Child's Homemade Halloween costume help?

Question

My 10 year old wants a gypsy fortune teller costume, which I will put together without a sewing machine. I'm buying a heavy fabric for the skirt that needs no hemming. I'll wrap it and pin the side securely. The picture here is just an example of what It will look like with a wrap sash. I'll make a belt type corset. I have in my mind how to do this, with maybe a few stitches by hand (i've done it before).

My problem, I can't find a childs peasant shirt at a bargain price, and I can't make one. Any ideas how to make an easy shirt for this, or what to wear instead of buying something new?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Renaissance-GYPSY-Fortune-Teller-Wench-Scottish-Pattern_W0QQitemZ170159089687QQihZ007QQcategoryZ116690QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting


I appreciate any creative answers.

It's the picture on the right.

Answer 1

what if you use a tank top, and attach simple flouncy sleeves (just sew large, poofy rectangles, gather them to the size of the tank top sleeve openeing, attach, then gather at the wrist and use elastic to secure)? Additionally, you could embellish or paint the tank top front to make it more decorative.

Answer 2

Have you checked Goodwill? Even the adult section? Peasant shirts were very in style not too long ago, so now there are lots of them on the racks at Goodwill. Even if you find one that's too big, you can bring it in enough to make it work (and the corset will help hide it). Actually, too big would be ideal, because you'd have more extra fabric to puff the sleeves more. I'd get an adult peasant shirt from Goodwill, bunch up the sleeves to make extra folds, and put a few stitches in each fold to hold.

Answer 3

I never had homemade, I had one or two store bought, but mostly my costumes were old gnarly clothes and a tiara, I went many years as the "paper bag princess" or "cinderella".

Answer 4

You could make tubes from lightweight fabric and then tie them in place on her arms.
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