Faerie Wings

Since the faerie costume post is becoming ridiculously massive I keep cutting parts out of it for easier finding.

I needed a simple, soft, unobtrusive pair of wings for the Disneyland Halloween party.  I found this amazing fabric at Hobby Lobby. It was so shimmery and iridescent it just called out to be made into faerie wings. I bought a yard of fabric.

I laid the yard of fabric out flat on the ground then brought one corner up to the side so that I could make it into a square.  I cut the left over edge off to use to attach the wings.  I turned the now square piece of fabric into a diamond shape and then cut most of the way into the center of the wing down along from the top and bottom points.

You'll need to sew around the entire edge of the wing, to keep it from fraying and give the wing some structure.  I used a zig-zag stitch.  I also felt a need to hand sew "veins" into the wings by had with a large gather stitch.  I don't think that they were really necessary, were a huge pain and a waste of time.  I think that if I wanted the definition it'd be fine to machine sew them but trying to cinch them later just didn't work as planned.

Take the remaining strip of fabric and fold it in half lengthwise (hot dog style for those of us who still remember elementary school) and cut the strip in half.  Then fold the strip in half again.  Pin and stitch creating a casing.

Hold the strip up to your shoulder going under the arm as if it was a tiny sleeve to measure for size.  You want it to be snug so the wings don't fall off, but not so tight that it is uncomfortable.  Cut the casing to the appropriate size.

Take a piece of 3/4 inch elastic and measure the same way, but hold it stretched to measure.  Your elastic should be an inch or so shorter than your casing.

Trim seam allowance and turn your casing inside out.  To easily turn your casing pin a safety pin to a piece of ribbon slide the ribbon through the casing then pin it to the end, pull the ribbon through,  bringing the end of the casing with it and then unpin the safety pin when you finish. Then thread the elastic through.  (Yes my fabric changed color, I forgot to take pics of this part of my wings since I was on the phone with my mom, I took pics when making my sisters wings she was an autumn faerie so hers are brown.)

Pull back the sides of the casing and sew the ends of the elastic together.  Sew the ends of the casing closed.  After a variety of attempts to make it a neat and tidy inside I finally decided I was comfortable just folding the ends into each other and sewing it taught with a little square of stitching.  Make sure you close your ends in the same place you stitched the elastic closed and then sew that same spot to the wings and it keeps all the ugly stitching in the same place against your body when the wings are on.

This next step is going to be much easier with an assistant.  Hold the wings up to your body with the uncut corners out in your hands and figure what point you want the wings to attach to your shoulders.  The uncut middle of the wing should reach somewhere mid-body.  Take the seamed portion of the sleeve and attach it to the wing at the point you want it to lay on your body the sleeve should face out away from the wing.

Cut a piece of beading elastic to make a loop around your middle finger.  Sew one end to the the uncut corners of your wings.  I used a zig-zag stitch and just sewed the heck outta it.  Cross the elastic when you sew it to the other corner.

The wings will go on your body via the sleeves and then when your fingers are in the loops they will open, close and move with you.  If you need greater ease of movement simply slip the loop off your finger and let the wings hang closed.  These are the most practical wings, or ridiculous costume accessory I have ever chosen to wear.