I feel quite sad writing this, but this is Bunny’s last Book Week. Next year she will be in High School and they don’t do Book Week anymore. I have loved making her Book Week costumes each year – bringing her requests to life has brought me so much joy and I’m a bit gutted her time dressing up as her favourite book characters is over. Of course this means that when she asked me to make her a very detailed Wings of Fire Moon Book Week costume I was determined to make it work. Even though I had no idea how to make a dragon haha.

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This year Buddy wins the prize for the easiest Book Week costume! I must admit after making quite detailed costumes for my girls and I was so grateful to Buddy for choosing something that was pretty easy to create in an afternoon and honestly could be done quicker if you’re a better shopper than I am. I can’t wait to show you how we put together this super easy Calvin and Hobbes costume (which he’ll also be using for Halloween).

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Birdie decided what she wanted to be for Book Week over a year ago, and has been biding her time waiting for this moment. The Paw is one of Chris’ books from his childhood and has now become Birdie’s favourite book! It’s the story of a little girl called Leonie, who becomes a cat burglar at night, stealing caviar from the rich to feed stray cats. I was so excited to help bring her dream to live and I had so much fun making The Paw Book Week costume with all it’s over the top details!

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One of the things I really love about Buddy is that he thinks things through really carefully. He is more likely to try and find a solution himself than ask for help, which is sometimes good and sometimes not hehe. When the kids and I started to chat about Book Week costumes this week, Buddy didn’t really want to throw around ideas, so knowing he needs his own time, I left him to think about what he would like me to make him. To my great surprise he came back to me a few days later and told me he had figured out a costume using things he already had. I didn’t have to make a thing? Enter, Robin Hood!

He completely made my day! He used the tunic and hat from his Peter Pan costume a few years ago, and these pants which i made him three years ago and actually fit Bunny better at that point and a ready to wear long sleeved tee, a belt he found in my cupboard and his bow and arrow set. I couldn’t quite get over the idea of not having to make anything in his costume! But in the end we did make a belt (the leather one that he wanted to use turned out to be too uncomfortable) and it is just a strip of felt. And we also made the quiver of arrows and the bow out of sticks at the last minute because I couldn’t bring myself to let him take his toy bow and arrow set to school, because those arrows actually hurt when they hit you! I figured the teachers would thank me for sending him to school with a non functional set. They did :)

I had to work very hard to get a smiley photo because he was hunting the Sheriff of Nottingham and that is serious business mum. But i’m pretty good at finding the smiles :)

Of course this post wouldn’t be complete if it wasn’t for some very Buddy very serious in-character posing, so here we go, enjoy:

And Book Week has come to Perth once more! I love Book Week and the excuse to dress up as your favourite book character. This year Bunny decided she wanted to dress up like Roald Dahl’s Matilda, one of her  favourite books. Though in all honestly, this kid is such an avid reader that she had a super tough time narrowing down who she wanted to dress up as. It went back and forth for days and days, but she settled on Matilda, deciding she liked the outfit best hehe.

Do you ever have a sewing project where you feel like you are killing two birds with one stone? That is this dress. For absolutely ages Bunny has been pointing at the blue chambray Darling Ranges sample that hangs in my work room asking me to make her one in her size. I got part way through draft a pattern, and as per usual i got busy with work, and the project got pushed to the side. But this costume gave me the perfect excuse to try out the draft and finally make her the much requested dress.

Given the fact I was making this dress the night before the school Book Week parade, i opted for snaps instead of buttons as they were faster. The happy accident here is that Bunny is really enjoying how easy it is to take on and off with the snaps – so maybe i’ll be doing this on all her dresses from now on!

I’m so happy with how this first draft of this dress turned out. It definitely needs some tweaking, as the fit isn’t exactly where i’d like it, but regardless it’s pretty darn cute on my girl! Knowing she likes it so much has encouraged me to keep working on the pattern until it’s just right. EDIT: The pattern is now ready! You can purchase the Mini Darling Ranges Dress pattern on the Megan Nielsen website!

I honestly wish I had pushed myself to sew her this dress earlier, as she has worn it so much since i made it a few weeks ago, that I know she would have enjoyed having more of winter to enjoy it. The last minute rush sewing of costumes before the school book parade is always SO SO worth it when i get so see big happy grins like this afterwards!

Don’t have the Mini Darling Ranges sewing pattern yet?! Order the pattern today! We absolutely love seeing what you make, so don’t forget to tag your creations with #MNminidarlingranges and @megannielsenpatterns when sharing on social media, and check out what everyone else is up to!

// LOOKING FOR MORE MINI DARLING RANGES POSTS? //

• Introducing Mini Darling Ranges
• Tester Round Up
• Mini Darling Ranges Hacks
• Flat Sleeve Insertion Method 
• Ruffle Sleeve
• Patch Pockets
• Peplum Hack

Plus there is a full range of Darling Ranges tutorials that you can use to help sew your Mini Darling Ranges!

• Project preparation
• Pattern alterations: lengthen the bodice
• Pattern alterations: raise the neckline
• Pattern alterations: rounded neckline
• Pattern alterations: fishtail hem
• Sewing & construction: Bodice & darts
• Sewing & construction: Skirt & pockets
• Sewing & construction: Attaching the skirt & bodice
• Sewing & construction: Placket & Neckline
• Sewing & construction: Sleeveless version
• Sewing & construction: Attaching the sleeves
• Sewing & construction: Hemming
• Sewing & construction: Ties & belt loops
• Sewing & construction: Closures