It's Carnival Time in Trinidad & Tobago

It's "Fantastic Friday" and the country is buzzing with activities, fetes, traffic and parties. Carnival is on Monday and Tuesday coming (3rd and 4th March 2014), just before Ash Wednesday. 

http://www.gotrinidadandtobago.com/

We used to be able to view carnival bands parading through the streets live on television (when we did not have as many TV stations and you didn't need to buy the 'Rights' to air Carnival live.).  At those times we would have the television on all day and viewing the costumes at the pre-carnival shows and on carnival days, made me feel very creative.

Some time around 1996/1997, I made a doll sized carnival costume  to fit Barbie.  It was my first.  I used felt, beads, feathers, a skewer for the standard, paint, glitter, fasteners (so it was removable) ribbon and jersey material.  I made it to trade with someone for something, but my trading partner was not impressed.  That was the last trade I ever made.  

Please excuse the fuzzy photos.  I had no digital camera at the time and these are scanned photos.

Costume Front

Costume Back with the Standard against the wall.

A few years later, one of my co-workers persuaded me to make two carnival dolls (11 1/2") for a visiting trainer and I made these two (with non-removable costumes):

Later on, I made these two (11 1/2") (with non-removable costumes) for one of my neighbours, who had migrated to Canada:

I would really like to try again sometime, but with larger dolls.