Psst...Your Irish is Showing

I could kiss this little leprechaun all day (and I do), Irish or not.

I'm sewing along with the Sew-vivor contest and the first challenge was to use the color emerald.  I had wanted to be creative and avoid the gimme of a St. Patrick's day theme to go with the emerald, but I just couldn't help it.  Besides, we really are Irish.  My great-grandfather was born in Belfast and immigrated as an adult.  I'm a full 1/8th Irish and that's just on my mom's side.  The leprechaun thing was inevitable.

Simplicity 0602 (the costume pattern) has been used for no fewer than three different patterns. No joke. They don't even list it in the "out of print" section online.

Lucky to be me! 

To make the costume I used three different patterns from my mom's collection (no need to reinvent the wheel) and this online bow tie tutorial, as well as referencing these instructions to make the top hat.  Learning to tie a real bow tie was a nice bonus.  I bought the fabric at my local JoAnn's.  The buttons came from my mom's button jar.  Someday I will have a nice fabric, pattern, and button stash of my own.  Until that day I will happy raid my mother's as often as she allows.  Which is pretty much always.  The buckles were quickly slapped together with extra gold bias tape..  I attached the buckles to the shoes with regular paper tape, as those are to be his church shoes.  We already had the shirt and I bought the shoes and tights right before taking pictures.

FYI, I made the quilt in high school as a Personal Progress project.  I call it my parachute quilt, but it doubles well as a rainbow.  Those ribbon ties never would stay in place the original bows I tied.

Yes, my son, I did dress you in tights.  I promise I'll never show anyone. Except the internet. And probably your prom date.

I made modifications to all the patterns even though I didn't plan on it.  For the vest I cut out the original pattern but then decided I wanted it shorter in the body.  Easy cheesy.  I added piping around the edges of the jacket to really make it stand out.  The shorts had to come from a different pattern than the vest because the pants pattern simply wasn't there in the envelope when I looked for it.  That's one risk of just reusing someone else's pattern.  The jacket pattern had overalls rather than pants and I didn't want to make that.  The pants were wider than I figured I would want around Q-ball's little knees so I added a band at the bottom.  It made them look more like pantaloons than little leprechaun man-pri pants, but I'm good with it.

They don't make metallic gold piping so I had to make my own.  To make it easy on myself I just bought some white piping and some double fold gold bias tape.  I slit the bias tape up the middle and wrapped that around the piping.  Ta da!  I love the look it gives.  I used the leftover bias tape to make the shoe buckles.

I'm all the pot of gold you need at the end of any rainbow!

The buttons were a lucky find.  I planned on just using gold buttons.  Then I saw these.  They made me think of King Brian's crown from Darby O'Gill and the Little People.  Which, by the way, I watched while I was making the bow tie.  The freaky color flashing horse will forever scare me, though the banshee no longer gives me nightmares like it did when I was a child.  Anyhow, a gold "crown" with dark green velvet just screamed to be used.

"Vintage" buttons from my mom's button jar  

I see something shiny!

What's this stuff?  Money?

Hmm...better put it away for a rainy day.

Wait!  I want it back!

Just inside there, you say?

Maybe if I can just...reach...in...

Got it!  Now where can a guy go to get some green milk?

And then the beard.  Oh, that beard!  It may be the silliest thing I've ever sewn.  And the kid won't wear it.  Uh-uh, no way, forget about it, will NOT have anything to do with it.  Pity.  It's so hilarious.  But Q-ball isn't amused by it.  I took a garishly orange fabric paint and painted it onto dark brown fur and prayed the brown would tone down the orange.  Success!  I love how it turned out.  I guess I'll just have to wear it if he won't.  Maybe next year.

A beard at bedtime is a good look for me, no?

ETA 3/20:  I finally got him to wear the beard!  Not with the costume, of course, but he did wear the beard!  Just imagine it with the top hat.  :)  If there's any interest in seeing how I made it let me know and I'll put up a little tutorial.

MO-OM!!!  How dare you ambush me with the beard while I sleep!?!

I still don't trust you, but at least I have my thumb and my hair.

Peek-a-boo is my weakness.

Okay, Mom; you're right.  This beard is hi-freakin'-larious!

Q-ball also doesn't prefer to keep the hat on.  At least he's good-natured about taking that off instead of the screaming fit I get whenever I try to put his beard on.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

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