Halloween Dress

Back in August when I was hosting a class for my Edge Tote, a friend made a Halloween version of the tote using some glow in the dark skeleton fabric from Timeless Treasures. But they weren't cheesy skeletons, but rather scientific-looking diagrams of bones, labelled with their Latin names. It looked pretty cool. When my local shop ran out, I ended up buying a couple of yards online with the intention of making a skirt to wear for Halloween. I figured I could be Miss Frizzle from The Magic School Bus, a witch, Dr. Brennan from the TV show Bones, or just dressed up for Halloween in general.

The skirt idea morphed into a dress and I'm happy that it did! I used a store-bought dress from my closet to draft a pattern. I cut the dress the same front and back, except for a lower neckline in the front. I used my new bias tape maker (so much fun) to make a channel inside the dress at the waist for the elastic. I sewed the elastic into the dress first, then joined the front and back pieces together. I left a large gap for the arm holes, which I finished with my rolled hem foot (love that thing!). Then I stitched up the side seam a bit to make the arm hole the right size. That way the rolled hem disappeared inside the dress past the side seam, keeping it all finished.

I finished the bottom with a rolled hem as well, since I was tight on fabric and didn't want the dress to be too short. That 3 inch difference between a metre and a yard makes a difference! I lined the dress with some jersey knit, sewing the lining and outer dress together at the neckline and then topstitching to finish it off.

I LOVE how it turned out. It's comfortable and fits pretty well. I paired it with a black bow belt from another skirt, my pocket watch necklace and a black hairband with feathers. We're well into fall here, so a black cardigan and leggings were necessary too. I'm also happy that I've gotten to wear the costume a few times. Last week I went to a local evening event called the Witches Walk. There were hundreds of women dressed in costume, with local shops offering discounts, treats, games, wine tasting, vendors and live music. Good times! I also got to enjoy two costume days at my schools and I have a Halloween party to go to Saturday after I hand out candy. I'm usually a last-minute costume-type person, but I'm glad I got an early start this year. I also love that I'll be able to wear this dress again and again around Halloween!

Linking up with TGIFF, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop and LAFF.