Burda Style For people who sew

Description

This is the space costume I made for my son, five years ago. I was inspired by a photo of a costume on the internet, and used a very old drafting book to make a basic one piece suit pattern, which I then modified. It was the very first time I’d ever modified any pattern to try to copy something from a picture. Also the very first time I’d ever drafted anything. I’d seen my mum modify patterns heaps of times but never really understood what she was doing. I think I was confident to have a go at this because it was only a costume for a birthday party, and it was cheap fabric. And as I was doing it, it suddenly all made sense. I was very pleased with how it turned out and proud as punch of myself for even attempting it. It all took about 2 weeks from start to finish,that is fitting it around my normal life: housework, children, bookkeeping, etc.

The photos don’t show it, but I didn’t do a very good job of the invisible zip in the back. It was my first attempt at an invisible zip and I’ve still not mastered them.
The last two photos are of my youngest then aged 3, with the legs all scrunched up. We excitedly dressed him up in the costume when we found the gloves in the bottom of a drawer in my sewing desk. (I think I had planned on remaking them since they were falling apart). It’s taken me all this time to post because I’ve just found the original photos.

Side note: We did have plastic boots which we sprayed silver to complete the costume. But as my husband only sprayed them on the morning of the party, and did a VERY THOROUGH job of covering them with paint, they were not dry by the afternoon and Jesse had to wear his joggers. The paint was still not completely dry two or three weeks later!

Material Notes

metallic stretch fabric – I think the kind used for dance costumes,

invisible zip,

wadding,

thread

Difficulty

Novice

Categories

Credits

me

my mum for always being such an inspiration

the costume I saw on the internet, on some costume website – sorry can’t remember which one.