strega nona and big anthony
for halloween this year i decided the kids would go as characters from jude’s current favorite book: strega nona.
inspiration
this was easy since we had been reading this book 2-3 times a day for months.
Big Anthony
top: i started with the oliver + s building block dress pattern, but turned it into an a-line top. i used some mustard cotton i had gotten a few years back at stonemountain & daughter. because of fabric limitations i lengthened it into more of a tunic by blocking a piece on the bottom.
hat: this was a variation of the bucket hat from the little things to sew book also from oliver + s, made from green felt. (while the book is now out of print you can buy the pattern for the hat here). i just lengthened the side piece, taking care to make sure the final piece was the right length at the top to go around the crown piece. i added some blue ribbon from my stash.
kerchief: i cut a square out of some corduroy (left over from these pants), hemmed the sides like i was making a napkin, then added some velcro so it would stay around his neck. in hindsight this red headband of talia’s he has on in the below picture would have probably worked just fine.
putting it all together: i paired all of this with a pink long sleeved shirt and a pair of navy joggers, both from primary.
strega nona
skirt: i made the swingset skirt from, you guessed it, oliver + s, in two lightweight purple cottons from my stash.
apron: this was a bit of white cotton lawn, also from my stash, with a casing for ribbon. i added a bit of entredeux at the hem using the technique i learned from this oliver + s blog post.
kerchief: this was an old white headband with a piece of cotton lawn hemmed like a napkin and sewn on.
putting it all together: i paired all this with a warm long sleeve onesie from kate quinn we already had.
magic pasta pot & fork
magic pasta pot: i decided that jude should carry his candy in the magic pasta pot, which would naturally be overflowing with pasta. i ordered a plastic cauldron and using some cream felt made a little cylinder the size of the cauldron and cut a slit in the top. then i cut strips of felt to be the pasta and hot glued them to the top in a haphazard way (while still making sure he could slide the candy in through the slit).
fork: i also ordered a big serving fork and hot glued strips of felt on that, taking care to make sure i did so in such a way that the prongs were completely covered.
finished product
i was thrilled with how it came out! we had a blast, despite what the pictures may convey.
