Olive's First Halloween: Progress Report I

My hometown's fair kicks off the funnel-cake season for the area (yes, it's a season). We discovered when I was still young enough that they had a children's pet show that had a best dressed class in each division that qualified for BIS, additionally, the 4H region (could have been district) fair also had a pet show that was not limited to 4H projects (thankfully, since I was horseless member of the year for the county the year before and nothing changed since then sadly, but DH has promised me a pony within the next decade. I'm holding him to that). A couple years before my parents took in a Sheltie when his owner moved out of the area. He became my guinea pig for drafting costumes. He was Harry Potter, a pony, and a sheep before I aged out of the division and he got too old to put up with that nonsense.

Until a sewing table is constructed, I use the dining table for all my sewing needs. Yippee...

Knowing this, it should surprise no one that Olive is getting a Halloween costume. It's still over a month away but pictures need to be taken ahead of time so I needed to get working- and it distracts me from reading about LEED qualifications and alternatives.

About a month ago I drafted a pattern using her measurements and referencing old pictures:

- neck (at base)
- chest depth and width (especially distance between front legs)
- point of shoulder to withers
- point of shoulder to point of shoulder (over withers)
- withers to hip
- withers to dock
- heartgirth
- waist


I used packing paper since I made DH order a whole box for the move. I didn't trust newsprint to not transfer and this seemed cleaner. It works really nicely patterns since it doesn't tear like usual pattern tissue but a transfer wheel can still be used with fabric.

 After far too much work- I figured out that it would be best to make it out of poplin. Despite changing my pattern halfway through (discovered how difficult tissue crepe lame is to work with) I ended up with plenty of everything... except bias tape. I could make my own. But see the previous statement about lame. My homemade bias tape maker would chew it up and Wright makes such nice gold bias tape. Another 9 yards of it are on their way so I can try my hand at millinery work.

As of last night I have her cape 95% complete. This is one of the more labor intensive parts.