Throwback! Halloween 2015

Halloween 2015: I decided I wanted to dress like my favorite Disney Character! Growing up right around the time of Pocahontas meant that I wanted to be her! She could talk to animals, she loved to be outdoors, she was MUCH more adventurous than I (diving off cliffs, exploring all the time....) and she was portrayed as an all around B.A.! I have since taken a history course where we read Pocahontas' actual story and childhood me was very disappointed! How dare you Disney? Whelp, you are right that Pocahontas your way is a MUCH better story haha! Anyway...

After a shopping trip with my mother I was determined, I could do this! Why not make my OWN costume!! We picked out fabric, which really looked like animal hide and my mom told me how I had the skills to make the costume! Alright, I thought. How hard could it be?

I put off beginning the costume because I had no idea where to start. I didn't measure myself and just attempted to eye-ball a cut ("Measure twice, cut once," the forgotten motto... until this fiasco) and cut WRONG. Then I had to fix the issue by re-sewing the pieces together and starting all over. The back side would have a random seam across the middle, but hey, the front could still potentially look good right?

Here is the picture I sent to my mom after I was reaaaally frustrated...
I asked her if this looked enough like Pocahontas to stop. ha. hahaha.

I plotted and plotted.... how could I make this work? Whatever fabric my mother and I picked out was not the slightest bit stretchy so I had to sew a zipper in on the side. Also, it was still a tad tight around my bottom, but hopefully I'd be able to squeeze into the bad boy for one night, one party. 5 hours, that's all I needed to make it through...

About two weeks later (the night before my party) and many glasses of wine later, I realized I would pull it off! I finished fringing everywhere to mock her dress and cut the V shape to the bottom. The fringe really helped me as far as the finished look, and it meant I didn't have to spend time hemming anything. (Whoooooot!).

The final project! Looking great!

I added the fringe belt at the last minute to hide some of the pull that was happening with my fabric, and I thought I needed something around the middle to pull the look together. I added a little washable face paint to my arm for her tattoo, which just came off on my costume and my friends all night.

mid-way through the night I just had smudges everywhere... Silly red paint.

Also, I already had the necklace that looked very Native American inspired in addition to the fact that it was almost the right teal. If only I had a little bit darker hair! People could've mistaken me for Pocahontas herself!! I was very happy with the outcome of my costume! However, I'm no seamstress. I think I'll stick to craft items and quilts from now on. AND simpler Halloween costumes...