What a week!

On top of everything else, I have been dealing with dental misery—tooth broke twice and I am about ready to accept a gummy future (not really).

But 6 out of 8 Sound of Music playsuits are complete. I always like to imagine that there won't be any hand sewing but there always is. No floppy facings! The boys’ and Frida’s shorts were from patterns I had on hand, Liesl was altered from a Vogue pattern, and everything else was drafted from scratch.

Here they are (both boys have the same lederhosen style, so I only took one photo):

And the photo of the originals I’ve been working from:

Next, finishing touches on the Gretls (the role is split between two actors) and then I can put the Von Trapps out of my thoughts forever! 

The Warner Sister Dot

So a couple of years ago I started a Hallowe'en costume that I never entirely finished! I was taking notes as I improvised and intended to publish the Toon Hands pattern eventually, but who knows where those notes ended up.

Anyway, I was thisclose to finishing the head - just had one ear to go - but then it was Hallowe'en and I went out in plain clothes and abandoned it.

Well, while working on the Spiritron Dress with the kid, I asked, what should I dress as for ComiCon? Generic mum in jeans and sweater? Or the Warner Sister Dot? They voted Dot, so I finished my lid, hemmed an old pink skirt, and here we go. I might make a bigger flower; it was all very last minute. But overall pleased with the finished product, and three people asked to take my photo!

Liesl is done!

And Kurt is done too, just needs a couple of buttons sewn on!

Astolfo: the sequel

After last Hallowe'en's Third Ascension cosplay was a hit, the kid asked for the Memories of Trifas Spiritron Dress. This time, I said they have to do the work! 

It's been a great project to work on together - planning, figuring out all the pieces, going  on excursions to vintage clothing stores and fabric shops, and working together to assemble. 

A little panicked because ComiCon is tomorrow, but got the hoodie pretty much done yesterday and that's the biggest part! We worked together to draft the hoodie pattern based on one they already had, and traced the ears from the previous Saber Astolfo cosplay. I made them lay out the pattern, do all the pinning and cutting, and I'm doing the sewing. 

Currently I'm sewing the skirt while they paint stripes on a t-shirt. I think we'll make it!

How do you solve a problem...

Like playsuits made from curtains?

A while ago I volunteered to work on the costume crew for a local production of The Sound of Music. Turns out, I'm the only sewer on the crew, and the playsuits Maria makes out of her curtains all need to be made from scratch!

There was a bit of confusion about getting the fabric, but after a long anxious wait it is finally here, and I am finally sewing! And my collection of random vintage kids' sewing patterns is finally proving its worth!

Of course nothing is exactly right, but at least I have starting points for things in kids' sizes I'm not in the habit of working with.

Liesl, at 16 going on 17, is basically a grown up, so I dipped into my for-me pattern stash for that.

Like I said, lots of alteration...

I'm just kind of freestyling it. Crossing fingers it all works!