Billie Holiday at the Savoy Ballroom Costume

Maizy, my 1 1/2 year old Pug, is Billie Holiday at the Savoy Ballroom. The inspiration came from an old-time microphone I spotted at Hobby Lobby!! It instantly reminded me of the 1940's and who better to honor than the incomparable Ms. Billie Holiday! The float base is constructed of wood and covered in vinyl. The silhouettes are also wood that I traced on using silhouettes I found and printed off the Internet. We had to buy a scroll saw and mastered it while working on this project! We painted the musicians with tiny brushes and craft paint and jazzed them up by adding red crystals and self-adhesive glitter foam we cut into hat shapes. We then used L-brackets to attach them to the cart. The curtain is made of two different fabrics we striped, sewed together and then suspended from a steel rod threaded through eye bolts, using a connector to achieve the proper length and cap nuts on the ends to keep it in place. We were going for an art deco vibe with the metal accents. We added a ledge and glued painted and crystal accented wooden letters spelling "Billie." We fashioned art deco designs at the top to hide wood supports. The cart also features a small stereo that blasts Ms. Holiday tunes like "Stormy Weather" and "All of Me" downloaded onto a jump drive! Maizy's dress is constructed using the same fabric as the curtain -- a beautiful red satin with crystal buttons sewn on for added bling. We purchased the wig and adorned it with Billie's signature gardenia and added crystal drops for earrings. The dress is stunning -- really!!! The back of the cart is designed like the outside of a building -- the Savoy Ballroom -- an iconic ballroom of the 40's and 50's in New York City. We again used an art deco feeling -- we used two sheets of tin (application is normally on ceilings) and cut out a doorway -- covered that with a small sheet of Plexiglas to give the appearance of glass and added two door knobs and some wooden balls painted to look like lights. The tin material is SHARP -- so every raw edge is covered with wooden trim. The letters spelling "Savoy Ballroom" are painted wood and glued on using E6000 -- best glue!

Took us about six weeks to complete and worth every minute!!! Cost, well, I don't think I want to know, but I'd guess about $300 -- again, worth every penny. So fun to take out and have people enjoy seeing and listening to! Thanks!!