Costumes 2013

This year, we dressed as Captain Hook, Tinker Bell, and Wendy from Peter Pan!

I spent almost every spare (and not-so-spare) moment in the past couple of weeks sewing pieces for our costumes.  Husband also used his awesome creative skills to make pieces of the costumes, too!

My daughter’s Tinker Bell dress is a crepe wrap dress (buttons in the back) that I “designed” myself.  The shape is based on a sundress she has, and the wrap dress idea came from the Paper Fans dress by Anna Maria Horner (my mother made my daughter one of these dresses).  I cut leaf shapes from extra crepe and matching organza, then used my serger to make a rolled-hem edge on each of them.  With a straight-stitch, I added a “vein” down the middle of each leaf, then tacked the leaves to the hem of her dress to create the iconic pointy shape.

I don’t know about you, but when I was little, it really bothered me to have to wear a shirt under a costume for warmth– it always seemed to ruin the effect!  So I decided to make a little “invisible” undershirt for V using “power mesh” that matched her skin tone.  I modified a toddler shirt pattern (Simplicity 1785, view D) so that there is one button at the neckline in the back, rather than a zipper closure.

Her shoes are based on a shoe pattern I found online.  I had to use 1/8″ seams in order for the largest size to fit!  The soles are made from that non-skid rubbery mesh you can purchase for keeping plates from slipping in your cupboards, and I made pom-poms from white crochet thread using this pom-pom tutorial.

Husband used his wing-making expertise to create V’s Tinker Bell wings.  He twisted two wires together to give the wire structural integrity and shaped them based on pictures we found online of Tinker Bell.  They are covered with iridescent wrapping paper/tissue/mylar? that I had in my gift wrap stash.

I think Husband cuts a very dashing figure as Captain Hook!!

His coat is made from a synthetic suede that we found on clearance for $4.50/yd.  I combined both views of Simplicity 2333 to make the coat, which is trimmed with some vintage gold rick-rack-type edging from my Grandma’s craft stash.  The jabot and wrist ruffles are trimmed with more vintage lace from Grandma!

Husband made his own wig from a skein of chunky black yarn, and he put together his hook using aluminum foil and a painted plastic cup!  The buckle and shoe tongues are made from cardstock attached to his regular dress shoes.

V was super excited to choose a pumpkin that was just the right size for her!

We had a wonderful time taking these photos at a local pumpkin patch!

Credits:

Hook jacket, jabot, and wrist ruffles: Simplicity 2333 (jacket is a combination of both views)
Tinker Bell undershirt: Simplicity 1785, view D (modified slightly)
Tinker Bell shoes:  shoe pattern, pom-pom tutorial
Tinker Bell dress:  my own design, based loosely on a sundress my daughter has, plus a wrap dress idea
Tinker Bell wings, Hook’s hook, Hook’s shoe embellishments, Hook’s wig: made by Husband from his own “design”
Wendy nightgown: purchased years ago when I was in my high school’s production of Pirates of Penzance

P.S.  This is my 800th blog post!!