Lennie & Boston

Boston & I thought we would pop online to say hello. While things have been quiet on L&B social media we can assure you we have been busy in the workshop. Our space has temporarily turned into “Santa’s workshop” as we support in the lead up to Christmas. Feel free to visit their page and give it a like. Always a delight to be part of something bigger than ourselves. 🫶🏻

Why not donate your time, talent or finances to a charity of choice this Christmas.

The FLOUNDER costume in action. 🐠

Congratulations to the cast, crew and creatives of Citipointe College’s production of “The Little Mermaid”. 👏🏻
Director: .limstagram
Heads of Wardrobe:


📷 Brown Fox Media House

January 2023 - Sydney, Australia.

After a long day of sewing, I returned to my air b&b and retreated to the garden to read my novel. As the host walked by, she placed this photo on the open page.
Knowing I was in town to work on vintage costumes and having observed my love for historical fiction… she thought I might cherish this image, a gift to mark my page. Such a thoughtful gesture.

The host didn’t know the name of the lady in the picture, only that she was a member of her family. How wonderful to view this gown from the Victorian era. I can’t help but wonder: What colour was the dress? Black? What fabric was used? Taffeta? Who is this woman and what stories does she have to tell? How I wish I could step into the picture and view this piece in real time.

On a side note: The photograph was taken by the renowned A.J. Melhuish at: 12, York Place, Portman Square, London. 1860.


Erica Vetsch Author

FLOUNDER & Guppy number 35 🐠-3
L&B Costume Creations

Fishy Facts:
At birth Flounder was named “Guppy number 35”. Ariel enjoyed teasing Flounder by calling him “Guppy” (a small breed of fish) whenever he was feeling less than brave.
It has been suggested that he was given the name “Flounder” because he is a fish with a jittery nature when panicked, causing him to move clumsily through the water.

FLOUNDER: to struggle or stagger clumsily in water. “Floundering about”.

The cute animated character is yellow with blue stripes. He is not one particular breed of fish but rather resembles elements of different types of fish namely the “Sargent Major”, “Regal Angelfish”, “Yellow Tang” & “Convict Tang” fish.

Swipe to see costume details and Boston living his best “sk8ter fish” life as Guppy number 35.

Costume: Lennie & Boston
Talent: Cody Cobb & Boston
Make Up:
📷

FLOUNDER 🐠-2
L&B Costume Creations

Fishy Facts:
Flounder’s best friend is Ariel, a princess mermaid. One of king Triton’s 7 daughters.
“As her closest friend and confidant, Flounder is incredibly faithful to Ariel, as well as protective. Part of his reasoning for joining her various exploits is to watch out for her should things go wrong. Though he would rather her hobbies were less perilous, Flounder will stand up to those who reprimand Ariel for her adventurous spirit, including King Triton at all times.” (Hero.fandom.com)

Swipe to see this “cute but sassy” fish costume in closer detail.

Costume: Lennie & Boston
Talent: Cody Cobb
Make Up:
📷

FLOUNDER 🐠
L&B Costume Creations

Fishy Facts:
Flounder first appeared in Disney's 1989 movie “The Little Mermaid” and continued to feature along side his best friend, Ariel in animated videos, books and most recently a live action remake of the movie. Flounder also appears in the stage adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” where he performs the song titled, "She's in Love".

We’re looking forward to seeing this costume come to life on stage next month. Swipe to see costume in detail.

Costume: Lennie & Boston
Talent: Cody Cobb
Make Up:
📷

“Hamilton” did not disappoint. 🫶 The score, the script, the talent and the capacity of the creatives involved was inspiring. As each costume twirled by I tried to absorb the details. 😂 Such clever choices by Peter Tazewell (costume designer), creating a range of comfortable & versatile outfits that relay the story well, maintaining a fresh edge while nodding to the historical timeline of fashion for the era.

📷hamiltonau

TrUnChBuLl


The Captain:
“In her first song, "The Hammer", she expressed her inner thoughts about how the world should be run, and likens it to hammer throwing. In this song, she explains how the only way to be successful in life is to obey the rules and the only way to inspire people to be better is to force them to follow the rules. Empathy and kindness are very poor tools for achieving this goal, according to her.” villains.fandom.com

Swipe to see The Trunchbull in action. Images commissioned by A.Trunchbull to be displayed in Crunchem’s “Hall of Fame”.
































📷
Talent: .jane.verri
Costume:

TrUnChBuLl


The Olympian:
Agatha Trunchbull represented her country in the Munich Summer Olympic Games, 1972. Her specialty events were Hammer Throw, Shot Put, and Javelin.
“She is very attached to her success as an Olympic athlete for Great Britain and she considers herself to be an idol for other people to follow.”
villains.fandom.com

Swipe to see Agatha Trunchbull, relaxing at home in this months issue of LIFESTYLE magazine.

























📷
Talent: .jane.verri
Costume:

TrUnChBuLl


The Headmistress:
“Agatha Trunchbull is terrifying and fearsome. Students and teachers alike are afraid of her. Ms. Honey, one of the teachers at the school (and Ms. Trunchbull's stepdaughter), warns all the students in her class to ''Never argue with her. Never answer her back. Always do what she says.'' Ms. Honey follows this advice by comparing Trunchbull to an enraged rhino—you should do whatever you can to stay out of their way.” study.com

Swipe to see the “holy terror’s” CRUNCHEM HALL yearbook photos.























📷
Talent: .jane.verri
Costume:

-ScHoOl’S BaCk-
To the Child. Parent. Student. Educator. To all those returning from summer break, facing their first day ever, starting a new school, waving goodbye to their child at the gate or stepping into their first placement as a teacher.

“Have the best first day of ScHoOl!”

May you find your Miss Honey’s and Matilda’s. Better yet, may you be one!

Leanne Head on Instagram: "The Grinch 🎄 "No matter how different a Who may appear, he will always be welcome with holiday cheer." MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 🎄 A flashback to the Grinch costume created for a Whoville themed Christmas. L&B costume... Leanne Head shared a post on Instagram: "The Grinch 🎄 "No matter how different a Who may appear, he will always be welcome with holiday cheer." MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 🎄 A flashback to the Grinch costume created for a Whoville themed Christmas. L&B costume creations. ...

WoRmWoOd🚘

“Wormwood is a used car dealer, with a talent for devising shonky sales practices. He boasts of his finest achievements, which include using sawdust to temporarily make cars run smoother and rolling back the odometer. As Mr. Wormwood says, ''Every single car that comes through my hands gets the treatment. . . They all have their mileage cut to under ten thou before they're offered for sale.””

Would you buy a used car from this man?😏

⬅️ Swipe for Wormwood’s sales pitch. 😆

L&B costume creations
Modeled by
📷

WoRmWoOd🎩

“Mr. Wormwood's outfit is blinding! Blindingly bad. It's almost cartoonlike in its colour scheme. The narrator's comparison of him to "a low-grade bookmaker dressed up for his daughter's wedding" says it all: Mr. Wormwood is tacky and totally self-absorbed. Despite the fact that others see a pretty sleazy guy when they look at him, Mr. Wormwood thinks he looks downright sharp.”

⬅️ Swipe to see Wormwood’s swagger. 😆

L&B costume creations
Modeled by
📷

WoRmWoOd📺

Harry Wormwood:
A book? What do you want a book for?
Matilda Wormwood:
To read.
Harry Wormwood:
To read? Why would you want to read when you got the television set sitting right in front of you? There's nothing you can get from a book that you can't get from a television faster.
- Matilda the movie (1996).

“Somewhere, on a show I heard that a picture tells a thousand words. So telly, if you bothered to take a look, is the equivalent of like.....lots of books!”
- “Telly”, Matilda the musical.

⬅️ Swipe for Wormwood’s opinion of books. 😂

L&B costume creations
Modeled by
📷

MaTiLdA + LaVeNdEr
🤍BFF’s🤍

“Every Matilda needs their Lavender – who else will help them topple the Miss Trunchbulls of the world?” Meena Alexander


















📷

LaVeNdEr
“Lavender is Matilda Wormwood's best friend. She can be described as “sweet but sassy, helpful and brave, adventurous, friendly and shy”. She too has had enough of Trunchbull’s treatment of children, and devises her own way to help Matilda teach that terrible headmistress a lesson or two.”

Rachel you are a delight to work with. We love how you captured the essence of Lavender. You portrayed her shyness, strength, sass and sweetness oh so perfectly. 🥰
In life you are the quintessential best friend and the sweetest of people. 💜 Thank you for donning L&B’s Crunchem Hall uniform.














📷

MaTiLdA
“Matilda Wormwood combines the qualities of the plucky underdog, an introvert’s love of reading with a magical and often naughty sense of justice.”
Tygertale.com

Eva you captured the persona of “Matilda” beautifully. Thank you for bringing this costume to life. 😊
Swipe to view MATILDA in action.












📷

1995. The first costume I made for one of my children. It was created in an afternoon, from a bag of scrap materials, but how udderly cute is this little guy! 🥰🐮

cinderELLA💖
Last minute costumes don’t need to be expensive. Sometimes they just require a little bit of fairy Godmother creativity🪄✨, using what is found nearby.

NOTES📝
Problem: The performer has out grown her ball gown and needs an overnight solution!

Solution:
✨ Deconstruct the gown.
- Remove cream lace bodice and buttons from dress.
- Deconstruct skirt.
- Mend holes in tulle and create a fluted hem, removing tatted edge.
- Trim and overlock satin lining.
- Baste tulle overlay to satin lining.
- Insert invisible zip (saved from a discarded garment).
- Select a wide, satin ribbon from the remnants box to attach as a waist band.
- Make adjustable catch to cinch the waist using a spare button and some elastic.
✨ Raid Costume Bin.
- Old princess costume.
- Remove lace, excess ribbons, over skirt and tacky embellishments.
- Trim pulls and mend holes.
- Adjust sleeves.
- Add details to bodice to complement colour scheme.
- Manipulate layered base of dress to create an underskirt with padding over the hips, adding fullness.
✨ Accessorize:
- Use a blue ribbon as a choker, balancing blue/pink tones in outfit.
- Tiara from the costume box to place in a high bun.
- Performers “ballet-slipper” style shoes.
- Old, lace gloves.








Amy

CINDERella
This vintage costume was first worn in the 1970’s for a production of “The Little Match Girl” ballet.
Featuring a full linen circle skirt; striped velour, corduroy bodice; muted tones of its time; puff sleeves & a Peter Pan collar.
It is now reinforced, repaired and ready to be worn by another generation of performers.
✨Modeled by Miss L as CINDERella.
✨Donated by Petrea Gibbins school of dancing

Boston is dressed & ready for the next •OUT OF THE BOX• costume series. 📚Coming your way soon!

⚡️
An old armchair.
A roll of fabric.
A wonderful request: Can you reupholster this vintage chair for a musical number from, “My Fair Lady”?

Challenge accepted. 💙
Swipe for before/after.

Making these jellyfish for a local theatre and dance company was such a fun project. Armed with clear umbrellas, fairy lights, bubble wrap, tape, fabric and trimmings the challenge began.
In my head they were bigger and better but the finished product still had a floaty, translucent feel to them. They are collapsible (for storage) & the lights are operational (able to be turned on/off during the choreography). It was lovely to see how the dancers brought them to life on stage. How cute do they look?! 🥰

Lennie & Boston have embarked on a new project: “Restoration Tutu”. 🩰

What a gift! We have inherited a number of tutus from Lennie’s childhood dance school. The laundry is bursting with colour as we soak, clean and begin to repair these beauties. 🌈
One by one we will take these old costumes and breathe new life into them. Stay tuned!

My 1937 Royal KHM Typewriter 🌼

Forgotten… left to rust on the dirt floor of a garden shed, this typewriter was declared beyond repair & ready for the scrap heap. Despite its state, I found myself drawn to it. The owner no longer wanted it, so I took it home.
At first I wasn’t sure what to do with it. No amount of money or time could restore this piece to its former glory. It would never function as it used to and yet it held a beauty, an elegance of a bygone era, that captivated me. Carefully, I took to it with an air compressor, wire brush, degreaser, rust kill and paint.
As I worked on the piece, I was reminded of a beautiful truth. Like this typewriter, we have the ability to live a life of value, creativity & industry. And even in our most vulnerable moments (when we don’t function as we used to, feel forgotten, unwanted, broken and old) we still have purpose. 🤍
When it’s not being used in photo shoots, on set and in instillations, my 1937 Royal typewriter sits in our home as a beautiful centre piece. A daily reminder that we all have a story to tell, a life worth celebrating, a beauty to display and the ability to inspire those who look in our direction.

⚙️ ”The KMH is essentially an update to the model 10, with plastic inserts replacing the 10’s iconic glass windows.”
machinesoflovinggrace.com

#1937

📷 LSHead

My 19th Century Meridian/Méridienne Chaise Lounge.🌼

“Antique Store
CLOSING DOWN
Everything must go.”

As I wandered through the nooks and crannies of the musty antique store, looking for a bargain, I pondered the walls of deserted furniture - the lives they’ve lived & the stories they hold. Then deep in the back of the store I spotted it. Buried under a timeline of treasure sat an old 19th century meridian chaise. I knew it was going to require a lot of work to restore but I couldn’t refuse the offer.
And so our journey began. Striping the chaise back, I uncovered years of crumbs, dust, coins, toys, bits of plastic, buttons... Over 100 years of living. As the structure was unveiled, the depth of research needed became glaringly obvious. Retying coil springs is an art form in itself. Will husk work instead of horse hair? Where do I source jute upholstery webbing?
The removal of tacks was painstaking. Prepping the timber was messier than expect, as I sanded through years of built up dust. However, once cleaned & restored the satisfaction of breathing new life into an old piece was well worth the effort. “The Chaise” was ready to live another season as a featured piece in a Downton Abbey murder mystery event, as a formal photography prop and as an everyday resting place in the heart of our home. 🤍

⌛️The 19th century meridian chaise was “named for their most common use, resting in the mid-day when the sun is near the meridian. A méridienne style daybed has an asymmetrical design. The high headrest and low footrest have a sloping back that may feature additional details.” HOMEstratosphere



📷KH.designs

Tinker Bell🧚
“All you need is a little faith, trust & pixie dust.” - Peter Pan ✨

✨This motto ran through my mind countless times as I made this costume. :)
⭐️Faith that the concept was achievable within the timeframe.
⭐️Trust that the combination of recycled elements and purchased materials would reflect the rugged, natural tones of the woods and the whimsical elements of Pixie Hollow, Neverland.
⭐️Pixie dust to bring out the sparkle… & many a prayer that the costume was robust enough for Tinker Bell to prance, dance, tumble and turn across the stage in all her glorious, sassy demeanor.

✨And it was magical! I absolutely loved the way Tink’s costume performed on stage - each element delivering as planned under the twinkle of the stage lights. This Tink stole my heart. 💚



📷LSHead