From 2013 to 2014

With Lili & Richard. (C) Nanette Gonzales, LA Weekly

I'm a little late with my annual review of all things Snapper. I've been seduced by the world of hockey, and I spend a nice amount of my down time watching Kings games live or on television. (By "down time" I mean I'm eating, working out, or sewing while I watch. Going to games is like a vacation from my "down time" work.)

Here's what 2013 held for me:

Hollywood Burlesque Festival (C) SH Photo 2013

• 50 performances in 39 shows. One show and one performance less than 2012, but 2013 was a big year for me otherwise. I focused on quality and longevity last year. This totals 372 performances in the six years I've been doing burlesque (at the end of 2012).
• Taught lots of privates. I also taught in Las Vegas and Hot Springs. I taught at Greater Los Angeles Area Mensa Regional Gathering, What Katie Did on Melrose, and Hollywood Burlesque Festival.
• Performed in two inaugural festivals: Las Vegas Burlesque Festival and Hollywood Burlesque Festival.
• Short touring hops to Dallas twice, Hot Springs twice, Ft. Worth, Houston, and Las Vegas (a short tour before their festival). I love seeing friends and family and making new friends when I travel. It's great to see these folks at least once a year.
• Continuing education. In 2013 I took classes with Stephanie Blake and Tiffany Carter. I returned to Slimmons after some time away. I also returned to ballet. I continue to work with a choreographer to help me shape some of my ideas for better presentation. I completed two online sewing classes via Craftsy: handbag design & construction and tailoring.
• Improvements in the workshop.  I got a serger! I've been able to tailor a 2012 Kings Stanley Cup tee, make a couple pieces of lingerie, work on the husband's Batman cape, and slap a finishing edge on a wedding dress with it so far. I turned my home desk into a cutting table with a big cutting mat. I bought a pair of Gingher thread nippers, and took advantage of the notions sales at Joann Fabrics to get pattern weights and a rotary cutter for detail. I stocked up on silamide and made a pressing ham. Andrew got a new drill for fan staves and headdresses.
• Created two new acts, revamped an act from late 2012, made the mermaid tail, and created the Rewedding dress. We had to rework some of the choreography to make the Rewedding dress fit the "Skin" choreography, but it worked brilliantly.
• I was part of the burlesque theater scene for James Franco's upcoming Bukowski film.  I chorographed, costumed, and performed. It was a fun day of shooting. I don't know when the film will be released or how much of me you'll actually see, but it was a wonderful experience.
• Hollywood Burlesque Festival. Andrew and I were on the producer team for over a year, and last year there was enough momentum in the community and determination from Exec Producer Lili vonSchtupp to get it off the ground. This event took up most of the last quarter of the year. We made headdresses, created web content, performed in fundraisers, sought sponsors, and watched tons of submission videos. I embellished the costumes for the finale, served as finale understudy, choreographed the two waves of community dancers who joined the showgirls in the finale, and made garments for fundraiser auctions. I coordinated weekly visits to Slimmons for the burlesque community and liased with sponsor and friend Richard Simmons. (His mother Shirley was a fan dancer. I had the joy of making white feather fans like Shirley's for him.) Performing, teaching, working with the judges -- it was quite an event. I'm lucky to have been part of the entire event. I've been a little lame on the blog front since the event because it was so intense!
• The Rewedding. That was quite an accomplishment for me last year. I've waxed on and on about how amazing it was. That's because it was amazing.

  

  With Glama Sutra, Prix de Beaute & James Franco

   I would remarry Mr. Snapper every day if I could. If you haven't watched the video, it'll give you a big smile.

What's in the works for 2014?

• An instructional video. I'll give more details as I get closer to production. It will be unique and fun. This will probably be my first crowd-funded endeavor.
• Tour hops to Arkansas and Texas. Maybe a couple more festivals. I'm performing at the Great Burlesque Exposition in Boston on my birthday, then Mr. Snapper and I are performing at Southwest Burlesque Showcase the following weekend.
• A brief European tour. I'm plotting and planning with my tour mate so we can make it happen. I'll announce tour dates when everything is secured. Plans are for autumn.
• Hollywood Burlesque Festival! We're bringing you more awesome this year.
• More new skills. I've enrolled in an online class on speedy sewing techniques. Still working on the ballet (I have dreams of doing pointe work eventually), and still hitting Slimmons.
• I'd like to get published again. I have to investigate what to do to make that happen.

Topless Vlog #39

Vlog is here!


I check in after a show. The Kings replay is on, so I'm a bit distracted.

LINKS:
1/25 Boylesque Vs. Burlesque

Topless Vlog #38

Vlog is here!

After weeks of activity, I am back and ready to start 2014 with some champagne.

LINKS:
1/6 Monday Night Tease Wheel of Burlesque
1/25 Bobbie Burlesque Presents Boylesque Vs. Burlesque

Stocking Class at What Katie Did

Photo (C) Ginger Liu 2013.

When I first learned there was burlesque happening in present day, I devoured everything I could find about the subject. I remember getting early issues of Bachelor Pad Magazine and seeing ads for What Katie Did. The retro-inspired lingerie in the ads was fantastic, and I wanted more. I placed an order or two when there was only the shop across the pond. They opened a Los Angeles store a couple years ago in the very fashionable strip of Melrose. They were less than 30 minutes from my house, but I still found myself ordering my underthings by mail. I'd been on the mailing list for almost as long as I'd been doing burlesque, but I'd never been in the store or tried their stockings.

The stockings workshop, conducted by Hollywood Burlesque Festival, gave me the opportunity to do both. Arranged by Lili vonSchtupp, the evening was filled with three mini-classes of ladies learning about the stocking peel. It was a bit of a dream come true to teach these classes with Lili, nestled in this adorable boutique, surrounded by silky unmentionables. (I had seen many London workshops in their newsletter over the years. I was really excited to be teaching at their Los Angeles shop.) WKD gifted every attendee with a pair of stockings, and I fell in love with mine from the first moment. Just the right amount of stretch for an exciting peel and more durable than the "one size" options I've purchased in a pinch. They were considerably sturdy; I peeled my stockings about 30 times and wore them around the shop without shoes, only developing a run in the toe at the end of the night.

Photo (C) Ginger Liu 2013.

What Katie Did also gave attendees an incredible discount. I made a little splurge of my own at the Free the Girls.
end of the evening to celebrate some great classes. With wine, cupcakes and candies, it was like a fantastically festive hen party. We even collected a few more bras for our Hollywood Burlesque Festival charity,

What Katie Did is located at 7970 1/2 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046. Open 11am-7pm Monday through Saturday. What Katie Did is a sponsor of the Hollywood Burlesque Festival.

Topless Vlog #37

Vlog is here!

I shows off my Rainbow Dash cosplay that won third place in a Halloween costume contest. (Okay, I show off the dressed down version.)

LINKS:
11/15 Maxine's show
11/15 Silver Fox Lounge show

How to Make a Tulle Boa

When I want to know how something is done, I hunt down the information and try to do it myself.  I was randomly wondering one day how to make a tulle boa. Some resources suggested a running stitch down a length of tulle, but I didn't see how those boas would have the volume and texture I thought they should.

I found a method that involved fabric strips tied to a cord, usually made for children. Those instructions were all a bit fast and loose. Here was my process.

Supplies:

• Two tassels for the end of your boa
• A length of 1"wide grosgrain ribbon in a hue that roughly matches your tulle, cut 6" longer than you want your boa (mine was just over 7' long)
• 3 yards of tulle for every foot of boa (I used 16 1/2 yards)

Tools:

• Rotary cutter
• Cutting mat
• Clear ruler 

You could get away with using scissors, but the rotary cutter will make your life so much easier. If you don't have one, watch for sales at JoAnn Fabrics. Several times a year you can get one for at least 40% off.

Ribbon knot with tail & tassel, starter tulle strip.

1. Thread one end of the ribbon through a tassel loop. Knot that sucker on there good. Leave a little ribbon tail. Repeat on the other end of the ribbon. The tassels will give a little weight to the ends.
2. Cut some strips of tulle. I used 10"x2" strips. Use the tulle like a poor person; get as many strips out of a yard as you can, even if it means you're doing mostly vertical strips with a few horizontal strips from the top of your fabric. They don't have to be perfect strips, but don't cut them on the bias because you don't need that stretch.  I recommend against cutting all of your tulle into strips at once because you have to put it somewhere while you work. It's much easier to store folded tulle than wads of tulle strips. Cut enough for the time you have available to work on the boa right now.
3. Tie a strip of tulle just above the knot. Be sure to capture the ribbon tail under the tulle strip. I tied square knots because I was a Girl Scout and square knots are supposed to be really secure.
4. Tie another strip of tulle right next to your starter strip. Try to alternate which way each knot faces so you get a fuller boa. Keep tying. This is a great project to put down and pick up again later because you can't really lose your place!

How progress looks. Keep going!

I took this project with me and worked on it when I expected to have down time. It took about a week of mildly interesting movies, waits backstage and in cars, idle hands during the day. I estimate it takes two hours per foot of finished boa.

One finished end.

It becomes a little more challenging to do the final few inches. Keep tying those knots and push them close together. You want to full the ribbon all the way to the knot.

Honestly, it looks a little silly when you start. I did this project for fun and was undecided if I'd keep the finished project or give it away.  Halfway through I decided to keep it for outings and classes. I'm considering making a tulle boa for my next number for a few reasons:

• I can get reliable color variation, using bits of different colors throughout to achieve the look I want. I can't expect someone to get the feathers dyed just perfect when I have such curious ideas floating around my design mind.
• I can wash the tulle boa with soap and water in my sink. I dance in some smoky clubs. I also dance in places that have spills. Easy cleaning prevents tears and whining about a damaged investment.
• It costs way the hell less than feathers. I love the look of ostrich, but I'm looking at dropping a huge chunk of money on an ostrich boa (see above on damaged investments). This boa cost me about $20. (I did have a coupon for the tulle so I wound up with sparkly coral tulle instead of matte black.) Ostrich feathers are becoming more and more expensive. The boas I got for $20 three years ago now cost $40, and that's the "I know a guy" price. It would also cost less for me to replace if it was lost on a flight.
• It's less wasteful. I have a lot of vegan friends -- some use feathers, some don't. I don't eat ostrich so I have a harder time justifying the use of byproducts. I eat cow and cheese, I wear leather. I use chicken feathers where I can, I eat chickens and eggs. For some reason I think tulle has less environmental impact.

If you're in Los Angeles, I'm happy to bring the boa to a show for you to check out. Give these instructions a try and improve on them. Let me know how they work for you.

So proud of my boa I let Richard Simmons wear it.

Topless Vlog #36

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I'm in the tub after the final night of Las Vegas Burlesque Festival.