Happy Halloween!

Maid Marion's costume turned out great! She's a little frustrated that her friends have no clue who Maid Marion is, but she loves that she's all princessed up!

 All fabrics came from Joann's, but NOT the costume section. With a 40% coupon, the "special occasion" fabrics were nearly the same price, and so much easier to work with! Stretch Panne Velvet for the cape, with faux fur trim (looked like a Golden Retriever pelt!) cut into strips.  The trick with that was cutting with the wrong side up, making small little snips, while keeping the blades as close to the back side as possible.  That way I wasn't catching all the fur in the blades and making a mess!

The dress was a poly matte satin and I used 2 rolls of gold ribbon trim along the princess seams in the front. I should've followed the instructions and lined the sleeves, because the huge full sleeves leave the seams exposed, and I didn't use my serger (see previous post, "Who Takes a Sewing Machine Camping?").  The apron is made of embellished poly organza, which has itty bitty pieces of glitter and gold stuck to it.  I used a super wide gold ribbon trim for the waist tie, and pinned it to the inside of the dress so it would be easy for her to put on at school.  For the headpiece, I used the "real tiara" I bought for her during my trip to NYC from Pacific Trims, and attached some of the poly organza from the apron.  The only flaw in this was that I didn't attach it strongly enough, and it came off before the parade at school.  Just a minor repair, and she'll be ready for tomorrow night! For today's event, I braided her front hairline to the side, and stuck the tiara in, like a headband.  I actually like this look a lot better... 

 The cape pattern called for a frog closure, but I was out of time, so I grabbed a pin from my jewelry box.  It actually fits the whole look perfectly! (See what I mean about the "Golden Retriever" trim?)

 Here's the whole look in action today, during the downtown Trick or Treat event the stores all hosted.  Buzz Lightyear had a great time, too!

  One more look, with the hood up.  It was pretty windy today, so it kept her ears warm, and we were both grateful for that! Halloween in Michigan usually involves layering, so I really didn't mind making the cape, knowing it would keep her warm.  I hated when my mom made me wear a coat over/under my costume!!!

Oh, the patterns were both Simplicity.  5512 for the cape, and 5520 for the dress.  Sizing was accurate, I made her a 6 in both, and aside from trimming off some length, it was perfect everywhere else! I especially liked the design of the cape, the way the seams are rounded to sit on the shoulders made it stay put, even in the wind.

Happy Halloween everyone! Next up: some dress pants for me, and a new embroidery project!