Making ostrich feather fans with acrylic staves

I often receive emails from people wanting to know how to make their own ostrich fans, so I thought I'd post this tutorial showing how I construct fans using the acrylic staves I design and sell here.

Instructions for constructing Ostrich feather Fans using Flo Foxworthy acrylic staves.

Please note that this page is very image-heavy.

Step 1:

Prepare your fans by selecting 12 ostrich feathers (per fan) and ensuring they are the same length. Trim the end of the quill if necessary using heavy scissors or side cutters/bolt cutters.

Your fan staves come with all the necessary nuts, bolts, washers, cable ties and nylon thread.

Step 2:

Clean the rhinestone inlay holes with isopropyl alcohol or a similar product (rubbing alcohol or vodka will do the trick!). Be sure to wipe the stave thoroughly with a clean rag after cleaning to remove any residue.  This is to ensure the glue has a clean surface to adhere to, to prevent the rhinestones from falling off.

Step 3:

Use a toothpick or chopstick to apply rhinestone glue to the back of each stone, and place rhinestone on the stave.  It helps if you hold the stone with a pair of tweezers while you apply the glue.

The best glue for the job is 5-minute epoxy (available at any hardware store). Follow the glue manufacturer's instructions and wait till the glue is completely dry before proceeding to the next step. If you don't have 5-minute epoxy then E6000 is also a good choice.

Step 4:

Repeat Step 3 for each stave. There are 12 staves per fan, with six rhinestones on each stave, so you'll need 144 rhinestones (1 gross) size ss30.

Step 5:

Use a yard stick or metre ruler to ensure each feather and stave are equal in length. The measurement from the tip of the feather to the end of the stave should be the same for each piece.

Hold the feather in place, with the stave on top (feather curling downwards) and proceed to step 6.

 

Step 6:

Use a small cable tie (in a colour to match your staves) and loop it through the holes on either side of the feather. Close the cable tie on the feather side and pull tightly, so the feather can't slip out.  Cable ties can be purchased from any electrical supply, hardware or computer store.  You can also use thin wire if you prefer.

Step 7:

Loop a second cable tie through the top holes and fasten it as for step 6.  Repeat for each stave.

 

Step 8:

Clip the ends off all the cable ties using scissors or side cutters.

 

Step 9:

Slide one washer onto a bolt, then slide a stave on (with the rhinestones facing down).

Now alternate each stave with two washers till you have used twelve Staves.  If there is still space at the end of the bolt, then you can add a few extra washers between the staves at either end.

Place one final washer on the end of the bolt after the last stave, and attach the nut.

To finish, screw on the locking nut (with the nylon centre), and tighten the locking nut on each bolt as tightly as you like. It may help to use a pair of pliers to hold the nut while you use a screwdriver to tighten the bolt.

The tighter the nut, the more firmly your fan will stay open. The looser the nut, the more easily your fan will open and close.

 

Step 10:

Lay out each fan, ensuring that the staves are spaced equally – anywhere between 90 - 180 degrees ( semi-circle) depending on your preference.

For left and right hand fans, lay out each fan side by side, so the top staves are pointing to each other.

Step 11:

Thread the nylon fishing line through the hole in one side of the first stave, where the lower cable tie is attached. Tie the fishing line in a secure knot, then thread it through the matching hole on the next stave.

Tie securely and repeat this step till you've tied the fishing line through each stave and your fan is strung together.

It's a good idea to put a drop of superglue on the knot at the beginning and end of your fan string, to prevent the knot from coming undone.  Try not to get any superglue on the fan stave, as it can leave a cloudy mark.

Make sure that you tie each stave together at an equal distance.

Test your fan by closing it – does it fold up correctly? If your fan doesn't close fully, then you may need to remove the fishing line and tie it again, leaving a slightly wider gap.

Your Ostrich feather fans are now ready to use!

Baby pink ostrich feathers, white staves & Swarovski rose ab rhinestones

Looking back on 2012 - the competition was fierce!

Imogen Kelly (Australia)

Congratulations Ladies!

In 2012 I had so much fun seeing some of my beautiful clients winning various titles while wearing costumes I'd made for them.

Burlesque Grand titles:

Imogen Kelly - Miss Exotic World & Reigning Queen of Burlesque 2012

Briana Bluebell - Miss Burlesque Australia 2012
(Corsets made by Flo and embellished by Briana)

Briana Bluebell (Australia)

 Burlesque State titles:

Alyssa Kitt - Miss Burlesque QLD 2012

Bunni Lambada - Miss Burlesque  Sydney 2012

Dezzie Damned - Miss Burlesque SA 2012

Briana Bluebell - Miss Burlesque NSW 2012

Alethea Austin (USA)

Fitness titles:

Alethea Austin - 1st runner-up US Pole Dance Federation championships 2012
(Bra & Shorts made by Flo, then embellished by Crystal Dancewear)

Lou Macdonald - NZ International Federation of BodyBuilding 2012 1st Short Bikini and 1st Over-all Bikini

Lou Macdonald (New Zealand)

I've already begun work on costumes for some of 2013's competition entrants, and I can't wait to see what the year brings for them!



 

Looking back at 2012 - What a crazy year!

The year went past so quickly!

Alyssa Kitt (Australia)

It's now just over 12 months since i left my position as a special-effects costume technician at Weta Workshop to focus all of my time on my showgirl clients, and it's been an absolutely amazing year.

I've collaborated with some amazing photographers and models

Photos (from top of this post):

Alyssa Kitt - photographed by Roxi Dlite
Amelie - photographed by Matchless Snapshots
Lindsey Lou - photographed by Richard Marz / MUA Paradigm Beauty
Venus Starr - photographed by Kat Attack Photography
Lou Macdonald - photographed by Brett Stanley Photography / MUA Claudine Stace
And more!

Amelie (Australia)

I got a little more organised..  

I enlisted the help of a business mentor who gave me some amazing advice.

I started this blog (yay!), and put a lot of photos online via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc.  Hooray for social media ;) 

I updated my website, and am in the process or photographing more products so i can finally offer my entire range online.

Hell, I even spent most of New Year's day catching up on my taxes haha!

I got a little more sleep.. 

For the previous few years I was working between 50 - 90 hours a week on film projects, then spending any remaining waking hours making costumes for my own clients (and then occasionally sleeping). 

So this year I've definitely had more sleep - although I have still done my share of all-nighters to meet costume deadlines haha

Venus Starr

 

 

I saw a couple of film projects finally make it to the big screen

The biggest one being the first installment of The Hobbit trilogy.  I spent a few years working on the Hobbit films, so it was nice to go and see it with the rest of the crew.

It's interesting when you realise how long it actually takes to go from manufacturing costumes & props for a film to actually seeing the film on the big screen - there are still a number of projects i worked on over the past few years that won't even be completed till next year (or later!).

Lou Macdonald

 

   

 

And finally, I want to thank all my lovely clients from this year.  It's been lots of fun making sparkly pretty things for you!

Lila Luxx (australia), Pineapple productions (New Zealand), Diamond Dance Entertainment (New Zealand), Dolly Cakes (Australia), Velvet Sway (Australia), Allison Pezutti (Australia), MisRed (New Zealand), Mimi Le Meaux (USA), DinahMight (UK/Canada), Jeniffer Starrdust(New Zealand), Leda Petit (New Zealand), Lucy Sky Diamond (Australia), Indigo Blue (USA), Alice Cade (New Zealand), Virtue Van Tassel (Australia), Silla Black (Australia), Sarah J (Australia), Miss La Vida (New Zealand), Bunni Lambada (Australia), Pinky DeVille (United Kingdom), Lou Macdonald (New Zealand), Roxi Dlite (Canada), La Maia (United States), Holly J'Adoll (Australia), Racheal Rae (Australia), Dolores Daiquiri (Australia), Magenta Diamond (New Zealand), Venus Starr (New Zealand), Grace LaBelle (New Zealand), Luna Eclipse (Australia), Tamara W (Australia), Tanya H (New Zealand), Carria-Ann O'Dell (United Kingdom), Sarah M (New Zealand) Phoenix (New Zealand), Sapphire (New Zealand), Briana Bluebell (Australia), Renae G (USA), Alyssa Kitt (Australia), Jacqui Le Prou Samson (New Zealand), Eszter V (Australia), Amelie (Australia), Rebecca Grace (New Zealand), Tessa Von Twinkle (USA), Alethea Austin (USA), Catriona W (New Zealand), Dezzie Damned (Australia), Rosie Rivette (Australia), Angie Pontani (USA), Ruby Ruin (New Zealand), R Smith (New Zealand), Michelle P (New Zealand), Michele S (New Zealand), Julainne S (New Zealand), Etoile Marley (Australia), Sarah Houbolt (New Zealand), Dita Von Teese (USA), Amelia T (New Zealand), Lindsey Lou (USA), Amanda T (New Zealand), Melanie F (New Zealand), Burlesque Hall of Fame (prizes), Jessamae St James (Australia), Amy J-L (New Zealand), Imogen Kelly (Australia), Olatsa Assin (USA), Lilly Loca (New Zealand), Miss Anthropy (New Zealand), Kadi K (Australia), Blaze (USA), Jemma M (New Zealand), Lauren C (Australia), Kate H (Australia), Chiara H (Australia), Juzz S (New Zealand), Sapphire Snow (Australia), Caroline E (Sweden), Rosie Rose (USA), Amanda C (USA), Sandra T (USA), Perrie T (Australia), Lisa H (Australia), Aly Hellcat (USA), George K (Australia), Lytoyah (New Zealand), Heather S (USA), Julie D (Switzerland), Jane H (Australia), Kevin A (Australia), Alex S (USA), Bonita Danger Doll (New Zealand), Willow Noir (New Zealand), Lola Cherry Cola (New Zealand), Michele C (New Zealand), Ceara L (New Zealand), Kim B (New Zealand), Amanda M (New Zealand), Mimoza I (New Zealand), Princess (New Zealand), Ellen B (New Zealand), Jay B (New Zealand), Tali W (New Zealand)

I think i got you all - but if there's anyone I've missed, please let me know!  

Happy 2013, love Flo xx

Building a Costume - Part 1 - The Cost of a Costume

How much does a costume cost?

This is a question I hear nearly every day... and it's still the hardest one to answer.

There are so many factors involved in creating a costume that it's almost impossible to reply to this question without a long list of questions in response.

Design ideas, performance requirements, design complexity, materials, embellishments, time limits... these are only a few of the elements that affect the price of a costume, and that's before you add up the number of hours involved (which must be charged for if the costumier is to make a living).

I decided a while ago that i'd write a series of blog posts about this subject, but kept putting it off because it seemed such a daunting task to tackle (much like working out a costume quote!), but today is as good a day as any to begin, so here we go.

Please note that these opinions are my own and are by no means the opinions of every other costumier ;)

Part 1 - Requesting a quote

Let's say you have a show coming up in a couple of month's time and you want a brand spankin' new costume for the event.  You've seen some pictures online that you like and you've chosen the costumier who you'd like work with... What next?

The best thing to do is to gather your ideas together so you'll be able to give the costumier a general idea of what you want. 

There are even some handy online tools that can help when compiling your ideas visually: Pinterest, Evernote, and Polyvore are all free and pretty easy to use. 

 Sketches, reference photos, video links etc are all very useful to your costumier.  It's ok to reference other performers as inspiration, but keep in mind that most costumiers won't be too keen on making you a direct copy of another performer's (or designer's) costume, as that's plagiarism.. and just downright uncool.

Be honest about your budget

One last piece of information that you should most definitely share with your costumier is your budget.
It's really important that you let them know how much (or little) you can afford to spend.  If the costumier doesn't know what your price range is, then they can't tailor the costume to suit your needs.
If the costumier knows up-front what you are willing to spend, then they'll know exactly how much to allocate to fabrics and trims and how much time/labour is allowed for etc.
And be honest with them - if your budget is low, then they may be able to offer suggestions for alternatives and work out how to give you the most bang for your buck.

If you're worried that the costumier might try to rip you off by charging you as much as you can possibly afford without really following through on value for money, then do a little online research and look at their work.  Facebook, Twitter, Etsy etc are all great tools for checking up on potential costumiers.

Preparing the quote

Once your costumier has an idea of what your costume will involve, it's time to work out a quote.
Preparing a quote can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 days (or more!), depending on the elements of the costume.  Even sourcing the perfect materials can take time - I once spent over 20 hours searching the internet for a specific trim to use on a client's costume, but it was worth it to get the right look ;)

The costumier will need to estimate the cost of the materials required and the number of hours it will take to complete the garment, as well as all the extra elements that go along with running a business.
People often forget that the cost of rent, power, phone/internet, insurance, equipment etc are all essential ingredients and must be accounted for when your costumier charges for their service.

Sourcing fabrics and drafting patterns is only a small part of creating a costume

Some costumiers will charge a fee for preparing a quote, as it involves a fair amount of time (and time is money).  This fee may or may not be applied to your final costume price - every costumier works in their own way.

Is your costume made-to-measure or ready-to-wear?

If your costumier makes their garments from scratch, then the cost will naturally be much higher than if the garments are bought ready-made and then embellished.

A custom-made garment involves planning, sampling fabrics and trims, measurements, drafting a pattern, sewing up a toile (mock-up) of the pattern to test the fit, altering (if required), possibly repeating these two steps a few times in order to get the pattern perfect... and only then does the actual garment construction begin.
If you and your costumier are in a different cities (or countries, as is often the case), then the toile will sometimes be sent back and forth a number of times - so the cost of shipping must also be added to the quote.

A costume made using ready-to-wear garments will be lower priced, and usually a bit faster than made-to-measure.  This type of costume will often begin with plain base garments (Bra, Corset, Panties etc) which the costumer will then decorate with various fabrics and trims.
This is a great option if your budget won't stretch to a custom-made outfit or if you only want the costume for a one-off event.

Custom-made isn't actually expensive... mass-produced is just really cheap

Most of us don't often stop to think about how much time and money went in to making the things we use every day.
Take your shoes for example:  Someone (or more likely a number of people) took the time to design the style, create a pattern, prototype it, source the materials, arrange the manufacturing, market the product and then make the sale.  You may have bought the shoes for $50, but it took hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get the shoe to that point.

A large scale manufacturer will easily sell a hundred, a thousand, even ten thousand of a particular item, and can therefore spread the cost of the development so thinly that each item costs only a few dollars at the wholesale level.

When a costume is made to order, the costumier will need to recover most of the associated costs we've discussed so far in that one item, and all these things must be taken into account when preparing a quote.
That's a basic difference between the price of a custom-made garment vs a mass-produced one.

But don't let this scare you away, it may not be as expensive as you think...

If a one-of-a-kind costume is something that you want, then just go ahead and contact your favorite costumier.  Now that you have an understanding of what goes into a costume, you might just be surprised at how reasonable the prices really are!
Many costumiers will allow you to pay for your costume in installments, but be prepared to pay a deposit up-front before they begin working on your design - as we've discussed already, there's a lot of work involved before anything reaches the sewing machine ;)

Choosing your costumier

There are so many costumiers out there these days, each with their own unique aesthetic.  Search the internet, ask other performers who they use.. it never hurts to ask for referrals. 
Check them out on Facebook and see if people are leaving happy or unhappy comments on their page..  Do they have lots of pictures online that you can look at - particularly pictures that show the costume being worn by a person?
What is their policy regarding changes/alterations if the finished costume doesn't fit or breaks when you wear it? 
Take your time and do a little research, and you're sure to find a costumier who shares your vision!

Whew!  So much has already gone into creating this costume and we're only just getting started!

It's becoming apparent that the price of your costume is more than just the cost of fabric and rhinestones.

Tune in next time for Part 2 - Fabrics and embellishments: The wonderful world of sparkly stuff!

Further reading:

Here's a great article about the differences between a good quality corset and a cheap knock-off, courtesy of the Lingerie Addict blog.
This is not to say that all mass-produced garments are bad, but it really shows why the knock-off costs so much less than the hand-made piece.

Social Media links!

Behind the scenes photos and other every-day stuff..

Do you use Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr etc..?
I use a few social media apps on a daily basis, so I thought I'd post some links for those of you who are interested in seeing what I get up to.

Photos of sparkly crap on Twitter

Most photos are of the projects I'm working on - fabrics, samples, trims etc..  with a few random photos of my morning coffee thrown in for good measure.  I try to post different things on all apps, because it can get a bit boring when you see the same posts from the people you follow on every app.

Random photos of my workroom on Instagram

My #1 app is Instagram.  I mainly post work-in-progress photos and pics of my workroom:
If you're in Instagram, your can find me by searching for username: flofoxworthy

Next up is Twitter, where I post  photos of finished garments and assorted sparkly things. 
www.twitter.com/flo_foxworthy

Pinterest is fun, but I must admit that I don't have as much time to spend on this app - I post a few times a week when I have a chance to sit down and check it on my laptop rather than using my iPhone.
www.pinterest.com/flofoxworthy/

It goes without saying that I use Facebook on a daily basis.  I've been running an internet based business since 2000 and over the past couple of years I've found Facebook to be one of the best business marketing and networking tools ever.
www.www.facebook.com/flofoxworthy

Tumblr is something that I rarely remember to update but I still check up on at least once a week (mainly to see what the people I follow are posting). 
www.flofoxworthy.tumblr.com/

More random photos of my workroom via Instagram

Venus Starr - Burlesque Showgirl

Venus Starr (NZ) 

Burlesque & Circus performer

Venus Starr photographed by Jocelen Janon

Venus Starr is a popular circus performer and showgirl based in New Zealand - you may recognize her as the blonde bombshell who models the Bikinis on my website.
I love making costumes for Venus - with her platinum hair, incredible figure and colourful tattoos she's become one of my favorite clients and a spectacular model.

In these first two images, Venus is wearing a black sequin corset & bra with white skull detail and red beaded fringe.  Venus often performs at tattoo conventions, and this costume works well with that aesthetic.

Venus Starr photographed by Jocelen Janon

This these next photos, Venus is wearing a metallic gold costume which I made for her earlier this year.  The costume consists of a bra, corset, shorts, G string and pasties with matching shoes - most of which she removes during her hula hoop act.

Venus Starr photographed by Jocelen Janon

Venus Starr photographed by Penny Nichols

 I'll post more photos of this gold costume shortly - including work-in-progress pics I took while i was making the various pieces.

And finally,  here's one of my favorite images of Venus - wearing a skull print Bikini in LA photographed by Victor Rodriguez.  Gorgeous!

Venus Starr photographed by Victor Rodriguez

For more Venus Starr:

www.facebook.com/pages/Venus-Starr/211053272248479
For Jocelen Janon:
www.facebook.com/jocelen.portraits
For Penny Nichols:
www.facebook.com/penny.nichols.33
For Victor Rodriguez:
www.facebook.com/victorrodriguezphoto

Matchless Snaphots Photography

Matchless Snapshots (Australia)

Featuring costumes by Flo Foxworthy

Strawberry Doll (AU) photographed by Matchless Snapshots (AU)

One of my favourite Australian photographers is Rachel Mia @ Matchless Snapshots.  Her work is clean and crisp, with a very feminine aesthetic.
This first image is from a recent shoot with Strawberry Doll, and features a pair of ostrich feather fans which i made for Rachel earlier this year.  The fans are hand-dyed a lovely shade of peach and have white acrylic staves with Swarovski crystals in the pretty shade of Hyacinth AB.

Amelie (AU) photographed by Matchless Snapshots (AU)

This second image is from a shoot Rachel did with Australian burlesque performer Amelie.
The Poison Ivy costume is one I made earlier this year for Amelie when she entered Miss Burlesque Australia 2012.
I've already featured other photos from this shoot in a previous blog post, but i just couldn't resist posting this new image - i love the clean background, it really brings out the colours of the costume (and Amelie's stunning red hair!).

For more about Matchless Snapshots:
www.modelmayhem.com/712425
www.facebook.com/matchless.snapshots

For Strawberry Doll:
www.facebook.com/StrawberryDoII

For Amelie:
www.facebook.com/amelieburlesque