Costuming the Kids

Halloween is coming up.  In this house that means one thing: costumes for the niece and nephews.  I don't costume myself on Halloween.  In fact, this is the first year where we live even remotely near a neighborhood where kids might come trick-or-treat.  Bars never appealed to me either, most of my costumes are too unwieldy and complicated to just go out drinking in only to lose a contest to a girl in a bikini.  Kids, though, they need costumes.

Thing 1 in last year's costume: Rapunzel

There are a few things you need to keep in mind when costuming kids that I don't generally think of for adults.  First off is comfort.  While I'll sacrifice a lot of comfort in my own costumes you really can't ask kids to do that.  They want to look great, but they've still got to feel ok.  I try not to put a lot of boning or foundation in kids' costumes because it can ride up and poke them in places.  Usually careful choice and placement of interlining or interfacing is enough. You've also got to think environment.  I made Thing 1's Rapunzel  costume for dress up as well as Halloween which is why she's wearing a turtleneck under it.  Halloween is usually cold, and kids need coverage.  If I had made the costume just for Halloween I probably would have done something so she didn't have to wear a turtleneck.

Thing 2 as a Ninja

The third thing you need to think about is sizing.  I like the Things to get as much play as possible out of their costumes because they love dress-up time and make-believe.  Thus their costumes are always a little too big so they last longer.  Coincidentally it also makes it easier to make costumes for kids that are halfway across the country.

Monkey as Bob the Builder

Finally, remember that it may be impossible to get kids to wear some things.  I've made costume accessories for Thing 1 that she straight out refused to wear.  Thing 2 is great at not wanting his picture taken, so I make him things and am happy with what few pictures I can get out of him.  Kids can be finicky, so just be happy with them and share their joy.  That's what it takes to instill the next generation of costumers!

Monday Progress Update: Apr 9

I've been making lots of videos!  I've got a few other irons in the fire too, though:

Thing 1's competition dress for the F/SF is coming together.  I put in the most beautiful invisible zipper yesterday!  I think the key is putting it in before you sew the back pieces together.  Hope I can get something half as pretty on her fairy dress.

The flower dress is coming together nicely too.  I'm edging each of the petals in fabric paint, which is the longest part of doing this.  The first row of petals was a little hard to sew on, but I figured out to use my teflon foot to go over the fabric paint and now they sew like a dream.  Only 4 more rows to go!  Thank goodness there are fewer and fewer petals on each row :P

I cut the skirt of the Cinderella Historical . . .

and I made the bodice mock-up.  I've got to figure out how to fit it on myself, since it's back-closing :(  I'm using these two patterns:

The skirt is TV247:  1865 Elliptical Skirt and the bodice is TV442: 1860s Ballgown Bodice.  I'm going to wing it on the puffs of the skirt.  I tried dying the stripey over fabric and failed miserably (it's as plastic as plastic can get, but, unfortunately, it's the only thing I could find in a narrow enough stripe).  I guess it's just gonna stay white and hope the under taffeta shades it enough for pictures because I don't have the money, time or energy to airbrush paint the entire 10 yards blue.


Finally, since it was Easter yesterday here's a picture of Thing 1, Thing 2, and Monkey in their Easter outfits: