Handmade Halloween 2013, Part 1

I've always loved dressing up for Halloween; the theatrics of it all is so appealing! I believe it all started in 2nd Grade when my Mom made me my very own Annie dress. I felt so special and the dress was spot-on - I even had the wig, locket and Sandy plush! In my twenties, my love of dance paid off and I became a Walt Disney World Entertainment Cast Member. Not only did I dress up for a living then, I enjoyed coming up with fun Halloween costumes..all stemmed from the creativity (and resources!) I was lucky enough to work around. Now that I'm a mother, I'm just as excited to celebrate the holiday by helping my children make their costume wishes special. Big brother announced quite a while ago his choice - a Knight. We scored a shield and sword set at a local yard sale this summer, so a mommie-made tunic is in order to complete his look - easy and fun! What I didn't expect was Little Sister's strong opinion on her look...Princess Sofia! Or 'Fia as she's affectionately called by my girl!

  

I started out pricing a few pre-mades around town, but I just couldn't bring myself to shell out $20+ for a flimsy, asking-to-be-snagged dress. The request for a 'Fia dress has only grown stronger, so I knew it was time to make my girl her first princess ensemble. Thanks to Pinterest and awesomely generous sewing blogger tutorials, I made a plan and gathered my supplies. 

Princess Sofia's skirt holds the most detail, so I decided to put my focus there. It's basically a layered skirt, and Dana of MADE has a fantastic tutorial that walked me through. (She seriously has the BEST DIYs if you are ever looking for easy starter projects with professional results!) I started by assembling my two main layers, white and purple, and then figuring out the scallops. Our Ikea dinner plates were perfect!

Next up was the design within each scallop. I was thrilled to find a stencil from Melly Sews! I couldn't have had a better first experience with freezer paper stencils - so cute, easy and perfect.

Next I added white pom pom trim to the scalloped edges. I used a zigzag stitch allowing me to sew on top off the curved edges - major time saver! I also added a band of purple & white polka dot grosgrain ribbon to the white underskirt. It was a bit slippery to sew, so I attached it with Heat 'n Bond first making top stitching much easier!

Now it was time to figure out the bustle / peplum portion of the skirt. I played around with a few ideas trying to keep the third layer as simple as possible. I went with a version of Handmade Toast's hip poof's, cutting half circles in my sheer dotted fabric and serging their curved edge. I sewed the bustles to the purple layer, and then created the waistband casing between the purple layer and the white. Sounds confusing, right? It totally wasn't  - check out the first comment under the skirt tutorial. High fives for all of the helpful seamstresses out there!

Little Sister was so excited to see the 'Fia skirt today after preschool! She wouldn't hold still long enough for me to finalize the elastic sizing, so here's hoping we can get it done tomorrow. I also found the perfect shirt and a simple crown to complete the set. All that's left is an amulet and she'll be the cutest 'Fia in the land!

I'm thrilled to continue sewing labors of love for my children. Time to start work on my handsome Knight and get ready for a month of costume (and candy) fun!

M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e!

For those that don't know, I have a fondness for all things Disney and Mickey Mouse. I was fortunate enough to work and perform at Walt Disney World during most of my twenties. Needless to say, I can't wait to take big brother and little sister to mommie's ol' stompin' grounds someday soon. But until then, we were lucky enough to meet Mickey this past week here in Charlotte!

Late last year my best friend informed me she would be working in Charlotte this spring with a Disney Live show. I was super excited, not only to spend time with my bestie, but to have the opportunity to share the Disney entertainment world with big boy. With our calendar marked, I browsed the spring consignment sales for blank t-shirts and found this pristine blue one for under $1 - score!

I found the Mickey applique via Etsy and the Disney font here. Both stitched out beautifully! I had the black fabric and thread colors already in my stash, so it was a quick and affordable project. My creative past and present officially melded!

The show was lots of fun, but the best part was meeting the gang afterwards (thanks Jessica!!). Minnie Mouse loved his shirt and made quite a fuss over it. Mommie swooned!

It's hard to put into words how great it was to experience Disney magic again, and as a mother. My performing family is just that - family. I miss them dearly and reminisce of special memories often. It was really rewarding to be on the other side as a guest, and to see my own child enjoy the fun of it all. Here's to many more Disney memories...and of course personalized mommie-made outfits to highlight the experiences!