archer

Do you ever have that thing where your kid turns to you over breakfast and says "oh, you know I need a medieval archer costume for school tomorrow right?" 

sigh. 

I did NOT know that.

"It's a good thing I remembered today, hey Mom?"

Yes, yes its a very good thing that I have 24 hours notice on your need for a home-made costume. Whew. What a relief!

So with a quick bit of brainstorming before he got on the bus, he found the green sweatshirt lining from his spring coat and said "its easy mom, all you need to do is make an old fashioned-y looking hood and then snap it on to here or something. And Dad can make me a bow. You tell him before he goes to work, ok?"

So I made a quick stop at the fabric store between swimming lessons and a doctors appointment and then with the hour I had in the afternoon, I whipped up a hood and attached some snaps and voila, we have a costume!

Of course, what really sells the whole thing in the bow. Which Hubs did not make. He just happens to already have it. He's a bit of a bow and arrow enthusiast, so he had a couple lying around, and this is a little junior sized compound bow. His packrat ways certainly do come in handy sometimes. 

It should go without saying that we did not send any arrows along with him. Obviously. 

Here's a shot of his hood from the back. Its just made from good ole' cheap craft felt, and I tacked the point down so that it would not look too comically elf-y. I didn't use a pattern or anything. Just folded the felt in half and laid a hoodie on it and cut out a more exagerated shape with a bit of a point on it, and a longer, rounded collar. Since it was felt, I didn't really have to do any hemming, though I did fold it over and hem in along the face edge, just because it looked nice. And then I attached it with four snaps along the collar of the sweatshirt, so that we can take it on and off for playing. 

"See Mom, this way its a crossbow."

There is nothing more satisfying than making something for your kid that they really, really like. He was so happy with this costume. The camo pants were his idea, and of course, the bow really made it, but I'm glad he was happy with this little hood. When he came out of his bedroom this morning and saw it lying on his chair, he said "Yeah, that's perfect! That's just the way I wanted it!"Medieval Archers - now with new and improved camouflage and sunglasses! Not so historically accurate, but he sure is Mommy's Little Badass.