It’s been a minute since I took the time to download all the wonderful things I’ve been getting up to.

2023 was a banner year of projects that spanned across 4 provinces, sparsed out with travel to 7 different countries. I settled on Toronto as home-base and was lucky enough to start this year with one of the most creative and fun projects to date… DEATHSTALKER! This feature has been a career highlight for me. Director Steve Kostanski and his bizarre loveable creatures are taking this franchise to a whole new place. It was an absolute joy to ACD for the talented Chelsea Graham and bring the vision to life. I learned new skills in leather working and breakdown. I sewed, I painted, I dressed, I cleaned, there really wasn’t a piece of costume that I didn’t personally get my little fingers on. A behind-the-scenes video will be coming soon! In the meanwhile I can share a few wonderful memories of the last couple months below. 

You don’t always get to say that a movie changed you but this one truly did. I feel like I went to summer camp and came back with stories and plenty of new friends. Except that all these friends are INSANELY talented filmmakers and storytellers. I am beyond grateful for the work that I get to do and wish for more genre movies and builds in my immediate future!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s been a long while since I last posted. So much movement, so much change. Feels like I’ve been on the road for months! End of September I made my return to the motherland. I started out in La Belle Province and rather quickly, circumstances made for me to return to the 6ix. I’ve spent the last couple weeks pushing around furniture and trying to juge my space. Time for new energy flow! I think I’ve found something that works and will live with it a couple weeks. 

Monday I start a new gig as a First Hand at the Canadian Opera Company. I’ll be making costumes for their 2022 season. I’m looking forward to putting my new found historical costume making skills to work via this position. 

In reflection of the past year, I left England feeling like I truly accomplished everything I set out to do. I finished my studies in York, I managed to squeeze a week long tambour embroidery course just before I left the country and I was lucky enough to maintain my own studio and freelance for the bulk of the year. 2021 has felt long on so many levels. I spent it in 4 different cities and quite frankly, I’m starting the new year exhausted. But I’m hopeful that this year will be one of stability and growth.

Hard to believe that two years have come and went. My time here in the UK is coming to a close and I am squeezing in every last bit of what this city has to offer. 

I spent the last couple weeks making a sizeable number of regency era gowns from my studio in South East London. Lots of silk satins and lace! I was so pleased to be applying many of the techniques I mastered in my course in York, as well as using my foundation in garment construction to crank out these dresses methodically. I don’t have many details for the production for which they’ll be featured but once it’s released I will definitely be broadcasting that information. 

The other day I had a thought while packing up my flat and studio. It’s funny how endings look a whole lot like beginnings. Empty rooms waiting to be filled resemble that of spaces recently cleared of their possessions. I suppose the only thing that distinguishes them is the feelings they represent for the person leaving or entering the space. While I will miss the studio that has served as a place to house my work and inspiration over the last year, I trust that something wonderful awaits me upon my return. I’m looking forward to reestablishing myself with all the many skills I am bringing back with me. 

Next week I will be starting a course in tambour embroidery at Hand & Lock, the very same studio that does embroidery for the Queen. This is a skill I have been wanting to add to my repertoire for many years and I couldn’t be more thrilled to learn it in an atelier with such a notable reputation. 

With that I leave you to enjoy yet another rainy day here on this side of the pond. Here is a slideshow of various ongoings from the past couple weeks. Looking forward to seeing all my favourite faces in the very near future! And eating poutine once again….