[KellyNYC]

My daughter wants to be a fairy princess for Halloween. I figured the Fairy Tale dress would be a good pattern to start with, so just ordered it. Wanted to poll the collective genius of this group and ask how you’d modify it to make it more “fairy princess.” So far I figured I’d make it in pink silk dupioni, use the petal sleeves and peter pan collar, maybe extend the skirt to just above floor length, and maybe use tulle as the exterior skirt fabric as well.

Any other ideas to make it more special and princess-y??

Thanks so much!

Kelly

[Nicole]

If you are going to the trouble of using silk I would be inclined to make the dress as elegant as possible,maybe mid calf,and go all out with a separate petticoat,sash and pointy hat trailing ribbons.

(Sorry,practical mother of many here)

I am sure it will be lovely!

[KellyNYC]

Yes, you are so right, I would love for her to be able to wear it after. Great advice, thank you! Mid-calf would be an adorable length on her, she’s 3.

[with love Heidi]

I like the lidea of a seperate petticoat to make it fuller. And you can use the petticoat again with other dresses!

You may want to check with your daughter what a ‘fairy princess dress’ looks like, as you don’t want to make it and find it was missing an impotant aspect.

[Nicole]

Oh good!

I am so glad I did not offend!

I am made several ‘princess/fairy/ball gowns’ by sewing several ‘Lazy Days’ skirts,just the side seams,in different tulle and sparkly fabric(making sure there is something smooth against the skin) and then adding a simple casing to the top.

This could be floor length and then you could sew a sheer fabric Lazy Days skirt to put OVER the Fairy Tale dress,again floor length.

I will see if I can find one in the dress ups and post a piccy.

You could raid the nasty nylon bin at Spotlight/Joannes.

[with love Heidi]

I love the idea of the sheer Lazy Days skirt over the top. I might have to make some for my playgroup kids. (I also like the descritption of the ‘nasty nylon bin’, 🙂 )

[KellyNYC]

Thank you ladies so much. Great ideas. I will take your advice and keep it simple and classy and then add embellishments and lazy day skirt covering. I just have a hard time making “throw-away” garments. If I’m going to take the time and energy to sew up something for the kiddies, I want to do it all the way and use material that makes ME happy to sew with. Foolish, perhaps! And me too, the “nasty nylon bin” had me laughing!

[with love Heidi]

I don’t ever think of dress ups as ‘throw away’. I tend to make them even more sturdy than regular play clothes because I somethines think that the kids will want to wear the dressups all the time! I hate dressups with unfinished seams that come apart in the first wear! And I also agree that sewing with stuff that makes YOU/ME happy is so important, in some ways more important than the finished product.

[KellyNYC]

Hi Ladies! Well, my daughter’s fairy princess dress is well underway and I’m getting very excited to see how it all comes together. I was wondering if any of you knew what this little overlay was called, that kind of parts in the middle, and adds some “pouf” to the sides of the dress at the hips. Want to see if I can find a tutorial somewhere. Otherwise, it looks easy enough to just wing it, as an add on after the “safe” dress is completed.

http://images.partyamerica.com/images/products/en_us/viewlarger/P219051_lg.jpg

I’m loving this pattern!

[pippi]

I think it is called a peplum. Good Luck.

[losabia]

Hi! They’re justbrectangles. Here’s the basic technique in a doll-sized dress: http://scientificseamstress.blogspot.com/2009/09/simply-sweet-storytime.html

[Nicole]

Hi,my Twins took some photos of a skirt I made them when they were little.

I simply zigzagged the lace around the raw edges.

I hope it is some little help

~Nicole~

http://www.flickr.com/photos/motherof5/sets/72157631825686197/

[KellyNYC]

Thank you all so much! I’m going to play around with these tutorials and suggestions tonight but may opt to just allow the elegance of the pattern to speak for itself. Hopefully I’ll be wrapping up soon and will post pics.