CGW, Inc. hosts many types of events throughout the year, including literary presentations, live action role playing games, ice skating, private museum tours, as well as Japanese and English teas. Each event is hosted by a CGW member and most are an opportunity to show off your recent historical, sci-fi, or fantasy ensemble.
CGW At-Home Retreat: Costume Catwalk
Sunday, August 2, 2020, Costume Retreat will host a Costume Catwalk, much like the Red Carpet from Costume College, but this will be online. If you would like to be featured in the Costume Catwalk, we’d love to have you! Please read the rules for submission carefully – If you don’t match the other submissions, we may not be able to add you into the video, and we would be so sad not to see your costume! Wear whatever costume you want! This can be what you had planned to wear to the gala, or something you’ve made in previous...
read moreAnnouncing: CGW At Home – Costume Retreat!
Dear CGW Member, We know that many of you have been sheltering at home these many months, and many of you face the likelihood of remaining at home for some time to come. We have good news! We wanted to let you know about an online costume conference we have created called Costume Retreat, which will take place on August 1 and 2 (Saturday & Sunday), 2020. How does it work? The Event is 100% free and exclusive to Costumers Guild West members (and Sister Guild Members), and will be conducted entirely via Zoom. If...
read moreCostumer’s Guild West – We Stand in Solidarity
Costumer’s Guild West, as a collaborative of costume enthusiasts, adamantly decries both the murder of George Floyd and the racist system that enabled his murder. We stand in solidarity with those who are protesting across the country to demand both accountability and justice. We are unequivocal in our statement that Black Lives Matter. There can be no equality or progress for the rights of all until these racist systems have been overcome. These events remind us that we have more work to do as a guild. Our Executive Board will...
read moreBrunch and Learn: Conquering Stretch Fabric
Do you feel intimidated by stretch fabric? Have you tried sewing with stretch using your normal techniques and been completely frustrated? Grab a mimosa and some pancakes and learn how to sew successfully with stretch fabric. When: Saturday, May 16 from 10am-12pm (PST) Where: Your house on Zoom. Please check the CGW Facebook page for more details. I have been working with stretch fabric making skating and dance costumes for over 10 years, and after lots of experience and many mistakes I now love to sew with stretch. It is like...
read moreCGW At-Home Movie May 3rd!
The Dressmaker Join CGW members to watch the 2016 movie The Dressmaker, starring Kate Winslet. The movie will play on the Kast platform, which allows members to have a chat window going to gossip about all the great costumes!After you’ve downloaded the Kast app, visit the Costumers Guild West (CGW) Forum on Facebook for the link. It’s that easy!The viewing party is open to CGW members and their friends. Please share the link only in private ways, so we don’t have unexpected visitors during our movie.Once you open the...
read moreVintage Bathing Costume Sew-Along (Series)
Of course, we are all disappointed that Costume College 2020 had to be put on hold until next year and that, as of the time of this writing, we are all pretty much locked down at home and so cannot gather in our usual manner to mingle and admire one another’s costume creations. It is precisely because we cannot/should not meet in close proximity that your CGW events committee has been working overtime to come up with workable alternatives to our usual get-togethers, and we are happy to announce that we already have several such on...
read moreCostumer’s Guild West, Inc. Board – April Update on Costume College 2020
The Costumer’s Guild West Board met Sunday via Zoom; a week earlier than previously announced in the March 9th statement on social media and in the email sent out to all Costume College attendees, teachers, committee members and vendors, due to the changes in policies of the State of California and the City of Los Angeles. To protect public health and slow the rate of transmission of COVID-19, the California Department of Public Health announced a recommendation that gatherings and events of more than 250 people should either be postponed or...
read moreCostumer’s Guild West, Inc. (CGW)’s Board Update on Costume College 2020
The CGW Board has decided that *IF* Costume College 2020 is cancelled, we will keep everything that we can the same from 2020 and put it all in place for 2021. This would include event themes and such. Yes, there would be some class changes and maybe a committee member or two would decline to continue but basically we would have the 2020’s event in 2021 *IF* we have to cancel in 2020. At this time, there are no plans for cancelling 2020, so no matter what, keep sewing, wash your hands and stay inside if you can. –Mela, CGW...
read moreCostume College 2020 and the Coronavirus
As part of our commitment to the health and well being of our attendees, guests and the larger community, the Board of Costumer’s Guild West, Inc. is carefully monitoring the situation of the current Coronavirus and keeping current with health agencies for information and guidance. As of our Board meeting on March 8, 2020, all plans for Costume College 2020 are going ahead with the anticipation that Costume College will take place as scheduled for 2020 at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills. With that being said, according to...
read moreFebruary Message from the CGW President
President’s February Letter I hope that by now the “wrapping station” has been cleared away, the holiday decorations are packed and put into storage, and once again you are able to see the top of your cutting table (or kitchen/dining room table, like most of us) and you are starting the projects you spent January dreaming about. I am going to have to dream a bit longer as our house fell out of escrow in December so we took it off the market for the holidays. We are currently painting the kids’ bedrooms and re-sprucing up the house...
read moreCostume College Trunk Show Applications Open!
For a second year, Costume College is offering an opportunity for our members who own or operate small businesses to sell their wares legally to Costume College members. The Trunk Show will be held on Sunday, August 2, 2020 between 5:30-7:30pm, and will be open to the general public. Applications are open now and are due by March 20, 2020 for interested...
read moreMessage from the CGW Board
The Costumer’s Guild West Board of Directors has just finished an all day meeting discussing many of the concerns expressed on the Internet and via emails over the past couple of weeks. We are now going back to our lawyer to verify that our solutions are within the scope of our 501(c)3 educational classification. One current issue we can address is why Costume College tuition was raised by $20.00 for 2020. Costume College’s tuition was raised this year $20.00 because the hotel has raised their rates by 10%. Hotels usually raise...
read moreMessage from Our CGW President
The Costumer’s Guild West (CGW) Board has been following all of the recent posts concerning Costume College and has been in contact with each other and other members to discussing the posts off line. Our next board meeting is January 12, 2020. At that time we will be able to discuss in person the concerns expressed and how we are going to proceed. The reason the discussion was curtailed online was that it seemed to be going in a circular manner, restating the same concerns and questions over and over and getting more hostile as it...
read moreFantail Skirt Workshop
Sunday, January 26, 2020 10:00 AM 5:00 PM Taught by Mela Hoyt-Heydon, owner and designer for Atelier Mela! Using the Victorian/Edwardian Fantail skirt pattern by Scroop of New Zealand, each participant will first be measured to cut the correct waist size and length. If wearing this skirt over a corset, please bring your corset for correct fitting and if you have the shoes you will be wearing, these will assist in getting the correct length. After cutting your skirt, you will have the option to serge your seam edges. We...
read moreVictorian/Edwardian Shirtwaist Workshop
Saturday, January 18, 2020 10:00 AM 5:00 PM Taught by Mela Hoyt-Heydon, owner and designer for Atelier Mela! Using Truly Victorian’s Shirtwaist (blouse) pattern TV494 (included in the class fee), we will start with fitting an inner bodice muslin to get your perfect size even though a shirtwaist did not have one. This way you can cut into your fabric with confidence that your final product will fit. We will then show you how to correct the pattern to match your fitting bodice muslin, help with the proper layout for cutting your...
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