Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle

I was asked by my good friend Julie Newell, who teaches Vaulting (acrobatics on horseback) to make a Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle costume based on the movie version. I had watched it once, so dug it out to watch over and over until I had a really good idea of what too do. The costumes have to be really tough to withstand the treatment they get and constant washing. I knew I wouldn't be able to use net and sequin fabric, so made them out of different types of lycra, especially metallic. I made the base of Peter Pan with dark green plain lycra and appliqued lots of leaves in different colours and stitched on with zigzag stitch in different colours and lots of metallic thread. I cut out different leaf shapes and also appliqued leaves out of my artificial flower collection which were left over from making the headdress of the Hungarian National Costume, a picture of which can be found on my page.

 

 

I made the legs and arms out of flesh coloured power net and cut some patches out of the trousers and inserted power net in these. When I was happy with the overall look, I added some strips of brown stretch fabric over the costume to represent the straps over his body and around his arm. Here is a picture of the finished costume

 

 

Peter Pan Costume

 

With Tinkerbelle, I decided to make big leaf shapes and make the veins in the leaves using zigzag stitch and lilac metallic thread. I then glued on Swarovski crystals. the skirt part was made with double layered lycra to make it tough and stand out and I edged the leaves with the lilac stitching. She has metallic green pants and power net legs and the top of the body and arms are made out of power net too. I trimmed it with some beautiful dark green sequin trim made up of tiny flowers that I bought a while ago, hoping for a chance to use it. I sewed some ready-made white sequin wings on the back, as it would have been impossible for her to do acrobatics in big wired fairy wings.

 

 

Tinkerbelle costume

 

 

 

 

Here is a photo of the two of them with Julie and some of the other vaulters. There is a lovely video clip of them in action on my page.

 

 

 

 

www.chrisdavoile.org.uk

Making a Wicked Costume

Hello everybody, I am glad to be back blogging again after an extended Christmas, New Year and Birthday holiday break. I have not had any major costume work to do, except for the Costume I am telling you about here,  so have been filling in my time with a few alterations and tidying my sewing room ready for the 40 Dalmations I have been asked to make for March.

On checking out the pictures and info on the Elpheba Costume, I found out the original cost about £14,000!! How was I to try and make a similar one for the sort of money that a 'Dance Mum,' would want to pay? As I am a hoarder, I have lots of shiny and glittery remnants that I have collected over the years, so I started to forage and found plenty to get me started. I cut out a bodice in a medium weight, cotton type fabric and a circular skirt that I was going to leave plain, as it would take far too much time to start decorating that too. I cut various shapes out of the fancy fabrics and appliqued them to the bodice, experimenting with adding sequin net layers over these too. Then I covered the lot with a black lace layer and appliqued various bits of heavy lace and flock over this. I added some boning along the bust seam to give the bodice a better shape

 

I did the same with the sleeves and once I was happy with the look of it all, I sewed all the pieces together and added some frills to the cuffs and around the collar which were made out of torn strips of green and black chiffon. I added some pieces of black elastic cord to the front of the bodice to give an impression of a complicated bodice. I cut out some strips of net and shiny lilac fabric to make the frills for the side of the top bodice. I am very happy with the result



Elpheba type Costume
 



 

 

Apart from the 40 Dalmations, which are going to be quite a laborious and messy job, I don't know what work will be coming my way this year, I just hope there will be lots of creative commissions to keep my blog interesting for my readers who have an interest in costume making.

 

My next blog will contain photos of some of the Troupes I have created recently with details of how I made some of the costumes. Thank you for your continued interest.

 

Chris Davoile

 

www.chrisdavoilecostumes.org.uk