As you can see from my recent blog post, I love sewing outfits for my little girl to wear. The dress you see above is sewn from my Cobweb Cats fabric. This fabric is based on one of my linocuts and is available to buy in my shop on Spoonflower. I buy it in satin, as the colours are so vibrant.
I also love going round second hand shops to see if there is anything I can buy which I can adapt for dressing up outfits. This black cloak was sewn from a brand new velvet skirt which was a size 18 - bought from the Salvation Army for a bargain £8. The skirt provided me with plenty of fabric to adapt it into a cloak. I was aiming for the classic fairytale hooded cloak. I added a hood, which drapes really well in the style I was aiming for. I created a placket for a fastening - with gold buttons sewn on top, but velcro underneath, to make it easy to put on and pull off. This cloak has lasted two Halloweens already - and I love seeing the completely different looks that it can be adapted into! The first year, she wore it with her cobweb cat dress - she still looked so young, and v sweet! The following year, she looked like an entirely different person, in dramatic make up and a black wig. The cloak is also practical - last year's Halloween was extremely cold, and it kept my daughter warm while she went from house to house guising with her friends. For those of you who are unfamiliar with guising - it is very similar to the American trick or treating in that children go door to door in their neighbourhood in a spooky costume - but they must earn any sweeties with a joke they have memorised. It is a wonderful tradition, and something my daughter looks forward to each year.
