Frozen: Anna Costume Simplicity 0733/1233

It's Halloween time again, and the costumes are done!  First up is Anna.  I used Simplicity 0733 which is also known as Simplicity 1233.  Weird--the envelope has one number and the pattern pieces have the other.

I'm going to cut to the chase:  the dress is cute, the cape is easy, but the pattern's finishing methods really left me scratching my head.  Several times I looked at the instructions, looked at my fabric, looked back at the instructions, and said "Well, that's stupid. There must be a better and cleaner way to do that"

Lets start with some finished photos:

Cute right?

Here are my complaints:  The bodice piece is the black and the aqua-blue at the neckline is an inset piece sewn to the top of the bodice piece.  The instructions tell you not to finish the edges, just baste it on and then sew trim over the raw edges.  Ummm...no.  I made lining for inset piece, sewed them together keeping the neckline (at the collar) free, and turned them right side out keeping all of the raw edges inside.  Then, I sewed trim over the edges.  Much cleaner.

There was a similar lack of finishing at the scallop trim at the bottom of the skirt.  Again this is a piece that is meant to be sewn to the skirt without finishing the edges first.  Here are the directions:  "Turn band to OUTSIDE; press.  Pin edges in place.  Stitch close to raw edges of scallops or zig-zag (satin) stitch along raw edges."  Sounds like instructions for some serious sloppiness. 

This is what I did:  I interfaced the scallop band as instructed.  Then I cut another set of scallop pieces out of white cotton.  I sewed the scallop edges of the aqua-blue and white cotton scallops right sides together. 

Then I turned it right side out and pressed.

 Then I sewed the scallop band onto the skirt as directed.  Much much neater:

This costume also called for lots of appliques.  I am not an applique person.  I did it on the bodice, but that was it.  For the bodice I cut out felt per the applique pattern and used fuse-n-bond to stick it on.  Then I sewed some glass beads on for some bling.  The skirt appliques were just too numerous, and I could not cut them out without them looking like crap.  So I went to Walmart and found some pink felt flower shape buttons and used them instead.  I fused them on first, then I sewed around the edges so they wouldn't fall off.  I sewed glass beads to the center of each flower to cover the 'button holes'.

Here's a close-up of the bodice:

The cape was simple.  I used 72" wide felt and left the edges raw.  I was a cheapskate and didn't buy the pom-pom trim.  The over-cape gives my little one linebacker shoulders and if I really cared, I'd take in the shoulder seams.  But I don't, so I won't.

There you go: one Anna costume.  It came out cute, but man, those instructions are really meant for something that will only be worn once and not scrutinized too closely.