I don’t watch a lot of TV, but the HBO series Game of Thrones gives me exactly what I need to escape the monotony of the day’s chores, if only for a little while.
I usually watch it when the girls are in bed, and for those 55 precious minutes, it satisfies the adventurer in me. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a fantasy series jam-packed with kings, queens, dragons, intrigue and stunning landscapes.
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I was going to try and act on more opportunities that allow me to express my inner self and bring excitement and personal challenges into my life. This was one of these moments.
I wasn’t very excited about our work Christmas party and although it’s always dress-up themed I just wasn’t up for it this year, until I decided I was going to go as a wildling from Game of Thrones. And not just any wildling, but the stunningly fierce Ygritte.
Ygritte’s a Wildling who lives in harsh conditions north of the wall and is no stranger to battle. She’s quick-witted and strong and when her scouting party is killed by men of the Night’s Watch she expertly manages to escape and in the process captures her captor, John Snow.
I love the earthy vibe of Ygritte, with her primitive pelted coat, bow and arrows, and that oft-quoted line of hers, ‘You know nothin’, John Snow.’ (Admit it, you just heard her voice in your head as you read those words, didn’t you?!)
Here’s some video that shows my favourite Ygritte scene.
My attitude about the work party had been completely turned around. I couldn’t wait to get started on my costume! Though the fact that it’s blisteringly hot in Oz right now meant that I had to modify it to work for summer.
How I made the Ygritte Wildling Costume
I started the costume by finding a brown singlet and long brown pants and then made layers to add to the outfit. Easy!
The vest
I needed fur first and foremost, and you guys know by now that I’m big on reducing, reusing and recycling, so I headed to my local thrift shop to see what I could ‘hunt’ down (tee hee). I found two big teddy bears that were perfect for my needs. I set to work pulling out their stuffing and chopping them into sections. (Don’t worry, I removed all signs of the teddy massacre before my children could see it!)
I used one of my own vests as a template and pinned all the pieces of bear fur together. Make sure you try the vest on first, just to check the size, and then sew the pieces together. A hood off an old jumper is perfect to be sewed and onto the fur vest. Then hand-stitch more bear fur to the back of the hoody.
The arrows
I found three sticks of a similar length and filed one side of each to a point. Then I cut up some feathers and used a hot glue gun to attach the feathers to the other end of each stick.
The quiver (the container for the arrows)
I cut the top off of a recycled plastic water bottle (the drinking lid had been lost a few weeks prior) and drilled two holes in the sides. Then I added ribbon through the holes and covered the container with bear fur using the glue gun.
The bow
This was so easy! I found a stick in a shape suitable for a bow and drilled holes in both ends of the stick. Using some leather I tied it from one end of the stick to the other. It was enjoyable decorating the stick with teddy fur and crisscrossed leather (also from the thrift shop) over the fur.
The fluffy boot covers
You guessed it, teddy bear legs! I cut out the round base of the teddy bear foot and the remaining tube of fabric slipped over my feet and legs perfectly. To secure them I tied them with leather string.
The fiery red hair
Being a natural redhead, this was the easiest part of the costume to address! Though if you’re wanting to make an Ygritte costume of your own, you may like to get a red wig. Here’s the tutorial I used to make Ygritte’s hair style.
I don’t have many photos of myself on this blog and it was high time I added some. I’ve always been quite content being the one taking the photo, so this little photo shoot out the back of our house was new territory for me. Still, my husband did a marvelous job with these photos and I love them so much.
Not only did I enjoy my Christmas party, but my favorite times of the night were when people recognized who I was before I had to explain it. Most were just as excited as I was at my costume. I loved making and wearing the Ygirtte costume because it really showed me how I’d like to be seen. Earthy, at one with nature, fierce when I need to be and a little playful. I hope I get to wear it again!
When are you going to do something that makes you feel adventurous?
Emma says
Looks fantastic!! Would love to see more posts like this, and more photos of you! 😉
Kristin says
Great job! Me and my husband are planning on Ygritte and Jon costumes for Halloween and I love your ideas! Thanks for sharing!