"Now It's No Wonder That Her Name Is Beauty"

My favorite Disney movie of all time is Beauty And The Beast. I was quite surprised when my oldest daughter told me a few months ago that she wanted to be Belle from the movie. But, not the "big puffy yellow dress Belle", but the "normal Belle from most of the movie". She wants to carry a basket like the one that Belle carries in the beginning of the movie with books in it. I looked online for a pre-made costume but I didn't find one in our budget or one that looked good. So, I dusted off the sewing machine and took a well needed break from gardening. I just love sewing for my girls. And, this dress just made me smile. The fit on her body is perfect. And, with a total price tag of under $10.00 it fit into our budget perfectly.

Details about the dress: I used super cheap blue cotton fabric for the main part of the dress and then I used up more of that white Ralph Lauren sheet that I've used on soooo many projects over the years, for the "shirt" and the apron. I used Simplicity pattern 2843 and made just a few adjustments to it. I redid the collar. The one in the movie looks almost rolled, but costumes that have been used on stage and the one that the girl wears at Disneyland have more of a Peter Pan collar. I adjusted the fullness and length of the sleeves. I also cut off the point on the bodice. Then I made up an easy apron (using the hem of the sheet as the bottom of the apron) and made a large bow for her hair.
The most important thing is that she is so thrilled with the costume. She will have her hair curled and all the accessories for Halloween.