Hello! It’s been awhile! I didn’t mean to take such a long hiatus. I’ve had plenty of projects and things to share, but just plain got too busy to compose any posts. But this is BIG NEWS! The movie I worked on 2 summers ago has now been released! My last post was about working on the movie (my first time ever working on a movie); and the filming being abruptly put on hold due to the SAG-AFTRA strike of July 2023. All movies in progress that involved SAG–Screen Actors Guild members were ordered to stop. Thankfully, soon after the strike started, this movie got permission to resume filming; and with some adjustments, completed the filming on schedule.
So yeah, the movie has now been released, and it is getting a great early response! Here’s the trailer:
THE MOVIE CAST is loaded with awesome, talented actors, some that you’ve no doubt seen or heard of. Here’s a partial listing of the Top Cast from IMDB, and below it I’ve listed some shows they have starred in that might sound familiar to you:
THE STORY is based on the beloved memoir of a Kansas homesteading family in the late 1800s. I read the book more than 15 years ago, and loved it. I was thrilled when I learned it would be made into a movie, and then couldn’t believe I was lucky enough to be invited to assist with costumes. Click on either of the book images to be taken to the book on Amazon. The one on the left is the paperback; the right is the Kindle version.
THE MOVIE PREMIERE was held back on March 28, in Wichita, KS, to a packed house, with a line down the street to get in. Then it started a nationwide theater run on April 18. It is still showing in a few select theaters. Next comes streaming, I’m told. It comes up in a search of streaming sites, but no availability date is given yet.
The famous cast members I listed above are only a handful of the sheer army of professionals who worked on this movie. And I do mean professionals; talented and accomplished in their respective fields. Many are local or regionally known celebrities, and many are ‘unknown’ experts in their field. It was a large, complicated coordination effort. It was a privilege to work among them, and see up close how all of the moving parts come together.
Below is my series of posts about working on the movie. It doesn’t seem like it was 2 years ago. I hope I’ll get the chance to work on another one someday.
There on the floor in the corner of the secondhand fabric store, was that tell-tale red handle sticking up, like a unicorn. It’s a 1977 Bernina Nova 900.
This is the machine I used to swoon over in the sewing shops in the 1980s, when I was young and working my way through school. Cute, stylish, and not as expensive as the now-iconic Bernina 830.
It has a wrap-around case that also serves as a toolbox, with a holding place for each of the tools and accessories in plain sight.
The Nova has this adorable round foot pedal that is actually a very useful design. You can step on it from any angle, without having to make sure it’s lined up a certain direction under your foot.
It came with the basic stitches, and a few decorative ones.
Like most vintage Berninas, this model has a capacitor that can eventually go bad; although this one is still working fine. If/when it does go bad, it’s a $10 fix with a new capacitor, a tiny bit of solder and a soldering iron. The tutorials are out there.
[Screenshot]
I tested out the Nova on some of the historical sewing I’m doing for my Summer movie gig. The machine works flawlessly.
Summer gig update!
It’s been an adventure, sourcing fabrics and coming up with authentic designs for the late 1800s. I’ve constructed several garments for the 1870s-80s time period, They are unfinished until fittings can be done.
The nightshirt I was cutting out in the prior post is ready for fitting. This is one of the garments for the male lead.
This will be one of my outfits as an ‘extra’.
This is the start of a dress for another actor.
I’m using this pattern for the dresses, although I’m modifying the dress into two pieces–top and skirt. I’m also eliminating the ruffles. It is an excellent pattern to work with. It’s from the long-established Past Patterns company (pastpatterns.com).
The first scene where I’ll be an extra and the dresses will be worn, will be filmed later this month. Stay tuned!
School is out for the summer (yay!), and now the extracurricular fun begins. I’ve been asked to assist with costuming for a historical movie being filmed this summer! There are some details I can’t reveal yet. I badly want to reveal the title, location and more, but all in good time. The movie is based on a book I read about 15 years ago. I absolutely loved the book. This is a SAG (Screen Actors Guild) production, with several familiar actors from other movies and TV shows. I can also say that my first ‘assignment’ is to construct an 1800s men’s nightshirt.
The nightshirt needs to look something like this, but mid-calf length (image from ebay):
Where to come up with a pattern: I had this vintage pattern from when I made my brother a button-down oxford shirt for his high school graduation. The pattern size is too small for the actor, and not right in the sleeve and several other aspects, but it is close enough to give me guidance for neckband, shoulders and sleeve dimensions.
Click on the picture to go to the site where it can be purchased. (No affiliation with my site.)
The fabric is unbleached muslin, prewashed and tumble-dried to be soft.
More assignments and details will be shared as I am able.
And now for some New Music!
A show that I love, Ted Lasso, is about to wrap up it’s 3rd and reported final season. I didn’t provide a link, because I don’t advise starting to watch at the end, or reading articles about it. Just start at the beginning and take the journey. It will be the ultimate binge, I promise. The final episode will be released this week on Wednesday, May 31. This past week, the second-to-last episode ended with the premiere of this wonderful new song by Sam Ryder, featuring Brian May (of Queen). I’d say it has set things up perfectly for an emotional finale.
run | sew | read 