Storage

If you are lucky you will have a dedicated sewing space.  I’m not that lucky.  I am lucky that my big brother offered me a caravan that is sitting outside my house packed full of costumes!  This happened after a few years of storing costumes in the house which were in every room and scattered wherever there was space.  I had a cupboard with fabric in one corner of my living room which, as panto season approached, encroached further into our living space.  Having a couple of children get their own houses has been an advantage and I now have a small room in my house with all fabrics, trims and all other manner of decorative devices, stored.  It is 5’by 5’ and I just about get everything in there including two dummies in different sizes.  My sewing machine and cabinet itself are still in the corner of the living room as there is no space to work in my small storage room.

If you are really lucky you are able to store costumes at your panto’s venue, I’m not lucky there either so I have everything here all year round!  It does mean that when someone needs a costume for a party they know where to come but it would be nice not to have to fight my way through all those extra boxes to get to the costume I need or want.

It’s one of those things you don't think about when you take on the costumes, you think of making things, fitting things and even having to scour around to find things.  What didn't cross my mind was that I would also be responsible for storing, cleaning and repairing the costumes and, believe me, this takes up a considerable amount of time too!

At the end of panto season I take things out a few at a time to wash and repair them.  I didn't always do that but then I realised that trying to wash everything at the point you are trying to make new costumes is a time filler you really don't need.

I have a few months between performance and starting on the new pantomime and that time needs to be used well by making sure all costumes are in order.  That way, if you do want to use them, they are ready to go.  To put it simply, being responsible for all those costumes does not just take up a few months of the year, each month has its own job so you never really get a break from it.

One thing we have always thought about doing is cataloguing each item with a photo so we can see, without going through boxes, what we have available.  Maybe this is the year I will get that organised!

My dream

My reality!