Book week snuck up again!

 Of course it comes awfully quick when you're working 4 days a week and running around with OT appointments and such on the 5th.  Madelyn wanted to wear the Alice in Wonderland costume I made her last year, when she was 4 and the size 6 I made her seemed to have plenty of room for two years running... Well no, not really, she's well into a size 8 now, after a big winter growth spurt.

So a new costume idea had to be generated! Every time she goes up a reading level at school (which happens often, sometimes skipping a level or going up three weeks running!) we head off to the book shop and buy her a new book, just as we did with her big brother.  "The Amelia Jane Collection" was one such book, and a big favourite for my cheeky little girl.  When she was disappointed about her Alice costume being too small, the mention of Amelia made her giggle and grin, and I had to remind her that Amelia is good sometimes too, usually when the toys teach her a lesson, so she'd have to be Amelia on a good day!

Silly me though - I had thought this will be easy, red dress, white tee, cardboard blue button and some make-up.  Not so easy.  Miss GrowsTooMuch has a very bare wardrobe at present  and not a single red dress!  Luckily Rabbit Rabbit Creations came to the rescue with their Hummingbird Dress pattern.  It was soooo quick and easy, and by luck, I happened to walk into spotlight on a 30% off day and just about fell over this bolt of the perfect red floral fabric with a slight vintage style.  I loved making this easy and well fitting dress, and look forward to doing one with ruffles on the straps as a more fancy sundress for summer.  

The button (which I realised after the fact I drew the wrong type!) was simply a few layers of card, with a piece of watercolour paper stuck on top, and I had fun shading and blending with my little artist girl's aquarelles.  I made a couple of blue ties for her hair bows, and grabbed a pair of striped tights from her drawer (lots of black and white striped tops in shops right now but no tights!).  In my haste to start work by 8am (and the kids needing to be dropped off at OSCH) I forgot her stitching lines on her face, but she didn't notice, luckily!  She's normally a stickler for detail.

Austin was going to go as Joshua Dread, from teh second book where he gets his super hero suit, so I bought spandex in black red and grey, all set to make it the night before dress up day, when he suddenly decided he wanted to be Timmy Failure.  Timmy wears a white tee and black shorts and sneakers.  That's it.  Soooo easy!  But not good for a wet, gloomy 15C day.

I had a think, and came up with Ben from Gangster Granny - since there was very little time to organise a new outfit by then and no shops open!  (By the way, if you have an 8yr old, who hasn't read any David Walliams, get to it - the kid will be in stitches!). Thankfully he was happy with that (after lots of arguing about being Timmy).  So I quickly whipped up a mask and sack, pulled gloves from the dress up box and an easy outfit from the wardrobe.

  

I had the giggles dropping them off before school - he was acting the part perfectly - tiptoe walking with his knees bent exactly like on the cover, his right hand holding the sack (filled with polyfil) and his left hand reaching out twitchy fingers.  It was like the book cover came to life.  They had a fantastic day, and that is what counts!