Sunday, September 23, 2012

Lady Hobbit Costume ~ Finished! At Last!

We had a wonderful day yesterday celebrating the 75th anniversary of the publication of "The Hobbit"!


A friend reminded me that September 22nd is also the birthday of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins so there was extra reason to celebrate. I hope to have a post up soon about our breakfast and the Magical Fall Festival we went to last evening but in the meantime, here are some pics of the finished hobbit outfit. Note: It was really terribly windy yesterday so these didn't come out as well as I would have wished but hopefully they will do!

Oh and yes. I did my hair especially for the day by putting it up in pin curls. I learned from my mistake last year when we attended the colonial faire and so did NOT use a million pounds of pomade to make my hair stay in place. Instead, I just let it damp-dry after I showered in the morning and ran some hair oil through it (you can get it in the ethnic hair section at Wal Mart for a few dollars - I love the stuff and use it often). I coiled (around a crayola marker - hey, it was perfect!) and pinned tiny lengths of hair all over my head and then let the hair dry the rest of the way (about 4 hours or so). Here is my hair before taking the pins out:

All unpinned!

To get it really curly and wild looking it was just a (lengthy) matter of carefully pulling all the curls apart. It's quite a weird sensation to walk about and have your hair jiggle like jello, but that is what it did! Judah told me first my hair looked like it was electrocuted and then later informed me I looked like batman. (?) Maybe next time I will spring for some sleek banana curls instead?

I really like this costume. It is odd to do something that is not historical and yet not modern. I really enjoyed working on this outfit and it is definitely fun to wear! If I dared, I'd dress like this every day, I think.
But not necessarily would I do my hair like this every day. Yikes.
I may go back and add more lacing holes. These worked to keep the bodice shut but if I add more the X's will be smaller and the look will be better. I will try to do that before the premiere of The Hobbit later this year.

For the pics I have the corners of the apron tucked up into the waistband to form a pocket. My necklace is a brown flat shoestring and my copper brooch. I don't have real hobbit ears yet but my hair covered my ears anyway so it was all good.

To finish the outfit I would like to make a kerchief at some point to add a bit more coverage. I was able to nurse the baby in this without any problems but the neckline is a tad low for total comfort. I have some lightweight windowpane cotton in a sagey green color that would work well for a neckerchief.

I'm already daydreaming about making a "party" bodice in brighter colors (maybe plaid or stripey!) with a cut out "keyhole" on the bodice. Since the elements of the outfit are all separate and can be mixed n' matched there is so much you can do with just a few things! Hobbit costuming just may be slightly addicting!

Edit: 7-30-2013

Here are some new photos of the outfit, without the apron and with my baby daughter in her own hobbit dress - which is finally fitting her well 8 months after I originally made it! Hair in these photos: front hair pin curled (not brushed out or pulled apart, just messily arranged) and back hair in a low ponytail. I like this style much better!







Love,
Sarah

7 comments:

  1. Absolutely this is one of the most fun costumes I have seen you make Sarah! You look beautiful and I love the hair as I adore curls. :) Maybe I am biased to mine.

    In Christ,
    Rebecca

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  2. You are beautiful! Just like you stepped right out of a storybook. I love your look.

    Pam

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  3. So gorgeous! I love your hair like that - very hobbity, and very becoming! And the outfit is just perfect. The first and last photos are my favourite - you look like something from a fairy tale. :-)

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  4. Wonderful! Some of my LotR-liking family saw it, and liked it.

    What are you going to do as your feet? I don't know if you mentioned it or not. But people say the winter may be very hard here in Minnesota, thus there, perhaps. I worry that if I dressed as a hobbit I would have to go ahead and make stockings and shoes. I think it is said that weather was moderate in the Shire, but hobbits sometimes wore shoes in dire need. But this could be some dream I had years ago.

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  5. Nora, thanks! And nope, you are not dreaming, it is stated in the prologue to Fellowship of the Ring that some hobbits, the strain of hobbit called Stoors, wore dwarf-boots in muddy weather (and could also have down on their chins while the other types of hobbits, the Fallohides and Harfoots, were completely beardless).
    For these pics I am just barefoot but for the festival I put on my heavy winter boots (brown rough suede-like stuff) since for me, if my feet aren't warm, none of me is warm. I will wear boots to the premiere as well, I am sure. Furry hobbit feet are fun and adorable but I think in this case, boots are totally excusable and we can save the furry bare feet for summer picnics and parties! :D

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  6. Love it! I happen to love the crazy curly hair with it. Hobbits all seem to have some kind of curl or wave to their hair.

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Thank you for your lovely thoughts!