This year we convinced Kikay that Avatar Korra would be the best costume evaaar. Because look, they even have the same hair.
and I was excited about the mandarin collar with contrast facings, and princess seams, and gauntlets that would help her stay warm. Plus furry bandeau skirt, leggings and boots.
Alas, about 10 days before, she succumbed and reverted back to wanting to be Elsa like the rest of the little girl populace.
Not that Elsa isn't awesome and a strong female, but... anyway, I decided to challenge myself to put all the costumey elements (glittery cape, spangly top, etc) in one piece, and a functional dress separately that she can use later on its own sans glitter/sparkles. A spinny skirt is both warmer and more age-appropriate than a slitted pencil skirt.
Shopping for materials at several stores -- snowflake glitter organza at Hartsdale Fabrics, bamboo rayon and sparkle dot fabric in the city (25th and 8th, can't recall the store name even if I'm there all the time), cotton for the main dress and fleece for the wig at Joann. The broadcloth for lining I already had, previously earmarked for a chef-coat for me (story of my life...).
So, step one, the hair. I followed my costume guru LiEr's awesome tutorial and made a fleece wig. I just pointed the pieces at the ends and had some tendrils in the front. (I sewed some foamie snowflakes on for embellishment after this pic.)
Step two, the top. Bamboo rayon, supersoft and kind of see-through, was perfect for the yoke/sleeves. Sparkly dot fabric, also see-through, for the sweetheart bodice part... I made a full T-shirt because both fabrics are so sheer. On the back, I sandwiched the cape (just a half-yard of the snowflake, cut in half width-wise and seamed, then gathered at the top. Elsa's cape flows onto the floor, but Kikay informed me that it would not be practical for the parade or trick-or-treating) in between the seam. I pinked the edges of the cape with my precious scalloped pinking shears. Glitter is absolutely everywhere, btw....
Last step, the dress. She's not curvy enough to need full princess seams, so a regular fitted bodice -- with tiny 1/4" darts front and back -- sufficed. I reworked her bodice block for sleeveless armholes, a square neck and the drop-waist, and joined it, after lining, to a full circle skirt. There's a bit of patching in the back since she's getting too tall for a 44" fabric to yield a full circle. Matching silver and seafoam cupcake snaps close up the back.
So, the full look -- this was taken as we were dashing out the door for the day. She and I were really pleased -- it moves, it's pretty and reasonably warm, and we had fun.
side-note: Fail at the shoes! I didn't think about footwear, so i made some quick and sloppy silver shoe covers for some gold Toms knockoffs. You can't see them under the skirt anyway.
She wore the whole getup two days in a row (Friday for school party and trick-or-treating, Saturday for grandparents' visit), I consider it a success.
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