Popcorn Costume

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Red and White Striped Fabric, 1yd
• White T-Shirt
• White Cotton, 1/2yd
• Rit Dye in Lemon Yellow
• Rubber Gloves
• Dye Bucket and Spoon
• Yellow Tulle
• 1" Elastic
• Large Kraft Paper
• String
• Hot Glue
• Basic Sewing Supplies

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dye T-shirt and 1/4yd Cotton Fabric in Lemon Yellow Dye following the Dye Instructions. When finished dying, dilute the yellow dye with more water to make a very light yellow and dye the remaining 1/4yd Cotton Fabric following the the Dye Instructions.
2. Make the skirt - measure your waist, hips, and the length between your waist and knees. Draft a rectangle that is half the width of your hips, and add six inches onto that width, and the height of your your waist to your knees, and add four inches onto that height.
3. Draw a horizontal line two inches from the top and another horizontal line two inches from the bottom. Measure the length between your waist and hips and then draw a horizontal line that distance from the top line.
4. Subtract your waistline from your hip measurement to find the difference between the two. Divide that difference by 4 and mark that number of inches in from either side on the top of your skirt pattern.
5. Make a mark two inches in on either side of the bottom of your pattern.
6. Taper your skirt to make the pencil skirt shape - draw a soft curve from the hip line to the upper mark, and then draw a line from the hip line to the bottom mark. Fold your pattern in half matching long sides together, and cut out the drawn curve.
7. Use your pattern to cut out two pieces of red and white vertical striped fabric.
8. Sew the sides together. Fold the bottom an inch and then another inch, press with an iron, and sew. Fold the top down 3/4" and then 1 1/4", press, and sew along the folded edge (make sure there is enough room for your 1" elastic to sit flat inside). Leave a 3" opening in the back of the skirt for adding the elastic in.
9. Safety pin one end of your elastic and pull it through the waistband. Try the skirt on, pull the elastic until it's tight enough and safety pin it. Sew the elastic together at the safety pinned mark, perhaps allowing the elastic to overlaps itself about an inch to sew a sturdy X on your elastic. Trim off excess elastic and sew the skirt opening closed.
10. To make the popcorn top, try on your yellow t-shirt and make a mark at about your waistline.
11. Trim the shirt two inches below your mark. Fold the bottom in an inch, and fold it in an inch again, press with an iron, pin, and sew.
12. Cut a large stack of yellow tulle, dark yellow cotton, and light yellow cotton squares. The general popcorn size is about 6"x 6" but make some that are larger and quite a bit that are smaller. Make some that are more rectangular, etc. You'll make a messy, skewed stack of about six squares, sometimes more, sometimes less, some that have quite a lot of tulle some that don't. Accordion: fold your messy stack and tie it at around about the center - though many can be decidedly off-center - and then fluff up each layer and use your scissors to trim off some of the square points. Continue this process until you have enough to cover the front and back of your shirt - roughly between 30-40 popcorns.
13. This is important - Place a piece of cardboard inside of your t-shirt so that you do not accidentally glue your shirt together. Secure the popcorn onto the t-shirt with hot glue.
14. Secure the popcorn pieces onto the shirt with hot glue.

JOANN HACKS:

• The popcorn pieces on this costume are a great way to use up white fabric scraps you might have around. Throw them in the dye pot with the t-shirt.