Hi awesome people! You guys are ace, once again you offered such support / commiserations over my last post & I am so grateful 
I have another weekend of enjoying my role as Mum (& awesome potential m-i-l – not literally mind you) so I am not sure what sewing I will get done (depends on how late their lie ins are!!) but I feel some gratuitous ME sewing is due. We shall see. Anyways, the good news? I found enough time each evening to complete the PIG IN A TUTU costume for a special little girl’s birthday present. Hoorah!!
It is Butterick 3051 (apols poor pic)
Here it is ready to be wrapped up & travel
But before it reposed in the box it decided to show off the white dobby Swiss Violet blouse (still with burnt collar)
This is the potential problem with this pattern – I made the XS which I thought would be for a mini mini little person aged 3, (as the special little girl is just *so* tiny), yet I can squeeze into the “hood” (better than saying pig head, don’t you think?). And the size of the costume itself? Well I reckon she would be able to wear full winter coat, the fullest party dress ever, scarf & wellies & still have loads of room)
I made it from pink velour from the Rag Market & it was a dream to sew with my overlocker. It’s got velcro fastenings & is faced with some me-made bias binding. Boy though, that tutu took ages to gather, baste & unpick bastings & gathers.
The “hood” has something called a stay inside, which turns out to be a stuffed “disc” that provides some 3Dness to the top of the head. I used wadding to stuff this & the velour trimmings made from the overlocking to stuff the snout
Check out the cute piggy tail made with a pipe cleaner inside a self fabric tube. It pokes out where the tutu has a gap. This pattern was actually really simple to make. The only changes I made were cosmetic – eg I used buttons for the features, appliqueing white linen for the eyes (the pattern suggested marker pens 
). My only issue really is the size – I hope it is wearable (she may of course persuade some larger innocent friend into it!!)
Big thanks Roobeedoo for sending me this pattern from her dwindling fancy dress collection…wish you’d kept it?
You know that “hood is very good for hiding bad/ lazy hair days but a few more Violet shots
I’ve decided to buy some white lace flowers to mask the burnt collar – it will be a kind of permanent lace brooch!! But at least it’s not really visible & I can wear it today…More info on how I made the scallops here.
Wearing it with a white cotton camisole. Oh, the trousers are my Miss Ellie Portfolio trousers that I took up by 1.5″ just this morning before work as I thought it was possibly the length that was the cause of my dissatisfaction. Trouble is, when I tried them on again, my figure has changed enough for them to not fit up top anymore (like the rest of my trousers!) I am swimming in them……not that is shows above, I must have hoiked them up for the picture….however as with all my trousers (except my new red ones) they are not fit to be seen. Good news is that I’ve now got Pants for Real People …a new chapter of sewing trousers begins – well sometime if not right yet.
Have a great weekend all, I hope to catch up with some blog reading too so can’t wait to see what’s been going on
What a great costume! My youngest would love that! We have just been on a school farm trip and she was very taken with the pigs! Modelled beautifully as well…..
Your violet looks lovely too.
Thanks Tamsin, I’m quite attached to this plush pig, can you tell?!?
I think any little/big girl would love the pig in a tutu costume and if it is a bit roomy there must be some mileage in it for a few years yet!
Ha ha! Big girls !! Yep that must be me!! I think it’s a relief that I can’t fit into the bodysuit, & the idea that it will have years of wear is a positive. Thanks Catherine
I can’t decide which I love more – the stylish Violet or the crazy pig (which is so beautifully made!)
Thanks Kerry! The plush pig actually has turned out well, never having sewn velour before I’ll give the fabric & the overlocker credit – a really nice finish.
I hope she enjoys it as much as you obviously are from the photos!
Children’s head sizes can be so deceiving, they’re much larger than you think!
That’s a good point Sherry – here’s hoping she’s not completely swimming in it! Thank you
Snort! (with laughter, not disdain!) That costume is amazing! I don’t know how you could bear to give it away! Such attention to detail! And what a great idea about the Violet collar!
Your portfolio pants look great in that picture. I almost bought fabric yesterday to make another attempt on these – now I wish I had. maybe I can phone the shop and beg for mail order!
It’s hard Roo, I quite like it, the pig looks such a sweetie …! But it’s going to a better home & plenty of snorting I hope!
The pants really are huge – they now need about 3″ off the waist & some off the hips too – I sigh – just when I’d put the effort in to re-hem them….I hate alterations & know that they will linger for sure
The piggy costume is adorable.
Children have big heads. As a veteran amateur costume head maker, I can assure you that the XS heads made for 5 year olds continue to be worn to teenage fancy dress parties despite near disintegration of the costume. However, a velcro tab at the back of the head attaching to the neck for shortening (as intially viewed in a RTW hiking rainjacket) is a good quick fix should the child be blinded by excessive hood ease. What a cool present!
Wow, you have lots of costume heads under your belt! How fabulous, and I am beginning to understand the appeal of larger heads now (& also how to shrink this one if need be (gosh, that sounds a bit Pitt Rivers Museum !)
If I had this head as a teenager I know I would have worn it to parties!!!
Truly fabulous! I especially love your snorting expression.
You made my morning. What fabulous shots…while wearing a pig’s hood, no less! Nice!
I LURVE your Violet. So feminine and pretty. I really must make this pattern already.
Wow the pig in a tutu is fab but a teeney bit scarey! I am sure a little alteration would lead to a pink elephant costume from Dumbo. Your violet is lovely. Enjoy your mum time.:) x
I knew it! Love it. And kids have much bigger heads than you think, so don’t worry too much. Your violet is beautiful. I love swiss dot.
great job with the costume! amazing. and your Violet is so lovely – genius solution to save the collar. violet envy. sigh.
I wouldn’t worry about the size of the pig head. Loose is better than tight. Children’s heads are incredibly large in comparison to their bodies. By the time their permanent teeth come in, their heads are nearly as large as an adult’s head.
I am just coming here to say two things:
1. I wish I had thought to made my swiss dot Violet with a scalloped button band, because yours looks amazing.
2. PIG HOOD. OMG. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
It’s not weird if I tell you I love you, is it? I promise it’s totally platonic…
As adorable as you are Winnie, you look terrifying with the pig’s head on…hehe! What a cute outfit though, it’s going to make one little girl very happy for sure! And I’m so pleased you figured out a solution for hiding the burnt collar, very clever stuff indeed!
Seriously, I can’t decide what to be more jealous of- the pigarina or the violet- you’ve elicited much envy from this corner.
Oh my goodness, the piggy costume is fantastic!! I really hope it’s new owner loves it. And what a brilliant fix on Violet – result!!
That pig hood / violet picture is fantastic! I adore your sheer violet even more on – it’s gorgeous
Aw, thank you!
Gidday! Gorgeous, that blouse is stunning and what a genius idea plonking lace motifs on the burn, I love that. It will look amazing too. I can just see lovely whiteness on my screen
(This is how we adjust pants in the theatre for costumes, because you never make anything smaller permanantly!)
http://3hourspast.com/ for sharing the pants love. GO look at Steph photoing and talking her way through a pants fitting.
Now a top tip for a fast adustment of pants you’ve got too leetle for. Run in the back crotch seam from waist to middle. Include the waistband in this enormous pseudo dart. inner leg seams and blend the seam back in about knee. Just take a big fold out of them and run across the crotch seam. Leave it all in there, don’t cut anything, because the funny tension helps to make them fit better. It takes 15 minutes to do this and improves the fit enormously. Not a forever adjustment, but buys you time until you decide to either unpick and resew, or give to TRAID and make new ones!
Wow, I am all agog thinking about those quick trouser alterations …. hmmmmm it might just give me some extra life in them for now! Thank you. I shall also look up Steph & see how she can help my next pair. Thanks as always Mrs C
Beautiful violet! And lolol for piggy
You are too cool for school. That plush pig is quite something, I’m so green with envy! Lovely scalloped violet too, sorry about the burning incident but the lace should cover it up nicely. I can just see you making yourself an adult version of the plush pig for a Halloween costume or a very weird sewing meet up…
I dont think I want a piggy for me – I shall just have to “borrow ” it should I feel the need!
Winnie.. I almost snorted my diet coke by the nose… you are so funny ! Needless to say your violet is beautiful as always x
Yikes! I don’t want to provoke coke up nose!
What a fantastic costume! and I love your blouse it looks fantastic.
Ballerina piggy!!!!!!!!!! It’s fantastic!!!! I loooooove it– although the eyes and everything do make you look just a wee bit deranged (but in a good way). Love!
Your Violet looks lovely! No sign whatsoever of the damage from the iron! I love it! And the trousers look super cute, too! Well done you!
Ha ha! Yes, I think there is a madness in the pig face! And I hope it doesn’t scare the little girl! Hopefully she will want to be deranged at others!
I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH! The pig hood looks fantastic – what a great costume, and how awesome that you got to wear it and show off your oh-so-lovely blouse?! It made me laugh so much and I definitely needed that today, so thank you