The Dress Up Hoodie |Mouse House Creations|

Scroll down for english, please. 

Minha gente, acaba de sair um novo molde pelo qual fiquei encantada. É o Dress Up Hoodie da Mouse House Creations é é qualquer coisa de especial. Além de que é perfeito para esta altura do ano, para quem gosta de festejar o Halloween. Mesmo que ainda não tenham costurado um fato para os miúdos, não se preocupem, este molde pode-vos salvar. 

People, there's a new pattern out there that got me amazed. It is the Dress Up Hoodie from Mouse House Creations and it really is something special. Just perfect for this Halloween season. Even if you're running behind with a costume, don't panic, this pattern might save you. 

O meu piolho tem de se mascarar dia 31 na escolinha e eu não tinha nada para ele até há dois dias, quando acabei este novo hoodie. Escolhi fazer a versão "morcego" para ele e ficou bem melhor do que eu esperava. Como não me dava tempo de encomendar uma malha à medida para este projeto, e preta como um pequeno morcego pede, acabei por usar o que tinha à mão. O que uma vez terminado, veio reforçar a minha ideia de que a nossa criatividade se apura sempre que temos de improvisar. Modéstia à parte, tornei-me muito boa nisso. 

I live in Portugal and we don't celebrate Halloween as people do in the USA, for example, but kids get to wear spooky costumes at school, and teens are actually doing trick or treat too for these past few years, first they were very shy, just a few, but now we hear them out all the time. The bad thing is that they do a lot of nasty stuff with the "halloween" excuse. Anyway... my boy needed a costume to wear at school next tuesday, and I had zero until two days ago when I finished this hoodie. I chose to make the "bat" for him and it got even better than I hoped for. I knew I didn't have the time to order the right knit for this project, in color and type, as a bat deserves, I just worked with what I had. Once finished, it just reinforced my belief that creativity improves every time you're forced to improvise. And modesty to the paret, I became pretty good at that. 

Mas continuando, usei uma malha mais fina, que em tempos foi uma fronha de almofada XXL, e que já tinha usado parte anteriormente. Não é completamente branca embora assim parece nas fotos, tiradas ao fim da tarde, numa luta contra o pôr do sol, e quase em desespero porque 1º não se queria virar para a máquina, depois não queria o capucho na cabeça, e só para irritar depois já não queria nada, até pediu para tirar o hoodie e tudo. Sempre foi do contra, fazer o quê? E olhem que ele delirou quando viu a peça... até gritou BATMANNNNN. Ainda conseguimos algumas que d´´a para vos mostrar os detalhes da peça, por isso já me dou por satisfeita. 

And on we go, I used a light knit, that was a XXL pillow cover, and which I had used a piece of a while ago. It is not totally white as it seems to be in these pictures, taking late in the afternoon, in a duel with the sunset, and almost in despair because this kid didn't want to stare at the camera first, then he didn't want to have the hood on his head and to finish, he just didn't want to wear it at all asking us to take it off. He's always been this way, what can I do? Believe me when I say he actually liked it a lot when he saw it... he even screamed BATMANNNNN. We did get a few shots though, which I think are just enough to show you the details. 

O molde é composto por vários animais, uns com capas, asas, unicórnios, caudas, orelhinhas, enfim... é muita fofura junta, e a mais velha também já fez o seu pedido. Para este usei o molde base do hoodie, dispensei o bolso da frente e em vez disso, desenhei (a olho mesmo) um morcego num papel, cortei-o em flanela (o que se revelou uma óptima opção, já que a flanela aderiu bem à malha, dando-lhe estabilidade e facilitando a sua aplicação - feita com um ponto zigue-zague muito pequenino). Usei as orelhas e asas de morcego, estas últimas são costuradas nas mangas, para as quais usei também a flanela. Era o único tecido preto na minha coleção que me pareceu indicado. 

The pattern is made out of several different animals, some have capes, wings, horns, tails, hears, as so... it's too much cuteness altogether, and my oldest has requested her own as well. For this specific one, I used the basic hoodie, skipped the front pocked and instead I free hand drafted a bat in a papel, then cut it on flannel (which was a great option, since it adhered to the knit nicely, give it some stability and making the sewing task much easier - applied with a very small zig zag stitch). I used the bat ears and wings, this last one is sewed to the sleeves, and I used flannel for them too. This was the only fabric in my stash that seemed appropriate for the project. 

Adoro ver as asas a abrir e a fechar conforme ele mexe os braços. Ainda pensei que se poderia tornar desconfortável quando ele os estica mais para a frente, mas aparentemente isso não acontece, pelo menos não se queixou. As nossas orelhinhas não se aguentam de pé, muito possivelmente porque o tecido não tem corpo suficiente para se manter, ainda assim não deixar de ser super fofas. Agora, penso que devia ter usado preto para os dois lados, frente e trás. Ah, e os punhos são reciclados de hoodies de adulto. 

I love to see the wings moving as he opens or closes his arms. I thought it'd be uncomfortable for him when he pulls his arms forward, but aparently that doesn't happen, or at least he did not complain yet. Our ears don't stand up, possible because our knit hasn't got enough structure to stand, nonetheless they are still pretty cute. Staring at it now, I think I should have used the black fabric for front and back. Oh, and our bands were recycled from adult hoodies. 

Se ele gostou? Claro que sim! A foto acima confirma-o. Só queria que este calor passasse duma para que terça feira o miúdo não assasse dentro do hoodie. E para quem desse lado gostou da ideia, ainda vão a tempo de espreitar todas as outras opções disponíveis e comprar o molde em desconto (link lá acima, logo no início deste post). Têm o fim de semana para pôr mãos à obra. Depois juntam umas calças pretas (que é o que eu vou fazer) e em duas horas têm um disfarce pronto. 

Did he like it? Oh yes! The above photo seals that. I just wanted this hot weather to be finally gone for good, so tuesday the boy wouldn't bake inside the hoodie. And if you liked the idea you're still in time to check all the other options and get the pattern on sale (link above in this post). You have the weekend to sew. Then you just throw in a pair of black pants (which is surely what I'll do) and, in about two hours, you have yourself a new costume. 

Carnival 2015

Last year I did a little series on my Carnival costumes. I even shared tutorials for two of them, and linked to another one. When I did the round up of my past costumes, the last day, I forgot to mention two more that weren't on the photos. They were a medieval girl's dress and an angel dress. I still don't have photos of the last one I mentioned, but my niece was big enough this year for it to fit her and that's what she wore. Here's a little photo from our first day from this year's Carnival. Apart from my nephew, I made all the other 3 costumes. 

The Medieval dress was made many years ago, for my third fashion show, and it was used by a friend's daughter. This was the dress that closed the show. That little girl, has also opened the show, she wore the angel dress for that and all eyes were on her, she was so brave, and I was so proud of her. Back to this dress, the features I love the most are both in the sleeves. Apart from the gathering, I love that they are so long. L. was always hiding her hands but the sleeves are lined in red, and they make a raindrop shape. I guess you can only have a little glimpse of that in the last photo below. I also made her a last minute cape, but I didn't take a single photo of that. She dressed as a vampire. 

For S. I upcycled his sister's ant costume. She asked me to make him a cat costume, but after sewing her own costume (in a minute!), I was feeling way too lazy to sew up another one from zero. Since he is the exact same age she was Carnival 2012, and since her costume was all black, I took the chance to adapt hers into his. It was the quickiest and easiest thing to do. Here's the before:

I took the extra arms out, sewed them together and attached them back as the cat's tail. Then I took the antennaes out of the headband (which was covered in fabric too after these photos) and sewed two felt cat ears. Easy as that. I only regreat that I didn't take any better photos of this.

For G.'s I made the pink Cinderella dress. I tried to make her change her mind about the dress, "wouldn't you like the blue instead dear? you love blue so much!". And she really does, but apparently, it's a pink fase and I have to deal with it. But I'll admit it though, when it comes to our own princess it doesn't really matter what colour she wears, it comes down to how happy we can make her and I have succeded here. She was just super excited about it.

To make this, I used an original bride's maid dress from the early 80's (I believe!). It was from my sister's MIL just as many clothes I have refashioned before. I even have original photos from her wearing it. The fabric looked like a thin table cloth, it was not pretty at all. But I saved this dress because I thought of it as Carnival costumes material and I was so right. It was perfect for that pink Cinderella G. was begging for. To finish the look I also used scraps from a light satin pink fabric I used over 10 years ago to make a dress for a friend and white tulle that was saved from my sister's wedding, also over 10 years ago...

I made hers with a long sleeve though because it was so windy and cold these days. This way she was able to wear a white shirt underneath without a weird look like last year's when she used a red shirt under her Snow White costume. This dress has all sort of things I don't like, such as soooo many pink and big bows, oh gosh, those big bows, and yet, I couldn't have been more happy about it. My daughter felt like the most special princess in the party, so how couldn't I love it?! I saved the V shaped on the back, in order to be able to save the original ziper and save myself from the work of installing a new one.

I wasn't able to take that seam mark off though. Do I really care about it?!

To finish the costumes parade, I should have the Minnie mouse costume I made for my niece two years ago. I didn't get photos back then, and I didn't get photos this year either, when she wore it the second day. That was simple though. we used one of the minnie mouse headbands I made for g.'s first birthday and I made her a simple skirt, with a wide elastic on the seam. It fits me too because of it, and I have actually wore it at a carnival night's out last year. It was a success. lol I do have photos of that, but would have to search for them, and I am feeling lazy. 

My Carnival (and other) Costumes Round Up

And we've come to the last day of my mini Carnival series... if you just arrived here today, I've shared, for the past week the costumes my daughter wore this year and the last one. I also have put up two turorials to make two of them, Snow White and Sock Monkey. They were both refashions. Today, I am bringing a small round up of costumes from previous years. 

Not all of them were meant for Carnival. There's two Santa Claus Costumes (boy and girl) obviously made for Christmas. 

There's also a Flamenco Dress and a Flamenco Boy's Outfit that weren't made for Carnival either, but they are used as Carnival costumes around here too... I have blogged about them before. HERE. 

On top, there is a little Devil's Costume. I made it for a costumer last year and have never blogged about it before. My daughter was about the same age and I tried it on her to check the fit. She looked just too cute. 

Then you have the Sock Monkey Costume I shared with you (and tutorial) yesterday, followed by the very first costume I ever made. It is a Dalmatian Dog Costume, it is only a 3M size and it was made for my nephew, eight years ago. My sister still has it, so when G. was about the same age I used it to make a little photo shoot with her. Adorable! It's all I could say. But as I was checking it back, I was just too ashamed with the finishes in it. Eight years ago I wasn't that good sewing as I am today, and that is a huge prove. 

The Prisioner is my nephew's costume too... one of my faves I'd say. It turned out just too cute and fitted him perfectly. He loved it too. The same year, I made his sister a 20's Lady Costume (picture below), she was so happy with it and all the feather's it had (and lost too). 

And the last costume above, is the Ant Costume I made for G.'s first Carnival. Making her an ant costume was a family joke, and I have blogged about it, and also shared a tutorial too. HERE. 

Not on the pictures, I have also made a Minnie Mouse Costume for my niece last year, and many years ago, I made four adult Medieval dresses. I might have to search photos of these and share sometime in the future. it's all for the Carnival theme now. I hope you have enjoyed it and perhaps you found some inspiration for the next costumes you'll make. 

Butterfly Costume for/from school

Yesterday's the official Carnival day here. But for my daughter is has started a couple of weeks ago when they started preparing it at daycare. 

In my child's classroom, each kid picked an animal to identify their stuff, and mine chose the butterfly. When Carnival was peeking through the corner, their teachers decided to choose the animals theme for their costumes. Each would wear the animal of their identifications. 

So, as I said, mine is a butterfly. I was requested to take a pink shirt and a pink pair of leggings. In fuccia pink. Well, she actually had both, but the tones of pink weren't really matching and I wasn't feeling like buying any of the pieces. What to do then? Refashion of course. 

I went to the usual charity shop and their had the right tone of pink (matching the shirt she already had) for 0,50€ in the form of a child's dress. I bought it with the idea in mind of transforming it to leggings, but then it had a little tulle ruffle and I knew the teachers were going to make a tulle tutu for the costume. 

I was already cutting when I notices I didn't take a before picture, so I did then. 

I took it to school and shared my idea with the main teacher. What if I did a dress instead and she'd wear it with some tights in the same colours as the wings (which they did at school)? She liked the idea, but then I realised that G. had no tights to match it so we went back to the leggings. In yellow for contrast. I knew I had a pair of (shorts) leggings of my own in yellow so I used them to rezise and make it for her. 

When I finished the whole thing, I took it to school to school together with the scraps and some pairs of tights of my own that I wasn't using anymore. One of them was the stars printed one that they have used to make the wings of the butterfly, which we all loved. The fabric scraps, were used to make the antennae. The school costumes were simple but they were all just too cute. 

As soon as she was outside and saw me and daddy, she was really dissapointed, telling us how she couldn't fly. The wings weren't working. She spent the previous day believing butterflies did fly because of their wings and now that she had hers, she couldn't. 

But don't worry... daddy and I found a way to make her fly... she couldn't be happier!

Carnival (sort of) Series

photo source

The official day for Carnival over here is March 4th, next Tuesday. But celebrations have already started. On friday morning, some schools made parades with their classes. Each class usually picks up a theme and all kids are dressed up according to the theme, while others just go free. 

My kid's class theme was animals, and they have made their costumes too, but they didn't make it to their school parade because they are so young and two of the carers are away. I was sad when I knew about it, but at least they got to wear they costumes in school and play around. 

I am not one of the biggest Carnival lovers on earth, but I enjoy it too, so in celebration of the season, I have prepared a few posts for this week, according to the theme. I will be sharing how it was for my daughter is school last friday, I will share a couple refashioned costumes tutorials, I will reveal the costume I made G. this year and will also show you some of the past costumes I've made. 

I hope you all follow me in this mini-series of mine and enjoy the fun that Carnival is supposed to bring!