OK! So in my last post I talked about being done with the Little Mermaid costumes!
Well, Monday afternoon I rode with mom over to the theater to help add some straps to the mermaid tops – even though the mermaids were all wearing black leotards under the tops they were still having some issues keeping them on and in place, so we just added some quick black straps to each of them.
While we were there, we noticed the “human” dress they had Ariel in did NOT fit her and was not really era-appropriate, even for a fantasy-set production. Mom and I were kinda like. what could we do here? Because the actress was just swimming in it and it looked out of place. Mom texted them that night and asked what the deal was, and turns out they were having trouble finding something that would work for the actress.
So mom and I were like, this will not do. Play is Friday! Costume Emergency squad was on it. Tuesday when I got off work we met at Hobby Lobby and just grabbed some white, black and blue cotton to make a VERY quick Kiss the Girl costume.
I had a sort of “Ren Faire” wench pattern – Simplicity 8855 – and it was already cut so I split that up with mom – she took the skirt pattern and the blue fabric, and I took the blouse and bodice.
Tuesday night was full throttle sewing.
Removed the fullness in the blouse – it was supposed to be gathered at the shoulder seam and we didn’t want added bulk. Also shortened it, shortened the sleeves a bit, and cut the back open for a zipper.
We wanted the dress to be all one piece, so she could change in and out of easily backstage — so even though the black bodice piece would just be a part of that, I still built it like a regular bodice that would lace up the back because I wanted it still have the structure. So the bodice is 2 layers of cotton (outer fabric and lining) and one of a black twill I had on hand. I cut all 3 layers out normally – then chopped the shoulder straps off. I worked each seam down as much as possible based on her measurements, then put it on my dressform inside out and started adjusting. (Dressform set to the actress’ measurements of course). Repeat on the other 2 layers. Sewed the interior twill and lining layer together, added in boning channels, did boning at the two front seams and the two back seams. Sewed outside piece on.
The only spot of trouble I had was in turning the V-notch at the top cleanly. After struggling with it for a bit, I got as cleaned up as I could and then just covered it in bias tape.
Tuesday night I left it like this with the bodice 95% done, blouse done.
Wednesday took it over to mom’s so we could join the two pieces together. I had to finish the bottom edge of the bodice first – mom said she’d had some black bias tape I could use but it ended up being too small. Thankfully she had some black grosgrain ribbon that worked fine. Once that was done we sewed the bodice to the blouse, and then the skirt.
Once it was one piece, mom installed the zipper.
WHEW
Then came the anxiety of hoping it would fit her ok. Got word the next morning it fit fine! YAY
Spent the rest of the week working on my bag again — I’d started on it the week before but had to put it on hold of course!
I didn’t take a ton of pictures during the construction on this. Basically I wanted an ita bag for my Christmas trip, so I could have some of my pins on display without worrying about them falling off. I picked up two patterns about a month ago as possibilities for it. I ended up using Simplicity 1181 – which is SUPER CUTE just as it is, and I want to make the puppy one eventually!
But I picked it because it had a nice, big flat front flap I could easily turn into the pocket. And I had this black and white Star Wars fabric I’ve been itching to use.
So while I did really like this pattern I realized halfway through making the main bag section that it was not meant for cottons and other fabrics that needed finishing. It was meant for leathers/vinyls where a raw edge doesn’t matter. So I had to kinda rethink the whole thing – I interfaced it, and made a separate lining so there wouldn’t be any raw edges on the inside.
For the front flap, I made a new pattern piece based on the front flap’s original pattern piece to create the front where the vinyl will be installed. I had saved a mattress bag I thought I could scavenge some of the clear vinyl from, but that didn’t work – it was too wrinkled and looked bad. So I ended up throwing away my first flap and starting over. This time I went to the fabric store and got a 1/4 yd of some nice clear vinyl. MUCH better. Also second attempt at the cotton edging around the window looked much better as well.
I used a zipper I had — it was a little too long but I Just tucked the excess inside and then trimmed it off. I did use the pattern for the strap, but I lengthened it (I wanted the bag to be crossbody), and added a cut of felt in the center with the cotton sewn around it to stabilize it a little bit. (The strap ended up being way too long in the end! I had to just fold it over at the center and sew it down to shorten it, I wasn’t about to disassemble this thing just for that…)
I made a pin backer insert out of craft foam, with black cotton sewn around it. I have a few too many pins on it right now! It’s a little heavy!
The only thing I haven’t finished is a closure at the top of the pin window. I was going to put in velcro, but decided black snap tape would be better. I ordered some online and it should be here today, so I’ll get that sewn in tonight. Right now it’s just pinned closed.
Overall pretty happy with it. It’s not perfect but it’s cute and it’ll work great for my trip. Like I said I do need to take some pins out of it – I have too many and it’s weighing the whole thing down too much. I’ll probably stick to only my star wars and christmas pins for the trip.
So Friday night we went to see Little Mermaid! Ash and dad and sat in the second row so I could hopefully get some decent pics of the costumes to show ya’ll. I mean they’re still crappy iphone photos, but better than nothing.
Our mermaid sisters were so cute!
The added movement of their “wrist fins” was great!
My only beef was that I wish we could’ve gotten an ORANGE or something instead of having 2 blues. The 2 blues were pretty different (one was a stretch velvet with a sort of holographic print on top and it was SO COOL), but still, visually it would’ve looked better. But we had to do with what the fabric store had. Either way, they were super cute.
And here’s Ariel!
Her top was made out of what was left of Andrina’s leftover tail fabric.
SO GLAD WE MADE THIS DRESS FOR HER
It’s so cute!
YAY
URSULA!!
You guys she worked the HELL out of the dress.
I’m crazy happy with it.
She had a whole entourage working her tentacles most of the time.
It was a really cute show. They always do a good job.
Ok so they’ve done Beauty and the Beast and now Little Mermaid… can we get Aladdin next? I really want to make a Jasmine costume…
Saturday and Sunday I was super lazy. I cleaned up, did laundry, dumped photos off my phone and organized them. Hemmed some pajama pants for my uncle and excess I cut off made a nice kitty scarf.
And I drew a Rudolph on Nana and Kristie’s new chalkboard wall.
I only have new art piece this week.
This one was based on some AOTC-era concept art. And even from the concept art it just wasn’t very Padme-ish. I tried! I started with the cape and went with a dark teal and some a sort of “starry mantle” effect, then a sort of golden silk look for the dress. For the sleeve I used my Tightrope Walker chiffon sleeves as inspiration.
Overall I don’t think it worked because the overall effect still just isn’t Padme. It looks too generic fantasy or even Scarlet O’Hara-esque. Maybe a very young pre-queen Padme – though that’s not the way I drew her face.
Also here’s my sloth embroidery from the play last weekend LOL
