My little mermaid costume

For Halloween last year my 4 year old decided she wanted to be #Ariel, the only princess that she didn't already have in her bin of dresses.  Since I have vowed never to buy a #cheap, itchy,# made
in china, #one size fits all, unoriginal, #Party City #Halloween costume, I decided to make it from scratch. I typically make our #costumes home made but usually I draw the line at #hot glue for seams.
This costume would require some sewing to make it fit right. Just a simple stitch with # no sewing machine would have to do for sewing is not one of my trades.
When I make a costume I usually have a few reuseable items from home for my inspiration. This is what I had to start:

• 1 Ariel fancy beaded tiara 
• tons of seashells I have collected
• a cheap, elastic waisted, #purple tutu from # Michaels
• purple magic wand thingy
• needle and thread 
• of course hot glue & gun
• yard stick

I went to the #Yardage Town the fabric store armed with a 30 percent coupon and an open mind. I aimed to make a #fin/skirt, a top, a cape and a septor/ microphone. I tried to find a pattern but they only had an ugly mermaid dress.
 Here is what I bought all in 1 small, local shopping center ;

• 1 yard of teal, stretchy, velour fabric for the fin/ skirt 
• 1/2 yard of lavender, stretchy, velour material for the top
• 1/2 yard turquoise net would be used for fin and cape 
•  an Ariel patch for the top
• 1/2 tard teal sequin trim
• 1/2 yard green elastic sequin bands 
• Gold sparkly shoes found at second hand store

I will now try to show how I made the costume:

Cut 2 same size pieces for skirt out of teal velour.
Measure from waist to floor and slightly taper towards feet.
Turn pieces soft side in and sew each side with an over/ under stitch
leaving a slit on each side for walking.
Hem a  long ribbon inside top of the skirt leaving a short slit in the back for ribbon to come out and tie together to allow for loosening and tightening.
Cut tutu in half and stitch onto top of teal skirt, leaving back slit open.

Cut 2 tank shapes and turn soft material facing in.
Sew together the sides with over under stitch leaving armpit. tummy and neck holes.
Sew together shoulder straps and turn right side in.

Hot glue Ariel patch in the middle of top.
Cut 2 pieces of teal sequin trim for neck embellishment.
Hot glue trim to front and back of neckline.





For the fin, get the blue netting and measure around the calf (enough for bunching so child can walk)
Cut large rectangle piece and fold in half .
Cut and measure piece of green, elastic, sequin band loosely around calf.
Hot glue folded netting onto sequin band in gathers every inch.
Sew fin onto velour skirt at mid calf, leaving room in thread length/stitch, to walk.






For the Cape use left over velour piece and cut to large rectangle.
Cut 2 small pieces of leftover blue net.
Hot glue them in gathers, to soft side of a strip of teal velour (long enough to tie around neck loosely).
Glue a small piece of teal, sequin trim over net and velour strip.
Glue or sew net strip to the large velour rectangle in gathers.