Tag: Costume

Sewing for Halloween: Mythical Woodland Creatures Family Costumes
Pattern Reviews · Sewing Tutorials

Sewing for Halloween: Mythical Woodland Creatures Family Costumes

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 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
Fabric Promo · Pattern Reviews · Sewing Tutorials

Sewing for Halloween: Handmade Family Costumes Featuring Raspberry Creek Fabrics

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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*

Pattern Review: Unicorn Cape by Rebecca Page
Pattern Reviews

Pattern Review: Unicorn Cape by Rebecca Page

aschildmeierLeave a comment

I was so excited to sew up the new Child’s Unicorn Cape pattern for Rebecca Page last month as a new brand ambassador for them.  All of my kids are crazy about dress up and with Halloween around the corner as well I knew this would be a well loved pattern in our house.

The best part about this pattern is that you have creative freedom to add pretty much ANYTHING you want to this!  The cape features a mane, birthmark, nostrils, ears, horn fringe and horn as well as optional elastics to attach to the wrists.  There are also options to add elastice to the hood and a fastener for under the chin.

I sewed up the size 4-8 and opted for only the wrist elastic.  I added the mane, ears, and horn but skipped the horn fringe.  There are pattern pieces for the eyes, nostrils and birthmark but there are also svg files to use your favorite cutting machine.  I used the svg files and did my eyes with heat transfer vinyl.  I did use the pattern pieces though for my nostrils and birthmark and used fabric backed with heat and bond to attach those instead of sewing them.  For my horn I wanted something sturdy so I used glitter canvas found at Hobby Lobby in the ribbon isle.  It worked perfect for giving the horn enough stability to stand up.

For the mane I used yarn but you can use fabric, felt, ribbon, anything your heart desires!  Luckily I am a little bit of a hoarder of craft supplies so I didn’t need to buy any yarn for mine and used what I already had in my supplies.  The mane does take quite a bit of material and is very time consuming but well worth it in the end!  We also dressed ours up with paper flowers around the horn and in the mane.  For the cape fabric I wanted something lightweight that wouldn’t weigh my kids down when they were wearing it so I used quilting cotton (also from Hobby Lobby)  for both the lining and the outer.

The instructions are very detail oriented and easy to follow.  While it is not a quick sew it is beginner friendly and your kids will have endless hours of dress up fun when you are finished!

 

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This pattern is on sale for a short time so scoop it up here (and also comes in adult sizes!) and sew up a magical unicorn cape!  I’d love to see what you create:)

**I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS PATTERN AS PART OF THE BRAND AMBASSADOR PROCESS. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS**

 

Pattern Review: Master of Disguise by Sew a Little Seam
Pattern Reviews

Pattern Review: Master of Disguise by Sew a Little Seam

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I was so excited to test out the new Master of Disguise pattern for Sew a Little Seam last week.  I am usually sewing for my girls as there just aren’t as many fun clothing options to sew for my son.  When I saw the chance to test a dress up pattern all about boys with endless options I jumped on it!  The Master of Disguise pattern is the ultimate dress up collection for your little guy.  There are so many options I had trouble deciding which costume to sew up first!

This pattern is jam packed with options!  Here are some you can pick from:

*Jacket with 3 different lengths and optional tails and accents

*Open or closed vest with optional collar and closures

*Shirt with multiple sleeve, hem and collar options

*Tabard open tunic

*Pants in woven or knit with several options for length, cuffs, hem and accents

*Muscle suit

*Extra accessories including hat, belt, knight hood, hood, mask and jabot

When you start putting together these options you can create endless combinations for the ultimate dress up collection!

Our family has been watching The Greatest Showman on repeat for several months so a ringmaster costume seemed like the best set to sew up first!  I used the woven pants with side stripe, open vest with closures and jacket with tails for my ringmaster creation.  I was a little intimidated by the jacket at first glance but it was SO simple and easy to sew up with very clear detailed instructions included in the pattern.  I used the tails and high hip length and also added the optional epaulettes. For the vest I used the top length, added snap closures and sewed on decorative trim as well.

I added a ready to wear shirt from his closet underneath and a top hat and magic cane from Amazon and it was ready!  My son was just over the moon when he tried it all on together and has been treating us to daily shows under the big top since!  I have to admit he is just the cutest little ringmaster I have ever seen too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pattern is also bundled with the Imagine accessory set here and bundled with both the Imagine accessory set and the girls Once Upon a Pattern in an ultimate dress up set here.  The Imagine accessory bundle includes everything you need to finish off your dress up sets including wings, fingerless gloves, hats, capes and more!  And, even  better, there is a coupon code available in the facebook group for an additional 25% off of the dress up patterns (including bundles!) through December 4th!

I can’t wait to sew up the muscle suit for my super hero loving son next!  This pattern is on sale for a short time so scoop it up here and whip up your little guy’s favorite character!  I’d love to see what you create:)

**I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS PATTERN AS PART OF THE TESTING PROCESS. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS**