A Tale of Two Costumes and a Bonus Pattern for a Quick Costume!

Halloween draws near - it will be here before you know it, so time to start getting ready! I have been adding more costumes in my shop, and this costume pattern for children, McCall's 5238, caught my eye. It is memorable not so much for the costumes (though they are among the most popular you will find in patterns, year after year), but rather for the notations by the sewist. The size of this pattern is "small", meaning children size 2 to 4.

Check out the notation in the lower right corner: "Betsy, Halloween 77, 13 months".  Now it is not clear here whether Betsy is dressed in an angel or devil costume, but when I look at what pieces are cut, it is clear. Betsy, at age one, is a little devil for Halloween! ;)

And then, to the left, is the notation: "Betsy 4 Yrs 1980". Again, checking the cut pieces, Betsy got to be a witch for Halloween in 1980. 

I think it is wonderful that the mother was able to use this pattern over again. And it is fun to imagine a toddler Betsy as a devil (rather than an angel), and preschooler Betsy as a witch (rather than a princess)!

A Bonus: Vintage Pattern for a Last Minute Costume

Tucked into the McCall's 5238 pattern was a hand-written pattern for a simple "ball" costume (think snowball with white fabric...) that I am happy to share. I love the illustrations for the pattern, they are simply charming. 

If you need a costume that you can put together quickly and easily, this pattern will fit the need!

Costume requirements: fabric, ribbon or string, and newspapers or other filler.

Instructions:

For those who are not handy in reading cursive writing, here are the details:

• Measure a length of cloth as wide as the distance from elbow to elbow with arms extended, and twice as long as the distance from neck to knees.
• Fold the material in half, with the wrong side out. Stitch the side together, leaving holes for the arms as shown. Cut 2 holes out of bottom fold for legs to go through.
• Turn the sack rightside out. Make slits at intervals near the top, and thread a ribbon or string through the slits.
• To put on costume: Have the child step into sack. Stuff the sack with shredded or crumpled newspaper until it is round and full. Pull ribbon to gather the sack at neck, and tie.

And that's it! I can imagine a black fuzzy material would make a perfect spider (cardboard tubes for legs?). Or a ribbed orange fabric would make a pumpkin, with green ribbon. Purple fabric for a grape? Brown fabric for a nut (make a brown cap to make it an acorn?). You get the idea - have fun!

Skating Costumes through the Decades - An Enduring Style!

Winter is coming! And for those who face freezing winters, ice skating comes to mind. Skating outfits over the decades barely changed. Just look at these great examples.

1940s

This skating ensemble consists of skirt, jacket, and trunks. Skirts are full circle and lined. In the 1940s they loved to trim an outfit with hand embroidered motifs - hearts and flowers in this example - adorable! And don't forget to notice - trunks match the skirt lining. Perfect for both ice and roller skating. :)

1950s

Here the skating ensemble (ice and roller skating) includes the full circle skirt, a snug vest, matching trunks, and blouse too. Tap dancing was huge in the 1950s - note the tap shoes on the dancer on the right.

1960s

In the 1960s there were more options for girls! Twirlers and majorettes use a variation of the same ensemble as the skaters in this pattern. The skirt and bodice are joined into a one-piece costume, but otherwise the skirt is still a full circle, lined, and matching trunks (briefs) are included.

1970s

 In this 1970s pattern, a cheerleader joins the twirler/majorette and the ice skater and roller skater. And in this pattern the full circle skirt is replaced with princess seams and bias flared gores that are one-in-piece with the bodice - a very 1970s style! Note the option for inserting godets for extra flare. Matching briefs included, of course.

18th Century Costumes - Then and Now

Continuing on the theme of costumes, here is how an 18th century costume is interpreted through the decades. Note how most of the costumes have draped fabric (panniers) at the sides, and the Puritan costume is frequently included.

1930s

1950s

1960s

1970s

Little Red Riding Hood - Then and Now

Halloween is getting very close, so I thought it would be fun to look at how costumes change (or don't!) over the decades. There are perennial favorites, and ones from fairy tales are always winning choices.

Here is a rare and lovely costume from the 1930s that features Little Red Riding Hood and an angel:

From 1996, this pattern features Little Red Riding Hood, too, as well as Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz (or simply a darling country dress with pinafore).

If you are sew quickly (and most costumes are designed to be sewn quickly), there is still time to put together a fine costume!

Before and After Hit Parade - 1950s Girl's Dress Hits the Stage!

Seamstress: Rachel Danay - Lincoln Community Playhouse
Pattern: Butterick 7009

This adorable girl's dress from 1954 was purchased by Rachel to sew as a costume for a community theatre production of The Bad Seed. Isn't that exciting?! She's been working hard to have as much ready as possible by Oct 20.

And here is the dress, which is terrific and looks great on this young actress! This fabulous photo is the work of Bronson Gierhan of Lincoln Community Playhouse, and following it is the show's awesome poster. So if you are in Lincoln, Nebraska later this month, be sure to enjoy the performance (it's a drama mystery/thriller), and enjoy the vintage costumes, sewn by Rachel!. :)

Costume Time - Tudor and Victorian Belle

As Halloween draws near, an intense focus on costumes occurs here in the United States. However, sometimes I think the UK provides more opportunities for dressing up in period costumes than we here in the US. Here are two excellent examples, as shared by my customer Jan in the UK. She originally shared her story of sewing a historical costume for her daughter in my post "Before and After Hit Parade: Girl's 1940s Wartime Frock - Reliving History!".

After I blogged about that wonderful experience, Jan shared pictures of two more costumes that she had sewn for her daughter, Georgia, for school events. Georgia makes such a beautiful model - and the detail of the costumes is fabulous.

Here is Georgia in a Tudor costume, complete with fabulous gable head-dress decorated with pearls and daisy medallions. The gown is sewn in a rich fabric, complete with a square neckline edged with tulle, and a standing collar or ruff.

The next picture shows Georgia in a Victorian dress that Jan sewed for Victorian day at school. Jan said that Georgia had a bad cold that day, and so she thinks the photo isn't as good as it could be. She also made a matching cape which isn't in the picture (and regrets not getting a picture of). But look at the fine details: fitted bodice with center trim and long sleeves, full skirt with front draped apron, high demure neckline, and matching bonnet.

Lucky Georgia, to have a mother who sews so well! And lucky Jan, to have a daughter who looks so beautiful, no matter the fashion era. I look forward to seeing more of Jan's creations. And happy sewing to all of you who are sewing costumes for Halloween and other fun occasions!

Halloween Costumes And My 5,000th Pattern Sold!

Today was a milestone for my vintage pattern shop, Midvale Cottage, on Etsy - my 5,000th pattern sold! A lucky customer, Carey, in Canada was the purchaser - as a result, the pattern she picked was free. :D Boy, did she really save today (because that included shipping)! :)

Here is the pattern she purchased - whimsical adult costumes for Halloween:

 I wonder which costume will be sewn up - the monkey, the penguin, or the frog?

Be sure to visit my shop and view the inspiring Halloween costumes for all ages-from the 1930s through the present - and I am adding more each day. Just look in the "Crafts and Costumes" category of my shop. Halloween will be here before you know it!