KCWC Days 2 & 3 - Halloween Hats

For days two and three of Kids Clothes Challenge Week I fed two birds with one seed so to speak and worked on the kids' hallloween hats. As I've mentioned before, Ava has known for months (without wavering) what she will be for halloween this year. I won't give away her secret yet, but I'll say that she will be a feline character from a classic series of books - and that her costume has required me to go hunting through local antique stores to find a pinafore and tucker that fits her. I'm certain that few people will have any idea who she is dressed up as when she goes trick-or-treating, but hopefully that doesn't deter her or dampen her spirits. She is quite excited about her choice.

For both hats I used Oliver + S's Cozy Winter Hood pattern from Little Things to Sew. If you love sewing for kids and don't know about this book, you are missing out. It is beautifully put together with a variety of useful and creative projects, and the patterns are so well written. Every pattern that I've used from this book has resulted in a high quality product. And I usually learn at least one new thing with every pattern of Liesl's that I follow. 

For both hats I used wool for the outside fabric and flannel for the lining. I really would have preferred velveteen for the lining, but - get this - Joanne only stocks velveteen in dark colors. Why?? I'm not blown away by the fabrics I chose, but I do think they work and are, most importantly, true to the color of the characters we are portraying. My girl is a stickler for details. Both hats sewed up quickly and easily.

two little kittens

Given his inability to speak intelligibly as of yet, the boy surrendered his power of authority to his big sister and she chose his halloween costume (yes, months ago) for him. I suspect she will enjoy making many other major life decisions for him in the future - at least until he grows bigger than her. Without giving it away, I will say that Eli is going to be a rabbit from a classic story who has a penchant for stealing vegetables from his neighbor's garden and wears a blue jacket with brass buttons, "quite new." For all those who have no idea who Ava is, I'm certain many will recognize him.

To be honest, I'm not entirely satisfied with how Eli's bunny ears turned out. The Oliver + S pattern includes bear ears, so I had to draft both sets of ears for these hats. Mainly, I wish Eli's ears weren't quite so floppy and would stick up more. If I was thinking clearly at the start of this project I would have used interfacing or some stiff batting to perk them up. But, I'm going to let it go and won't blame anyone for mistakenly calling him a dog. He won't know the difference anyway, right?

Assuming he keeps his costume on, this boy will be a cute one hopping around the neighborhood.

For day four, I'm hoping to experiment with knits. It will be my first time, so wish me luck. I hope you all are feeling good about your progress and having fun with your sewing!