Happy Halloween: 1881 Bonnie

Bonnie got a lot of mileage out of her Halloween costume this year.  Her 4th grade class got to visit a one room schoolhouse in Waterford, VA this month.  I made her costume because of course I am obsessed that way.  She was able to wear the costume to several Halloween parties and will wear it tonight. 

The dress is silk taffeta that I have had in my stash forever.  I think I got it at Fashion Fabrics at least 8 or 9 years ago.  I underlined it in muslin to give it some body.  I used Simplicity 3725 view A.  I omitted the stand up collar and added the lace collar shown above.  While searching through my stash I came across the collar.  I think a friend gave it to me in college - like 25 years ago (yikes!).

I barely had enough fabric for the dress, so matching plaids was SUPER fun.  It took me far longer to cut out the fabric than it did to actually sew the dress.  I had to fudge a little, but at least the lines across the bodice and skirt look reasonably straight.

I also omitted the zipper and added buttons down the back.  Buttons are a little bigger than I wanted, but it's what I had in the stash.  I had to create a placket for the buttons below waistline because there is no center back seam. 



The lace from the cuffs was from the stash.  I actually have lots of white lace in my stash, unfortunately I either didn't have enough or it didn't look right for the hem.  I ended up buying the lace for the hem and Bonnie's hair ribbons from JoAnn's.  Total cost for Bonnie's dress was $12 (excluding sunk costs from years ago).

I attempted to french braid her hair.  Bonnie informed me throughout the process that Aunt Ann (my sister) did a much better job.  I can sew - but I can't do hair.

The chaperons were asked to dress up, so here is my ensemble.  Nothing like a shawl and full skirt to make you look svelte.

Happy Halloween from Princess the Guinea Pig!

And Katie!

Bonnie the Alien

Bonnie played an alien in her school play this year.  I am all for an elaborate costume, but this is a no sewing costume that really turned out great.  Bonnie and I put together this costume.  The top, skirt and slippers are from the preteen shop, Justice.   The slippers were a huge score! 

The green boa, face mask and Styrofoam balls were from Michael's craft store. The antennae headband is from a St. Patrick's Day headband that originally had shamrocks.

 Bonnie and I painted the Styrofoam balls and the face mask with paper dye.  Bonnie glued googly eyes on the mask.

It was a big hit and Bonnie loved it.  Best part is that Bonnie was able to wear the top and skirt all summer.

Happy Belated Halloween

Yes, I know it is February. Life has just gotten away from me. Anyway, Bonnie was Sharpay from High School Musical - Yes, I had no idea who she was either.

I got the sequined fabric, tulle, netting and lining from JoAnns. The sequined fabric was the nastiest fabric EVER!

Avoid this fabric if at all possible. The sequins were glued on the fabric. After only a couple stitches my machine needles become hopelessly gummed up with glue. I ended up rubbing iron cleaner on the needles every couple inches to keep the thread from snapping.

I used McCalls 5838. 

I got her the blond wig at CVS for $10. So that was great.

Yes, it is fully lined - like all good Halloween costumes. The zipper is from JoAnns.

Here is a closeup of the bodice:

I sewed gathered netting to the inside of the lining to "puff" out the skirt. I didn't get enough tulle, so it's not as gathered as I would have liked at the bottom of the skirt.


A couple of gratuitous shots of the kids at Halloween. Gus was a zombie and Carl was a baseball player.

Patriotic Vest

It was time for the annual music presentation for Carl and Bonnie. Carl's class combined the music presentation with study of Virginia Revolutionary history. I had to find/make him a 18th century costume. I bought his hat from a party store. The shoes, pants and shirt are from Christmas pictures past. The socks are Bill's. He was supposed to tuck his pants into the socks to look like tights. It sort of worked out...

I tried to get him into a velvet vest he wore for a Christmas picture at least 3 years ago. He looked like a sausage. I debated letting him wear the vest for just the performance, but figured his inability to breath was going to be frowned upon by the other parents.

Yet again, it was a true sewin' like the wind project. Starting at 8:00 PM Wednesday night before a Thursday performance, I made a pattern from the too-small vest. I ended up adding 5 inches to the width and 3 inches to the length.

This was a 100% stash project. I used a paisley flocked cotton novelty fabric that I got from either JoAnns or Hancocks a couple of years ago. I interfaced all the fashion fabric.

I used a burgundy taffeta poly lining l have had in the stash for ages. I have no idea where it came from. I made ties for the back of the vest from the lining fabric.

I got up at 4:30 AM Thursday to sew the vest. It had to be done by 6:30 AM when the kids got up to get ready for school. Thankfully the flocked fabric could be easily ironed. Using a needle board would have really slowed me down.

There are lots of tricks for sewing vests without hand stitching.

This is my favorite method:

1. Sew and press open the shoulder seams of the front and back of the vest for the fashion fabric and lining.

2. Put fashion fabric and lining right sides together.

3. Sew bottoms, center front, back neck and arm holes. Do not sew side seams.

4. Grade all seam allowances.

5. Understitch as far as you can for all seams. This makes a huge difference and is a must when sewing a vest.

6. Push out all points carefully.

7. Carefully press all edges.

8. From the inside of the vest pin right sides of side seam of fashion fabric front and backs. Pin as far into the lining as you can. You will have about a 4 inch opening inside at the side seam of the lining.

9. Sew the side seams you have pinned and then press.

10. Pinch the sides of the 4 inch opening of the lining and sew together.

I finished all the above sewing at 6:25. I had no time left to sew button holes, so I sewed the buttons directly onto the center front. He had to pull the vest over his head. (Cheater, cheater!)
The buttons are a mixed assortment of gold buttons from my massive button collection.



Whew!

Bonnie got a 100% store bought costume. The only requirements for the costume were red, white and blue colors. The top, skirt and head band are from The Children's Place and the glitter shoes and tights were from Target.

Halloween

Sewing for Halloween has reached an all time low. Everything was store bought except for a couple of accessories for Bonnie and shoulder pads for Gus.

Carl went as the Terminator, Gus went as Donovan McNabb from the Washington Redskins and Bonnie went as Santa's daughter.



Unfortunately, I didn't get a good solitary photo of Gus. I sewed 3 high-loft shoulder pads on top of a t-shirt. He wore the jersey over the t-shirts and shoulder pads.

I bought Carl the jacket on-line from a leather shop. The t-shirt I got at JoAnns. I got his jeans at Burlington Coat Factory and his sunglasses at Target. I wanted to get him the biker boots, but the only place I could find them was on-line for $50 (and up!). I already spent $50 on the jacket and that was my limit for a kid's costume. I guess we will see how long it takes for him to either loose his jacket or have it stolen. Hopefully he will get a little wear out of it.

Bonnie wore her Christmas dress. She originally wanted to wear the dress and be a fairy. I convinced her to be Santa's daughter. I thought it might be hard to explain the fairy/Christmas association.

I bought a bridal headband at JoAnns and covered it with fake white fur (also from JoAnns). I have a Santa hat that I tried to convince her to wear - but no such luck. She really liked the headband though.

I bought her the black boots from Target. I hand-stitched the white fake fur trim around the top.

They got lots of candy and everyone had a good time.

Emergency Pilgrim

Well at 9:30 last night, Bill off handedly mentioned that Bonnie needed her Pilgrim costume today for a rehearsal of the Thanksgiving play. I had the performance on the calendar for next Tuesday and thought I would make her a black dress this weekend.

I had to get something done by 6:30 am when Bonnie gets dressed.

Cue mission impossible theme song..... dun dun dun dun.....

I dug out Gus' black turtle neck from his 2nd grade Bug play (he was a black ant).

At 5:30 am, I found some poly/wool herringbone challis in the stash (thank God for the stash!!!).

I cut a length of of the challis, serged top and bottom, cut off the selvages, serged and sewed sides together to make a tube. I cut a length of elastic Bonnie's waist size and zig zagged the elastic to the skirt.

Done by 6:00. Mission Accomplished.

Thankfully the class is providing the white collar and hat. Bonnie is wearing her pink sweater to leave for school.

Halloween 2009: Snow Princess

Yes, I am alive. Bonnie decided on extravagant costume for Halloween. We also had a house guest who stayed in the sewing room - which ground all production to a halt for a week. There was sewing going on in October - just no finished products to blog about.

I used McCalls 5731 to make a snow princess costume for Bonnie. I picked fabrics from JoAnns that looked remarkably like view A on the pattern.

The fashion fabric is an acetate brocade with snowflakes!

The skirt front panel was made from an organza with foil snowflakes underlined with white poly lining.

The sleeves and front bodice panel were made from a silver mesh novelty fabric underlined with the white poly. Marabou trim was added to hems of sleeves.

Good shot of sleeves.

Here is a snapshot of the trims. The neckline was trimmed in iridescent lace. Here is a a closeup of the marabou with tinsel(!) The front panels were trimmed with silver braid.

Closeup of silver trim.

Closeup of the front panel. On Friday before Halloween, the kids have a costume parade at school. I tried on the dress that morning before the final finishes. The top of the bodice came directly below her nipples!! I quickly made a 2 inch inset that I covered in lace and added to the top of the bodice. Thankfully it worked and Bonnie was modestly (and stylishly) covered. Hey McCalls - this is a pattern for little girls!

Here is a shot of the back bodice. I did my quick and dirty velcro opening for Halloween costumes.

Not too many changes from the pattern. I lined the entire dress because the brocade was a little scratchy.

Here are the kids before trick or treating. Gus was a dead (of course) poker dealer. Carl was a soccer player (not much of a costume).

Closeup of Gus' ghoulishness.

Shot of Carl on crazy hair day at school held Wednesday before Halloween.