snowballed into a broad collection of “American Duchess” and “Royal Vintage” shoes and accessories (www.americanduchess.com). Lauren has co-authored and published her first book, as well as numerous Simplicity historical costume patterns. Lauren lives in Reno, Nevada, with her husband, Chris, and a lot of dogs. She loves historical dress, watercolor painting, travel, and racing cars.

Christina Stroffolino

Christina Stroffolino’s main passion is resin and urethane casting 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 which she is happy to impart to everyone. Find her at “Momie Zombie” (www.momiezombie.com)

Twila Taylor

Twila Taylor is professional seamstress and costumer, who has worked on all types of projects both large and small. With a career spanning more than 20 years, she has worked as a seamstress for a casino in Las Vegas, a private alteration service, a bridal steaming business, a private custom costume business, and with the Sante Fe Opera, she now faces her most difficult task yet, finding a way to continue working with chronic migraine.

Emerson Terry

Emerson Terry is a ten year veteran of There Great Dickens Christmas Fair, and a long tome participant at the Southern and Norther Renaissance Fairs, He is one of The Hab’s trusted Roadie Crew and recent brought into our group Lillian, a IT Engineer at Boeing, and a wonderful new asset to our booth.

Feather Tippetts

Feather Tippetts-Rosica is a premier award-winning historical costumer specializing in historic garments. Her work has been displayed in museums in Washington, D.C. as well as museums in California. She is the owner and principal designer of Grand Gestures Historical Costume and Historical Embroidery (www.historicalembroidery.com). Feather brings a wealth of research and experience to her programs and workshops on historical costume.

Kendra Van Cleave

Kendra Van Cleave has been creating and studying historic costumes for over 30 years (although we won’t talk about those early mishaps). She is also a fashion historian, specializing in the 18th century. She has published a book on 18th century hair & wig styling and reviews historical costumes in movies and TV for “Frock Flicks”.

Ann Ware

Ann Ware is a costumer that has worked in living history, Comic Con San Diego, and San Francisco Dickens Faire. She has managed events for all eras and loves the research to create period appropriate costumes. Her focus is on the particulars and embellishments that make a costume “come alive” in period and how to create them. She loves to share historic skills with others. She lives in Vancouver, Washington with her husband and two ridiculous dogs. Ann has been a CGW member attending Costume College for the past eight years.

Elizabeth Wayland Barber

Elizabeth Wayland Barber received degrees from Bryn Mawr and Yale and taught archaeology, linguistics, cognitive science, and Greek at Occidental College for 37 years. Best known for her work in salvaging and reconstructing prehistoric clothing, she specialized in developing new interfaces between archaeology and linguistics and on the origin and development of textiles and dress in western Eurasia. Since retirement, she has completed her book, “The Dancing Goddesses” and prepared an exhibit of the UCLA Fowler Museum’s Southeast European folk costume collection. She continues to write about European folklore and costume and directs a small folk dance troupe. See more on our Guest Teacher page.

Jeannine Wayman

Jeannine Wayman learned to sew at age ten and hated it. Her mother taught her and her sister, including ripping it out and making corners match. She began quilting and teaching in 1990. After living overseas for three years she returned and began sewing more clothing and fewer quilts. In 2016, she began teaching Family and Consumer Sciences, Culinary, and Fashion & Design. Find her at “JNine Costumes” (www.dazeofgrace.etsy.com)

Jocelynne Weathers (Madame Askew)

Jocelynne “Madame” Weathers is a time traveling tea aficionado, obsessed with tea, fashion, and the proper uses for headgear. Whilst she is often the center of tea inspired escapades, Madame loves nothing so much as meeting charming and talented individuals across time, throughout the universe, and in tea houses. When Madame is not preoccupied with tea, she operates a small atelier where she creates fanciful bespoke garments, underpinnings, and hats for delightful humans of the Steampunk set. She is also thrilled to teach sewing workshops and to host regular live sewing teatorials with her dear friend Temperance. Find her at www.MadameAskew.com.

Jill Woiteshek

Jill Woiteshek taught herself to crochet when she was in her teens and has crocheted everything from delicate lace doilies to King sized quilt pattern bed spreads. When she isn’t working on a crochet project, she is planning and working on her next Renaissance costume project.

Kathryn Wolters

Kathryn Wolters has been making clothing from the age of nine, starting with Minioan clothes for her Barbie and her own school clothes in junior high and beyond. She has played with a lot of different historical groups these last 46 years-from Minioan to 1950s Retro wear. She has found other skills on her journey, including metal thread embroidery, gold bullion work, jewelry making, turn shoes, fabric painting, and historical head wear and tiaras. The words ‘Lifetime Addictions” come to mind.

Carol Wood

Carol Wood is a professional pattern-maker/draper and has been teaching historical garment cutting and construction at Apparel Arts, Lacis, the Bay Area Costumer’s Guild, and through her own costuming business. She is known for recreating, wearing, and writing about historical garments. For the past two decades, her work has been honored with awards, shown in galleries, worn to period events, appeared on the stage, and escorted down the wedding aisle. Carol also works as an assistant cutter in San Francisco Opera’s Costume Shop. Her motto: Lace it tighter! Find her at https://www.flickr.com/photos/costumecarol/sets/72157688170679131.

AJ Wu

AJ Wu has been costuming, cosplaying and competing since 2002. She enjoys costuming as it gives her an outlet for her obsessive compulsiveness and thinks the kitchen is better suited for casting work, as her skills at creating do not extend to the culinary realm. Find her at www.confused-kitty.com.

Jo Yeakley

Jo Yeakley has been sewing for fun and satisfaction for over 50 years. Over that time, she has dealt with a wide variety of sewing challenges and learned a thing or two. Naturally chatty, Jo is happy to share solutions and keep learning!

Diane Yoshitomi

Diane Yoshitomi has been at home with needle and thread 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 working as 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.

Theresa Zimmerman

Theresa Zimmerman started the world as a table top board gamer geek, but her crafting skills pushed her into amazing feats of imaginative Jewelry and Charms! Now she is using her powers of creativity to upscale the geek fashion world.