About Maddie Vare
Once Upon A Time...
In a small midwestern town, there was a young girl who loved to sew. She was gifted a sewing machine at the young age of thirteen and has been at the pedal ever since. This young girl recognized the magic in creation, of bringing things to life, and she reveled it in. Her passion fueled her to continue to learn, utilizing every resource to teach herself the art. The young girl grew in talent, experience, and age. Over the years, things that were once dreams, creations achievable only in fantasy, were suddenly attainable
That young girl grew up to be me, Maddie Vare.
My heart is bursting with creativity and passion for the Arts and Entertainment, and through my work, I wish to pass that along. Welcome to my Costume Design and Sewing Portfolio, where characters come to life.
All costume looks included in this portfolio were made from scratch by me. This includes all makeup application, wig styling, and the majority of shown prop/accessory creation. I also alter purchased garments to create costumes but, those are featured solely on my Cosplay Portfolio website since they are not over 90% handmade.
Most of my inspiration comes from popular culture. Kate Spade is quoted saying “playing dress-up begins at age five and never truly ends." I know I have been and will continue playing dress-up all my life. With complex or minimalist characters, I strive to add additional depth to the design. Textured fabric, embroidery, historical elements, beading, fabric paint, rhinestones, or appliques are just some of the ways I enhance a costume. All costumes I create are a chance to further my fashion, historical, and technical education. And all of my creations are embued with special personal magic.
My skills include both hand-sewing and machine stitching. Whist patterning, I have utilized both commercial patterns and altered them to fit my designs as wells as created my own original patterns. I have experience working with a wide array of fabric types including the more troublesome ones like pleather, fur, silk, knit, and organza. I employ various techniques such as fabric dying, eyelet/corset lacing, jewelry making, fabric weathering, and zipper installation just to name a few. To complete my costume looks, I also style wigs and craft props with material like worbla, EVA foam, craft foam, and the like. I have created costumes for a variety of patrons, from size 4 to plus size.
I also have over four years of experience working backstage at various performance venues as an entertainment costumer at Walt Disney World. I have performed numerous costume fittings and know how to properly take measurements. See my LinkedIn profile for further on-the-job costume experience.
I'm currently working on some personal passion projects as well as some commissioned pieces, but I’m always looking for new opportunities for growth. For information about collaborations and my availability for other projects, please be in touch.