Some people just don't know when to stop...

Yep, that would be me actually!!  You see its that time of the year again when rehearsals start, mangers get dusted off and the good old donkey has to start carting about a heavily pregnant woman (and I pity the poor donkey, and pregnant woman, doing that in Perth at the moment!!!).  Yes its nativity time and as the kids go (or are going to) a private school the lower primary years put on a nativity each year.  Pre-primary children are always the angels, probably because they've only been at school a year and are therefore still sweet and innocent.  The year 1's traditionally get the "main" roles... last year Samuel was Joseph!!!  And in year 2 they are given narration parts and are required to dress up as either shepherds or kings, depending on which class gets which part.  I was stoked this year, if it was shepherds I would be recycling last years Joseph costume and if it was kings, well I'm a bellydancer... I've got access to all the riches of the mystical east!!!  And the winner was.....



KINGS!!!!



So what has that got to do with anything.  Well, upon finding out that kings it is, I immediately started rummaging through the bellydancing costumes to find appropriate kingly attire.  One circle skirt, a coin belt, scarf and chain and I was set.  The theory was the circle skirt would be popped over the head, slits in the seams would serve as arm holes, a belt around the waist to hold it in, coin belt draped over the shoulder and tied at the waist and a red scarf to act as a cape.  This is totally working, except maybe it could just use a little bit more... now where's that...

Can you see where this is going???  You see I knew that I had a length of sari border somewhere that I was saving "just in case".  As it turns out this was the "just in case".  The border was going to be perfect around the hem of the skirt, except there wasn't quite enough.  No problems there, the skirt gets laid out flat on the floor and ends up going on an impromptu diet which involves taking off about a quarter of material from each side.  As it turns out this is actually a good thing because there is less material all round on Samuel's small frame and heaps of sari border.  So skirt now has a rather flash gold sari border and is looking rather royal indeed, except maybe it just needs a little bit more...

I know, the sleeves, instead of just having two slits in the seam for the sleeves I could se the left over sari border and create some proper sleeves instead, now that would look very royal indeed.  So little sleeves are added and everything is looking very good, except...

Mmmmmm, yes given that Samuel is shall we say somewhat of a slightly skinny disposition the whole neck/sleeve thing isn't really working quite the way I envisaged.  Ooooo but I know, if I take the waist band off , hem the lot and add a few pleats/tucks it'll all fall into place perfectly.  And so off we go.  The neckline is now made up of a series of box pleats which pulls the sleeves back up onto Samuel's shoulders and they fall beautifully with the satin. 

So what started out as a quick slash-the-seams type exercise turned out to be a couple of hours work, but despite that I loved every minute of it. The really scary thing is I keep looking at the costume now and keep thinking, maybe I should add something around the neck just to hide the top of the pleats, or maybe some embroidery would look good on the front panels.  Then the more practical side of my brain points out that its probably best to stop before things really get out of hand, it is just for the school nativity...

But still, I know where I've got some rather smashing jewels which would just look awesome, excuse me while I just go fish them out.  Afterall the play isn't until Wednesday morning........