Pre Halloween Sewing Frenzy and Parties

I almost killed myself off trying to get 2 dresses done before Halloween.  A lot of late nights, and I sewed as much as I could and still keep my kids alive the last couple of days.  And of course they had 2 parties the week before Halloween and only Abby's dress was ready.  Our sweet neighbor let us borrow her fancy Anna dress until I finished Charlotte's for the other 2 Halloween events. When I was a kid you wore your costume once maybe twice.  Now I feel like the whole last half of October has costume events at church, school, etc.  They were very happy and I enjoy sewing so I guess it was worth it.  Now they are used for dress-up a ton.  

Event #1- birthday party with costumes

 Charlotte in the borrowed dress and the 2 braid look.  It was a little big on her but she was such a good sport about it.  It helps that she really looks up to our neighbor girl.

Event #2 Church Trunk or Treat

Charlotte and Oliver wore this baby bear costume when they were one.  So I got out the cute hat in early October.  I would put it on him, and then put it on me and we'd growl and laugh trying to get him excited to wear it.  Kids this age don't usually keep stuff on their heads.  Then of course Halloween came around and I couldn't find it anywhere.  I was so sad.  We improvised with monkey ears which he also took off so no one could really tell what he was (or Matt and I for that matter).  Oh well.  A few weeks later I found it on top of the clothes bins in the kids closet.  I thought about putting it on him just for pictures but I didn't do it.  If I do, I'll have to a comparison shot with Charlotte and Oliver's pictures as baby bear!

Abby and her good friend Evelyn.  I wish I had counted how many Elsa's we saw at each event.  It was very popular this year.  I was happy I made ours so it looks a little different from every other one.  

One of their favorite parts of Halloween is getting to wear make-up.  Charlotte's mascara is a little much!

Olly the skeleton and some of his friends from church.  Boys this age seem to be shy!
I tried to talk him into Olaf and even had a pillowcase and hat ready to make one but he had his heart set on a skeleton.  I I bought the $6 pjs at Walmart and now he can wear it all the time.  Note- the Old Navy ones were $12 but they glow in the dark better.

Family picture.  Princess Anna (Charlotte), Papa bear, Olly Skelton, Mama bear, baby bear Miles, Princess Elsa (Abby).  I should have done it in daylight instead of this weird street light.  That seems to be the theme for this Halloween.  "I should have..."

Event #3 Preschool parade for Olly and Abby

One of 2 (maybe 3) Elsa's in her class of 24.  Not too bad.  She was so excited!

Olly the skeleton was more shy.

Abby wanted her picture with her wonderful teacher Mrs. McClure.  Olly was against it.

He was happier to get one with Abby after the parade.

Event #4 The Anna coronation dress is done the day before in time for the kindergarten parade at Charlotte's school!

Anna coronation dress pattern from Etsy here

This skirt was killer to make.  I felt like I'd sewn a quilt when I was done.  I should have left much, much, more time to get it done instead of trying to cram it in 2 weeks before Halloween.  It's hard to tell but their are 12 flowered strips (the pattern had you paint with stencils on each one but I just bought fabric instead), 12 plain tan strips under each flowered one to make the stripes on each side, and 12 green stripes. 36 strips to cut, sew, zig zag, and then iron and sew into pleats. If I had it to over (which will NEVER happen) I would have picked all different shades of green fabrics, more like the movie dress but the pattern recommended these colors.

Waiting for her bus.  She cocks her head like this when she's trying to be cute for pictures.

We used white face paint to paint the white stripe after I braided her hair.  We tried it before braiding and it just came out.  I tried the real coronation hair-do but her hair is too short and wispy in the front to pull it off.

Parade with her class!

I did stencil the gold and flower pattern on the bodice with fabric paint.  It wasn't too hard, I wish I could have learned to embroider it.  I might sew some gold ribbon top top of the gold paint because she couldn't stand the itchiness of the hard paint under her armpits.  I had to quickly safety pin some extra fabric under each arm before she went to school!

We went to the Mesa temple and the girls wanted to wear their dresses.  I took advantage to take some better pictures.  It felt a little irreverent to wear a Halloween costume at the temple.

Elsa pattern here off of Etsy

I bought the fabric/pattern back in June to try to make it for her birthday.  I made it one size bigger than her measurement and this is how it turned out.  The top of the bodice fabric is a one-way stretch knit that was hard to find ( and immediately started to run) and it seems extra big but the bodice and skirt seem too small.  I'm sad after all that work it isn't bigger.  The shirring the back should help her wear it a little longer and make it look fitted so nicely in the bodice.

Iridescent cape like ice.

She rocks the song and loves the cape swish during "The cold never bothered me anyway."  I must get it on video.

I  love that her cape buttons on and off.  I told her I'd make her a long one for wearing around the house like the movie.  But she needed a shorter one to wear for walking around at all the Halloween functions.

The different colors make it fun to twirl, another puffy shirt underneath for modest/puffiness!  You can see the 3 different strips better here.

Right after I finished the dress I declared I was not sewing anything for a long, long time.  And then  I had to eat my words immediately when she insisted she needed a cape.  I had an extra scrap of the green velvet from the top and ribbon/velcro for the front, so I did it.  I like that it makes it more modest/warmer.

She LOVEs her Elsa dress!

Her bodice brocade material is my favorite!  The skirt has glitter sparkles in it but it's hard to tell.

First time doing shirring!  It was actually pretty easy.  I had 2 pieces ready in case I messed up but I got it right the first time.  There is a great youtube video that showed how to do it perfectly.  It has elastic thread on the bottom and gives it the fitted yet stretchy quality.

Any guesses on how they decided who would be Elsa and who would be Anna?

"Finally they're opening up the gates!"