Bellatrix Costume Progress and Another Anthro Knock-Off

It's actually a lot less shiny in real life.

In the last two days, I have finished the top and the necklace for my Bellatrix costume. The top was tedious only because I had so many grommets to put in (25!)...I finally decided that the sleeves were just going to have the laces sewn in instead of putting in another twenty-some-odd grommets. The necklace was surprisingly fast: half an hour of sculpting this morning with silver Sculpey (and it only took 1/8th of the package!), then baking and cooling for an hour, coloring in the eye sockets and nostrils with black Sharpie, and quickly twisting up a wire hook to hang it on. Total hands-on time: 45 minutes! It doesn't look exactly like the actual necklace, though, probably because I started sculpting and then was too lazy to wash my hands and pull up a picture to reference. The skull needs to be a lot wider, and of course mine isn't as hollow and delicate as the real one. However, rather than making another one and have two bird-skull pendants lying around, I think I'll just call it good enough :/

Now I just need to make the corset and a wand, and possibly purchase a wig. The only problem with the leather pants is that they smell overwhelmingly of grandma. I don't know what grandma was wearing these leather pants, but I definitely experience some cognitive dissonance when I look at and smell the pants. Somehow, a grandma-smelling Bellatrix just seems wrong to me, so I'm going to need to find a way to deodorize them.

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Besides the scary smelly pants, I also picked up a skirt at the thrift store yesterday that was perfect for an Anthropologie knock-off I had in mind. I've always loved the full, flowy floral skirts that Anthro does so well, like the Apothecary Skirt, the Full-On Floral Skirt, and the Settee Roses Skirt.

I'm calling this the Calliope Skirt, because that's the brand on the tag! When I saw it on the rack, I was immediately drawn to the fabric. The pattern of flowers and various fruits was just right combo of vintage-y but not kitschy. Originally, the skirt was pretty long -- ankle length definitely makes me look granny-ish! -- but the waist fit nicely, so all I had to do was cut and re-hem. I love an easy refashion! Other things to love about it: 1) it has pockets! huge pockets! Pockets are so useful on skirts! 2) the sweetheart waistline! 3) it was only $1.50!

All in all, it's been a super-productive morning. And I still have all afternoon to work on my Sew Weekly challenge!

Incidentally, the top I'm wearing was a self-drafted disaster. I was trying to go for merely flowy sleeves, but instead I got this fabric-ruffle-overload thing that makes me look like I'm wearing some kind of weird football gear. However, I needed a white top to wear while photographing the skirt, and I have to say, both are deliciously twirly...

Here I am imitating the Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil.