Since we still have a gallon of fake blood in the studio (from the 2022 Halloween Extravaganza with Bloody Mary), this somehow led us down a rabbit hole where we ended up creating a many-layered Marie Antoinette costume. 

And with Jacky Sanger working with us in the studio this summer, we were able to make this costume (relatively!) historically accurate. Of course, I doubt Marie would have appreciated the cocktail-length skirt or all of the attempts to photoshop my head into a basket, but we tried! 

If you want to recreate a similar 18th century costume, you’ll need all of these layers:

1. A three-layer Charm Foundations Petticoat in silk organza. We affectionately call ours the Sea Monster.
2. Another chiffon petticoat. Ours is from Malco Mode, but any will do. You want LOTS of fluff!
3. A muslin circle skirt to smooth out the petticoat layers. Since this is a costume, we didn’t even bother to hem it!
4. A custom-made bum roll. We made ours from muslin and polyfill, with grosgrain ribbon for a waist tape. This is a bit like a padded donut belt, with all of the padding at the hips and back. (You might be able to hack something together with heavily stuffed fanny packs, but don’t tell Jacky that I suggested something so historically inappropriate!)
5. A pleated and gathered Liz skirt in pink silk satin. We made ours in a long cocktail length, but you could also make it go to the floor. When hemming, don’t forget the added complication of the bum roll. 
6. The bodice with attached overskirt.

The bodice is a heavily hacked Maria Dress bodice, with a squared neckline, basque waist, and center front closure. 

The sleeves started as the Maria sleeves, but then Jacky taught us how to create a single-seamed, historically accurate fitted sleeve with a layered cuff. She then hand-tacked Alençon lace motifs to flocked tulle to create the perfect oval ruffle as a bit of decorative trim. If you want to see every crazy step of how they were done, check out charmpatterns.com/marie-antoinette-sleeve.

We then added even more frosting with more lace at the neckline, fork-pleated trim along the princess seams, and graduated bows tacked at center front. 

The overskirt is a simple pleated rectangle, attached to the bodice starting at the front princess seam. Then we tucked the front corners of the skirt into the side seam at the waist and stuffed the folded skirt hem with lots of tulle to create even more floof. It looks like magic, but it is very easy to do!

This tutorial from Rachel Petterson, aka Pigs In Pajamas, will show you how to easily transform (almost) any skirt or dress–including one you’ve already made–by adding a removable, twinkling LED underskirt!

For a very detailed tutorial (and even more stunning photos of Rachel’s Festival of Lights skirt!), check out her video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JmbCMHjQcw

Resources

• Twill tape or bias binding, slightly longer than your waist measurement
• At least 9 pairs of hooks and eyes
• LED fairy lights with a battery pack
• Fabric glue like e6000 Fabric Fuse (optional)
• In addition to the supplies listed above, you’ll also want a skirt or dress already completed.

LED Light-Up Skirt Tutorial

For the example dress, the Maria Dress bodice is paired with the free Charm Circle Skirt. The underskirt is the Stanwyck Skirt, which is also a full circle skirt. When selecting your underskirt pattern, you can use the same shape as your outer skirt (e.g., circle skirt with circle skirt) or you can go smaller (e.g., A-line under circle skirt), but larger (e.g., circle skirt under an A-line) is not recommended.

While this tutorial will work for most skirts and dresses, it does require the outer fabric to have at least some translucency in order to see the lights. Most quilting cottons will work, but mesh fabrics with embellishments like sequins or beads to catch and reflect the LED light are ideal. 

The underskirt fabric should be a medium weight stable fabric like quilting cotton in a color that complements your outer skirt fabric (e.g., black for a dark skirt, white for a light skirt). The underskirt will need to support the weight of the lights and batteries.

Sew the underskirt: follow the instructions for your chosen underskirt, shortening the hem by 2 inches (5.1 cm) and omitting the waistband/facing and zipper. Be sure to keep the zipper opening unsewn. Staystitch the waistline edge, then finish the waistline edge with twill tape or bias binding. 

Add hooks-and-eyes to waistline edge: handstitch hooks to the waistline edge of the underskirt at each side seam, at center front, at either side of the center back zipper, and midway between each location. Add more hooks if you’d like more support for the weight of the underskirt. Handstitch eyes to the outer skirt’s lining, as close to the waistline seam as possible, matching each hook’s location. If your outer skirt doesn’t have a lining, place the eyes on the wrong side of the skirt at the waistline edge (usually the lower edge of the waistband).

Create a pocket for the battery pack(s): cut a 5-inch by 5-inch (12.7 cm x 12.7 cm) square of underskirt fabric. Finish the upper edge, if desired. Stitch the pocket to the right side of the underskirt side seam, at hip height.

Design your LED placement: this is the fun part! Place the battery pack into the pocket and arrange the strands of lights so that they are distributed around the skirt. Make sure the wire doesn’t have any sharp bends or kinks, and make sure it doesn’t cross the zipper opening. 

Attach your LED lights: using fabric glue (which is faster) or handstitching (which allows for more flexibility), attach each LED light to the underskirt. For more security, sew down each wire by hand with long running stitches. TIP: although fairy light LEDs appear to give off light in any direction, there is actually a brighter side—the side that the wire isn’t crossing over. Be sure to have the brighter side up when attaching the string of lights.

Wear your skirt and take a twirl: slip the underskirt between the outer skirt and lining (or to the wrong side of the outer skirt if there is no lining) and attach the hooks to the eyes. Turn on the battery pack and shine like the star you are!

But first, some inspiration! Vampira (played by Maila Nurmi) was a character in a tv show, The Vampira Show, that ran for one year (1954-1955) and was only broadcast to the Los Angeles area. It has become a cult classic and influenced many of the “spooky” shows and characters we love today. Here’s a few of my favorite looks:

While I’ll never achieve that hip-to-waist ratio (!), the lines of her gowns are so similar to the Lorelei Gown that I knew it would make the perfect pattern hack for Halloween.

Resources

• Lorelei Gown pattern
• Black knit leather-look fabric (I’m obsessed! It feels and sews like a ponte knit, but looks SO glam.)
• Power net, lining, thread, a long invisible zipper, and everything else in the Lorelei instructions
• 24-inch-long black fringe
• Rhinestones from our stash (there’s tons available on Etsy)
• Long black wig and as much black eyebrow pencil as you can handle

Vampira Gown Pattern Alterations

1. Draw the seam allowances on the Lorelei Gown Bodice Front Insert (2) pattern piece. Fold the Bodice Front Insert in half lengthwise, as you will be cutting the front bodice on the fold. Measure the neckline edge of the pattern piece (not including the seam allowances!) from the folded edge to the long raw edge. This measurement will be short, around an inch or so.
2. Tape tracing paper to the Bodice Front (1) pattern piece at the center front. Draw a line from the upper CF circle away from the pattern piece, roughly perpendicular to the grainline, equal in length as your measurement in Step One. Draw a line from the lower CF circle to the waistline, parallel to the grainline. Draw a line to connect the two points to create your new center line; connect the end of the first short line to the point where the second line crosses the waistline. This will be your new center front and will be cut on the fold. Draw the “cut on the fold” arrows and scribble out the original grainline.
3. Using a French curve, draw in a new neckline, in any shape you wish. My neckline comes to a deep V point just below the level of my apex, and curves up to the shoulder (about 2 inches or 5 cm away from the armscye edge). Sometimes, I like to pin the pattern piece to my dress form just to help me visualize everything. After you’re happy with the way your neckline looks, add 5/8 inch (1.5 cm) seam allowance, then cut out and label the pattern piece.
4. Measure the distance of the shoulder edge of your new bodice front, without seam allowance. On the Bodice Back (3) pattern piece, draw a line from the armscye edge along the shoulder equal to this distance (without seam allowances). This will make sure the front and back meets perfectly across the shoulder seam. Draw a long from this mark to the center back seam, to create the new back neckline. I drew a curved line using a large French curve, mimicking the original neckline. Once you’re happy with your back neckline, add 5/8 inch seam allowance, then cut out the pattern piece, truing the neckline dart as needed. Label the pattern piece.
5. It’s a bit hard to tell because of the shaggy cut fabric, but the bicep area of the sleeve remains the same as the Lorelei Gown, and ease is added from the elbow to the wrist to create a bell shape. For the sleeves, draw a line perpendicular to the grainline on the Sleeve (4) pattern piece, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the notches. Draw five lines, about 1 inch apart, parallel to the sleeve centerline from this line to the wrist edge. Slash and spread these five parallel lines to create a bell shape, then tape to a new piece of pattern paper and true the hem edge. You can go as dramatic as you’d like; my sleeve hem ended up being almost a half circle! Cut and label the new pattern piece.

Vampira Gown Sewing Instructions

Follow the Lorelei Gown sewing instructions to create the bodice, cutting the new Bodice Front on the fold in fabric, lining, and power net. Ignore all references to the Bodice Front Insert.

Before inserting the sleeves, try on the bodice and adjust the front waist and bust darts as needed. Some of the bust shaping of the original pattern was provided by the bodice front insert, so you may need to pinch out additional fabric to create a perfect fit. Adjust as needed.

For the sleeves, omit the lining. Sew as usual, then insert into the bodice.

Follow the rest of the instructions to complete the gown (with the panty).

After construction, sew the long fringe around the entire hem, all the way up to the tip of the thigh slit. Use scissors to cut ragged edges on the sleeve hem all the way up to the elbows. Hand sew rhinestones to the sleeves and bodice as desired. Then throw on a black wig and your bra with the most oomph, draw on some dramatic pointed eyebrows, and get ready to scare the neighborhood children!

Let’s start with some inspiration. Dolly wore so many jumpsuits with big bell bottoms back in the 1970s! More images and inspiration can be found here.

So amazing! This jumpsuit hack combines the Lorelei Gown bodice with the Dolly Bell Bottoms, with added trim and just a tiny bit of pattern hacking to eliminate the center front V panel on the bodice.

Resources

• Lorelei Gown pattern
• Dolly Bell Bottoms pattern
• Black ponte knit fabric
• Power net, lining, thread, and a long invisible zipper (as in the Lorelei instructions)
• Rhinestone trim (similar)
• Black fringe with shiny sequins
• Black cowboy hat, big hair, a large spider brooch, and lots of rhinestone jewelry

Dolly Jumpsuit Pattern Alterations

1. Draw the seam allowances on the Lorelei Gown Bodice Front Insert (2) pattern piece. Fold the Bodice Front Insert in half lengthwise, as you will be cutting the jumpsuit front bodice on the fold. Measure the neckline edge of the pattern piece (not including the seam allowances!) from the folded edge to the long raw edge. This measurement will be short, around an inch or so.
2. Tape tracing paper to the Bodice Front (1) pattern piece at the center front. Draw a line from the upper CF circle away from the pattern piece, roughly perpendicular to the grainline, equal in length to your measurement in Step One. Draw a line from the lower CF circle to the waistline, parallel to the grainline. Draw a line to connect the two points to create your new center line; connect the end of the first short line to the point where the second line crosses the waistline. This will be your new center front and will be cut on the fold. Draw the “cut on the fold” arrows and scribble out the original grainline. You may want to curve the corner of the new neckline so it isn’t so square. Cut out and label your new pattern piece.
3. I wanted to wear tall platform heels to make the bell bottoms really stand out, so I added about 6 inches to the inseam of the pants.

Dolly Jumpsuit Sewing Instructions

Follow the Lorelei Gown sewing instructions to create the bodice, cutting the new Bodice Front on the fold in fabric, lining, and power net. Ignore all references to the Bodice Front Insert.

Before inserting the sleeves, try on the bodice and adjust the front waist and bust darts as needed. Some of the bust shaping of the original pattern was provided by the bodice front insert, so you may need to pinch out additional fabric to create a perfect fit. Resew the darts and/or side seams, as needed.

Before sewing the sleeve seam, baste fringe to the vertical seam (outer fabric only), then sew the sleeves as usual. (All sleeves should have fringe! It’s so fun!)

Ignore the panty and skirt instructions. Instead, follow the Dolly Bell Bottoms instructions to create the pants (without the waistband), attach to the bodice, and insert the zipper.

After construction, try on the jumpsuit and use chalk to mark out the spiderweb lines. Hand stitch rhinestone trim to create the spiderweb decoration, and add a large spider brooch to complete the look.

Claudia lives far away, so we really had to wing it for this one. Here are a few tips we learned while creating her Alice costume:

Choose a Simple Pattern With Fewer Pattern Pieces Children aren’t shaped like small adults. They have different proportions, which means a fitted garment that uses an adult-sized pattern block won’t fit. Avoid patterns with significant shaping at the bust, or with details that emphasize a woman’s curves. For our Alice costume, we started with the Cinch-It Dress, a trapeze dress with a very loose fit, in the smallest size available (size 2, with an A-cup).

Get Out Your Calculator Sizing a pattern up or down requires a bit of math, and you’ll need a few extra measurements. Compare the body measurements to the size chart and the finished measurements listed in the instructions. The Cinch-It Dress has significant ease built into it, so we were most concerned with the fit at the shoulders. Compare the bust measurements between your model and the size chart. In our case, the pattern is 4 inches larger. To find the percentage difference, the math is as follows: (Model’s measurement x100)/ Desired measurement= percent difference. When we plugged in the Cinch-It Dress measurements and Claudia’s measurements, we got a percentage of about 87%, so we found we had to reduce the size 2A pattern pieces by 87%.

Print the Pattern Smaller and Correct the Seam Allowance Print out the pattern pieces using a printer with a custom scale setting set to 87% (or your desired percent difference). Check the test square: it should be .87 of an inch, or just a smidge smaller than 7/8 inch.

Measure your pattern pieces to make sure they will fit your model. The shoulder fit is especially important (for kids as well as adults!).

Before cutting out the pattern pieces, you’ll want to adjust the seam allowances. Our scaled down seam allowance measured just over 1/2 inch, so we added 1/8 inch to the cut line to get our usual 5/8 inch seam allowance. Of course, you could also just sew the garment using smaller seam allowances.

Test the Fit With a Muslin Don’t skip this step! Make a full muslin of the garment, including the collar, sleeves, cuffs, pockets, belt, or whatever other details are included in your pattern. Not only will this help you test the fit of the garment and determine the correct length, it’s also a great tool to make sure the placement and scale of the details are correct.

Complete the Costume The final Cinch-It Dress was sewn in blue cotton, with a white pinafore created by combining the Stanwyck ruffled bib (scaled down to Claudia’s size) with a simple gathered apron that tied at the back. White socks or tights, a pair of black patent shoes, and a black headband will complete the look— but I’ll let her mom worry about that!

This type of pattern hacking is one of my favorite ways to play! I love taking existing Charm patterns and turning them into something new, especially for our Halloween Extravaganza.

For full details and measurements of how to recreate this hack, look to pages 16-19 of Issue 7 of Vintage by Gertie Magazine, available to Patreon members in the Glamour Circle tier and higher, but the basics are as follows:

We started with the Las Vegas Halter Top (available on Patreon) and used ribbon to plan out the size and placement of our color-blocked heart. Once we transferred those lines onto the paper pattern pieces, we lowered the neckline to create more drama, and a more distinctive heart-shape. After a few mock-ups in fabric from our stash, we made a few more changes to the pattern pieces, and moved on to the black and red version you see here.

We paired the top with color-blocked Loretta Shorts (also available on Patreon), turning it into a chic romper and keeping the costume versatile for everyday wear (and for Disney-bounding).

Then, we crafted a separate Homecoming Skirt (another Patreon favorite), complete with a waist facing, to layer over top.

Finally, we crowned this creation with a fabric-wrapped wire headpiece, and the look was complete!

Because a white circle skirt is a wardrobe staple, I opted to create this look as separates, so for this pattern hack, Andrea and I began by altering the Bryant Gown pattern to create the top of Kim’s dress, which we then paired with a white chiffon circle skirt.

Read on to see how we achieved this look! For even more details, please see pages 33-36 in Issue 7 of Vintage by Gertie magazine, available on Patreon to members in the Glamour Circle tier and higher.

Resources

• Bryant Gown Pattern
• Free Charm Circle Skirt 
• White Stretch Cotton/ Poly Pique
• White Silk Duchess Satin
• White Silk Chiffon
• White Satin Covered Buttons
• 2-inch Buckle (similar)
• Long Blonde Wig
• Washable Fake Blood 

Bryant Gown Top Alterations and Instructions

We began by reshaping the neckline of the Bryant Gown, drawing a line from the dress center front shoulder edge, perpendicular to the center front. The same alteration was made on the back of the dress and the cap of the raglan sleeve, ensuring a seamless transition for the future neck band.

After taping the dress side front to the dress center front at the princess seam at the sew line, Andrea sketched a curved line for the dropped waist. Using a serrated tracing wheel, she then traced the same line onto the dress back, making sure the side seams had a smooth transition.

Andrea then created a a self-drafted cuff on the gown’s three-quarter raglan sleeve, and made a long rectangular band for the neckline. A 2 inch belt buckle from the Charm stash became the focal point of Kim’s iconic look.

The band itself is seamed at the shoulder and split at the back, requiring multiple pattern pieces: the Band Right Front, a long curved rectangle that flares at one end to tuck through the belt buckle, the Band Left Front, a short rectangle hidden under the buckle, and the Band Right Back and Band Left Back, two trapezoids that meet at a point over the lapped zipper opening.

We stitched the top in a sumptuous white cotton pique, with the neckband and cuffs sewn in silk duchess satin, added buttons down the front, and paired it with a white double-layer chiffon circle skirt, all lined in white poly satin (for the blouse) or white cotton (for the skirt).

The result? A costume as hauntingly romantic as the tale that inspired it.

Of course, I’m talking about turning Charm’s Maria Dress into the gorgeous white dress worn by Natalie Wood as Maria in West Side Story, shown below with Rita Moreno.

Sew the Charm Patterns Maria Dress with three-quarter sleeves in a white textured or eyelet print. Add a wide red belt (included in the Maria Dress pattern) and pair of red heels, and you’re good to go!

For a dress that is even closer to the original, add white lace trim to the neckline and sleeve hem, and add layers of wider white lace around the skirt hem.

For your own Pink Ladies jacket (from the movie Grease and Rise of the Pink Ladies tv show), all you have to do is follow the instructions given as-is for the Rizzo Jacket. We even include some perfect pink fabric recommendations, SVG/PDF files for the “Charm Ladies” gang appliqué, and a font so you can add your own name!

Come join our girl gang with your own Rizzo Jacket – it’s perfect for Halloween and every other time of the year!

I’ve included the PDF (or SVG) file and step-by-step instructions below so you can make your own.

Resources

• Bat fascinator file in SVG or PDF format
• 1/4 yard of black buckram
• black metallic textured faux leather
• Liquid Fusion or other quick-drying fabric glue
• black fascinator hat base
• black headband
• 1 yard black millinery wire
• rhinestone trim
• six faux flowers
• black or gray Silamide thread
• black thread
• pliers

Bat Fascinator Construction

Using the PDF or SVG file at the final size you wish your bat to be, cut two buckram bat shapes, adding a 2-inch (in) by 1 in (5 cm by 2.5 cm) tall tab below the center of the bat. Slice the tabs so you have a one tab with three legs: 1/2 in, 1 in, 1/2 in (1.3 cm, 2.5 cm, 1.3 cm).

Placing the bats on top of each other, stitch around the edge at 1/8 in (3 mm). Zigzag the layers of tabs together.

Cut a long piece of millinery wire and bend it to the approximate shape of the top edge of the bat using pliers, extending off the edge of each wing by at least one inch. Cut a second piece, bending it to match the bottom of the bat shape (not the wings).

Using a wide zigzag stitch, attach the wire to the buckram. Using your pliers, create small loops with the excess wire at the end of each wing; this will remove the sharp ends of the wire.

Using the SVG file and your craft cutting machine (or the PDF file and an Exacto knife), cut two faux leather shapes to match the bat outline and wing ribs. Because I used a scrap of faux leather, I cut each of mine in four pieces: one for each wing, one for the head, and one for the bottom edge.

Glue one bat border and ribs to one side of your buckram bat using Liquid Fusion or quick-drying fabric glue. (A hair dryer will really speed up the drying process!)

While the glue is drying, construct your fascinator base. Attach the fascinator frame to your headband using a wide zigzag stitch over the headband in three spots. It should be secure, but the headband can also slide a bit so you can reposition the fascinator to either side as you wish.

Stitch two millinery wire supports to the fascinator on either side of where you want to place the bat. I made circles and then bent them upwards and twisted the ends. The photo above shows a single wire support, and the photo below shows them both.

Once your glue is dry, use Silamide thread to attach the rhinestone trim around the entire exterior of the bat, cutting at corners and points to make sure they look sharp. I used rhinestone trim with a black base, so it would blend into the faux leather outline.

Of course I went for more bling! If you want to add rhinestone drops hanging from the bat wings, lay out each length of rhinestone drop (approximately 2-4 inches) and stitch to the bottom point of each bat wing and ribs.

Glue the second faux leather bat border and ribs to the backside of the fascinator, hiding your stitching.

To attach your big bat to the fascinator, slide the two millinery wire supports up through the layers of buckram and position the tabs on the fascinator. Stitch the center tab forward between the front support. Stitch the smaller two side tabs next to each side of the back support. Using tiny stitches, stitch the two millinery wire supports inside the bat to secure.

Glue or stitch three faux flowers on front and another 3 to the back of the fascinator, hiding the millinery wire armature and the tabs of the bat.