A Goodwill Um from Umbridge project, and 12-year-old prom dress

Sierra's little girl turned one this year, so she decided to throw her an Alice in "One"derland party. She wanted to dress up as Alice in the live-action movie, when she is called "Um from Umbridge" by the Red Queen. So we made a Goodwill run, got some cheap striped dresses, a red tablecloth, and a bunch of teacups and props for the party!

I used two striped dresses to make the overskirt, ruffles and bodice. I used a red tablecloth and a red sheer curtain to make the petticoat and underskirt. Scraps of the red tablecloth made the lining of the bodice and some extra ruffles.

The bodice and the overskirt were attached as one dress, and the peek-a-boo red petticoat is a separate skirt with an elastic waist. My highly erratic (and sloppy, tbh) sewing process is detailed on my TikTok @anniehull17!

Because I waited until the night before the party to finish the dress (oops), I just used some red buttons I had lying around the house to close the dress in the back. I didn't take into account the fact that this was a HIGHLY stretchy knit fabric, and so the dress ended up having to be pinned to keep from sliding right off! Note to self - don't do that again.

Since this dress is supposed to look a little thrown-together - in the movie, it's made from curtains yanked down and draped around Alice - it really lent itself to a last-minute, slapdash seamstress like Moi!

I ended up wearing an old prom dress and going as the White Queen. Honestly, this white dress has had a more interesting life than me. I got it from a local junk/consignment shop - and yes, I most certainly did wear an old wedding dress to my junior prom. Why? Because I was still obsessed with Hilary Duff's A Cinderella Story, and when I saw this dress I knew it was THE ONE.

Tbh I'm not sure which is more unfortunate - my hair/makeup choice or how cool we thought we were in that leopard-interior limo. Good times.

That was in 2012. A few years later (2015? Maybe?), I hacked off a few inches of tulle at the bottom and wore the dress for a performance with our college's ballroom dance company. I danced to the Tennessee Waltz in it, and then traded outfits with one of the guys in our group. Who wore it better?!

Since then, I've worn this dress with a black cloak for a "Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins costume (totally not period appropriate but it worked); with white gloves for a Christine Daae costume; and just to the movie theater because why not? This dress has served me well.

In the end, we had a blast and I think our costumes were perfect for a one-year-old's birthday party - not perfect, not cosplay-level, but they worked, you know?