Children in Need Appeal

 

The local schools make much of the annual BBC Children in Need fund-raising appeal. My son's school has a non-school-uniform/fancy dress day, when the children "pay" for the privilege of not wearing their usual garb. This appeal has a mascot called Pudsey Bear, and Ben decided that he MUST go dressed as Pudsey. With the blind confidence of the young, he also decided that I could produce said costume. Well, after days of pondering and not a little discussion regarding what was possible and what was not, especially bearing in mind the need to be suitable for a reasonably normal day in school, I spent the evening over a hot sewing machine, and this is the result, photographed just before he left for school. I would say that he was a very happy Bunny, but perhaps a very happy Bear would be more appropriate. The mittens/paws are attached but have a slit so the hands can easily be uncovered for writing/eating/etc., the shoes are non-slip thanks to a layer of Copydex on the soles (a tip garnered from my rug-making course) and please note the fashionable tulip hemline at the bottom of the tunic, to give the illusion of fullness in the body (so clearly a look for me to avoid!) The fabric is a very cheap crushed velvet jersey, with a satisfactorily furry surface without being too hot or hairy, and I used offcuts of black sweatpant fabric (having converted a pair into gym shorts for my younger daughter) or black permanent marker pen for the black details. The mask is a layer of the velvet jersey backed by two layers of firm iron-on Vilene, ear inners in painted vilene and held on my elastic concealed by a sort of balaclava helmet head. I used a pair of jersey pyjamas as a rough pattern, plus worked a paper pattern for the head until I got the fit right. After a lot of fretting, it was very satisfying to rise to the challenge and see his pleasure in what I'd made.

Meanwhile, here is his sister, wearing her non-school-uniform and looking far too mature to be at school!