Costumes?

[Oollilolli]

Suzie-Qzie,

What a great name!

Such great suggestions from our new friends here...awesome!

Definitely check out the local thrift stores. Our local Goodwill stores have 99 cent days for clothing--a gold mine!! Look at some of our friends online here and decide what kind of outfit you'd like.

If you don't mind sewing, go to the Butterick website they're patterns are at least 1/3-1/2 off store prices, and don't forget the Easy Sew at $2.99 per pattern. Then check out your local craft/material stores and even thrift stores for material. (To be honest I include a local WalMart because they have $1-$2/yd material that's really zany!) Enjoy!

[Perry Noia]

I"m planning on using the material for making scrubs... they've got neat, kid-friendly patterns in bright colours and are usually on sale too. I'll probably be making a Simplicity Raggety Anne dress but shorten the sleeves and make it out of different patterned material... maybe add several pockets to the apron.... where do you find the best clown socks? I'm thinking pink and purple stripes or polka dots... i found one website but there were no sizes listed.. they can't be one size fits all 'cause my calves are huge!

[Lilly_A_Clown]

When buying material from wally world be careful what you buy there are some good ones but there are some really thin fabric as well, horrible for something that you want to keep for a while and hard to work with. it doesn't hang as well. also if you dry clean your costumes they will look newer longer but some fabric you can not dry clean** when buying patterns don't forget about the sales that the major fabric stores have anywhere from 99 cents to 1.99. You would be surprised what you can turn into a clown costume I am making a skirt out of a gypsy costume skirt and overalls out of a big pants pattern. Don't be limited to what you see and what peoplecan too you that you "can do".

[Oollilolli]

Thanks Lilly!

Generally I get my material from the local Joannes fabric store...love that clearance area and sales! I'm an average seamstress so I may need to find some help with my costume. That Gypsy costume sounds like fun!!

I have some great patterns and ideas to "piece" together, but I want to line it too. Dry cleaning is a good idea especially if it is lined.

How many costumes do you have? A base with a couple pieces to change out, or do you use the same one?

Thanks again!
Hugs,
Oolli Lolli

[Pickles]

My personal wardrobe philosophy is "the fuller the clown closet, the better." So my kids are running around in rags? WHO CARES -- as long as Pickles is well-dressed. (just kidding, of course. Sort of.)

I do think it's fun to have more than one outfit, because sometimes Pickles feels like being a girly girl clown, and sometimes she likes a more casual look. She even occasionally changes her hairdo.

For instance, I just finished up a week of VBS for my church. I was going to miss one night because of a prior commitment. I told the kids that I wasn't going to be there because I had a haircut scheduled -- and do you know how long it takes to get into the clown hair stylist?

When I returned to VBS, I had replaced my long curly hair with a short straight bob. I can't tell you how many kids came up to me and told me they liked my haircut.

[Lumpy the Clown]

To be honest a lot of my clowny wardrobe is home-made…. I tend to go to markets a lot and buy fabrics, I make my own fabrics, patches, oversized buttons, etc… I like the whole ‘trampy cosey’ clown look so I tend to wear layers of things, stripy socks, colourful/fluffy leg warmers, tacky bright colourful bracelets… I think it’s important to be colourful

Really clown clothes shouldn’t break the bank if you have a certain look you’re going for. It’s fairly easy to make a clowny attire out of fabrics and normal clothes.

[Lilly_A_Clown]

I have been clowning for a year. Right now I have 4 costumes done and 1 more in the process of being done. I have one Raggedy Ann type costume, I have 2 that are with the gypsy skirt and have a overall top, and 2 pairs of over sized overalls a witch and elf costumes too. All of them are lined and when you are making your costumes consider what you are doing as a clown. There are some that I have made really light that I wear for parades, and I have several that I have made for the fair that I have really really big pockets for tips (wishful thinking????) I wish. I figure that it is better having really big pockets with a ton of ones, then having people see that I have 50 bucks in ones in a little pockets. Also I have had a friend that had a costume made for her that she only wore a few times that is wearing really bad. If you can find something with a bit of polyester mixed with cotton (tootie fruity fabrics) they have been wearing really really nicely for me.

[Oollilolli]

Thanks Lilly,

That's great info! I'd like to take you up on your offer...send me a message? Maybe we can visit--I'd love that. I'm so new I can't use the private messaging yet...and some day I'll figure out how to upload my picture...

I learn so much from this forum, I'm so glad I found you guys!! I appreciate you all!

[Freckles Leigh]

Originally Posted by Suzie Qzie

Hi everyone and thaks again for your help with the name thing (I actually entered it in on a whim when asked to give a username and .... I think your right ... and I anoint myself...Suzie Qzie. Now the next thing ... I need to know where I can find some costumes that won't break the bank ....any ideas? I don't mind making my own either but where could I find patterns that aren't typical? Thanks in advance

hey i love your name if i where u i might try to make my own clown suit of try a fabric store or find some old scraps of clothing and sew them togeather

[Nettie Belle]

I have always worn a dress, either fancy or simple, but the other day, I made some overalls as the result of a bad shopping trip at the resale shop that I turned into good.

I have a new job now where I wear scrubs, as opposed to my previous job where I had to dress up ... so ... the other day, as I was browsing in the resale shop, I came across some red scrub pants. Because I was in a hurry, I didn't try them on and when I finally did, they were too big on me to wear as work pants. I looked at them, and decided to make some clown overalls.

~I cut 13" off the bottom. One of those 13" pieces became the bib, and the other one was cut up to make straps.
~I added pockets and trim at the bottom of the pants, put the straps on, buttons, etc. and made a couple of bows, and paired the overalls with a shirt that I already had, and here is the final result:

[IMG][/IMG]

There are some plusses to this ... most scrub pants are made from poly-cotton, which wears better, and they already have pockets, so you can either remove them or add the clown pockets over them.

I took the one off of the back but I kept the ones that were hidden in the seams. There are now 7 pockets in this pair of pants ... 3 in the front, 2 hidden in the seams, and 1 in the back.

I decided I kind of like wearing overalls ... at least for some occasions, and for about $2.00, I certainly don't care if I get face paint or whatever else on them, so now, I'm going to make these in other colors.

You can find really NICE scrubs at the resale shops if you look closely. Sometimes they are new.

Just my 2 cents' worth, but it's free for you! P.S. - the black thing in the front is my pedometer, not a big black button.