Avian Firefly, whose name you may recognize from the roughly 141 other times I've mentioned her on this website, started out cosplaying like so many of us do, in costumes made by other people. But like everyone else aside from me, she soon felt the urge to make her own costumes. This was the very first dress she ever made, with help from her grandmother, for the Pennsylvania Rensaissance Faire in either 2004 or 2005, which she wore with a flower crown from when she was a flower girl for her Aunt Robin's wedding.
When Avi invited me to my very first renaissance faire in Tuxedo Park, NY in 2017, I had nothing to wear. But by now Avi, as a veteran faire attendee, had lots garb, so she thoughtfully offered me this beautiful gold and maroon dress, and I can honestly say I think it' the only time in my life that I felt like a princess. After the faire was over and I asked her if I should ship it back to her or just bring it to the next con, she offered to let me keep it, because her sewing skill had so surpassed this that she was either going to chuck it or recycle it for parts. I, being the burgeoning hoardersentimental saver that I am, jumped at the chance to not only own something so beautiful, but to me, so significant: my very own souvenier of Avi's first costume and my first Ren Faire.
Avi's not entirely unsentimental; she did keep her Aunt Robin's flower crown, so I bought a very close replacement on Etsy from DavlyaWeddings.
