Friday, February 14, 2014

long-overdue dance dress redo!

There was this beautiful tulle with gold flower spangles. Is it washable, I asked Spandex House. "For $3 a 60" yd?", he shrugged. Point. On the way to the cashier I picked up exactly-matching spandex, how often does that happen in such an off-beat color?
Not proud to say that I relied on squinted-at pix of patterns to make the first one, and it came out a good bit too small. K gamely squeezed into it anyway for her birthday ballet class last year, but you can tell that it's poorly fitted. (with bonus big brother photobomb, and crazed faces from both.)


It's taken 8 months for me to redo this; at first I thought to just add material at the seams of the wrap-style bodice, but eventually I figured out that I had enough of the spandex to make a whole new leotard with three-quarter sleeves (because she says she's cold in class sometimes), and a much fuller skirt with the rest of the spangly tulle.  I actually had to work a bit to pick off some of the flowers to put on the neckline, so I'm confident they'll stay on in the wash... 



It's only when they're put together that you can see how long it's taken me to do this!! It was a great success, and she wore it proudly to dance class the next day.

dance school barter, or everything is beautiful at...

January was crunch time for sewing, as my trade for free dance lessons for Franny in exchange for repairing, altering or embellishing costumes for the dance school comes due. This year they had a lovely Storybook Ballet, with two performances featuring all ages of the students.
I didn't get pix of all my work, but this is everything: overlays and appliques for 15 classical pancake tutus (13 swans, and a surprise 4 bluebirds) and 2 french-style tutus (foxes), and appliques for 6 purple, 12 green and 14 pink long/romantic-style tutus.

Friday, February 7, 2014

belated Halloween costume post 2

Cinderella dress made from flannel-backed satin with a sheer overlay. This was overdue from the year of Katrina! Made ahead for her best friend's costume party in early October. I had the most fun with the long gloves!
Ninja outfit in super-comfy black cotton knit. I made the pants from an old pair of mine about a year ago, but the top part is actually a hack of a crossover top pattern for girls; I didn't want to make an actual wrap because these are intended to double as pajamas afterward. 
I winged the mask and it totally didn't work the first time; after he tried it on I sewed the part on the forehead and that actually made it functional. It needed to be longer, but since this was literally the morning of the parade, that didn't happen. But yes, doesn't it look funny to have that much skin between the top and the mask! By peer consensus he won for most ninja-looking of four in his grade. :D