A Very Happy Handmade Halloween: Sleeping Beauty, Wolverine, & A Baby Bear

Ah! I've been gone for so long, I wasn't sure I'd be able to jump back into blogging again! I've certainly missed sharing my handmade items with you guys, but I'll admit that the stress of photographing and writing posts wasn't. I also began selling my clothing and the constant promotion of my brand has dominated much of my "free time." 

BUT, here I am. Back and ready to share my 2015 Halloween handmade costumes. 

Winter Sewing

Hey guys! 

I thought I'd check back in with you quickly to show some of the projects I've been tackling in my absence. I totally have the in-laws coming over in a bit to eat pizza (yay, Friday night!) and then take the two big kids to stay with them. That's means a bit of television and some sewing is in my near future! 

KCW Day 2 - finishing Firestar

Alright, Day 2 people. 

I've got myself a Halloween deadline and I'm not about to fail. Firestar has been completed. 

For the top I used the new Titchy Threads pattern - The Rowan Tee. It's amazing. So many options that my head spins thinking of them all. I used the basic shirt pattern without stripes and the hood option. That way it can be warm and useful after beggars night. 

Pants were made using the Go To Leggings. They've worked wonderfully for everything I've made, this included. I knew the fleece didn't have as much stretch as the pattern calls for, so I added zippers into the seam and wah-la! 

Gloves were made using a free pattern I found online, though it was for adults so I modified it to fit my child. 

Mask was another online find- I just googled children's mask template and found one that was a Mardi Gras mask. I didn't even have to change the shape. Apparently Firestar likes her some Mardi Gras.

Hm, I think that's it. 

Wish me luck as I begin to dive into a Batman outfit. My son stated today that I'd be making him a Transformers outfit, aaagh. Kids and their ever-changing opinions. I did my best to explain that mommy is already making Batman and we can look at making a different costume afterwards. He seemed ok with it. Crisis averted. 

See you tomorrow!! 

KCW Day 1 - Firestar

Day 1 of KCW 

Thank goodness that this round is right before Halloween. I need one more reason to get in my sewing room and get these costumes done or I'll be up the night before beggars night cursing. 

Instagram Update

Oh, hello! 

Here's a quick little Instagram update before I run off to make the kids some lunch. 

KCW Day 2: Big Bad Wolf Sweatshirt& Pants

Day 2 has wrapped up and I got much more done than I had expected. 

As usual there were many interruptions but my children napped together (WHAA? yes we are all shocked) for a good 2 hours. 

It was bliss. 

KCW Day 1 : Wolf Pants

Booyah. 

Between homeschool, visiting Great Grandma Levina, a meeting with our supervising teacher and many other obstacles... I managed to cut and begin sewing Lily's pants to her Big Bad Wolf costume. 

The french terry knit cotton I'm using is a bit stretchier than expected so I'll need to take them in a little more, but I'm successfully not buying fabric for this costume and that makes me happy. Plus, it's thick & that is key when Trick-Or-Treating in the bitter cold of Iowa fall/winter weather. We always hope that there won't be snow. 

Costumes of Halloween Past

OH HEY! 

Can you guys believe that Halloween is almost here? 

It really creeped up on me this year (no pun intended haha). 

So, until I'm able to share this year's costume with you, I'll take a moment to look back at past Halloween DIY's. 

Halloween nearly lost...

WOW!

I can't believe that Halloween is nearly over. I feel like this year was an epic fail of a Halloween. 

1. It's Archer's first, and I didn't make him an outfit. 

2. We haven't carved our pumpkins yet

3. much less decorated the house. :/ 

4. Lily's costume is also a :from the store: costume, though I tend not to fret over that as much because she PICKED what she wanted and kept switching what she wanted. 

We've basically been wearing any costume she owns for a week now. 

in the end, dad & i had the flu and basically slept through the whole weekend. Past the bars full of entertaining outfits& past my Wiz Khalifa concert (grrr) ... 

but shoot. I haven't missed beggars night with the kids. 

& I really don't care to go to the bars too often. 

Halloween/October Scrapbook, The Little Mermaid

Finally finishing up Lily's Halloween/October Album. I had put together the book quite some time ago to ensure that I wouldn't space it. 

Recycled Halloween Tshirt into Headband

I told my daughter after Halloween that we would need to retire some of her Halloween shirts. It devastated her as if I had just said I had eaten all of her candy. It got me thinking about what I could do with the shirts so she could still enjoy them without being dressed in Halloween clothes until Christmas. 

I wish I could take credit from this idea, but I cant! Found the inspiration on a woman's blog who had done it even better than I, but I can't seem to locate the blog again. : / Just know she's out there somewhere. 

Halloween Costumes For the WHOLE Family (& even a friend)

 

Halloween Pumpkin Carving and Painting

So goes the first blog using a terrible cell phone for my camera, I truly hope this doesn't have to continue. After last weeks visit to the pumpkin patch we decided that this weekend we should use the many pumpkins/gourds that were purchased. We were all tired of them sitting on the kitchen table. 

Memories/Costumes/Crafts of Halloween Past

Since I sadly had to turn my camera back over to Nikon for repairs, its gone for a stint of time. Hubby and I went shopping for a cheaper one to use as a backup- plus when I'm going to a concert I risk hiding it and losing it to security. Who knows if it would come back in one piece. So, we've got our eye on one that is suppose to go on sale, and then my blog can be back in action. Till then: RECAP on past Halloweens

Halloween Paper Bag Scrapbook

This is the original Halloween scrapbook that I made (getting it done early). After this I discovered chipboard etc and was kind of sad that I had already put it together. How would I manage to salvage my hard work? Read on...

Halloween Cont. & More

As promised I have returned with updates on Lily's Little Mermaid costume. Again, I am so glad I started this project early. I've had so much  fun finding cheap and interesting ways to make this a one of a kind instead of another patterned blah piece. I wasn't too fond of using a pattern in the first place, but I couldn't see myself successfully creating my own without it turning into an extremely expensive ordeal. Someday my financial supplies will allow for more creativity/trial and error/etc. Anyways.... off of that tangent. So at my visit to the Goodwill I discovered a 5 cent bag of seashells, what luck! I used these to glue to her dress and the crown I picked up on clearance at Target.

Happy Halloween in September

Ahhhhh fall is definitely setting in. Now that I'm home (not working) for the most part I'm able to plan ahead instead of procrastinating. Its amazing what you can get done only working 2 days a week!! Yesterday I finished Lily's halloween costume. Although I was keen on her being either an owl or bird (only because I found the cutest costume tutorials online and I'm a bit selfish lol), she had other ideas and said she would like to be the little mermaid. I sucked up my mom authority and let her choose her own costume, though I do miss the days when I had full discretion over these decisions. Another benefit of finishing her costume more than a month before halloween is that I am able to foresee any issues that might come up: after trying it on she slipped onto her bottom... apparently the measurements for the fins/skirt are a bit big .... I spent a while brainstorming the ways to fix this without tearing apart my work and I think I will have success with some sort of metal wire at the bottom to help keep the fin from her feet. That has yet to go in but I'll add another photo once its done. It should also help with the complete look! Also chose to take in the sides of the bottom a bit, as you can see in the photo its a little big... she's just a skinny little lady!