Wrapping up the Year: Ugly Xmas Sweater Edition
Stitched and sized, and signing off….
Loud, gaudy, and often ridiculous, the ugly Christmas sweater has become an icon of the holiday season. I’ll be honest, I have never worn one. But I’ve always loved the idea behind them and the creativity that goes into making them. Especially the extravagant ones, because nothing spreads Christmas gaiety more than festive, over-the-top holiday wear. And as a cultural phenomenon, it seems only fitting that an entire musical would be written in honor of a fashion garment that has achieved celebrity status all on its own.
Following a brief rest period at the conclusion of my summer contract, I headed back to work in the costume shop at the Rev for their final production of the year. Wrapped in holiday cheer and festive fun, The Ugly Xmas Sweater Musical became the perfect way to close out the season. Co-written and directed by Megan Larche Dominick, this show was an absolute blast and gave me the chance to contribute to making costume pieces in a fun, imaginative way.
So, my thought was that our sweaters would just be a messy mix of Christmas elements. You know, the classic ugly sweater. As it turned out, that wasn’t the case. I learned that making some of these costumes would require skills well beyond my crafting abilities. Seriously, the last crafting project I remember making was painting a rock. Luckily, costume designer Tiffany Howard is a master at crafting and took on the more complex costumes, while I was assigned the projects that involved sewing, which, second to overthinking everything, is my strongest skill.
My first and favorite piece was the Christmas tree coat. It was just like decorating a tree. It started with gold garland being draped around the front, back, and down the sleeves. Then I hung a mixture of colorful and glittery gold ornaments with different textures and sizes chaotically all over. (I was going for eclectic maximalism.) Finishing the look, I added string lights, weaving them around the ornaments and garland so they displayed perfectly when lit up.
The tree topper was the crowning touch. Together, Tiffany and her husband, Geoff (A man of all trades) crafted a matching fur-trimmed hat and a glowing star that sat atop the head of the wearer, completing the whole costume and making it truly magical. I’d also like to add that Tiffany and Geoff are the perfect married couple, and the reason I will die alone because now that I’ve witnessed a perfect partnership, I refuse to settle for anything less.
The second ugly sweater was inspired by 'stockings hung by the chimney.’ Already printed with a fireplace graphic, we simply built on that by hanging stockings from each sleeve and sewing a large cardstock fireplace over the original design, which turned the flat layout into a playful, three-dimensional costume. This would be paired with a crown headpiece of green garland decorated with little red berries and flameless pillar candles.
The other two sweaters I worked on weren’t part of the traditional “ugly sweater” portion of the production. Instead, they functioned more like props that were part of a character’s story. These pieces were presented as humorous creations, fictionally designed by the lead actor during her time on Joann’s Walkway, a parody of Project Runway.
Her first creation was a “trash heart” top - basically just a simple top with the shape of a heart made from trash. Since it had to look like self-expression fashion art, I went all in. I hit up Walgreens, bought an insane amount of snacks, ate them all in one sitting, and used the wrappers for the design. Just kidding. I raided all the trash cans in the main office like a dumpster diver for the sake of art.
The monopoly sweater was a challenge, I’ll admit. Of all the pieces, this one tested my patience. It wasn’t the sewing of all the cards onto the twill tape that gave me headaches; it was attaching them to the sweater in an orderly fashion. Normally, you can guide fabric to bend or curve as needed while sewing, but these were cards and paper. Not the same thing. Luckily, thanks to some expert “manipulation skills” (wink, wink), I managed to sew everything down with little to no damage.
To round out the sweater lineup for the show, there was also a gingerbread man sweater with a light up cookie head piece, a hot chocolate themed sweater with chocolate and whipped cream made from neoprene fabric that sat on the shoulders paired with a whipped cream headband decorated with sprinkles and a candy cane, an elf that stood inside of a life-sized snow globe, and an angel with massive show-stopping LED wings. Unfortunately, I was not able to get photos of these costumes due to the short amount of work time and nobody in the shop to play dress up with.
Then came tech week. Let me tell you something about tech week. But first, a little context. As a cutter/draper, I live in the costume shop. I’m never involved in tech runs, load-ins, load-outs, or any backstage operations. It’s a whole other skill set, and since I didn’t go to school for theatre, I have little to no knowledge of how things are run. But this was an exception. With the show functioning on a skeleton crew (I learned that word on tech day one), Tiffany suggested I join her at the playhouse, and I was so excited to be there.
I finally got to see how all the technical elements of a show came together. I got to hear the stage manager calling cues for lights, sounds, and scene changes, and see the director and choreographer make last-minute adjustments. I saw the actors performing in full costume and makeup for the first time. I watched the different departments work together to solve problems, and I even got a seat at the costume table. But the real bonus was, I had access to the tech snack table! I mean, if I told you how we talk about those goodies back in the costume shop during tech week, you wouldn’t believe me.
On the last day of tech week, after seeing the final dress run fully realized, something happened that I was not expecting: I started to cry. I’m not exactly sure why I was so overcome with emotion. Maybe it was just the relief to be going home for a while after nearly nine months away. Maybe it was the fear that I might never return. Or maybe I was just freezing my ass off and so over the 10-degree temperatures. Who knows. But while I was flying home the following day, I took the time to process, and a few thoughts came together.
This year really has been one of the most memorable of my life. I’ve had to make significant sacrifices, but in return, I’ve had some incredible experiences that I will never forget. I’ve made lasting friendships that I know will endure for years to come. I also managed not to die in freezing temperatures, which was my ultimate goal this season. In the end, I’m closing out the year the same way I spent much of it - at my sewing machine. This time, though, back in Texas, surrounded by my ten pets, in 70-degree weather.
I will never know why I cried that day, but I do know that it marked the end of an unforgettable chapter. And like all productions at the Rev, this show was an absolute joy to watch and maybe even inspired me to join in on the ugly sweater festivities next year… maybe. So, cheers, my friends, to the adventures ahead and the memories we’ve yet to make. Que la vida sea brillante, audaz y llena de risas.
Feliz año nuevo y mucha mierda!
