Dorothy Gale

Dorothy Gale | The Wizard of Oz

Made for : Wellington Armageddon Expo 2016

Background : The Wizard of Oz was one of those comfort films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that we would watch as kids around the holidays. I always knew I’d make it one day and this particular year I had found the perfect blue gingham. So I brought the licenced Simplicity pattern and was away!

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Things used :

Simplicity 4136
Blue gingham
white cotton
Red sequin fabric
Red satin
Red beads and rhinestones
White buttons
Blue thread

construction

Hair : The first time I wore this to Welling Armageddon in 2016 I used half my own real hair. I parted it down the center and did two rolled braids on either side which I tied with a plain black elastic. I then wrapped two wefts of a matching brown hair extension around them. I had pre-curled them the night before using boiling water and pin curls. I then finished them off with a blue ribbon tied in a bow to hide where my real hair ended and where the extension began.

Dress : Made following Simplicity 4136 to a t. Having said that, the first time I made it (the 2016 version), I decided I didn’t actually need to read the instructions and thought I could just jigsaw it together myself. This was a big mistake as it made the back part all wonky (sadly I don’t have any photos of that). When I made it again in 2018(?), I made sure to follow the instructions that came with the pattern this time and sure enough, the wonky back disappeared.

For the fabrics, I chose a blue gingham that was pretty similar to hers. I think mine was just a tad lighter blue but the checks were roughly the same size. I chose a light white cotton for the blouse.

For the details around the neck and arms, I used a stitch setting on my machine that embroided little triangles.

Shoes + Socks : I think the socks were the first part of this costume that I ever brought. I came across them in a dollar store and was like -‘light blue ankle socks?! These will be perfect for a Dorothy costume that I haven’t even made’.

The shoes were a pair of shoes I found from Number One Shoes that were roughly the same shape in the toe and heel. I used a red sequin fabric which I glued over the shoe to cover it. I also used a tiny bit of red satin to cover part of the heel.

I made the bows for the shoe by cutting the shape from craft foam and cover it in the same red satin used on the heel. I then glued tiny glass beads and rhinestones on top and then hot glued the bow to the front of each shoe.