Alice meets Tom Sawyer

Girl child is performing in a youth theatre production of Tom Sawyer this fall.  I am helping out with costumes again, although, I find myself lacking my usual enthusiasm.  For this show, the costumes are probably the most cohesive I've ever done, aesthetically, but there has not been as many opportunities for knocking together some queenly steampunk, glamorous witch wear or sparkly, yet sturdy, fairy wings as with previous shows (Alice in Wonderland, Rapunzel and Grimm, in order in you are interested).  In short, no bustles. 

For Tom I have sewn some dozen pairs of pantaloons and a few aprons, all in beautiful muted coloured, with lots of pin tucks and ruffles, as worn during the steaming hot summer heat in the mid nineteenth century southern USA. It's going to be a lovely show.

Girl child generously agreed to model her costume for me.  The dress is one of many, a mass gift of pastel coloured 'wedding cake' dresses (as girl child calls them) to the theatre from a dance troupe.  The dresses have cycled through a few shows now (and who knows how many dance performances), being pinned up, let down, and having all sorts of wackiness applied to them to make them fit children of all sizes.  I think, originally, this dress would of fit someone quite a bit older and wider than my girl but has been taken down so many sizes now that there is almost as many gathers on the inside of the dress as out.  Every show we end up fitting and altering nearly every outfit on each cast member, at least those we do not make from scratch.  The excess material along the neck gathered up in the fitting does make them look a little like they have puffy, ruffled wings coming over their back shoulder blades.  The striped wrist cuff is entirely girl child's and will most definitely not be worn on stage. 

Now, each little wedding cake gets a pinafore type apron and pantaloons.  Pillowcases and sheets were generously employed as raw material for these.

I think that she looks adorable.  For the record, ten year olds do not appreciate being called adorable.

Although not at all intended, girl child and I thought this little blue ruffled dealie would also make a great Alice costume.  As it so happens, the play opens on Halloween night and girl child must forgo Halloween activities this year (yes, she is devastated, but rallying marvelously for the sake of the show).  So we indulged in a little dress up play.

The white rabbit stuffie I made girl child last year. 

As you may guess, the dress is quite twirly.

For the record, ten year olds are so not over twirling.

We are moving into probably the most intense time for cast and costumes, rehearsal week before the opening night.  During the show's run, the costumers will be kept busy with the inevitable repairs and a few three alarm costume emergencies (yes, we run with scissors.  And needles, pins and, sometimes, glue guns.)  And then I can return to my regularly scheduled sewing.