[Reeni]

My daughter’s dance school is doing a production of Wizard of Oz and they need jackets for 20 or so flying monkeys, girls ages 10-16.

I plan on making them from lightweight twill and stencilling on the red/white parts with fabric paint rather than applique (since they will be viewed onstage and not up-close anyway). Should I use the Field Trip raglan and size up, or should I use the Nature Walk and modify it to a raglan sleeve?
Any help appreciated!

• This topic was modified 9 years ago by Reeni.
• This topic was modified 9 years ago by Reeni.
• This topic was modified 9 years ago by Sarvi. Reason: Fixed html

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[Sarvi]

Could you take the neckline from the Nature Walk and graft it onto an oversized Field Trip? Then you’d have the raglan sleeve (easier to sew than a set-in sleeve) and the collar from the Nature Walk. Are all the kids the same size so you’d only need to do this one? You’re very generous to do this for the kids!

[Reeni]

Good idea! I think I’ll use the Nature Walk as a size guide for the draft since I’m using a woven, and make it a raglan.
Between us sewists, there is no such thing as “one size” when it comes to puberty! they are mostly in the 30″ chest range tho, with a few smaller and larger.
I’m happy to do fun/utilitarian sewing like this because it means my daughter dances as much as she likes…

[Lightning McStitch]

Wow Reeni, how generous are you. Sounds like fun. You’re also obviously a stickler for detail so I salute you!
At first I instantly thought Nature Walk too, but by the time you overlap the pattern pieces and then turn it into a raglan sleeve (I imagine that would be tricky) it’s a lot of work.
How about the Carousel dress? There you have a raglan pattern intended for wovens. The sleeve length may be about right, just reshape the end.
I’d use a collar the shape of the Nature Walk. If you’re going to have the jackets open (like little boleros) as in the picture you’d need to draft a little facing.
Pity the kids you’re sewing for are too big for the Lullaby Layette pattern! That would be perfect.
Can you tell I love this kind of thing?! Good luck

[Masha Richart]

i was just thinking that looked just like the Woodland Cape! http://oliverands.com/oliver-and-s-patterns-singles/OLV-OS040FP.html

[with love Heidi]

I was also thinking it was almost exactly the Woodland stroll/forest path cape!

[Reeni]

the Woodland Stroll Cape would be such a quick and easy sew, but takes up a lot of fabric for the size I need. I’ve decided to bite the bullet and draft raglans based on the Nature Walk sleeve/bodice proportions, that I can get out of 1/2 yd or so of 60″ fabric… and think about wings! Maybe craft foam, reinforced with chenille stems?
I’ve figured out that the little caps should be about the size of a 12 oz. takeout container… 😀

[Reeni]

just wanted to update a little… pix of prototype in the o+S flickr. In line with my 2015 resolution to do new things, I taught myself to silkscreen so i could make the red appliques. Royal blue poplin main fabric, then poly-cotton broadcloth appliques. Bucket hat in sz 6-12 mo from LTTS became the pillbox hat.
I have only sewn up two of the smallest, but I’m really happy with them and so are the director and dancers. 19 more to go!

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by Reeni. Reason: fix pix
• This reply was modified 9 years ago by Reeni.

[kgiff]

Very cool! They look great! I’ve always wanted to learn to silkscreen, is it hard?

[Reeni]

thank you! To learn,just like with most things, I googled some tutorials and bugged the people at the art store! For this, since the shapes were big and geometric, and one color, it was pretty easy. I made stencils out of stencil plastic and mixed my own custom color paint — i’m not up to the fooling around with diazo emulsion/light-developed stuff or 4-color processes, but I felt rather accomplished! I like that I was able to make many that are all exactly alike, but it could also be fun for one-of-a-kind stuff or making your own fabric.

[Nicole]

What a huge effort, you are doing them a massive favour. How kind of you.

[Reeni]

haha not entirely altruistic! i like having an excuse to learn new crafty things and don’t often back down from a challenge. It started a few years ago; I was late signing dd up for recital and said that I’d take any extra costume they had and make it fit… from there they asked me to make 15 little Red Riding Hoods, then 6 Salt n Pepa silver pants, and various other hand-sewing/altering jobs every recital/performance. Lessons are expensive, but dd does ballet and tap for free 3x a week. 😀

[Nicole]

@Reeni, very smart!

[Tamara]

Reeni very clever of you. I used to teach a group of boys tap when I was still dancing. It worked the same way but my own lessons were the exchange. Love tap dancing!

[Dawn R]

I would have used felt and paint. That blue painters paint works well on felt. I do a lot of the costumes for my son’s school and at play time, I feel like I have a full time job sewing. Last year for Hairspray, I made something like 16 dresses as well as a bunch of other pieces. Wouldn’t have been so bad if they weren’t all different sizes and a lot need embellsihments for the stage.

I’d love to see pics when you are done!