Rapunzel Dress

I have finished making Gwen's Rapunzel dress for Halloween!

It was challenging, since this was my first actual clothing item ever and since I couldn't find a perfect pattern that I liked, I opted to combine 3 online tutorials to get the job done... but, I certainly learned a ton and had fun doing it! Gotta admit, I'm glad it is finished so I can do something else. I got sore sitting at the sewing machine for a couple hours 4 nights in a row. How do you 'professional' seamstresses do it? ;) One of the best parts of the project was that I was actually using fabric remnants from a dress I had made in HS for a Medieval Christmas feast musical concert I sang in. So I only actually spent 6 dollars (pink ribbon, pink sparkly bead details, elastic, and velcro) on the entire project!

The bodice tutorial I adapted from this Cinderella dress tutorial. It was perfect, except I didn't use stretchy knit, so the neckline wasn't as smooth and simple or easy as she makes it look. Because one of my fabrics turned out to be itchy , I also had to improvise a partial lining (after I'd already sewn the thing I decided I better put in a lining so I wouldn't have to listen to her complain), which looks terrible since I was just making it up as I went along, but it gets the job done. and it is on the inside, so looks don't matter, right?  :)

The sleeves I wanted puffy, so I adapted this puffed sleeves tutorial. It worked great, except the tutorial doesn't give all the dimensions an inexperienced person like me might desire. I had to guess. I got lucky. :) It also doesn't explain how to attach to the body of the clothing, so I had to look that up. But overall, the best puffed sleeves tutorial I found online. Of course, I added the pink ribbon stripes.

The skirt I wanted as full as possible. I was going for a circle skirt so it would be wonderfully twirly, but didn't quite have enough material. Remember I was using remnants, so I just combined the fabric as best I could. So, almost a circle skirt. I adapted this tutorial for a twirly skirt here, adding an improvised lining here too.

I still have to make the braided yarn hairpiece with flowers in it, but that shouldn't be too hard. I'll finish it closer to Halloween, I think. Now I just have to make Caroline's peacock tutu and headband, finish sewing my diaper bag, and start&finish sewing my Thanksgiving advent calendar and I'll be finished with my queue of sewing projects! I hope to get all but the advent calendar finished before school begins in September because I won't have as many nights to work on things when I'm supposed to be doing homework.

Oh, and I have to convince Gwen that she doesn't want to wear 'the pretty purple dress for me?' until Halloween... yeah, wish me luck with that one!