Return of the King

Today is World Book Day, so son went off to school in all his Middle Earth glory. I am really pleased with how the cloak turned out. I mostly used the pattern given by these lovely people, but I made a simple, unlined, square hood rather than the deeper more authentic one.   Son is already planning more uses for the cloak and wants me to get some black gauzy fabric so he can be a Nazgul.  Costume also features: tunic (made to this simple pattern);  sword and elven dagger made from cardboard and silver paper, hung from belt by cloth scabbards  along with drawstring bag for holding gold and lembas and such; elven brooch and Arwen pendant made from pendants found in craft shop (a relief to me as I didn’t have to crochet them).

The overall Aragorn effect is slightly marred by son’s insistence on wearing trainers, his spiderman belt instead of  dad’s leather one, and scowling at having his picture taken.  Still I have hopes of us winning the Best Costume prize (unless we get disqualified to for taking it all just a bit too seriously ….)

Now I have run out of things to sew (until I get the money to buy curtain fabric), so it’s back to the sticks ‘n’ string for a while

just what I need

With my Open University course just starting and my partner currently out of work, what is that I need? Oh yes, a new crafting obsession to suck up my time and money.

I resisted all my mother’s attempts to teach me to sew, which of course I now regret. A few months ago mum passed on to me my grandmother’s sewing machine, a 1950s Singer beauty. I had no immediate plans for it but mum has her own machine and wanted the space in her house; my plan was that once I’ve graduated I’ll take some evening classes and learn to sew.

However.  Next Thursday is World Book Day.  Son’s school have asked the children to come dressed as their favourite adventurer or traveller from a book.  Son insists on going as Aragorn from Lord of the Rings.  Ah.  Something nice and easy.   While we did manage to knock up a Fantstic Mr Fox outfit in one evening for Roald Dahl Day

an Aragorn costume is more of a challenge (for which read, I can’t knit or crochet it).  Then I remembered the machine sitting gather dust (and cat hair).   The nice people on the internets provided bags of information on making a cloak and a tunic.   Got some fabric from Abakhan (son insisted on black, inaccurately) and made a pin cushion for practice

Then I spent the whole of the rest of the weekend making the cloak and tunic.  Looking on it as a chance to learn sewing skills as well as win Mother of the Year (and having been raised in the school of if you’re going to do it, you may as well do it properly), I’ve tried to make a good job of the cloak (also I think it could see lots of service, son still loves dressing  up); the tunic is more of a bodge job as the weekend was running out and I don’t see it get much repeat wear.  But still, not bad for a weekend’s work from a novice seamstress.

Now we just have to fashion a sword and dagger (I’m thinking cardborad and silver paper) and we’re all set for Thursdsay.  Son has promised me I can take photos of him in costume as my fee.  And I am barely resisting the urge to build a stash of fat quarters …