Weekly Dress Project Update

Things got a little hectic back in October due to Halloween costume constructing, my volunteer commitments at the elementary school, prep for the Day of the Dead and show planning for our upcoming Holiday Market so I've been feeling like I'm pulled in every direction. Things have slowed back down now and I'm getting caught up on everything that I've been putting off (like dusting!).
I have kept up with my weekly dress making, so here we go (excuse some of the not-so-professional pictures...yes, I've been that busy).
Week 12 'Walkaway Dress' made from a vintage reproduction pattern

Available for sale if you are interested.

Week 13 Pin Striped Dress (kept this one for myself. Love it. And it's got pockets! I love pockets in dresses.)

Week 14 Brown Taffeta shift dress

This dress above doesn't look like this anymore. This picture was taken after the dress was complete but before I appliqued flowers and Sugar Skulls to it for the Day of the Dead. It is available, I'll update when I get it re-photographed and listed online.

Week 15 Sally Dress. My client wanted a dress like Sally in a Nightmare Before Christmas but she wanted it in this mix of colors instead of the colors that Sally had. We also pieced two different dress patterns together because she liked the top section of one dress but the waist and skirt of another.

Week 16 Anna Coronation Day Dress

Week 17 Snow White Dress (my costume)

Week 18 Elsa Coronation Day Dress

I made two of these.... here is a customer picture of one of them (I made the sparkly Elsa too, that was Week 11) I'm pretty sure they liked them.

Week 19 Elsa Sexy Cosplay Outfit (available)

Week 20 Candy Corn Dress (kept it for myself but will probably list it on eBay next fall)

Strawberry Shortcake Costume for a Toddler

I made this costume for Lily when she was about 2 and a half.  I designed it to look identical to the Strawberry Shortcake toy that I had from the 70's

I made the dress just like a regular dress and used fabrics and techniques that I would use to make regular clothing.  She was so sweet in this costume but I am going through my Halloween box and realizing that some things are just going to have to go and since the now 8-year-old Lily obviously won't fit in it anymore, It's up for sale.

I'm asking only $25 for it (or a little more if purchased on eBay to cover the fees).  Either way, the shipping is free.  Hat, dress and apron included.  Tights and shoes not included.

on Square Market

or buy on eBay

UPDATE:  it sold right away, but I'm leaving this blog post just because I love this costume :)

Weekly Dress project, Week #11 - Anna and Elsa dresses from the movie Frozen

For week #11 I decided to get a jump on Halloween.  My eight year old daughter (of course) wants to be queen Elsa from Disney's Frozen so I used McCall's Pattern M7000.  I was pretty sure that I was going to have lots of requests for this costume so when I purchased the fabrics, so I bought enough to make 2 children's Elsa dresses, 2 children's Anna dresses (and cape), 2 adult Elsa dresses and 2 adult Anna dresses.

I guessed right.  In the last few weeks, I've had orders!  So many orders that I'm  not sure that I'm going to have time to get the other crafting done that I need to do in preparation for the craft shows I have coming up this fall.  

Lots of orders is a good thing, of course, but I probably shouldn't have jumped the gun on the fabric because half of those orders aren't for the dresses you see in the pattern picture above, but for the coronation day dresses.

(But, those will have to wait until Week 15)

Being the costume perfectionist that I am, I wasn't satisfied with the bodice and skirt detail of Anna's dress from the pattern so I reworked the pattern to have more detail.

It took FOREVER, but I think it was worth it.  I also added the gold trim at the top and bottom of the black part that was missing in the McCall's pattern.

 

If I make these dresses again, I'm going to paint the details with fabric paint instead of applique because they are just too small for applique! 

The cape turned out super fabulous and was pretty simple to sew but the problem was that it used over 5 yards of fabric! and that is for the CHILD's costume!  That works out to being a pretty expensive cape.  It was fully lined so if I ever do it again, I won't bother with the lining. 

I didn't make any changes to the Elsa dress but did get a lot of practice using my new rolled hem foot.

I have sold all but one of the dresses that I've made, so if you are interested... I have one left and it is a child Elsa dress that would fit size 7-10
on Square Market