Simplicity 3758 and Happy Halloween

Halloween is almost over.  Before I call it a night, I wanted to show you Mr. P.S.'s costume as the Phantom of the Opera:

We look pretty good together, don't you think?  I loved having a couples' costume this year.  I already talked a lot about what went into making my costume.  I started making this the Phantom's tunic back in March but didn't finish it until mid-October.  I realized that I am just not as motivated to make things for other people, especially things that aren't cute.  I mean, Mr. P.S. has been asking me for over a year to take in a couple of shirts and I still haven't gotten around to it.

Anyway, I chose View D with the grommet option.  I found a nice lightweight rayon/cotton at Denver Fabrics for $4/yd.  A lightweight fabric seems to work best for this pattern so it can drape properly.  I made a medium and didn't have to make any adjustments for fit. 

The pattern instructions were very straightforward.  This is a great pattern.  I highly recommend it!

I found the cape at an estate sale in town.  I made the cumberbund after seeing tutorials here and here.

The hubs loved how comfortable the tunic was and that the sleeves made his shoulders seem extra broad.  (I guess it's a man thing.)  I can think of a few other costumes we could use the tunic for.  Score!

'Hope you had a happy and safe Halloween!  My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the storm.

Pattern Review: Simplicity 5582 - Peasant Style Blouse

I used Simplicity 5582, View B, to make a blouse for my Christine Daae costume.  I used a simple white poplin for the fabric.  This fabric was great because it isn't see through and is warm enough to wear on a fall day. 

As you can see pictured above, the neckline is rather wide.  I brought the neckline up by adding 2 1/2" to the top edge of the front, back and sleeve pieces and by not using as much elastic.  I also added a large ruffle around the neckline using a strip of my fabric 2 1/2" tall and the length equal to the circumference of the neckline.  The edge of the ruffle is finished with some cotton lace. 

I chose to have short sleeves with an elastic casing 1 1/2" inches above the sleeve edge.   The blouse bottom edge was a little long but that was easily remedied.

 I love this blouse because of its versatility as a costume piece.  I could be Little Red Riding Hood, a peasant, a pirate or even Little Bo Peep.  The pattern was really easy to follow.  This is a great pattern for a beginner who doesn't want to bother with buttons or zippers.

McCall's 6343 - Lined Corset

In my previous post, I unveiled my 2012 Halloween Costume.  Now I will review the corset pattern I used for my Christine Daae look.

McCall's 6343 - Lined Corset

I used a red, costume satin from Joann's with a 40% off coupon and my military discount.  The pattern told me to line it, underline it and interface it.  I thought it was a little bit overkill, especially since I will be wearing a shirt underneath the corset and am not needing this corset to literally 'hold me in'.  Therefore, I didn't underline it.  

Petite Alterations / SBA

This pattern has different pieces for A/B, C and D bust sizes.  The A/B cup was too big, so I shaved a bit off the center front's busty area to compensate and it fits perfectly.  The next time I make it, I will probably cut of the top and have the corset cover only my torso.  I did have to shorten the torso of the pattern to make it petite.  If you mess with the torso, make sure to reposition the eyelet placement. 

 Boning

I opted to bone only the two seams in the front of the bodice.  I wanted the boning to stiffen out the bust, but not add bulk to the sides.  This didn't end up working too well once I laced it up so I added in the rest of the recommended boning.

Cheap Satin is a Beast!

Those of you who have sewn with satin know that it is no cake walk.  I serged the edges of most of the pattern pieces just after cutting out because I was suspicious of how quickly the edges would fray.  The serger ended up eating some of the edges so I had to make do with Fray-Check.  The satin was finicky and produced some runs after I sewed seams (with a sharp needle) but it's just a costume so I didn't fret. 

Other Tips

I pieced the corset front together with the interfacing attached, then sewed my lining, right sides together.  Because this will be one of the first reviews of this pattern, I want to stress that when you complete this step, do not just leave a little hole so you can turn the whole thing out (as the pattern suggests).  Instead, leave a hole twice as big on the bottom and avoid literally fighting to get the fabric with the boning turned right sides out. 

I added some trim to the top all the way around, then attached my back band with eyelets.  The eyelets weren't hard to put on, just time-consuming.  I don't like that Dritz sells them in packs of 12 and I needed 16, so I had to buy a second pack.  The sandwiched fabric between the eyelets frayed after I had worn it a few times, causing some eyelets to fall off.  I had to make a patch and replace 2 eyelets.  I fray checked the rest but I don't know how long it will hold.  Conclusion: the back band needs to be thicker in order not to budge between the eyelets.  I would underline and interface the back band next time to make it thicker.

Conclusion:

Most of the problems I had with this project had to do with the satin being difficult to work with.  The other problems occurred because I didn't underline the corset.  Overall, I'm very pleased with the finished product.  The fit, especially around the bust is perfect.  I will use this pattern again the next time I make a corset.  

Christine Daae Costume - M6343, S5582, B4731

Here it is...my 2012 Halloween Costume!  I finished it with almost 2 weeks to spare.  I made the entire costume except the hair piece.

This was my inspiration:

I used the following patterns to create this Phantom of the Opera 'Point of No Return' look from the motion picture:

Lined Corset - McCall's 6343

Blouse - Modified version of Simplicity 5582

Skirt - Modified from Butterick 4731

Sash - a thrifted Target window drape cut into a square

Hair Piece - a thrifted clip from Plato's Closet

The whole look cost under $50 to create.  Later in the month I will show you the matching Phantom costume I created for my husband. 

In future posts I will share pattern reviews of each garment I made.

I've been collecting items for months!  It's great to see this all come together.