This year I was on it early. I believe it was still September when I got the kids to pick out patterns and I headed to the fabric store for supplies. I was so excited and eager to start!

And then I got to the fabric store. Two hours later and much poorer I finally left the store exasperated and a lot less eager. But I was feeling very grateful that I had started so soon.

The boy had decided he wanted to be Dracula since he’s been loving Hotel Transylvania lately. The girl needed to be a “fairy princess”, a pink and purple one to be exact. I have tried to steer her away from the princess stuff but the pink force runs deep in this one.

I found these patterns by McCall’s. They didn’t seem all that intimidating at the time, in fact they looked rather cute. After finally deciphering the information hidden on the back and inside the pattern I managed to track down (almost) all of the stuff I needed.

Now, over a month later, I’ve finally finished them. The hardest parts were, in order: making a multi-layered tulle skirt, sewing in a zipper, making and applying cuffs and collars. I already knew I disliked zippers, cuffs and collars, but working with tulle was an entirely new form of torture for me. I will be strongly suggesting non-tulle-based costumes in the future.

But the end results are costumes and dress-up clothes that my kids love and will be able to wear for a long time and maybe even pass down to their kids someday. And I guess that made it all worth it. Maybe.