Why is that even though we eat together as a family for breakfast and dinner, and the children’s teacher provides them each with a communication book (for messages between parents and teachers), there are some events that slip through and we don’t know about them until the day before?!
Book Week Dress up Day was one of these. Yesterday morning Miss nine piped up with, “I think I’ll go as Professor McGonagall (from Harry Potter) tomorrow”. “What’s tomorrow”, I asked suspiciously. “ Dress up day of course Mum. Remember?” Of course I didn’t. Her Dad suggested she go as the Very Hungry Caterpillar, as eating is one of her favourite things. Nice! But out came the book for some ideas.
And the other two, Miss and Master Six? I thought perhaps Red Riding Hood and a Wolf, as we are into Fairy Tales at present. I love this painting of Red Riding Hood by John Everett Millais –so angelic.
So off to the op shop at lunch time for a quick browse and grab. Luckily my favourite shop (The Salvos in Mackay) still has it “Fill a bag for $5” Sale on. In went everything green, and then a cosy red dressing gown for Ms Hood. Not much wolves clothing, but a cardboard mask might do.
Back home after school it was sewing time.
The cape was the easy part, but the hood took some fiddling, as I didn’t have enough fabric to do a good size rectangle. It should be about 15 by 30 inches, and then folded in half, short ends together, and then sewn on one side. The seam becomes the back of the hood and the long side is attached to the cape, which can be gathered or pleated to fit. I added the original collar to the opening of the hood to make it a bit larger (and the quilting was so nice), and the original ties and button were left on too.
For the caterpillar I just cut out a few rough ovals and sewed them together, from the top of a t-shirt downwards. The back and front are the same. The head is an old red beanie with felt circles sewn on for eyes, and Miss Nine made the antenna out of tin foil. Black socks stuffed with newspaper made extra legs.
As for Master Six, he decided a vampire was more his thing, so out came the trusty (shop bought long ago) cape, plastic fangs, some blue eye shadow, red lipstick and some hair gel. Scary! And not too bad for a days notice!
In the 50s cowboys and Indians were popular dress up ideas. Here is a lovely photo of my parents dressed up as cowboys in about 1965. So sweet!
And for when you need to clean those fangs or lose weight, above are some great products as advertised in “The New Idea “ Magazine, July 1955. Got to get me some of that soap!
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