There was a point where making cosplay costumes was fun for me.

I got a lot of satisfaction imagining, creating, and shopping for the perfect materials.

Then it got to a part where it stopped being so much fun. 

That part was probably around the time when I started to make cosplay princess costumes for my nieces.  I am a Disney Princess at heart.  No really – when everybody else in my high school wanted to be doctors and accountants, I decided I wanted to be one of those princesses who walk around Disneyland in costume.  Then somewhere down the line I realized that 1. I don’t look like a princess and 2. Walking around all day in a big poufy dress in the Florida sun hugging germy children probably isn’t the right career for my personality. I’m not saying that being a medical office assistant was the right career path for me, but crap happens and here I am – typing at my desk, not being a princess and sometimes I’m okay with that.

The first few weeks of designing the dresses was fun.  I found the perfect materials SO easily. It was almost too easy – and it probably should have been a clue that things were going to go terribly wrong.  My nieces live about 3.5 hours away so measuring them in person was going to be a problem.  My sister told me the sizes they wore so I went out and bought some clothing to represent those sizes.  Which, in hindsight, is probably where I made my first mistake!

I worked for hours and hours to make Rapunzel and Sofia the First dresses. I worked right up until the week before Christmas, and to make things even more stressful, I even threw together a creeper quilt  for EVILBOY in that time frame.  All this while packing to go away for a week over Christmas holiday.  I will remember that week not-so-fondly for the rest of my life.

When they were done though they were the most beautiful little dresses.  I was so proud of how well they came out and so excited to see my nieces twirling around in these works of art.  They didn’t cost me a fortune (unless you count time as a fortune) and they were a cookie cutter big name brand of princess dress.  Everything was perfect.

Until they tried them on. 

A skirt that was too tight here, a shirt that was too short there. It was a disaster.  All the relief I felt when I cut that last piece of thread was gone.  Back to the drawing board.  To be honest, it was heartbreaking and I lost a lot of motivation, immediately placing all projects on hold. I had failed and it was hard to accept.

I had the dresses for a couple months in a box on my bedroom floor.  I left them out in the open so they would haunt me.  I was hoping that would be the motivation I needed to get back into it, but my heart just wasn’t in it anymore.   

Those little girls deserved princess dresses though.  So when I knew there would be a chance I could get the dresses to them again, I started stitch ripping and planning all over again.  I had a plan to make the dresses fit properly – albeit it was a little unconventional when it comes to sewing – I mean, I’m not an expert, but I’m sure some of the shortcuts I took would have Nancy Zieman herself turning over in her grave (actually I think she’s still alive, so it probably would have just given her bad indigestion or something).  

I was lucky the girls were able to come and visit this past weekend. A few tense hours later and they both went home with custom princess dresses that fit a little bit better.  Would I do it again?  Probably not, but their excitement made the long hours worth it!

  

Unfortunately my littlest niece was a little camera shy so I didn't get any pictures of the Sofia dress.