Through the Looking Glass

I give you Fall Festival 2011--Alice in Wonderland.  I know what you are thinking when you see these pictures: this chick has a serious problem.  These costumes are pretty over the top, I admit, but one of the first things the kids asked when we told them we were selling the daycare, was, "Does this mean you will make our Fall Festival costumes again??!!"  So what is a mom to do?  Especially a lame, stay-at-home mom with a tendency to over-do anything theme related?  And as you will see, I was very frugal in my madness.

Abby is the queen of hearts.  I made her dress from two formals I bought at G**dwill.  These formals usually cost around $10.00, while the specialty fabric would run you $7.00-$8.00 a yard. The netting for the petticoat, too, came from the dresses.  I bought the trim at H*ncock's and the tights at a party store.  Pattern is Simplic*ty (bought during the five for $5 sale they have at H*ncocks once every two months).  Estimated cost for costume--$35.00

Ian is the Mad Hatter.  Hat purchased at party store for $25.00. Ouch!  Really should have tried to find a cheaper option.  But bringing off this costume depended on a big hat, so I did it.  Coat made using a Burd* pattern.  Yuck!!!  This was my first time sewing from a Burd* and will definitely think twice about buying another pattern.  The instructions--while technically written in English--did not make ONE lick of sense.  I basically had to take the pieces and just try them out by basting to see if that was the way it was supposed to go.  Tweed suit fabric was on sale for $2.50.  We used a Sunday white shirt and black slacks, the bow tie came from scrap pieces, and the vest was sewn from a bolt of bargain basement fabric.  This costume was around $35.00 as well.

By virtue of her blond hair, Marina was Alice.  Cheap polyester blue fabric--$2.00 a yard.  Pinafore cut from an old sheet. S*mplicity pattern, $1.00.  We had white tights and Mary Janes in our wardrobe, so no cost there.  Cost--not counting labor--<$10.00

Randy is a card soldier.  Poster board is the sturdy kind, $3.00 a sheet.  Black scrapbook paper $.25 a sheet.  Black hood sewn from an old curtain, black sweat suit-$10.00 (but doesn't count, because he will be able to wear it through winter as a regular outfit.)  Costume cost $5.00

Cara a most adorable Cheshire Cat.  Pretty proud of this one as pink and purple striped fabric could not be found I designed this costume and added my own stripes with RIT dye in a spray bottle.  Pattern is Buttr*ck (bought in the $2.00 a pattern sale), RIT dye around $3.00.  Sewn from felt (very cheap fabric that is sold in a wide length), I think I paid $2.00 a yard, and one yard of the 72" fabric was plenty.  Also < $10.00

Sweet Levi as the White Rabbit.  $1.00 S*mplicity pattern. Fabric is soft fleece.  Not cheap, but I wanted him to be comfortable in his costume.  I think it was around $5.00 a yard.  Probably 1 1/2 yards for the jumpsuit and headpiece.  Cuffs and neck fabric from an old t-shirt. Inside of ears cut from scraps of the Chessire Cat, and orange vest made from an old tablecloth I found at a garage sale or G**dwill. Nana brought him a pocket watch to wear.  I meant to make him a little bow tie, but never got around to it.

Fun, fun, fun Fall Fest. I worked a hair braiding booth at the festival, and I love to braid me some hair.  Got a hair stylist to come and put feathers in the girls' hair at cost, so all of us are now sporting feathers.  The master's chili did not place in this year's contest, but the barrel train he built for the kids was a HUGE success.  K put on his "Choot 'em" shirt and Bubba teeth, and went as a alligator hunter from Sw*mp People, but I didn't get a picture of him on my camera.  Sure hope someone at church did.

Happy Harvest!