30 October 2012

G is for Godet

*edit: originally this was "g is for gusset" which is technically a triangular piece of fabric added to add fullness anywhere on a piece of clothing, a godet is more well known throughout the world as used along the edges of skirts and dresses-hope that clarifies it!  Good thing they both start with g! ;)

I admit that I did a bit of rule bending on this one, as it wasn't actually worn to school, but you know how Halloween costume sewing goes.  Goes, as in it bulldozes all other projects until before you know it you've got shells, glitter and sequins quite possibly in every space in the house.
All over the carpet, in my bed, in my hat, in the tub, stuck to Drummer's cheek, in the flour bin....what?  It's true.  We'll let you know when it's safe to eat over again.
It was several months ago when Olive announced that she was going to be a mermaid for Halloween.
Me too! said Azure.
Me too!  said Clover.
Olive raises her eyebrows and gives me that look, like really?  Do they have to copy me?
She finally agreed when I told her I would make them all different.  And I did.  Because they are.
Clover got two godets and a bit of sheer ruffle.  Azure got knee-length sequin ruffle and Olive got one godet and a flowing ruffle.  That's a whole lot of ruffle. 
We collected shells over the summer for crowns and other adornments.
My three little disco balls.
Happy Halloween.
Also.  Clover calls litter glitter, but I didn't use her kind of glitter, I used my kind.
Anyone recognize her bubble crown?

★★★
Last call for the giveaway!

43 comments:

  1. What lovely mermaids. Good luck with your glitter situation. :)

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  2. Thanks, Emily :) It's mostly the sequins that are everywhere and more noticeable than anything, but sewing with sequins was a lot easier than I thought it would be!

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  3. Absolutely gorgeous!!! (hey, that works for G too)

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  4. katy dill you have officially clinched this year's coolest mom of the year award. these are amazing. my girls have begged for mermaid costumes, but i'm not particularly inclined to sew costumes, period and mermaid costumes seem particularly time consuming. these are spectacular. i love the ruffle fabric on top. I love that it's simultaneously modest and beautiful. well done.

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  5. Oh my gosh those are the cutest mermaid costumes and your girls are adorable! I can only imagine how much fun they are going to have "trick or treating"! Saying I'm impressed with your talents is an understatement!

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  6. Absolutely gorgeous costumes and girls, and really great photo shoot. You really are talented, wow.

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  7. rachel--thank you, it was important to me that they were modest. I try to teach my girls that you can be both beautiful and modest--even in costumes. I think they felt it.

    colorchic--thank you! they've already had so much fun wearing them.

    Laura--thanks, you're kind :)

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  8. Oh heavens! I want one:) I have made absolutely nothing for Halloween this year and haven't felt bad either, until a tiny twinge now;) absolutely magical.

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  9. I love them. You are amazing!

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  10. elise-Oh, don't feel ANY guilt. Halloween sewing is my least favorite (except maybe mending). I might have even tried to convince them to buy their costumes...;)

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  11. Absolutely incredible! They're just beautiful, and the photos are wonderful. Super inspiring.

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  12. They're GORGEOUS! Both the costumes and your girls! You, again, did an amazing job on these! I might even start to like sequins when looking at them ;-)

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  13. Those are so gorgeous! I love the outfits and the jewelry is just perfect. Your girls are so pretty!

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  14. Such beautiful little mermaids!

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  15. Oh I LOVE them! The costumes and the girls. The ruffled shirts are the perfect touch. You are a master artist my friend.

    Reid also says glitter for litter too. haha..he is the "glitter" police. Whenever someone leaves trash on the ground he shouts, "They glittered!" If only litter looked as pretty as glitter. :)

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  16. LOVE the costumes. Your girls are adorable in them!

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  17. Ooh, what a beautiful and modest way to do mermaids. Very tasteful. Love all the ruffles and glitter! :) I think I would want to be a mermaid too if I had a costume like that!

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  18. I am so totally enamored by these costumes! Beautiful!

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  19. Those are gorgeous! You should go to the beach a do a photo shoot!

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  20. Sooo shiny, beautiful mermaids.

    So I got the G, because I said godet, which means gusset, I just thought - as I do sometimes - that it's the same in English. :o)

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  21. These look like red-carpet dresses not 'dress ups'! Once again you prove to be the most stylish blogger Mum ever. I too call your type of gusset a godet ( go day).

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  22. You are amazing! That's all there is to it. :)

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  23. Those are wonderful, and now I know they are called gussets. If you need a good sew-nerd kind of chuckle today, my mother asked me (she of unflagging faith) to transform a handkerchief hem dress with two GIANT gussets into a regular hem. I tried to give it back to her several times, but she wouldn't budge. We measured up from the floor and pinned, but they didn't seem all that consistent. So I laid it out like a circle skirt and cut. I'm sure you can imagine how well that worked.

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  24. Kudos to Olive for being a good sport and "sharing" her costume. And great use for the shells. Ours just seems to pile up after every trip to the beach w/ grand ideas for use that never materialize. I love how happy all 3 girls look in the costumes, seems like it was a huge hit! Gold star for mom :)

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  25. I'm a long time reader through google reader and I don't think I've ever commented, but I think these are my favorite thing you've ever done. Truly, I love how unique they are - mermaids with modesty! Oh my!

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  26. Very sweet mermaids! I love all the accessories!

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  27. Those ruffle mermaid tops are perfect and at first I thought that gorgeous beaded floral necklace was a real garland of flowers! so pretty!

    I have a question I've been dying to ask you: I was reading your archives, and when your family was travelling in Asia with your parents, you wore the most splendid green top. Short sleeved, kind of a basic t-shirt silhouette, but, wow, the fabric! Green eyelet, but the eyelets were little leaves, all pieced together.

    Did you make the top? Can you give me any sort of leads on the source for that beautiful fabric?

    Thanks so much!

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  28. Beauuuuutiful!!!! I just love these. They're creative and ethereal (how can that be, if mermaids live underwater?) and just wonderful. Love the colors too and they're perfectly appropriate for little gals without sacrificing the mermaid intent. Funny, I read your post earlier and thought I was wrong because I called them godets (which I had to look up when I made a dress with them once), and now I come back and see you edited. Hehe. I like you. :)

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  29. What beautiful mermaids! I'm curious as to how you attached the sequins - one by one???
    I was able to make a Rapunzel dress and thankfully my grandson wanted to be a ghost!!!

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  30. WOW! Those are the most beautiful mermaid costumes I've ever seen. And your girls look so pretty, and so happy!

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  31. Nailed it! LOVE them all. Reminds me of my mermaid outfit when I was around 10. My mom did long pants with matching stuffed fins attached that went over my shoes out of a bright, mint bed skirt she found at goodwill. The top was out of the same material plus some other pretty fabrics. Modest too and I felt like the prettiest person in the world that day! I'm sure those girls feel the same. Happy Halloween!

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  32. Oh my goodness. How much do I love these costumes? (A lot.) So wonderful. I so wish Grace would have gone for something like that. Instead I'm HORRIFIED at her choice (and at my mom for buying her a costume to match). Sadly tonight she will be going as a "Barbie Cheerleader". I can't imagine anything more terrifying.


    Hope your night is full of fun.
    -liZ

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  33. beautiful job -- love these costumes!

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  34. Those are simply amazing! You never cease to amaze me, seriously! Thank you for all the beauty you add to the world.

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  35. im speechless. you do amazing work lady! I request to see matryoshka doll costumes next year. from biggest to littlest;)

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  36. To-die-for! So fabulous! You inspire me to try sewing Halloween costumes one year. I just never seem to be interested... But where did you find the amazing sequin fabric? I hope I didn't miss a link and am just bugging you! :-)

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  37. Oh, well hello mermaids! Katy, you did such a wonderful job on your girl's costume! Looks like your plan worked, they look so happy and adorable. :)

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  38. Can I just say, I love everything about these costumes... the colors especially. I love the muted tones. It's very whistful and romantic! The photography is amazing too.

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  39. these are gorgeous Katy!
    How fun!
    I'm sure your girls loved them. So whimsy

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  40. These are the most beautiful costumes I have ever seen. Ever.

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  41. Katy -
    I'm curious what your other two girls and Drummer were for Halloween? Hope you had a great one!

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  42. Oh Katy! These are beyond gorgeous! I haven't been here for a while and came to visit tonight to catch up. So many glorious things to see! I smiled to read how Olive loves what you sew over what you'd buy to clothe her. Mine are that way too, at least with costumes. They don't care either way with regular clothes, except for the fit. Store-bought always needs an adjustment, they say. So yes, I treasure these years, too, when Mom-made is cool to these little ones. I figure if I play it right (like painstakingly avoid sewing hideous clothes), they will think I'm cool enough to do their wedding gowns for them some day down the road. Fingers crossed!

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