[Jess M.]

Yeah, I know. But I have to start thinking about it now, otherwise it won’t come to fruition in a reasonable time table.

Last year we I made Maria a Max costume from Where the Wild Things are. This year, she’s going to be Alice (from Wonderland 🙂 ). Dh is going as the Mad Hatter, and I’ll be the Queen of Hearts if funds aren’t an issue—since my costume would be the most involved. Now you see why I’m thinking about it in August? LOL Oh, and I’m going to make a Flamingo for me to parade around with! LOL

Anywhoo,

For Alice, I’m thinking I could re-work the Jumprope dress (View A)—-Minor changes to the sleeves (Full poofed Sleeves), and make a fuller skirt. I’m thinking I could put a zipper in the back, and leave out the placket.

Is there another pattern that would be easier? Or is the Jump Rope the way to go?

Now if I could just find a quick tutorial for the kind of Pinafore I want to use, I’d be one happy Mama!

[Tamara]

Sounds like a lot of fun! We don’t celebrate Halloween but do dress up for other things through out the year (as you can guess from recent posts).

It all depends on how you want the Alice to be seen – Disney animated look alike version or your own thoughts on it. I have always pictured Alice to have a blue dress with a white pinafore apron but you may see her a little differently.

I have also never read the book itself and so only go on what Mr Disney had put together.

In terms of patterns, even though it doesn’t have puffed sleeves, I have always thought the bubble dress would be great. You could even do the Puppet show top as a dress (because of the sleeves) and have a pinnie over the top. I’m wondering if there is a way to make the skirt a little different (don’t know as I haven’t worked with this particular pattern) but it could be food for thought. You have certainly given yourself a huge allowance of time!

I love the idea of the flamingo – so fun!

Hope this helps!

Tamara

[Mama_Knowles]

here is an amazing version of the newer Alice here, http://www.flickr.com/photos/47387352@N05/7173611142/in/pool-1580735@N24/ She bloggs on how she made hers. I’m not sure what O+S would be best for this though.

I love the yours ideas, sounds like they will be so much fun!

~Sharon~

[Lightning McStitch]

Not really what you’re after but we attended an Alice in Wonderland party last year, and here’s the outifts I came up with: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79480359@N03/7807479256/in/photostream

(you really have to know the book to get this one, the gardeners were busy painting white roses red, so that the queen of hearts wouldn’t cut their heads off). very hard to bend your elbow and have a drink in those outifts!

Then I found this and, Oh my goodness how impressive is it: http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/queen-of-hearts-and-alice-in-wonderland.html

And this one is just hysterical: http://www.mishalulu.com/blog/?p=5981

[Jane]

Would a modified music box jumper work? The placket is already in the back. Add a full skirt and draft some sleeves to add to it. Just a thought.

[pippi]

I think the puppet show dress would be great with the cute round collar and sort of puffy sleeves for a traditional alice (you would just have to add an apron?).

The newer alice dress is gorgeous. Little Lisette 1893 would be a good starting point for the bodice on the newer alice style, but that pattern starts at size 7 so may be too big for your little one?

[Jess M.]

I guess that info should’ve been included! We’re aiming for the Animated Disney version.

I’ll keeep the music box jumper in mind. I’m trying to stick with patterns I already own! LOL

Tamara, haha, I can’t whip out amazing costumes like you do! I have to plan plan plan ahead!

Puppet show might work. I’ve never actually made the Puppet Show Dress or the Jump Rope….that’s why I’m tossing it out there to the more experienced! Maria will be 3.5 at Halloween. So she’s between 3T-4T.

Lightening—OMG! I actually love your Painting the Roses Red! And I already follow Grosgrain, but those costumes are amazing! I’ll also admit I have that Alice from Mishalulu pinned on Pinterest! I just don’t think Maria would bother with a box house! *sniff*

[sagedogmn]

I’m starting to plan for Halloween costumes, and I pinned this a few months ago:

It’s based on the Oliver + s cape. Unfortunately, the blog that it came from is not longer live. I’d like to try to make a duck costume based on the same idea. Does anyone have suggestion for the feathers and how to go about attaching them? I’m afraid that quilting cotton would fray too much, but I’m also worried that felt might get too heavy.

I’d love to hear ideas!! Thanks!!

[Nicole]

I loved that costume!

I would use cotton/poly poplin and cut rows of scallops for the underneath ‘feathers’ and single ones for the top layers.

I would also try cut the feathers with a heated butter knife so the edges don’t fray.

This is how I finish my girls hair ribbons.

I would start at the bottom stitching the first row and then layer them covering the previous stitching line.

Just off the top of my head.

~Nicole~

[Tamara]

Mommy2maria you are an absolute darling for saying such a thing but I do prefer to have much more notice than merely a couple of weeks – with my current extreme time challenging challenge. The one’s for the show were fine as I had some 6 months to get my act together but then again I was thinking I was doing the whole lot!! Thank goodness that didn’t end up being the case. It is the one’s for school assemblies and the sudden announcement of “Oh we are dressing up for book week THIS FRIDAY” that have me running but I am glad I hold the virtual persona of breezing through the process from planning to final stitch.

Now this is my second go at writing this post as my “lovely” internet connection (thank you to the internet company that provides a *fabulous* service) failed on me right on pressing the add topic button -again “lovely!”

So I was thinking about this costume and wondered if you could use the Puppet show bodice, slightly lengthen (correct me if I am wrong in the assumption that it sits higher than at the waist) to the waist and straighten the edge and attached it to a heavily gathered skirt? If you don’t have the music box pattern than it just requires two pieces of your fabric selvage to selvage wide by the length you need it. You can always make a placket at the back of one piece in the middle where it joins the button bands at the back of the bodice. I would also add a sewn in petticoat with a few layers of a tulle frill at the botton to make it stick out as if she is wearing a hoop skirt petticoat underneath. And if you really want to go “the whole hog” you could add a pair of white lengthened frilly “Puppet show shorts” as her bloomers? Just a thought if you were thinking of the animated Alice as your inspiration. There is so much “scope for the imagination” (yes I know wrong book!) you could really go wild with this!

I’m just having fun thinking about the fun you’ll be having preparing for this. So much fun!

Tamara

[Jess M.]

Oh I’ll be making a crinoline! Nice and poofy. I don’t think she would cooperate with a pair of frilly bloomers (picky kid! lol), but this is giving me lots to think about!

[with love Heidi]

You might want to make a pettiskirt instead of a crinoline (not 100% sure what this is), but the pettiskirt will can be worn under a dress/skirt to poof it out and also be worn (and provide great twirl) on it’s own, if it was the right blue it would make a nice skirt for the Alice outfit. The pettiskirts are a little time consuming but not dificult to make (a ruffler or gathering foot make it much easier!).

[pippi]

RE: puppet show alice It might be sort of hard to lengthen the bodice because of the way the sleeves are attached half to the bodice and half to the skirt…. if you can figure out how to redo the bodice so the sleeves are fully attached there then go for it…It also buttons all down the back so keep that in mind however you were going to attached the skirt. I think even though it has a high waist as it comes it would still be a cute costume and recognizable if made with the right colors.

RE: Feathers Have you seen this tutorial, it’s probably similar. http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques/nattys-birds-of-a-feather-costume-tutorial/ I made one of these for my daughter out of quilting cotton scraps in rainbow order sewn onto a twill backing and it actually didn’t fray much at all and she plays with it every once in a while. I think that the shape of the feathers creates almost a bias cut which helps prevent fraying. I’ve seen one done in felt though and i don’t think it was too heavy. I’ve thought about trying it again with felt.

[mrskanuckles]

I bought a pdf pattern for wings when I first started sewing. I just zigzagged the feathers and it has held up great. It was tedious. 🙂

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76365340/pdf-wingsofabirdie-pattern-and

My mother usually makes my daughters costume, and this year she wants to be the good witch from Wizard of Oz. So that leaves me with my 20 month old as a lollipop kid.

http://blog.sanfranciscomusicbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/wizard-of-oz-munchkins.jpg

I am planning on making the shirt from the sketchbook shirt with a larger collar, and trying to redraft the sleeves with some poof. (new to me)

Then I am going to make the sandbox pants with no pockets and adding slanted welt pockets (new to me).

Any hints?… I have already traced the patterns, just need to revamp the collar and sleeves now.

Also, I am contimplating how to do the zigzagged edge, should I try to do it like a scallop with a facing, or just zigzag the ends and let it go?

[Mel]

if you’re going for the more traditional Alice and willing to venture out of o+s and check out butterick B4320. I’ve used it several times. It runs big but is pretty straightforward. I didn’t take many pictures but here’s my version of Alice: http://mel-mel-o.blogspot.ca/2010/06/alice-birthday-party.html

I used view B to make a witches dress last year: http://mel-mel-o.blogspot.ca/2011/10/more-butterick-b4320.html

My oldest wants to be Hedwig this year, I was originally planning to make wings but I think I’ll use the cape from little things to sew now. Thanks, sagedogmn, for posting that link! My husband rolls his eyes when I start talking Halloween in August but otherwise it wont happen!