Not to make DD2's outfit for "Viking Day" from a "simple pattern" and to

[MrsSchadenfreude]

send her into school in an ordinary long sleeved longish dress with a Cath Kidston apron over the top?

I am tired of this automatic assumption that all of the "school mummies" are SAHMs with nothing better to do that source the bloody material and run up a dashing little dress and apron combo in their afternoon. And I can't bloody sew anyway.

I am redeeming myself partially by making a Dutch Viking apple cake for the little dears to trough during their Viking feast.

Send her in what you like. My best friend - a SAHM - can't sew for toffee and doesn't own a sewing machine.. She gets another friend to do any costume jobs! I work full-time, quite enjoy a creative project and will have a go at most things if they give enough notice. If there's an automatic assumption going on it's that parents have a sewing machine and can use it. Not that they are SAHMs...

I was never asked to do anythng like this for my kids now in secondary school and find it bizarre the things some schools expect parents to make.

YANBU (though, as Chil says, it's more about sewing machines and motivation than it is about being a SAHM)

Yep, improvise with a dress and an apron that you've already got. Much quicker, cheaper, and involves your DD in the process as well. She can join in the last-minute panic to find something that looks Viking!

I still remember the first Easter Bonnet parade that DD1 (then 5) was involved in. I naively thought people just sent their DCs in a summer hat. Never occurred to me that some kind of millinery effort was expected.

These requests really naff me off - I'm useless with a sewing machine but don't want my DD to be the only one without a costume so have sometimes (If enough time) bought on e bay.

Not unreasonable, no.

However, I am a person who doesn't/cannot sew and yet I have sewn my own Viking outfit and assisted my Y4 class in making theirs - all with needle and thread and no sewing machine in sight. To top it off, my lot have also 'embroidered' their chosen Viking names in runes on their tunics.

My mother, husband and anyone who has known me for more than about 10 minutes find the whole episode nothing short of hilarious. Prior to the past month, the last time I tried to sew anything was probably aged 7 when I masterfully stitched my hessian PE bag to my school pinafore. That was a while ago.

So, I suppose my advice would be to suggest to your DD that if she wishes to dress as a Viking she will have to make her own Viking tunic/apron/headscarf.

I live in Denmark. They LOVE their apple cake, so your plan is spot on!

Vikings didn't wear aprons really. It was more similar to a sleeveless tubedress with straps, fastened by brooches. I bet you could get away with a long plain dress and a longish plain t shirt on top and a belt though. I'm sure little kids didn't get to wear the expensive brooches =)

A simple cap would be two rectangular pieces of fabric sewn together on two sides.

I'm keen on Viking dress =)

Hey we've just had a viking day at my school and no way would i expect parents to 'make' their outfits - simple plain tshirt, bit of rope as a belt, a helmet (no horns of course!), battle axes and swords, plain trousers/leggings and boots... though i must admit we wern't really looking for authenticity... just took the opportunity to do something diff, the outfits were great, food from ikea eaten and ran rampage throughout the school, raiding and making a lot of noise, treasure was seized and the head girl and boy taken as slaves... great day!!!

There's something to be said for sending DC to a school in a not-too-well off area: there's no assumption that parents are going to fucking sew things. Dress-up days are not that common and usually go no further than 'Your DC can wear something of this colour/pattern' or give them an option which allows parents to nip down to Asda's fancy dress department and pick up an outfit for 2.99.