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New costume, coming soon. (See below and thanks to the Lady Miss Vagina Jenkins for the dress.)

All righty.

I’ve been severely neglecting my blog here for a while. To get back in the practice of daily writing (and to prepare for this year’s round of NaNoWriMo, which I plan to do in November again this year), I’m going to write once a day for the next few weeks.

So away we go…

Fabric obsession!

Before I launch into this morning’s narrative, I just have to mention a few upcoming events…Very excited about tonight’s show at Uncommon Ground. We’re doing our monthly classic burlesque show, Le Cabaret Erotique (named for the Dirty Sanchez song “F*cking on the Dance Floor”…The lyrics “…your erotic cabaret is non-stop” make me giggle and it’s always classier to say something in a foreign language.) Show starts at 11pm and it’s gonna be good. Also, we have our weekly show, Salon DeVine at Joie de Vine tomorrow at 8 and 9:30. This month features Honey La Fleur, Jolie, Bizarre Sally and yours truly in a mix of neo-burlesque and performance art (and of course, sexy stripteases on the bartop, in the aisles and everywhere we feel like performing!). Both shows are always free, though we do have a $15 suggested donation for tonight’s show.

Also! The next session of classes starts on Saturday, October 2. Beginning class will still be held at Galaxie Chicago in their BIG, BEAUTIFUL studios and Burlesque for Performance (the advanced class) is moving to Belle Plaine Studio, near Irving and Damen. It’s going to meet twice a week and be geared towards a recital in SIX WEEKS. It’s a true immersion experience, so if you want to get into burlesque in a big way really quickly, sign up! You will be onstage with an amazing jaw-dropping act that suits your personality and personal style by Thanksgiving.

Blue fringe

I’m really excited about developing a new act for Varietease in October. The act is top secret, but I’m going to start working on the costume and a large set piece really soon. I shot a few photos of the raw materials for the costume and I’m psyched to get going on it.

Each of these materials was an adventure in procurement. The bit of sequinned fabric I found during a trip to my favorite fabric store in Chicago. It was sitting on a

Sequin Appliques

shelf in this dirty, hot, dingy basement and I picked it up. I didn’t really have a project in mind for it and during that visit, I was like, “Oh, I am never gonna use this! I don’t want to waste money.” so I set it back down on the shelf.

The I thought about it and thought about it and obsessed over it and obsessed over it. For two months. I am sure I even dreamt about a piece that I might develop that would involve the fabric.

The next time I was there, I made a beeline for the basement and…It was STILL THERE. That time, I decided it was complete fate that the fabric should be mine and I snatched it up. Still no project in mind, but I knew it would come in handy some day. Then I went to Atlanta for Mondo Homo. While I was there, Vagina Jenkins was getting rid of a few things, INCLUDING a gorgeous beaded dress in…(dingdingding!) the same color family. It was starting to come together.

Ms. Bea Haven outside the Stonewall Inn

Teal Fringe

Enter teal bra and 100 pieces of sequinned appliques from my OTHER favorite fabric store in Evanston, IL, just north of the City and where I grew up. This had both a teal color and dark blue. Then I went online to find beaded fringe to match all of these things. I ordered it from EGYPT–this was when I started feeling all cool and international. The paypal bill came in when were in NYC and I paid for it via Paypal on my smart phone while sitting in the historic Stonewall Inn with my partner T. It arrived at my place of work the day I got back from vacation.

I felt like, “Whoa, what a brave new incredibly small and shrinking world we live in. I can purchase something from Egypt, pay for it on my phone, and have it shipped internationally and arrive three days later.” It was cool.

So now all that remains is to build the huge set piece I’m planning and make the actual costume. I’m planning on working on it over the next month. Will keep you posted here.

1 Comment

• 

  By The Lady Ms. Vagina Jenkins, September 15, 2009 @ 5:41 am

  i know i’m all late, but how’s this coming along? Can’t wait to see it all!

  exes and ohs,
  -Vag

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