sew silly!
We’re Alice and Jenny, professional costumers with experience in opera, television, film, and drag. We take sewing and costuming seriously, but ourselves, not so much.
We created Queen City Studio to be the kind of classroom we would want to learn in. It is welcoming, inclusive, creative, and genuinely fun. You can ask questions, make mistakes, try something ambitious, and feel proud of what you create.
sew silly!
We’re Alice and Jenny, professional costumers with experience in opera, television, film, and drag. We take sewing and costuming seriously, but ourselves, not so much.
We created Queen City Studio to be the kind of classroom we would want to learn in – welcoming, inclusive, creative, and genuinely fun. You can ask questions, make mistakes, try something ambitious, and feel proud of what you create.
Saturday August 8, 2026 (10-1)
Never touched a sewing machine?
This is where you start.
Saturday August 8, 2026 (2-6)
Add a reveal. Build a tear away skirt or cape with quick release closures.
Saturday September 12, 2026 (noon-6)
Master sequin fabric and sew a mini dress or tank fit to your body. Fabric provided.
We’re always looking for fresh projects and skills to teach. Tell us what you’d love to learn.
Two accomplished costumers, one shared mission:
help you build the fantasy, stitch by stitch.
Costume designer and maker with decades of experience spanning opera houses to drag stages. Her career began at the San Francisco Opera and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, then continued at Pacific Opera Victoria after she moved to Vancouver Island. She's the frequent collaborator and co-designer behind Jimbo's looks on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, building every piece to tell a story and fit its performer exactly, whether the stage is an opera house or a drag runway.
A queer femme sewing instructor and maker living in Victoria, BC. Before teaching, she spent eight years in costuming, including four at the Portland Opera Costume Shop, learning to shape garments for real bodies in motion. She's the former Department Head of Fashion Design at Pacific Design Academy and leads the sewing program at the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria. She earned her PhD in Geography in 2021, then returned to the work that feels like home: fibre arts, craft, and community.
Three days, one finished look. You'll build a full costume from first cut to final reveal: pattern fitting to your body, machine and hand finishing techniques, and the construction skills to actually perform in what you make. Build days run through the weekend, with a group outing to see Vivian perform live and a farewell dinner where you can debut your piece.
Sign up for first access to new classes, bootcamps, and retreats, plus the occasional drag worthy discount. No spam, just sewing.
