I’m a gal who loves clothing design and sewing. So I’ve added the two together to create the gowns and costumes you see here on this Etsy shop. Because I try to bring glory to God in whatever I do, I make my sewing creations with quality and style to display this goal.
A few years back, I shared an Etsy shop with my sister where I sold baby slings, makeup bags, and other small sewing projects. As the year progressed, I enjoyed success and started my own shop where I’ve been selling costume reproductions since 2013.
I’m not exactly sure how my interest in costumes was sparked, but I grew up Civil War reenacting and watched my mom and sisters create historically accurate gowns. I am blessed to have five generations of expert seamstresses in my family history, so I guess sewing comes naturally to me. By the nearly impossible projects I’ve been tackling lately, I seem to enjoy a challenge! And I’m glad I’m that way because seeing my projects come to life has been so worth it!
It seemed appropriate that my first costume would come from the second Chronicles of Narnia movie – Prince Caspian. These movies have long been my favorites. It figures I would choose to create the dress that had the least amount of screen time, absolutely no information on the details nor behind the scene photos! In researching this dress, I discovered how much I enjoy the details of costume design. To my surprise, I also found a bit of perfectionism in my personality. Not always a good thing! 😉
Now that I make historical clothing, I love watching a movie, old or new, that has beautiful costumes. When I see a lovely dress, my intrigue takes over and I start picturing how it was made, what kind of fabric was used, and that dress gets on my “Inspiration” Pinterest board!
Dresses are a form of beauty for me. Some people look down from a mountain, out into the sea, or into the sky and think it’s absolutely stunning. I agree, but to me, seeing an elegant, intricately-designed costume is just pure splendor! What’s even more exquisite, is recreating the gown and either seeing it worn or wearing it myself.
Today, fashion can be pretty dull, and every now and then, I wish I could go to a different time period that’s bustling with elegant gowns. But let’s get realistic, that can’t happen, but I find that recreating a costume comes pretty close.😉
Since my first reproduction, I added a 1900’s walking dress (one was purchased by Universal Studios in CA!) and recently designed a medieval dress. My designs have gone international with two dresses shipping to England and another to Prague. But my most challenging and successful costume is my reproduction of the ball gown from the 2015 movie, Cinderella. It has been a dream come true!
Enjoy your looking around, and if you also have a dream of wearing the perfect dress, contact me.
Have a blessed day.
Isabella Mae Covey - Shop Owner
aka Bella Mae