Costumes for Guild Members: The Oklahoma! Costume.

Prop, set and costuming discussion.

Costumes for Guild Members: The Oklahoma! Costume.

Postby Marissa on Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:48 pm

The Oklahoma Children’s Acting Guild (OCAG) uses several costumes for performances. For the most part, Guild members must provide costumes themselves. The Guild does have a small costume closet; however Guild members are, at the very least, responsible for providing most of their costumes for productions.

Also, you might notice that on this Forum, under Parents’ Place there is a section called Resale Shop. Check that section out if you’re looking for costumes that other members have grown out of and please feel free to post if you happen to have costumes that your child has grown out of. At this time I don’t think there are any postings from people who are wanting to trade or sell their Oklahoma! Costume but you never know what might happen in the future.

Two specific costumes are used constantly and those two are costumes that every Guild member will need to provide for themselves. The costumes are the OCAG Costume and the Oklahoma! Costume.


The Oklahoma! Costume.

Boys will need a pair of jeans, a cowboy hat (if they wish), boots and socks (any questions about the boots should be answered in this same section (Behind the Scenes) under “Shoes and Socks for boys.”) and a NICE “western type” button down shirt. Since we want the boys to end up with different colors in their shirts, please let me see it with plenty of advance notice.

The next time the boys will need this costume is October 15th. In order to rehearse in it, they’ll need it by October 12th. This will be for the audition for the Oklahoma Centennial Parade.

Okay. The lucky boys (and/or their parents) get to stop reading now.


Here we go for the girls.

The easiest part of the costume will be the tights and shoes. They simply need their black tights and black Soft-Soled Shoes. Any questions about the tights or shoes are pretty much answered in this same section (Behind the Scenes) under “Shoes and Tights for girls.”

Let me say first that this is the most difficult costume you’ll have to work on. However, we first used these costumes in August of 2003. We’re still using them and have used them at least once a year since then. So, even though getting them together might be rough, they’re worth it.

One thing that makes this costume a little harder is that it must be sewn. If you can’t sew and you don’t know anyone who can sew then let me know ASAP.

The patterns that you need for the dress and apron/pinafore is a McCall pattern and can be found online at this link:

http://www.mccallpattern.com/costumes/page-8

Once you're at the link above then go all the way down to the last two patterns. The last two patterns are M9423 - MISSES’ PIONEER COSTUMES and M9424 - GIRLS’ PIONEER COSTUMES. I don't know which of the dresses are what letters. I know it has them on the pattern but I didn't see them while I was looking at them online. The M9424 is an easier costume to make because it has a pinafore instead of an apron. The pinafore isn't gathered. If your girl is a size where she can wear the M9424 costume then go ahead and make it for her. I really don't care if they have the pinafores instead of the aprons.

On the M9423, the costume we use is the costume that is worn by the woman on the right. She’s the one wearing the bonnet AND the apron.

On the M9424, the costume we use is the costume that is worn by the girl on the left. She’s the only one NOT wearing a bonnet.

I would like to have the dresses hit them at mid shin.

The pantaloon pattern can be found online as well, at this link:

http://store.sewingtoday.com/cgi-bin/bu ... 013&page=7

Don't worry about the top, we're only making the pantaloons. The pantaloons on the African American woman are the ones that need to be made. If you can find pantaloons or if you want to use a different pattern then feel free. But please make sure that they look nearly identical to the ones on the pattern.

A mom in the group wrote the following to me:

“The pantaloon pattern is an expensive pattern ($13 or so). When I made "replacement" pantaloons on Saturday I found a simple pattern for elastic waist Capri pants, added a little length then added two rows of pre gathered lace to the bottom and went with that. You could also use a pajama pant bottom, they just need to be sure not to put in the pockets if the pattern has them. The pattern I found was one of those "Quick and Easy" patterns and it was $1.75 instead of $13.“

If you want to go with that option then please feel free.

I would like to have the pantaloons hit them right above their ankles.

Regarding fabric...for the pantaloons and apron/pinafore just use any white fabric that you would like to use. It will need to have some sort of give because the girls are jumping around in them quite a bit.

Regarding fabric...for the dresses. The dresses are 1/4 inch gingham.
The colors that are already taken are dark blue, light blue, yellow, orange, pink, light green, aquamarine and black.

That actually leaves a lot of colors. Forest green, red, peach, lilac… There are also several different blues out there. Be careful about the blues though. If you do buy some ask if you can bring it back to the store if we discover that it’s a blue that someone already has. Also, don’t start sewing a blue until we’re positive that it’s a different blue. The fabric is usually easy to find. If not at Wal-mart then Hancocks should have it.

We do already have a girl in burgundy. Her dress was made with 1/8 inch gingham by mistake. If someone would like to make their dress with 1/4 inch burgundy gingham then that’s fine. The difference in size makes it look quite different. Also, the orange that’s already taken was made with 1/8 gingham also. I’m not sure that the orange looks very different depending on the size of the gingham. However, if it comes down to not being able to find anything else then let me know and it will probably be okay.

Here are two links that show this kind of fabric:

http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catal ... pes&Page=1

http://www.fabricdirect.com/acatalog/gi ... -inch.html

The second one is easier to use and shows only the 1/4 inch. The other one is helpful but make sure that you're looking at the 1/4 inch gingham. Not all of the squares are the same type of fabric.

If anyone has a problem finding the patterns and/or the fabric let me know as soon as you can.

The next time the girls will need this costume is October 15th. In order to rehearse in it, they’ll need it by October 12th. This will be for the audition for the Oklahoma Centennial Parade.

One last thing, if you are starting all over on a dress because your girl has outgrown it then please post it in our “Resale Shop,” If no one seems interested in trading or buying it, then let me know and I might just buy it myself.


8-)
Marissa 8-)

"We will go to the Moon...not because it is easy but because it is hard." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard, is what makes it great." - A League Of Their Own.

The natural condition of the theatre business is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster. However, as strange and unbelievable as it sounds, it always turns out well. No one knows why this is. It’s a mystery.
User avatar
Marissa
Artistic Director
Artistic Director
 
Posts: 469
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 1:23 pm
Location: Oklahoma City

Return to Behind the Scenes

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

cron