Remember that point in my last entry where I swore through my teeth that I would never in my life make another costume? Well that didn’t last very long… In the midst of the mega tantrum I thankfully remembered that I was the grown-up and took a deep breath and asked the little lady what she wanted to be at Carnival with the forrest/insect theme in mind. Her answer was quick and clear: A ladybug. I knew right away that resisting the urge to make something was a lost cause.

I have a weakness for ladybugs. I instantly thought of the ladybug fabric I had bought at some point just in case I would ever get the chance to make something. I also figured that this is the last chance I get. Albeit tempting, I don’t think I can send my little boy to Carnival as a ladybug. The poor kid will probably be pushed to wear enough princess dresses here at home to ensure that his feminine side is well intact.

Thankfully, I was quite sensible at this point. I figured I would make something simple and that I might actually enjoy making. With a rather grumpy, picky four year old I figured that there were about million ways I could get this wrong. So I picked a dress pattern and drew a picture that I strategically laid out so she would see it. When she asked what it was I pretended that I had just been drawing. I want this my determined four year old exclaimed! I took that as a good enough approval.

When the dress was ready I just hung it out in the living room and let her discover it. Against all odds it got approved. We later had a little disagreement about wings that according to her were missing, yet the ones I made weren’t approved. At that moment I couldn’t have cared less what she wore to Carnival.

Trying to be a serious ladybug

Despite all the back and forth she got up in good mood on the Carnival day and headed off to Kindergarten in her ladybug dress with her antlers and seemed quite pleased. After dropping her off I went home and drank some coffee while yet again swearing that I am done with costume sewing. Why bother so much. After all there had been at least one Elsa, one knight, and couple of non forrest/insect animals at Kindergarten…

Not sure I like those antlers

The pattern I used was the Oliver + S Bubble dress. It was a straight forward pattern that I tempted to make again. I would however make it without the bubbles on the side as those were quite strange in my opinion. The fabric was old cotton fabric from Stoff og Stil. To make the antlers I simply wrapped some ironed black bias tape on a head band and made the antlers out of pipe cleaners.

Strange flat bubbles

Posing

Having fun

Climbing in flowers like ladybugs do