Claire  -  Virginia, USA

These are pictures of the picture of the first costume I've ever made. I've always loved Lord of the Rings but I had never thought of making a costume inspired by the movie would be so much fun.

So, one boring summer, I went to Wal-Mart and found black fabric which was perfect for a cloak and since it was only $1/yard I bought it all. I figured if I screwed up I hadn't made that big of an investment. Since I had NEVER sewn before, I tried making the cloak with old sheets and it turned out! With a bit of confidence I started sewing the real thing, making sure that I was following the directions provided by Simplicity pattern... well it was the Star Wars inspired one.

The cloak was a success, so I moved on to a dress which I got from the simplicity 9891 pattern. I didn't alter much, I slightly enlarged the scoop neck. The bulk of the dress was champagne colored silk and the sleeves were Ecru super organza.

After the dress I had so much confidence invested in some more fabric and lined the cloak which turned out wonderfully. I was so pleased with the end result of both garments as I was a true novice at the time and no one would help me! I had to figure out how to use a sewing machine on my own! But I had bought a simplicity sewing machine and it helped out a lot as everything was explained clearly.

I've already worn the outfit to a renaissance festival and I plan on wearing it to the premier of ROTK but I'm going to make a velvet cap first and let my little brother wear the cloak so he can join in on the fun!

This page was last updated 11/21/09