Tinker Bell comes to our house!

Every time a baby laughs for the first time, a fairy is born. Or so the stories say.

Well, today I got my own little fairy, and oh boy is she cute!

Grandpa was kind enough to purchase the wings, after my EPIC failure trying to make them myself. I did alter the straps to be more comfortable and also less visible. The dress straps are also very invisible, and I'm really happy with how that all turned out.

I drafted this dress entirely on my own, my very first self drafted pattern! Although it was a lot of work, I learned so much, and the outcome is well worth all the trials and effort. About 3 weeks worth! :/ lol

When Liz decided she would like to be Tinker Bell for Halloween this year, I started shopping around for a good pattern, but found nothing I liked!

I was extremely disappointed in the look of Tinker Bell costumes and other fairy costumes by commercial pattern companies. None of them really look much like Tinker Bell. Instead, they look like generic green garden fairies. And ALL of them have a separate bodice and skirt piece, which Tink's dress does not.
I wanted a one piece dress, just like Tinker Bell's actual dress, but a little longer and more modest for age appropriateness.

I also wanted it to appear strapless like Tink's, so I made nude colored knit straps for the dress, and painted the shoulder elastic for the wings flesh toned. I think both of these things worked so well, they really blend in to her skin.

I also made the matching shoes, painting an old pair of Sketchers green, and made the white and silver pom-poms myself. I think the shoes are very signature Tinker Bell!

I did a lot of internet searching, and came across this costume, which was worn by an actress for the official Tinker Bell Movie premier. I decided to use this as a general guide for what I wanted to make. I didn't want to make the standard square handkerchief hems that are usually used to make the points on a fairy dress, I wanted actual points! The only way I could come up with to achieve this was to line the entire dress, and use the lining to hem the points. I think worked out great, for looks as well as for comfort and making a costume that is really well finished and durable.



Liz was so patient while I did multiple fittings on her over the last few weeks. She also did SO good today while I put up her hair. I had no idea how to make her hair go up into a bun on top of her head, I just sort of winged it (haha, pun intended). But it stayed there for hours! So that was a success.

I generally wouldn't approve of letting Liz wear make-up at her age, but for occasional dress up and for Halloween, it's fine. :)
So I let her wear a little bit of lipstick and I found some body glitter I haven't seen in years at the bottom of my old make-up bag. I put some on her cheeks and eyebrows. You can't really see in most of the pictures, but IRL it really adds a great touch to her fairy-ness, it's pixie dust!

I think all the details come together so well and that is why I'm so proud of this costume. From the pom-pommed green shoes, to the seemingly strapless, 8 pointed dress, the hair, the glitter, and the perfect wings from Grandpa, it really says "Tinker Bell". And Liz is sooo happy with it. I hope this will be a great play outfit, as well as a Halloween costume, for some time to come.