Growing Worm

I finally completed the Halloween costume for Lillian last weekend.  I was so excited on Saturday to be so close to finishing...all that was left was the snaps to close the costume and eyes for the headpiece. 

This process took at least 3 weeks...probably more...to complete.  My husband and I worked very hard on a pattern that we thought would produce a costume (for an infant) that would resemble a worm. 

I tested the first pattern on some muslin (inexpensive fabric) and it seemed to turn out alright except for the placement of the tail and the way it would attach. 

I went back and made a couple of slight changes, cut out the pieces, and started sewing them together.  Then I asked my husband what I thought would be a simple question which turned into making a totally new pattern and starting over.  This is where the question of the tail or skirt came in for those of you that voted.

We borrowed a dragon costume from our sister-in-law and used that as a model for the new pattern.  Then I had to choose fabric that I thought would keep her warm and comfy but still look good.  I decided on lightweight fleece for the lining and shiny, glittery green fabric for the shell.  The green was the suggestion of our wonderful playgroup moms :)  I was very confident and pleased with our new design and went to work pinning, cutting, sewing, stuffing, adding ribbon to signify the segment, etc. 

Last Saturday night...approximately one week to Halloween...Being as excited as I was I figured I should try it on my little wiggle worm. 

Note: Lillian is small for her age (like me) and her Dr suggested we feed her a diet that is heavy on fats (oil, butter, avocado, etc.) until her 1 year appointment...we call it her "Fatten Me Up Diet."



See the big belly...that's preventing the costume from closing!



The back of the costume...it definitely had us laughing really hard!

 I'm happy to report that Lillian went through a growth spurt in the past few weeks that made the costume way too small...not great for the time and effort that we put into making it, but great for our little girl's development! 

She will be the dragon that we borrowed for Halloween tonight...it's really cute on her and I will always remember the first Halloween costume I ever made. 

Oh and one last thing about this process...be careful when you go to Joann Fabrics...it can take hours to get fabric cut on the weekends!!!



Our Dragon Princess at the Pumpkin Patch