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The Nutcracker

These are costume designs for The Nutcracker ballet, with no eye for practicality, but with an almost militant adherence to Theme. I started this project over a decade (possibly even 15 years??) ago, and as of 2025 it's finally finished!! That was the good news, the bad news is: all the designs are in the form of bad pencil sketches with notes decipherable only to me. Turning them into messy digital sketches is (yet another!) Project which will Take Forever. Yay!

digital sketch of costume for the sugarplum fairy: purple velvet bodice and kokoshnik, purple puff sleeves and medium-short fluffy tutu with sheer white overlay, sheer white long sleeves, opaque white frilly petticoat, purple satin pointe shoes, all covered in white embroidery; plus sheer white tights, amethyst earrings and choker necklace, and white updo wig; on a model with medium brown skin


The Sugarplum Fairy

Materials: plum velvet (bodice, kokoshik), plum satin (puff sleeves, tutu, slippers), white chiffon, white silk & silver embroidery thread, sequins, frosted Bohemian glass and silver filigree (jewelry)

Not pictured: longer tails in the back (mirroring the front of the bodice), jewels in the back of the hair, plum-themed embroidery pattern


Clara (Night Edition)

Materials: blue-grey flannel, white broderie anglaise, red satin ribbon, white silk embroidery thread, whatever the hell you would make that yoke out of

Not pictured: hair bow in the back, an embroidery pattern that actually makes sense

digital sketch of costume for clara: long victorian nightgown with big puffy sleeves, in blue-grey flannel, with pointed white yoke edged in broderie anglaise, red satin ribbon at the waist and wrists, and a flounce of broderie anglaise at the bottom hem; white ballet slippers; on a model with medium brown skin and black half-up curly hair

digital sketch of costume for the nutcracker: military uniform of the hussar variety, jacket with golden chest area decorated with three rows of buttons and mossy green sleeves with gold and red chevrons, flame red pants with golden stripe down the side, black pointed boots, white gloves, black bearskin hat with weird round plume thing (white and red) sticking out the top, big brown beard and mustache and eyebrows, on a model with medium brown skin and a big honking nose


The Nutcracker (Human Edition)

Materials: probably some type of wool for the uniform?, gold braid, bearskin (hat), leather (boots), cotton (gloves), plumage, human hair (beard, brows)

Not pictured: grotesque mask for the non-human nutcracker, sabre


The Rat King

Materials: fur (cape, mask), leather (gloves/boots, tail), wool crepe? (tabard), silver embroidery thread, some light-weight knitted material with silver threads throughout ("chainmail"), sterling silver and onyx (crown)

Not pictured: broadsword, properly designed heraldic rats, rat soldiers who are dressed basically the same but without the cape and crown and with shades of grey as dominant colours instead of black

digital sketch of costume for the rat king: medieval military-ish uniform, black tabard with silver embroidery of rats as heraldic beasts, faux chainmail undergarment with hood, light grey gauntlets and boots, black masquerade-style rat mask with pink ears and nose, pink rat tail, silver medieval crown with scary points and black stones inset, big black cloak

digital sketch of costume for 'coffee'


Coffee

Materials: silk, gold

Not pictured: little cap on back of head, coins braided into pigtail, henna