Fairy Godmother Costume

Costume made and worn by Sarah Thomason

Description: This costume was definitely a labor of love. The costume took over 30 yards of fabric, a hoop skirt, two petticoats and a specially commissioned wig. I ordered the six hoop skirt online, but made both petticoats myself. The overskirt was drafted from scratch and uses four different types of fabrics overlayed to achieve the iridescent look. I varied a bit from the original design when it came to the trim on the dress; the reference art shows a tattered fabric trim, but due to my personal aesthetic taste, I replaced it with a beautiful bridal lace trim that was bought as yards of 60 inch lace fabric and trimmed down by hand to create the trim. I used Simplicity Pattern 4092 as the base for the bodice, but had to alter it to achieve the correct proportion of the center panel and neckline. the Bodice is lined, with boning up all the seams and closes with a zipper in the back. The front panel differs from the reference art a bit due to the materials available tome at the time. I really wanted to have the design custom embroidered, but was on a very short deadline for finishing the outfit, so instead, I used a set of iridescent swirls that can be found in the paper crafting section of a craft store to mimic the design on the bodice. I then embellished the bodice with various rhinestones for extra sparkle. The collar uses a combination of clear vinyl and iridescent cellophane to create the base and it is overlayed with the same lace as was used for the trim on the skirt. The sleeves were drafted from scratch and the wing frame was bought at a Halloween store, stripped of the original fabric and re-covered with fabric to match the rest of the costume. I made the wand out of worbla, and had the gorgeous wig commissioned by Aurora Clohiers by Allengale. For the photo shoot, I purchased snowflake earrings, rhinestone shoes (although they are not visible in the pictures) and did my own makeup.

All photos of this costume are by Photosnxs

Tips and Tricks!

I always buy my patterns and fabrics on sale at a local fabric store. Always use your coupons, they can save you SO MUCH MONEY!!!!!

For simple items like skirts, shirts, or simple jackets, pick up a like item at a thrift store and cut it apart at the seams to make a cheap, easy to use pattern.

I make a lot of ball gowns, and over the years have learned to alter my patterns or draft patterns from scratch, this saves me lots of time and money in the long run.

use layers of sheer fabrics to d=create a totally unique look or texture. the fabric for this gown is a combination of four different fabrics!

Splurge on one item in your costume that you know you aren't incredibly proficient at: I knew that this wig was going to be very difficult to style correctly, so I had it commissioned by a well known princess wig commissioner. I spent more money on it than if I had styled it myself, but it turned out so gorgeous and was worth the money to have it made right.

Add your own details! Replicating a costume can be very difficult, so I have taken to tweaking some details on my costumes to make them my own. Lace trims, skirt shapes, hair accessories, and other details can all be unique to your costume while still conveying the overall appearance of the character you are trying to emulate.