Night Eagle!

Oh! Carnevale!  You are a costume designers dream.  Now we have more occasions to wear more costumes! Italian children get to have three days off of school for Carnevale.  When you add the weekend, that is 5 days total!  So unlike Halloween when you just get to dress up one night of the year, Carnevale offers a plethora of opportunities to don your costume.   This year the kids each had a party at school, and we went to some of the festivities in Vicenza and some of the festivities closer to home. 

The beginnings of Bouncing Boys costume this year has roots in Halloween two years ago when he dressed as a wizard.  At the time he wanted the wizard to have a bird mask, so the Hawk Mask was born.   In February this year I taught a Carnevale Cape and Mask class at our local Arts Center, and one of the patterns I offered to the class was the Hawk Mask.  One of my students made the Hawk Mask out of star felt that she had used on a previous project.  I thought the star felt was a brilliant choice that give the Hawk Mask a completely different feel.  So for Valentines Day I made Bouncing Boy a similar Hawk Mask out of the star felt.  He LOVED it, and so "Aquila della Notta" or "Night Eagle" was born.

The Wizard in his Hawk Mask

But, what Night Eagle would be complete with out a set of wings?  I've been itching to make some wings for awhile, so I was excited for the opportunity.  Bouncing Boy wanted the wings to go around his wrists, I had a different idea.  I love making costumes for the kids, but I have learned a costume will get much more play and use over time if the child can easily put it on and take it off...in other words fast costume changes are a must!  So instead of using elastic bands, or ties I sewed the wings into sleeves.  The wings are put on just like a jacket, but instead of a full front to the jacket there is only a single Velcro closure.  This wasn't the first time I've sewed wings into sleeves.  For Bouncing Boy's 2nd Halloween he had dragon wings sewed into sleeves.  The major, and in my opinion a very important difference is the new wings are very easy to get on, where as the dragon costume was a major ordeal to get on and take off.   

Black shirt underneath the Night Eagle wings. 

Well, I couldn't very well mention the Dragon costume and NOT post a picture!  He did love this costume, even if it was a booger to get on and off!

I did get in a small amount of trouble for picking red for the wings.  In Bouncing Boy's opinion they should have been some dark color, "like the night."  He wasn't with me at the fabric store so  I picked red because it's been his favorite color for years.  However, he loves the costume in spite of the fact I picked the "wrong" and enjoyed wearing it through out all of the Carnevale festivities without any further complaints!