Project Run & Play Sew Along: The Circus Theme

"Dumbo"

Leave it to the ladies at Project Run & Play to come up with a theme that made me gasp aloud and immediately start planning an outfit for the cutest little two year old AND decide to blog again!!!  The Circus!  Oh, my!  My first thought was Disney's Dumbo, the baby circus elephant with the giant ears.  I have always loved the story and the "Baby Mine" lullaby.  

A few of my favorite famous quotes from the movie:  

"Embrace what makes you different."

"Don't just fly, SOAR!"

"The very things that hold you down are going to lift you up."

Sneak peek of extra outfit for Honey Bee sketched on the bottom.

The outfit would be for my friend Marnie's little Rosalie.  Marnie is also a kindergarten teacher at my school and I get to see her adorable little girl often.  Rosie also has Bee in her name and she is like a very busy little Honey Bee that never stops moving.  So...I have nicknamed her "Honey Bee".  Marnie and her family have year-long Disney passes and visit the Magic Kingdom often.  I knew that the outfit would have to be hot weather and toddler friendly and made with easily cared for and breathable cotton.

The outfit had to have the three main colors for Dumbo.  Gray, of course, and red and yellow for the hat and ruffled collar Dumbo wore while performing.

I started sketching right away.  I wanted very full gray bloomer type knickers and a top with a full skirt that would represent Dumbo himself.  It had to have a red ruffle at the top, yellow rickrack, and a yellow hat with a brim that would shield Honey Bee's fair skin.  

Top:  Adapted from Modkid's "Ava", size 3 with a length of a 2, ruffle added

Knickers:  Australian Smocking & Embroidery # 53 "Child of Nature", size 18 months

Hat:  McCall's 6303, XL 

While looking through my stash for the perfect red, I found this bee print that I can't remember when or where it was purchased.  But it was perfect for Honey Bee!

 I was very pleased with the way the hat turned out with all the extra stitching on the brim. As I was making the hat my daughter happened to see the red and yellow fabric on the ironing board and said, "Oh, this could be a Winnie the Pooh Disney Inspired outfit."  Now the hat had to do double duty as a nod to Christopher Robin's rain hat and two more pieces had to be made for this precious child!  (To be blogged about next...I hope!)

We chose this past Wednesday for modeled shots of the outfit because it wasn't supposed to rain that day.  Of course, it did and we took the photos between sprinkles near and under a shelter at a park.  Honey Bee will be going to Disney this weekend and I hope her parents get some cute photos of her by the flying Dumbo ride.  I will add photos when I get them.

 Everything fit!

Back view.  I have a lot of back view photos! 

 This little Honey Bee was zooming around!

I love how the open front reminds me of Dumbo's ears!

Hat on.  Backwards.

Hat off.

Hat on the ground.

Flowers in the hat.

Hat back on.

The following is a tiny photo pictorial on how I changed the "Ava" pattern so that the seams on the bodice were hidden.  This finish makes a completely smooth (no raw edges) lining for the bodice.

I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of Disney's Dumbo for The Circus Theme!

Check out all the wonderful Circus "makes" at Project Run & Play HERE and HERE  for the Sew Along contestants.