Woodland Fairy

We are decidedly not into the whole fairy and princess thing, but... We saw a picture of a woodland fairy in a book, and Charlie and I agreed it would make a great costume. Judging by the reaction the costume got on our visit to the pumpkin patch today, we were right.

The foundation of the costume relies on my trusty and well-used peasant top pattern. The shirt is made from a slightly iridescent cotton onto whose bottom I attached an entire roll of tulle (who knew they made olive green sparkle tulle?). I then added elastic at the waist to give the skirt more fullness. This resulted in a shirt with an attached tutu -like skirt. To create the bodice, I drafted a simple vest pattern from one of Charlie's snug-fitting tee shirts and attached loops of ribbon to use for lacing. The bodice serves a few purposes: It creates that cute corset look, it provides a close-fitting foundation for attaching the wings, and it allows the wings to be removed without taking off the whole costume. The wings are satin feathers stitched directly onto the corduroy vest. Overall, it makes a very sturdy construction that stood up well to Charlie climbing all around the pumpkin patch.
Then came the fun part: Adding all the ribbons, leaves, and flowers.

I am really pleased with how it turned out, and I think you can tell from her posing in this photo that Charlie is, too.