Okay, I haven’t really updated step-by-step but this has been the most exhausting project I’ve embarked on. I think the closest was doing Link a few years back and making the shield and sword. However, this entire costume had so many pieces and details that it was such a challenge and I loved every piece.
All together there was: the hat, the jacket, the shirt, the vest, the pants, wig, socks, bow tie, thread arsenal and shoes.
I guess I’ll start at the top: the all important Mad Hatter Hat. I got the technique from an online tutorial at Thread Bangers and created it from poster board and foam core covered with material and lace. The lace was a must for texture. I then spray painted it with black, splotches of green and a little bit of gold. The tutorial was easy to follow and I added my own little things. I found the peacock feather at Jo Ann’s and I bought the hat pins. In my mind I wouldn’t trust myself to make the hat pins and these were so fun and funky. I made the sash out of some silky fabric and added the size card that I made out of resume paper and wrote the size on. It doesn’t sound like too much, but I feel like I’ve been working with this hat forever!
Next: the jacket. This is my first jacket and it was incredibly threatening, especially since I decided to alter the pattern. I chose this one from Simplicity and found some kind of fake suede and light purple for the lining. I got the entire jacket done (even adding pockets) and my Mom said “It needs something…it’s too plain.” So, three days before Halloween, I went to Jo Ann’s and found some lovely ribbon to add details to the edging and the cuffs (as you can see in the pictures). It added something to it, I don’t know what but it finished the look. I then stitched in some random ribbon into the pocket and found and old pink bandanna and stuffed that in the other pocket. I add a button, but never actually made a hole for it…I didn’t really think it needed it. I’ve very happy with how it turned out and will probably use the pattern again (perhaps for a Tonks coat).
The shirt: I got very lucky and found a pink shirt at Goodwill. This was easy, I stitched the cuffs together and shortened them and stitched lace onto the cuffs. Simple, easy, done! The vest came from my closet, something I got on clearance months back and it works. The shoes were also from Goodwill and I thought of bleaching them because they are too dark, but I think it all works. The socks I found at Kohl’s and Target. Finding orange socks around Halloween is easy and the striped ones were ones I just stumbled across.
The wig: this gave me a little trouble. I bought the “actually Mad Hatter Wig” which means it was insanely big with way too much hair. The hat was actually too small at one point. My Mom and I cut some pretty big chunks out of the wig and brought it down quite a bit. It looks much smaller (which is a good thing). I think I would have bought a cheaper wig but it still works.
Thread arsenal: this part had me at a loss. I didn’t want to buy like 20 different spools of thread and do all this work so I went to Jo Ann’s and they had a lovely little kit of 24 spools of thread. They worked perfectly! I took the tutorial from the site above and it is extremely easy to wear.
Bow tie – how could I forget this part!? I couldn’t decide on buying fabric or dying it and I went with dye. I don’t love it but it serves it’s purpose. I used Tulip dyes on white fabric and it’s okay, just a little too stiff for my taste.
I haven’t completely done the makeup yet but that’s for another time. Below are pictures of the look step by step, but there will be more to come after this weekend!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN (give those needles and sewing machines a rest!)!!!!!!!!!!!!
