Category: Made By Me

Burlesque Photoshoot

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Myself and three of my best gal pals (Betty Quirk, Meryle Trouble and Sevvy Skellington) had an amazing photo shoot on Sunday with up and coming photographer extraordinaire Haley Friesen as part of her thesis project. I can’t say much more except that the shoot was burlesque themed and we were asked to stick with a pale pink/blue colour pallet. We each put our own spin on the theme and we ended up with some really fun outfits. We were also joined by dancer/boylesque newbie Dante Him, who added some masculine energy (and buttocks) to our very girly shoot. I’m so excited to see the final photo results. For now, here are some behind the scenes teasers!

Dolly Monroe, Meryle Trouble, Betty Quirk, Sevvy Skellington
Meryle Trouble, Betty Quirk, Sevvy Skellington, Dolly Monroe
Betty Quirk and Meryle Trouble
Dolly Monroe and Sevvy Skellington
Dante Him and Dolly Monroe
Betty Quirk and Meryle Trouble with boy-toy Dante Him
Sevvy, Dante, Betty
The gorgeous Sevvy Skellington
Betty, Dante and Meryle being posed by Haley
Haley makes us look good!
Bow Chica Bow Wow…
Oh my!

Island Girl

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I made this outfit last summer after being inspired by this amazing tiki grass printed fabric!  It was just asking to be made into a matching belly top and skirt set.  As you can tell, I’m a little obsessed with the matching set concept.  I like showing a little midriff and the matching element adds a level of sophistication.

Photo by If You Fall Photography

Laura Desiree in Rock n Roll Red

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My muse, the Big City Kitty, Laura Desiree performed for Great Canadian Burlesque at the Libertine this past Sunday in a brand new outfit I created for her.  With a fringe bra, fringe-bottom and sparkle-crotch shorts, super glitzy g-string and divine satin gloves with long fringe, Miss Desiree was the perfect rock n roll pinup queen!  These amazing photos from MOPO really captured the essence of the look!  Please check out the video at the bottom of the post to see Laura Desiree in action!

Laura Desiree by MOPO http://www.facebook.com/mopo.art.1
Laura Desiree by MOPO http://www.facebook.com/mopo.art.1
Laura Desiree by MOPO http://www.facebook.com/mopo.art.1
Laura Desiree by MOPO http://www.facebook.com/mopo.art.1

 

Ab Horrence’s Burlesque Birthday Bash!

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My amazing Boylesque friend Ab Horrence was thrown a surprise birthday party/burlesque show this past weekend by his amazing girlfriend.  There were so many fun acts and myself and my design partner Betty Quirk debuted a new act we’ve been working on.  Decked out in fringe covered outfits we shimmied and shook to the theme song to the film Faster Pussycat Kill Kill followed by the Cramps song “All Women are Bad”.  The party was a huge success and I think Ab Horrence had an unforgettable birthday!

Dolly Monroe and Betty Quirk GIRL FIGHT!!
Photo by Lick My Lens Cap http://www.lickmylenscap.com
Ab Horrence being seduced by Belle Jumelle
Ab Horrence and Belle Jumelle
Ab Horrence and Willy Wonder
St Stella and Cerise Noir
Cerise Noir sacrificing St Stella!
Dolly Monroe and Betty Quirk
Dolly Monroe, Scarlett LaFlamme and Betty Quirk hanging out backstage
Esther De Ville twirling her tassels for the birthday boy!
Us with a very happy birthday boy!

Dolly Berlin in Twinkling Twilight

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I was absolutely thrilled to work with Dolly Berlin on this costume!  The colours are so rich and divine and she looks like a dream in twinkling blue.  The pieces I created were the shrug with collar and detachable cape and the panel skirt.

Photo by Photolena http://www.photolena.ca
Photo by Photolena http://www.photolena.ca
Photo by Armando Chin
Photo by Armando Chin
Photo by Armando Chin
Photo by Armando Chin
Photo by Bailey Northcott http://www.throughtheglassphotos.com

Rosie the Rebel Retro Pinup Contest!

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Hello lovely readers!

One of my favourite pinup clothing stores in Toronto, Rosie the Rebel, is having a retro pinup contest.  I would really appreciate you votes!

To vote please click the photo below and ‘like’ it on their Facebook page.

xoxo Thank you all for your votes!

Bullet Bra

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Fun Fact: Back in 2010 my sewing partner Laura and I both competed and made the top 10 Nationally in the Triumph Lingerie Competition!  

The theme of the competition was “Shape” and I decided to put a retro spin on my look with the very pronounced shape of a Bullet Bra.  I also made matching high-waist panties with attached garters and a billowy shear cape with velvet rose pattern.  It was a really great experience being in this competition and we got to attend a lovely brunch/fashion show and see our creations come to life on models.  I have been doing a lot of lingerie work recently and it’s nice to look back on one of my first creations with pride.  There will be many more lingerie posts to come!

Modeled by Cassia Sparkle http://www.facebook.com/CassiaSparkle
Modeled by Cassia Sparkle http://www.facebook.com/CassiaSparkle
Modeled by Cassia Sparkle http://www.facebook.com/CassiaSparkle
Modeled by Gretchen
Modeled by Gretchen
Dolly circa 2010

Gigi Vanilla at Girlesque

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I was lucky enough to get to make two costumes this year for the Girlesque Expo in Toronto.  One of these costumes was for the stunning and talented Gigi Vanilla.  Gigi came to me with a beautiful vintage photo of a dancer and a pink colour scheme.  From that I created a chiffon dirndl skirt, covered and decorated a bra top and made matching one-finger gloves and a g-string.  I love the bits of pink lace on the bra and waistband, it adds beautiful texture to the outfit and the sparkle which was partly an applique and partly hand sewn gives it a real showgirl feel.  Gigi did a wonderful job at the Girlesque Expo and really brought this costume to life.  Check out the video at the bottom of this post!

Photo by Photolena http://www.photolena.ca
Photo by Photolena http://www.photolena.ca
Photo by Photolena http://www.photolena.ca
Photo by Melanie Gomez
Photo by Melanie Gomez
Photo by Paul Archibald

Little Lolita Skirt and Belly Top

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This outfit was inspired by two things.  Firstly this incredible fabric I found with the lovely embroidered scalloped edge along the bottom.  I am absolutely obsessed with fabric that has a scalloped edge and I’m always in the hunt for it.  I also love the fun blue plaid and thought it looked like the perfect fabric for a summer outfit.  Secondly the design was very much influenced by the outfits worn by Dominique Swain in the Adrian Lyne adaptation of the novel Lolita.  The matching belly top and skirt look is so adorable and speaks to an era where outfits were tailored to match.  Enjoy a summery Dolly on this cold winter day!

Photos by If You Fall Photography

Laura Desiree’s Dreamy Evening Gown

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As a designer and seamstress I am lucky enough to have many beautiful burlesque performer clients.  Last summer I was contacted by Laura Desiree, the Big City Kitty, and we began working together on some lovely pieces for her acts.  The first outfit I created for Laura was a tight fitting, ivory gown with a plunging sweetheart neckline, leg-revealing slit completely decked out in swarovski crystals.  To go with her gown I also made matching garter belt and g-string and sparkled-up a pair of gloves.  I absolutely love the way this dress hugs Laura’s curves.  She is a total old hollywood vamp in this outfit!

Top 3 photos from Photolena