Monday 18 February 2013

Dance Sewing

Hello friends

Hope you are all well and enjoying the sunshine.

Welcome to new follower Trudie from Trudie's Cottage.

Sorry I wasn't around last week but I have been very busy sewing. L is in a dance show this Wednesday. Her dance teacher, Kelsey, hires the costumes but unfortunately cannot always get exactly what she wants and the hirer doesn't have the time to make the items so last year I made 20 pink waistcoats for the little dancers and 5 ties for the boys. This year I made these:
40 straps for the braces
I was fortunate that I only had to make 2 pairs of trousers to make them up to 20. However I had to make 20 pairs of braces and 20 pairs of buttons (Umpa Lumpa costumes)
40 buttons



 
I was also fortunate in that the material was provided and I only had to provide the thread (already had) time and electric.

Next I had to convert 10 kangaroo costumes in to bear costumes. this prove a little more difficult as the costumes were well made and I didn't want to cut them up and they were hired. (sorry no photo of the original costume). After much deliberation and playing around a solution was found. Kangaroos have longish pointy ears and bears have small roundish ears. So I tucked and pulled and eased them into a reasonable shape and hand stitched them to look like this:
Not too bad. Next I had to deal with the tail which was no easy task but eventually found a solution to this problem. I tucked the tail back inside the suit where the tail became inside out (Sorry forgot to take a photo - it looked rude anyway). This left a hole at the bottom so I stitched this up, again by hand and then secured the tail to the inside of the costume.
When one of the little dancers tried on the suit it looked OK. I was worried that it would look silly. Phew it didn't.


Looked so cute when they were on. I didn't do anything with the pouch as this is where the Velcro fastenings are.

Now I have to clean up the mess of threads from the floor.

During all this M bought me some lovely peach roses for valentines day. He also bought some pink ones for L so that she didn't feel left out. When she was little she thought it was unfair that we got each other a card and felt left out so ever since we have included her and usually made her a card but this year I found one that was just right. Here are the flowers, aren't they just lovely they have many layers. 

L has a hairdressers appointment at 10am today, in the bedroom.  Colour and a trim by me. She liked her hair when it was blond (when she was little) but as she has got older it has got darker so last year decided that she wanted to be blond again. We only do it during the school holidays but her hair grows so fast that the roots show very quickly. It should really be done about every 3-4 weeks but every 6 is enough for me. I used to do my hair but I found I couldn't keep it up so gave up so I'm growing grey disgracefully.

Must go salon opens in a minute and must get it set up.

Thanks for popping by and have a good day/week. See you soon.

Carolx

8 comments:

  1. Wow, you have been busy! Your roses are gorgeous, I love roses that have the multi coloured petals!

    Alison
    x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Crikey, I wouldn't know where to start sewing anything...never mind costumes!
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kelsey told me what she wanted. I took the trouser pattern from one of the 18 I had to make the braces for and for the buttons I drew round the base of an empty stemmed beer glass. I would have used a wine glass but it had something in it.
      Carolx

      Delete
  3. Busy again. The costume will look great. Have a rest now admiring your beautiful flowers.
    Love from Mum
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. A rest! It's half term. I have banned the words "I'm bored" but then I will get "muuuuum I've got nothing to dooooo" I'll say "Practice your dance steps then" that should keep her busy as she is doing 8 dances in the show tomorrow night. This afternoon I'm at Wigan hopsital for the results and discharge from my tongue op.
    Carolx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Impressed by your costume making and Very Clever adaptations! Meant to say that earlier but forgot. A request from a friend for help with her sons outfit [world book day on Thursday] reminded me.

    "How do you turn a Kangaroo into a Bear?" sounds like a riddle from a cracker!



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does doen't it. Apparantly the owner of the costumes was well pleased and is not going to unpick them but use them for her little pupils teddy dance.
      Carolx

      Delete

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