Queen Elsa, Let it Go!

It's that time of year again; costume time! This year I am doing things a bit different though and I am making everything early! I have three done and two to go. The first one I am showing you done is Sweet pea's. She has changed her mind a million times (which is kind of my fault). Her first costume in the works was going to be Pinkalious. I had the whole costume planned out too, a smocked bodice, dyeing lace to make just the right shade of the pink ruffles on the skirt, hand painted wings with hand sewn pink "fluff" around then, well you get the picture. Any way she kept asking for the Elsa dress costume. I know there will be a army of them out on Halloween night so I really wanted her to be something different until I thought about it. (ok, ok she was singing "Let it go" endlessly too)  It's her costume and she doesn't care if every other little girl is dressed the  same. That who she really wants to be. She is only four so really why not? It is a day of fun for the kids and not mommy. So as my friends would "let it go, le it go" so I did. ;-)

I wanted to make her a "real" dress costume. I know it will be worn a lot. Second It had to be little girl like and not, well, improper looking to be polite. Which means a bit fitted but not tight and no slit and the front of the dress had to come up higher. Third, the cape has to come off for washing and play wear. I think we are both happy with the end result of this dress.

Ok now the how and how-to! I used two different favorite patterns I mine to make this look. The Oliver + S Fairy tale dress pattern, Ellie Inspired Sleepy Bear pj pattern and a self drafted skirt ad cape. I traced the bodice of the of the Fairy tale and drew a line for where I wanted the dark blue to be and the see though to start. I then redrew the top and bottom pieces separate and added a seam allowance to them. I cut out the main bodice with the satin and the dark blue see through fabric over lay on top of the satin.  (the blue is a pretty sparkly design to it) I also cut out a satin lining with the see though snowflake fabric as well. I did the very same for the back bodice.





Here is the back of the dress, I have the zipper going up to the top of the satin and then a loop and button for the top. (Do you see the nicely matched bodice at the zipper line?!?)

I have to show you the lovely lining! It slips on Sweet pea so nice and she loves the feel of it.



To give the see through fabric a nice finish I sewn it all with French seams. To keep the seam allowances tighter on the main bodice and the lining bodice I hand stitched them together carefully through all the layers after I sewn the bodice pieces together. The non gathered sleeves are from the Sleepy Bear pj pattern. I really, really love the fit of the sleeves from this pattern! I self drafted the skirt pieces, the cape and the crown.  

I cut the cape out the full width of the fabric and juts rounded the corners out and serged roll hem the edges. I then made a bias (I measured this to the length I wanted the finish top cape to be) with the see through snowflake fabric and gathered the cape onto the bias and stitched it closed. I then added hooks and loops to the dress and cape so that the cape can come on and off.
 

The cape is nice and full too. I so glittery! It looked like I killed a fairy in the kitchen while I was this costume!

The cape is also nice and flowing too. Perfect for playing Frozen.

She really loves the finished dress and didn't want to take it off. She thinks she looks just like Elsa. I am very glad now that I made this dress for her, we are both very happy with it. Now the only problem is Sweet pea is trying to convince me that Prince C wants to be Anna, hahaha, I don't think so my love. ;-)


Happy Sewing!!


Sharon