Hear ye, hear ye: Renaissance Festival season is almost here.
On May 27, participants in The Studio’s Medieval Mode series gathered at Anythink Thornton Community Center Library to debut Renaissance Festival costumes they’d spent months creating.
Held from March through May, the series guided participants through every step of the costume-making process — from building characters and designing outfits to crafting accessories like hats, coin belts, chain mail, wands and wings.
During the gathering, participants modeled their creations, exchanged costume tips and shared finishing touches still in progress.
“It’s good to put on your costume before Ren Fair, so you’re not constantly adjust[ing] everything,” said Cela Janiec, a studio specialist who led Medieval Mode sessions at Anythink Thornton Community Center.
With the Colorado Renaissance Festival opening June 13, let’s see what a few Medieval Mode participants created.
Leah Olguin of Thornton
Tell me about your Renaissance Fair character?
I don’t have a specific character necessarily, I just wanted to go as a pirate. I figured once I had the costume, then the character would come to me.
I saw this sleeveless pirate coat pattern on a website that Cela recommended, and I just fell in love with it right away. No matter what character I’m playing, I had to have that.
What did you make for your costume?
In the classes, I made some jewelry. I made this little bag for dice — at the Renaissance Fair, people give out little trinkets, called favors, that you collect and give out to people. I think I’ll have some favors to give out at the Ren Fair.
I started a cape. I haven’t finished it yet, because it’s big and takes a little time.
What skills did you gain from taking Medieval Mode classes?
I gained a lot of skills, especially when it comes to sewing. I don’t have a big background in sewing. I’ve sewn masks during COVID, I’ve sewn bandanas for my dog, but nothing I intended to wear.
So, I learned how to use bias tape, about different types of fabric, and how to do boning and grommets. I learned what certain notations mean on patterns in refence to the direction of your fabric weave — I had no idea that was necessary, but it is. (Laughs.)
What has been your favorite part of doing these classes?
Honestly, I loved just learning new things and really getting to work on new items. With this leather arm cuff, I taught myself how to tool leather and I made this cuff using tools from The Studio. It’s so nice to have a place with tools that you can borrow.
I just love to learn crafts. I want to be a jack of all trades, and master of some, hopefully.
What’s your favorite thing about going to the Renaissance Fair?
I personally love shopping there. I love buying the things you find there that you can’t get anywhere else, whether it’s costume pieces or cool trinkets. There’s a lot of craftsmanship there that you don’t necessarily see elsewhere.
Cathy Romero of unincorporated Adams County
Tell me about your Renaissance Fair character?
I made a blue dragon costume. I wanted to make a dragon because it’s my Chinese Zodiac animal sign.
How did you go about making your costume?
I started out with a chevron pattern dress, and ran into lots of problems with it. I’ve never sewn anything for me before. I’ve done costumes for my kids, but never for me. So, I started out with the hardest thing to make!
I stopped for about a month because it was driving me crazy, and I worked on other things for the costume. Then, I finally finished most of it up this morning, but I still have a few things to finish.
For the dragon wings, I got the fabric at the Anythink Huron Street Library when they were cleaning out their closets and this fabric was in there. It’s what started the dragon idea. I’ve had the wings down for a long time but they finally got sewn on the dress today.
I also made scales that will go on the back of my dragon dress. Those were 3D printed with a lot of help from Ronnie at The Studio.
What skills did you learn while in Medieval Mode classes?
Patience. (Laughs.) And I gained confidence that my sewing was fine. I already knew how to sew, but this gave me confidence to do it.
What accessories did you make?
To start the whole Medieval Mode, in the first class, we made a box bag to hold all our supplies.
I made a dragon helmet/hat. It’s all recycled materials — a strawberry container, shampoo bottles, pool noodles, medicine bottles. I didn’t buy anything but the paint.
I painted a 3D printed dragon and made a little chain clasp with chainmail trinkets. I made a chainmail bracelet, which was trickier than I thought it would be.
I also made a bard’s hat, a necklace with a dragon, a bracelet, a coin belt bag and a wand. We put together all the electrical parts by soldering, so the wand lights up. Then, I wrapped it in leather to decorate it.
What was your favorite part of the whole Medieval Mode experience?
I really liked sewing this heartbeat pattern into the chevron on my dress. I also liked coming to the classes.
I’ve gone to the Ren Fair a bunch of years. I don’t go every year, but I wouldn’t have done a costume without the classes. It inspired me to do it.
Dorene Salazar of Thornton
Tell me about your Renaissance Fair character?
I don’t go to the Renaissance Fair, but my kids do. I’m just making stuff to see if I can do it. I just like crafting.
What did you make in Medieval Mode classes?
I’ve done the caps and hats, the leather pouch and a cloak.
Where there any new skills you learned along the way?
I learned how to make hats and work with leather. I’d never sewn a cloak. It was nice to learn how to do that.
My daughter goes to the Renaissance Fair every year, so I made a hat and a tiara for her. The leather pouch was for my kids, too. They really liked it.
The cloak I made is going to be my Halloween outfit. I got the fabric from Joann’s before it closed. I was originally going to use the material as curtains, but now it’s a cloak. It’s reversable, and I’m planning to [put] butterflies all over it for my Halloween costume.
