This year I promised myself that Carnival would have less stress. Of course for that to happen I have to realize a few months in advance what costumes will the girls want to wear. And of course, do not go on adventures to make an equal costume for me.
This year I managed Mafalda ti pick her cosyume in early January, after the holidays were over. Of course she was still on the wave of Rapunzel and this was her choice. For Teresa I had not thought of doing anything, because I still have a clown suit I made for Mafalda when she was the same age, but being a true democrat Mafalda thought that if I was going to make her a new costume I had to make a new one for her sister. Sweet fraternal solidarity.
The choice of Little Red Riding Hood was mine though Teresa liked the idea. Actually I didn’t want to make another princess costume and I realizes that I had never done any character from a children’s folktale.
Materials gathered the rest was more or less improvised. Funny that things keep get easier each time we are making them. This time I found myself changing the Rapunzel’s dress pattern with ease and without hesitation, and more, I found myself thinking that the instructions lead to an absurd waste of time and unnecessarily complicated sewing!
This Rapunzel costume is more like a princess version rather than inspired on the Tangled (movie) made by Disney. I’ve tryed to find purple fabrics rather than this lilac, I didn’t found any compatible materials so I had to go with lilac as it is. The original pattern has an organza overskirt that I’ve decided to keep, because I thought Mafalda would really like it, although I used a carnival tulle with golden touches. The bodice of the dress was made of crystal velvet to be warmer and the sleeves were made of satin for the same reason. I used eyeletson on the bodice of the dress and it was a pleasant surprise because for the first time I managed to make it perfect, but for some reason less clear, this was also the first time I remembered to use a hammer to help in the process!
Mafalda was very proud of the braid and I think it would be enough for her to wear the big yellow braid and the flowers. The pity is that she and her little school friends manage to almost drestroy it. It looked like my hair when I wake up!
Teresa costume was made more by intuition. For the skirt I used the simplest circular skirt overlapped with the elastic, no extra seams, though to use less fabric I had cut two pieces of fabric instead of one. I made a red tulle skirt but I hadn’t enough tulle to lift the skirt as I wanted, but still helped compose the set.
The hood was done very intuitively and used a crystal velvet to do so. Has linen and It closes with a lace in the front. The apron was a treat! For the upper side I did not do anything, I dressed Teresa with her clothes just to make sure she kept warmer because Carnival here is in the Winter and we were on the day before playing in the snow! Teresa is always very supportive when it comes to taking pictures and never says no, never runs away stays in the positions I ask her to stay, but almost never I get her to smile when she knows I’m taking pictures. So this should be the Little Red Riding Hood when comes home to her mother after being eaten by the wolf!
