Skip to main content

A Belle 2-for-1 Halloween Special

 Today, it is my distinct pleasure to debut not one but two Belle costumes. Her blue so-called Village Dress is a project I’ve been wanting to do forever. And her casual outfit from Wreck-it Ralph 2 is pretty cute. I decided pretty early in the Halloween season that I would do both. These two projects bring my Belle costume count to 5 (3 canonical outfits from the movies and 2 alternate universe concepts.) I can’t decide whether I want to continue with Belle looks or if I should move on to Ariel costumes. For Belle outfits, I still need to do her pink dress with the long cape and the green library dress. I do want to do Ariel’s pInk dinner dress at some point. All of these projects were made from fabrics from my stash.


First, I’ll talk about the casual outfit. It’s a pretty simple look, with a sports bra, a shirt, and a pair of leggings. I bought the BFF (Beast Friends Forever) shirt on shopDisney a couple of years ago. It comes down super low in the arms. So I decided to make a sports bra with some scrap knit I found in my stash. This mustard yellow was a t-shirt from the thrift store. For the lining, I used a black scrap from my stash. Simplicity 8632 is a super cute Harley Quinn-themed workout set. This pattern is not for beginners. It’s a bit overcomplicated, but the final look is cute. I found that the size the chart recommended was too big. I suggest making a practice version before using any potentially expensive fabric.

The shiny gold leggings are borrowed from the costume closet at my job at a performing arts center. When I wear this costume again, I’ll make my own. These are a bit small. 


The village dress is made of a shirt, a dress, and an apron. First up was the shirt. I used McCall's 7184. I’m not entirely pleased with this shirt. The pattern went together easily enough. But I thought, from the pattern illustration and the photo, that the collar was more rounded like Belle’s shirt. I’ll be remaking this pattern in a nicer fabric anyway at some time, so I’ll draft a pattern more similar to the animated version.


For the blue dress, I used Simplicity 2539. I didn’t have a ton of fabric, so I had to do view B. I was a bit worried that it would be too short, but thankfully my short stature meant it was the perfect length. It looks so much like the animation, I am so pleased. And also, I installed the most perfect invisible zipper I have ever done. It really is invisible. 



The apron is a 26”x47” rectangle. I wanted it nice and full, so I made it really wide. It is a bit big. But it will work for now. I couched down some size 5 pearl cotton thread as a decorative accent, and I love the effect. It’s so pretty and delicate.



Overall, I’m so pleased with my newest additions to my Disney costume collection.


Yours in hard work, creativity, and a dash of Pixie Dust


Sarah



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pirate Belle, part 2

YouTube video associated with this blog The base pieces for this costume are not complicated. I used Simplicity 3677 for the blouse and the pants. The fabric I bought at Joann Fabrics and was exactly what I was hoping to find. It's a light and airy cotton gauze-type fabric. Also, I am in love with the delicate lace I found at Hobby Lobby that I used to trim the wrists. The blouse has elastic bands at the cuffs and a drawstring neckline. It is incredibly over sized, but the fabric gathers under corsets and pants nicely because it was so soft and light. The pants are a tan corduroy and also have elastic in the cuffs. (Did I mention Historical Accuracy TM was not a priority for this costume?) I still think it's beautiful. And now, for a few accessories. These make or break a costume, especially for a pirate. So many little things must be present for the costume to really say “Pirate”. This little hat was such a blast to create. I used a Yaya Han pattern, McCall's 7643. It ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

In My Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room Dress

My Youtube video associated with this blog post  I am very pleased to present my Tiki Room dress. The Dress Shop brand from Disney has a 1950's-inspired sundress in this fabric. I do like it, but I don't wear sleeveless dresses. So, I thought I would make my own in a slightly different style. I still wanted a vintage dress, with a tropical vibe as was popular mid century. After much deliberation, I decided on Butterick 5880. It's a reprint of a 1951 pattern. I was so anxious to begin this dress. I don't know why exactly. It's not like I'm heading to Disney any time soon. But sometimes I just “get a bee in my bonnet”, as they say. And I can't do anything else until I scratch that itch. So I thoroughly cleaned my sewing studio, AKA the corner of my bedroom, and set to work. For my first run, I used a 101 Dalmatians bed sheet from the thrift store. It's old and worn, but it was less than $2 and it's a big piece of fabric. For my mock-ups, I don't ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Reconstructing History RH017

This is review of RH017, 14th Century Kirtle or  Cotehardie. (Link to buy this patten at the end) I ordered it to make a new dress for the 2015 Medieval Fair of Norman. I had been playing a princess for many years, but decided on changing it up this year. I wanted to be a Bard, a poet/singer/general performer. Naturally, I could not wear the Princess gowns of years past.  It came in a timely fashion. I knew it had a booklet of historical notes, I didn't know it was going to come with a textbook! Seriously, this booklet is 15 pages long (including historical notes, bibliography, actual construction, and a section on period stiches) and is in an easy to digest format. The pattern is on regular paper, not the usual tissue paper, which I appreciated. I had trouble with setting the sleeves, but it was my own fault. I made it oversized purposefully to adjust down to my exact size, and didn't quite adjust the sleeves to match correctly the first time. My own fault. I will pos...
Post a Comment
Read more