Sewing for Halloween: Mythical Woodland Creatures Family Costumes

November 3, 2022 aschildmeierLeave a comment

My family does themed Halloween costumes every year and our kids wanted to be mythical woodland creatures this year! I am so excited to share these makes with you all! I absolutely love the theme we picked and loved bringing each vision to life. We chose pixies, dragons and unicorns as the creatures they wanted to dress up as.

First, my youngest is four years old and currently obsessed with all things unicorns, magical, fancy and glittery. She decided to be our unicorn of the group. I knew that the Juliet leotard from Petite Stitchery would be the perfect base for her costume. I only modified this pattern to add decorative glitter elastic to the back neckline and tulle flutters to the shoulder seam. I found some amazing burgundy stretch lace on clearance and layered this over a burgundy ponte I had on hand (which happened to be a near perfect match) for her leotard. This pattern also includes a free tutu with it so I used the waistband that was included but modified the tulle for hers. I used to be a tutu and bow maker so I have LOADS of 6″ rolls of tulle still sitting around. I decided to use up some of my existing tulle supply for this costume. I gathered 3 layers of burgundy and a top layer of gold glitter (FYI glitter tulle sheds EVERYWHERE so be prepared to be a walking glitter bomb if you go this route) and then attached these 4 layers to the waistband. I fully enclosed the tulle inside of the waistband for a nice clean finish. This resulted in a really fluffy tutu and was exactly the look we were going for. I would have loved to make her matching gold glitter tights but was unable to find a suitable fabric for this task so ended up ordering her tights on Amazon instead. I handmade her unicorn horn headpiece as well and that was probably the most fun part of making her costume!

Next, my nine-year-old chose a pixie as her costume. I was able to test out the new Raven pattern from Boo & Lu Patterns several weeks ago and knew instantly it would be an amazing pixie dress in an earth toned crushed velvet. I found a dusty olive crushed velvet from Knitpop that paired beautifully with this pattern. I have been wanting an excuse to sew up some wings from Twig and Tale for years so I jumped on the opportunity to finally buy their Woodland Sprite Wings pattern. I used the medium sized wings and couldn’t believe how much easier they were to sew up than I expected! I did slightly modify these wings to add wire into the top portion of the wings only to help retain their shape better as I used a thinner fabric than the pattern recommended. While they are not difficult they are time intensive so be sure to allow yourself ample time to put these together carefully and properly. Her floral crown was so fun to make as well and I love my daughter’s idea to add mushrooms and butterflies (both found on Amazon) into the crown for even more woodland whimsy!

My son was excited about his choice of dragon and even convinced me to sew up a matching dragon costume for our pup! I found this really fun crocodile embossed camo-look fabric in the Halloween fabrics at my local Joann store and he loved it for his costume. For this look I decided to use the Ultimate Costume Creator from Peekaboo Pattern Shop. I was intimidated about the zipper installation but it was actually super easy and had great instructions for installment. I did find the pattern ran a little big even when using his measurements but he didn’t mind and will get to wear it for dress up for a longer time. He declined the back spikes as he wanted to wear dragon wings instead so I only attached spikes to the hood portion of the costume. For his wings I used the Twig and Tale Dragon Wings in the medium size and also ordered the Mini Size for our dog’s costume. These wings turned out incredible and just made his costume! When sewing the mini size for my dog I decided to pair them with a Pet Movie Night Shirt (a FREE pattern!) from Sew A Little Seam. For the back piece, I cut mirrored pieces (with seam allowance added) instead of on the fold so that I could attach the wings inside this back seam. They made the cutest combo and I love what a good sport with our silly shenanigans our little Yorkie is!

Finally, my oldest also wanted to dress up as a pixie this year but wanted a totally different look than her sister. She had a vision for an all white dress in a full circle skirt with full fluttery sleeves. I found the most gorgeous embossed jacquard knit on sale from Surge Fabrics that made the perfect twirly dress. For her costume I used the Sorrel pattern with FREE circle sleeve add-on modified to have a deep 2″ hem. I sewed up a second pair of Woodland Sprite Wings in the medium sized as well (she wanted her wings on the smaller size) and also added the same wire modification to hers. She watched me make her sister’s floral crown and wanted to make her own without my help. I have to say that it turned out so pretty and I am quite impressed with her skills! Her costume turned out SO elegant, graceful and magical.

I just love sewing up our family costumes every Halloween and can’t wait to see what next year has in store! I would love to have you follow me on Instagram for my sewing adventures as well!

*This post does include some affiliate links but all opinions and views are my own*

Sewing for Halloween: Handmade Family Costumes Featuring Raspberry Creek Fabrics

October 5, 2021 aschildmeierLeave a comment

I am on the blog today to bring you handmade Halloween costume inspiration. My family does themed costumes every year and we chose characters from Mario Brothers this year after playing Mario Party together on repeat all year. I am so excited to share these makes with you all!

I used all Raspberry Creek Fabrics for our themed family costumes this year! I focused on using only solid fabrics in a mix of the Cotton Lycra and French Terry bases. I used Kelly Green, Mint, Bright Bubblegum Pink, Bright Fuchsia Pink, Eggplant Purple, White and Red in the Cotton Lycra base. These are all a 10 oz weight with 4 way stretch which is a really nice weight without being too warm or too light. I used Black and New Navy in the French Terry base. These are both a medium weight (11-12 oz) fabric with 4 way stretch.

These characters were SO FUN to create and I loved seeing all the pieces come to life. We chose Princess Peach, Rosalina, Yoshi, Luigi, Mario and Waluigi as our characters. First, my youngest is a princess obsessed little one and wanted Princess Peach (of course!) as her costume. I used the Bright Fuchsia Pink and Bright Bubblegum Pink for her costume. I used all pattern pieces from Simple Life Patterns and also blogged about this make here. So, head over to that SLPCO post to read all about how to create this princess themed look.

Next, my eight-year-old chose Rosalina as her favorite character. The mint was the perfect color match for her inspiration, and we paired it with the white for her shawl. This was such a fun costume to create as well, I mashed together a few patterns to create this look! First, I used the bodice from the Hibiscus Pattern from Petite Stitchery paired with the FREE bell sleeve add on. For the skirt, I used the maxi length Hampton from Simple Life Patterns. The front piece is cut mirrored (instead of on the fold) putting the “high low” side into the middle front seam and I added length to the back piece to give it more of a train look. For her shawl I used the over skirt pattern piece from the Diana pattern and modified it slightly to fit her shoulders and then pin closed. For both Rosalina and Peach’s crowns I used a crown template (Design ID 53108 in the Silhouette Store) cut on freezer paper with my Silhouette.

My son was the most challenging costume creatively as he selected Yoshi! This one took me the longest time to decide on patterns and how to create his saddle/tail combo for his back. I love the Kelly Green on his (paired with white and red) and love how versatile it is. He can wear the joggers after Halloween for pajama pants and can even wear the hoodie on cooler days as well since the saddle/tail combo are removeable. For his joggers I used the Baby Bear Joggers from Patterns for Pirates (with no alterations/modifications). For his top I used the MEGAMax Raglan from Max and Meena Patterns. I LOVE that this pattern includes alllllll the extra details (like the dino spikes featured here and all kinds of other creatures). For his saddle and tail I used the tail pieces from the MEGAMax Raglan but just hand drew ovals for the saddle and used fabric glue to attach the red to the white. Once the pieces were sewn and glued, I attached the tail to the saddle with snaps and added elastic straps. I wanted the tail to “stand up” like Yoshi so my husband had the genius idea to use a metal hanger bent to hold the tail up while the other half of the hanger is supported behind the saddle. Now the entire saddle/tail piece is easily removable with elastic straps!

My oldest loves the color green so Luigi was her first pick. For her costume I wanted to create pieces that were perfect for everyday wear as well because sadly she is too old for the dress up phase now. She is obsessed with overalls so this pair in French Terry will get weekly use for sure. I used the Zoey & Zeke Overall pattern from Made for Mermaids and paired them with an Arlo Top with crewneck option from Petite Stitchery. For her hat I used the Christopher Newsboy Cap from Create Kids Couture. Since this pattern is drafted for woven fabrics, I interfaced the knit outer pieces and used felt for the lining. I was nervous the hat would not fit well with using a knit fabric but they turned out perfect and hold their shape really well.

Finally, my husband and myself went with Mario and Waluigi for our costume choices! I love that both of my pieces are completely versatile for everyday wear just like my daughter’s and will get tons of use in my closet. I also used the Zoey & Zeke Overalls from Made for Mermaids but paired mine with a Favorite Tee from Patterns for Pirates. My husband can be *ahem* picky about his clothing and I was having a really hard time finding a knit pants pattern for him that wasn’t a jogger style. I finally found and decided on the Fit Pants from Mamma Can Do It. I am so happy I stumbled across this pattern as it is loaded with options for my hubby! I used the classic width and added length for his 6’3″ height. They turned out to be a perfect fit! Since I knew that he would not wear overalls on a regular basis I added a bib and strap to these pants after they were constructed. I simply measured how wide and tall I needed the bib to be while wearing the pants and attached them to the waistband. This way I can easily rip out the stitches after Halloween and he will have a super comfy pair of pants! I paired his overalls with the Straight Fit Basic Tee from Ellie and Mac. I used the same Newsboy Cap pattern for both of our hats and constructed them in the same method as the Luigi hat. We did have a mustache wardrobe malfunction so we just rolled with it anyway!

Finally, we couldn’t leave our sweet pup out of this costume fun! I used the same hat pattern linked above in the newborn size and used all felt for his hat. I added a little stuffing between the layers and straps to hold the hat on his head. He was not thrilled about his adorable Toad hat but we did manage to snap a cute pic anyway! Maybe he will even let us dress him up one more time for a family photo.

I loved being able to feature solid knit fabrics over on the Raspberry Creek Blog today and I hope you are inspired by these Halloween looks and can’t wait to see what you sew up! Don’t forget to share in the Facebook group as well😊

*This post was sponsored and does include some affiliate links but all opinions and views are my own*

Sewing Tutorials

Knotted Bow Headband Tutorial

September 19, 2020February 18, 2022 aschildmeier2 Comments

Have you seen the cute new knotted bow headbands in all the stores? My girls are obsessed with them and turns out they are super simple and quick to make! I made several this week for them and put together this easy tutorial so you can make them too.

You will need the following supplies:

-Basic sewing machine & sewing supplies (needle, thread, straight edge etc)

-Fabric, stretch fabric is recommended but not necessary, cut to 5″ wide and 15″ long

-Ribbon in 7/8″ width and coordinating color: 2 pieces cut to 2 inches each with ends heat sealed with a lighter to prevent fraying

-Blank plastic headband (I grabbed 1″ size here)

-Hot glue/glue gun

-PDF pattern piece below with 2 pieces of fabric cut on the fold for the knotted bow:

Headband Tutorial Pattern Piece

First, you will sew the 5″ x 15″ strip of fabric right sides together down the long side as shown clipped below. After it is sewn you will turn it right side out and set it aside.

Next, you will sew your knotted bow. You will pin or clip these right sides together and sew all the way around leaving a 2-3 inch gap (shown circled below) open. Turn this right side out through the open hole and and be sure to poke out the corners well. Then, sew the gap closed with a straight stitch and set this aside. **Please note I am not a pattern designer, this is a hand drawn pattern piece that I traced in my Silhouette software and converted to a PDF so it is not fancy but it does the job**

Next, you will assemble your headband. Slide the headband into the strip of fabric we have sewn. Be sure your seam is centered on the inside of the band. You will dab a small amount of hot glue to both ends on both inside and outside to hold the fabric in place. After that fold each side over to the outside (very important as if you fold to the inside it will hurt behind your ears) and dab glue to hold this in place. You will be sandwiching it together creating a fold/pleat on the outside as shown in the middle picture below. Finally, you will glue the pieces of grosgrain ribbon on the ends.

Your headband will look like this after gluing the fabric and ribbon on to the ends. It has a slouchy look which can be completely customized. You can adjust your fabric size to your preference to be slouchier, a more snug fit, etc.

Lastly, tie your knotted bow piece onto the headband and you are finished! This piece is also completely customizable. You can make the end pointier or more rounded or you can lengthen the piece in the middle for a longer knot (lengthening is recommended if using a non stretch fabric for your knot).

Now, go make all the headbands and have fun with it!

Sewing Tutorials

Pacifier Clip Sewing Tutorial

March 9, 2018 aschildmeierLeave a comment

Would you believe I did not know how to sew five years ago? I mean, at all. I am completely self taught over these last four to five or so years and I can not believe how much I love sewing! So, when we found out we were having another baby I knew I wanted to make as many items for her myself as possible. I am having so much fun making the basics, coming home outfits and nursery items as well! My goal is to have everything possible in her diaper bag handmade instead of store bought.

Today, I want to share a tutorial for one of those basic items with you! I made several pacifier clips to help prevent those pesky pacifiers from dropping onto the dirty germ riddled floor. This is another easy, beginner friendly, sewing tutorial that is quick and uses very little fabric. It’s a great scrap buster.

You will need the following supplies:

*Fabric: Cut to 12 inches long by 4 inches wide (1 strip per clip needed)

*Lightweight iron on interfacing (optional: adds stability but not a must)

*1/4″ or 3/8″ elastic

*1″ Suspender Clips: I order mine on e-bay but you can find these in a local craft store as well

*Basic sewing supplies and sewing machine

If you have decided to add the interfacing you will first iron that on to the wrong side of each fabric strip. You will then press the short ends in about 1/4″ or so, this is to hide the raw edges and press the fabric in half lengthwise. Next, fold each side in to the middle and press again. Use pins or clips to hold in place. This is essentially a bias tape process, see pics below.

After that you will cut your elastic and sandwich into one short end of the fabric in a loop. I used 5 inches to that they would fit both types of pacifiers but you could definitely go with 3-4″ and be fine as well.

You will then sew along all three open edges of the fabric. I went over the elastic 2-3 times to be sure it was very secure.

Your last step is to add the suspender clip to the other short end of the fabric. You will simply loop the fabric through the bar and then sew it closed. Again, go over it 2-3 times so it is very secure.

You are already finished! I made four of these in under 15 minutes from cut to finish. All you do to attach these is push the elastic loop through the end of the pacifier and then loop the entire fabric clip through the elastic and pull (making a slip knot). Clip the suspender clip onto car seat straps, etc and you are good to go! No more pacifiers falling onto filthy dirty floors!

Thanks for checking out this beginner friendly sewing tutorial! Happy sewing!