DIY costumes

by

Party Season Kick-off: Under the Sea Costume Reveal

What a weekend!

Saturday night kicked off the first of three Halloween parties. Hosted at a salon, the under-the-sea theme of this first party inspired our costumes. Party goers dressed as mermaids and pirates and at least one turtle and a fish. My favorite costumes of the night: a pair of deep-sea divers with treasure chests strapped to their waists. Clever!

The dance music had us up and moving. As planned, we had a big salad for dinner with the goal of curbing extra-curricular eating. It mostly worked, though I dipped into a few crispy treats. Hopefully the dancing helped balance things out. Our host set up a photo taking area so I had fun posing for and taking lots of pictures.

halloween costumes 2014

Under the sea costumes

aqua manicure and pedicure

Aqualicious from my head to my toes (Petals made me say that)

My headdress stayed in place all night and the costume itself was quite comfortable. Mike was a bit hot after dancing with his rubberized pecs, but otherwise, he was comfortable as well. Watching several women trying to maneuver in a mermaid costume helped me appreciate the beauty of a pull-on dress.

Guardian of the Sea

Guardian of the Sea

gardener of the sea process

Gardener of the Sea

No-Candy Countdown:

It’s easier to avoid eating candy when it’s not giving you that come-hither look.  I faced temptation twice this weekend, once on Friday and again at the party.

My brother-in-law came to town bearing gifts: a pound of my favorite See’s Chocolates. Oh boy.

I thanked him for the gift, opened the box for sharing, and everyone sat around the table, including my boys, politely abstaining. The site and smell of chocolate had my mouth watering. Once he left, I told my boys it was theirs to share and they made quick work of most of it, consumed out of my sight.

Further temptation sat on a table at the party table: a freshly opened tub of red vines, a childhood favorite.  The power of accountability kept me strong.

I’ve read that the more you resist temptation, the more you strengthen your resolve. This week really put me to the test.

So, October 27th, still candy-free

red vines

Red Vines on the party table

Pumpkins on Parade:

A certain someone I know is dressing up this year as Amy Farrah Fowler, the hilarious scientist girlfriend on The Big Bang Theory. She also suggested a nerdy pumpkin. My version below includes Amy’s signature hair barrette and glasses, and her traditional cardigan and printed blouse.  Amy didn’t mind the squishy pumpkin. The three small ones from the garden are limping their way through this final week of October.

amy farrah fowler

Amy Farrah Fowler Pumpkin from The Big Bang Theory

Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch

I put on my best pout but it was all for naught. I couldn’t entice the teenagers to join me at the patch. Mike is always a good sport, so we enjoyed the car time, but the patch was a zoo. I don’t know what I was expecting the Sunday before Halloween but found it a bit overwhelming. Virtually all of the typical carving pumpkins were gone. The ones remaining we’re extra-large in girth and thickness.  We went around a second time and decided on three ‘warts and all’ pumpkins instead. They’re surprisingly light in weight, so it will be interesting to see them inside.

mike spina farms pumpkin patch

Resident carver picks his pumpkins

Mike really enjoys carving pumpkins each year, and when possible, he takes the day off of work. You can see some of his past masterpieces on my page Passionate About Pumpkins. He’s really good.

Dance Like No One is Watching:

Dressing up brings out my inner goofball.  a sixteen-second clip of me dancing with a skeleton prop.

Here is the rest of that wonderful quote by William W. Purkey:

Dance like no one is watching,
Live like you’ll never be hurt
Sing like no one is listening
Live like it’s heaven on earth.

by

Under the Sea Headdress

My under the sea costume headdress is almost done. I finished it yesterday, but it wouldn’t stay upright on my head. I slept on it (the problem, not the headdress) and once again the answer became clear. Instead of using an elasticized headband, I need one that grips the hair and sits upright. I’ll probably cut the elastic off of the band I’m using, and then resew the entire piece on to another headband. Does that make sense?

under the sea headdress underpinnings

Scrap of packaging plastic, festooned with glitter, beads and moss. Sparkle branches, elasticized headband and the secret garden key with a glass heart, once attached to a very special gift.

I started small, then added layers,careful to keep the piece light in weight. Using a piece of plastic from a disposable container, I cut a half-moon shape following the curve of my head. I spritzed it with glue, then added bits of moss, leftover beads from Mike’s helmet, a plastic fish from an earring and lots of sparkle. Once the plastic was dry, I encased it in a pocket of tulle, sewing the edges together after wrapping it around the headband. I added a snippet of blue sparkled branches along the band’s curve. It still needed some volume, so I added more tulle, gathered into a fan shape and sewn to the back. One more piece of glitter branch, also sewn on the back gave it more height. With glitter in my hair, on my face, and down the front of my jeans, I declared the head-piece sufficiently blinged!

under the sea headdress

Under the Sea Headdress

Gloves/Arm Wraps

Using the sleeves of a thrifted gauze shirt, I made a pair of arm covers to emulate gloves. After fitting them to my arms, I added a piece of elastic to keep them in place over my ring fingers. I made a shank style button, joining two buttons together with elastic, then covering them with a scrap of glitter material left over from the top half of the dress.

My son announced that they just ‘look like sleeves and not gloves’ taking the wind right out of my sails. He didn’t mean to be unkind, just passing on his honest opinion. I’ll try them on with the dress this weekend, and if they work well together I’ll use them.

under the sea gloves

Under the sea ‘gloves”

No-Candy Countdown:

Instead of giving out candy this year, I’ve decided to give little bags of pretzels. Pauline suggested bookmarks to go with them, another great idea. I have about nine more days till the wee ghosts and goblins grace my doorstep, so once the costume is a wrap, I’ll come up with a bookmark prototype. This will be another fun way to promote the Little Free Library. Still candy free.

Pumpkins on Parade:

Sad news on the pumpkin front. Like me, their once firm flesh is now soft and wrinkled. I fear one over-zealous costume change may put them out of business for good. A visit to a pumpkin patch is probably in order. Mike will need a bigger canvas for carving next week. For now, I give you Ghoulish Pumpkin.

the ghoulish pumpkin

Dark! Dark! The horror of darkness, like a shroud wraps me and bears me on through mist and cloud.

– Sophocles

by

If Your Costume Needs Zing, Add Bling

It’s true. A costume isn’t a costume until you add some bling. I spent my in between moments today adding bits of this and that to the dress. It’s fun sorting through my jewelry box for the odd piece. Small treasures also linger in craft bins and my sewing box.

heart bling

Heart Bling, Straight From my Jewelry Box

I popped out last night for a few groceries and picked up a pair of jewelry findings to finish the cape. Using a few strands of green embroidery floss, I attached the flower finding to a silver leaf and added one on either side of the cape.

shoulder leaf bling

Shoulder Bling

package of seeds

Packet of Seeds (A Gift from Alyster the Gnome)

I threw together a headpiece this afternoon, but it’s been a bit of a challenge keeping it upright. If the elastic strap is under my chin it stands up. If it’s behind my ears as it should be it has a bit of a tilt. I’ll figure something out after another night’s sleep.

No-Candy Countdown:

I’ve been so focused on staying away from candy this month, that the subject entered my dreams. I was standing at a counter in a store, and the woman I was with was sharing details of a murder. Then she produced a delicious box of chocolates and I started eating them. Half way through I realized that I was eating out of stress, and worse, that I would have to tell all of you about it.

All you dream diagnosticians can have a field day with this one. In better news, I’m still candy free. Darn that chocolate haunting my dreams.

Pumpkins on Parade:

Today’s pumpkin is a two for one.

Pauline of The Contented Crafter said:

Surely all the aqua loveliness calls for a mermaid pumpkin to celebrate the costume unveiling?

Introducing, Merpumpkin.

Merpumpkin

Merpumpkin

My friend Betsy loves mermaids so hopefully she’s giggling when she sees this. The headdress is part of my costume by the way.I’ll be writing more about it tomorrow.
Marlene of In Search of it All said:

Wonder what would happen if you put the pumpkin on the dress form in costume?

Great idea, Marlene. I’ve been waiting to get the costume in respectable order before giving this idea a try. Aside from the shrunken head and the missing neck, not bad. Her beautiful eyes and blue skin more than make up for that. 😉

Pumpkin Head

Pumpkin Head

If you’re planning your own Halloween costume this year, please let us know what you’re up to in the comments below.

bling

Bling-Bling

 

by

Under-the-sea Costumes: Home Stretch

We’re almost there. I’ve been working on our under-the-sea costumes for about three or four weeks now. Thursday was the first day that I had several hours of uninterrupted time. What a rare treat to have an afternoon dedicated to getting my creative juices flowing.

Things were humming along with my dress but then I hit a snag. The original plan wasn’t working, or more accurately, I didn’t like it. The overskirt looked bulky, not the smooth, draping look I was after. Furthermore, the layers of sequined panels, reused from part of a thrifted child’s dress, looked messy. What to do, what to do?

gardener of the sea skirt

Overskirt, front panel, seaweed and gardening tools

I went to bed in a funk. It’s a bit of a let down working on something for so long, only to have it disappoint you. The next day I realized the problem: the outer skirt, removed from an extra-large dress, was simply too much fabric. With that sorted out, I removed the original waistband from the skirt and redistributed the fabric more judiciously. Rather than keeping the gathering uniform all the way around, I lined up the side seams of the dress with the over skirt and created a box pleat in the back. Now the skirt flows but without the bulk. In the front I stitched just a few inches of the overskirt to the waistband, then let the excess fabric fall in waves down the front. Much better.

costume details

Costume Details

gardener of the sea

Gardener of the Sea Dress

After removing the sequined fabric from the front of the dress, I replaced it with a panel of material I’m using for the cape. I had just enough left over to make the panel without compromising the flow of the cape. Serendipity! It’s all trick of the eye, as the panel is only 14 inches wide but it works.

With that sorted out, it was time to add some bling. I cut three narrow strips of the cape material, then stretched them to capacity. This created a curled edge and a distressed finish. The idea is to suggest seaweed.  After sewing the strips to the front panel, I added a few green glass beads, some jewelry findings and tied a few knots in the ends.

One of my thrift store finds is an aqua eyeglass lanyard. I sewed that to the front panel as well, and attached my tiny spade key ring. I bought it at a clever shop in Victoria, Canada.  I hope to add another gardening tool but that’s still working itself out in my head.

What’s Left:

My cape: It’s almost done, but I need a pair of buttons and a bit of elastic to attach it to my dress.

Headpiece. I’ve been gathering bits of material and some netting. I’m trying to make something that I can attach to a hair band.

Gloves. I’m still working out the details, but I have the material and a general idea of where I’m going with it.

Mike put the finishing touches on his helmet this weekend and it looks great. He glued bits of moss, some gold jewelry findings and just a hint of glitter. It looks a bit menacing to me with the full mask, but he likes it and that’s what counts.

Guardian of the Sea Mask

Guardian of the Sea Mask

I finished his cape on Thursday, trimmed the tunic and added a few small touches. His costume is essentially done with one exception: I need to sew loops on the cape so it’s removable.

Guardian of the Sea Cape

Guardian of the Sea Cape

Guardian of the Sea Tunic

Guardian of the Sea Tunic

We attend our first of three Halloween parties next Saturday, so with my busy week ahead, I need to carve out time for these last details.

No-Candy Countdown:

no candy countdown october 20

Candy-free Countdown

As my 31-day, no-candy countdown continues, I’m enjoying the feeling of being more in control of my food choices. I hope those of you joining me on the journey are feeling positive as well. Please let me know how you’re doing in the comments below.

Pumpkins on Parade:

pincushion pumpkin

Pincushion Pumpkin

Nothing reminds me of sewing more than a bright red pincushion. Today’s pumpkin should feel right at home.

Thank you for the additional suggestions for pumpkin dress up. I’ll be working on a few of them later this week.

by

Restoring Order and Some Time at the Machine

This I know for sure: creativity and order are not mutually exclusive.

Since I don’t have a craft room, I improvise in various rooms of the house. I set up my sewing machine in the living room and projects requiring glue, tape or paint happen in the kitchen. We’ve been doing our costume spray painting outside in my newspaper-lined wheelbarrow. Boy, the fumes are nasty. I don’t think I’ve spray-painted in ten years.

DSC_0026-001

After weeks of setting up Halloween, dressing up pumpkins, making cards, sewing our costumes, I could take the chaos no longer. I sorted, cleaned, straightened and did the family laundry while I was at it. When I found one of the buttons to Mike’s costume at the bottom of the washing machine, a barely flinched. How it got there is anyone’s guess. I’m just glad I found it.

With order restored, I felt the calm descend. I threaded the machine, pinned some fabric into place, and I sewed. Yippee! Life is good.

sewing fabric

No-Candy Countdown:

Thanks for cheering me on with my no-candy countdown. Marlene, Diane and a few others are doing the same. Support and accountability help me stay strong. I’m sleeping better, not so driven by my cravings and the scale moved south, just a bit. With three Halloween parties to attend, I’m planning a good dinner ahead of time to limit my junk-food intake once there.

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

I completed all the machine sewing on Mike’s tunic today. The medallion is sewn in place along with the buttons to support the cape. I plan to add ‘seaweed’ to his tunic and some sparkle to give it a sense of movement. Additionally, I cut the fabric for his cape, but need him to try it on before I finish the shoulder details. It’s fun seeing it come together.

Men's under the sea costume

Under the sea costume progress

Pumpkins on Parade:

Introducing the ghost of the mystery pumpkin patch.

ghost pumpkin

Ghost pumpkin

One of my boys insisted on dressing up as a ghost one Halloween, though quickly realized how difficult it was to see. Lessons learned. I’ve kept the ‘costume’ all these years, and use it in a variety of ways. This year it’s draped over the wicker chair on the front deck. Other years I’ve used it as a part of a group of layered table cloths for our Halloween party. The year that our magic cauldron leaked, the ghost soaked up the water along with orange and purple dye from something on the table. After a wash, it still had just a trace of those colors. Our ghost continues to improve with age.

Please keep sharing your ideas for pumpkin dress up. I’ll be catching up on comments and your posts over the next few days, but I’ll be back here at Gardening Nirvana on Monday. I hope to see you then.

by

Sentimental Thrifting: Kicking Shame to the Curb

Thrift store shopping is all the rage. Clothing and household goods get a second life, proceeds from purchases usually benefit a non-profit, and for those who can’t afford new clothes for themselves or their family, they’re a boon.They’re also an excellent place to shop for Halloween.

In the year leading up to my father’s death, most of our purchases came from a thrift store. After Dad died and Mom had three young girls to raise, our clothes and shoes came from the local St. Vincent de Paul. We enjoyed going there and the kind treatment by the woman who volunteered for the store.

We didn’t own a car, and within a few weeks of our dad dying, mom loaded us girls with arms of his clothing, and we walked to the store to donate them. I’ll never forget the pain of that day. When we walked in the door, she asked us how our dad was.  I couldn’t possibly say ‘he died’ so instead I said “he’s fine” and fled to the back of the store as the tears welled up yet again. I turned ten a few months later.

In my early teens, I was more aware of the scarcity around us. That’s when the shame set in. We lived in affluent Millbrae, but on the ‘wrong’ side of the tracks. Girls would ask if my dress was new and I never knew how to respond. It wasn’t new of course, just new to me. I felt trapped between telling the truth and my personal shame. The last time I shopped at that local thrift, I went in to find a pair of overalls. They were all the rage in the day, so I hoped to find a pair of my own.

When I walked out of the store, a school bus drove by and I imagined everyone on that bus looking at me with judgment. I jumped back into the shop, my heart pounding and waited for the bus to pass.

I was in college before I mustered the courage to enter a thrift store again. I found several treasures for a few dollars, and brought them home to decorate my room. The problem, though, was that smell.  It’s a mix of stale fabrics, moth balls and the collective journey of donated items.  It’s also the smell of loss and shame and grief.

It’s wonderful to have worked through so much of those feelings as I continue a path of healing. I’m able to embrace the thrift store experience once again. Not only is it trendy to recycle fashion, it’s practical, economical and green. Items get a second life.

So, with that in mind, I’ve been haunting local thrift stores in search of the perfect find. Once I get past the smell, those thrift stores no longer haunt me.

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat.I’m feeling great, losing weight and enjoying the sense of control I’ve gained over my extra-curricular eating.I’m rewarding myself with a happy face stamp. It’s fun and a way to stay self-aware.

DSC_0026

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

I had all kinds of fun last Friday, and again over the weekend. I planned out the rest of the details for my costume, draping and pinning as I went along. I ran out of safety pins, so had a few ‘tender’ moments getting the dress on and off. I picked up a bag of pins on Sunday.

under the sea draping collage

Thrift store finds: Purple dress, two sections of fabric and a pair of unique earrings

I cut the smaller of the two pieces of fabric in half, then draped it over the shoulder of the dress to create a short-sleeved top. I’m using the longer length of fabric for a cape. I found a unique pair of earrings for two dollars. I removed the earring and used the rest as faux fasteners for the cape.

Mike’s getting into the spirit of  dressing up this year and he’s having fun. We went back to Savers and bought a pant suit, soon to be converted into his cape. The dark green and swirly pattern are perfect. The thrift store pricing fit the bill too. Don’t worry, it will be manly when I’m done with it, with zero trace of this suit.

under the sea cape material

Thrift store finds: Green and Gold chiffon pantsuit

Pumpkins on Parade:

Will of Marking Our Territory had the following to say about this year’s crop:

Halloween beats out all but two holiday for parties? I’m seriously impressed. (Side note: the 3/4 pumpkin in the lower left corner is my favorite – it’s got character)

Will has wonderful character so he should know.

three quarters pumpkin

3/4 Pumpkin

Please keep sharing your ideas for pumpkin dress up.

by

Our ‘No Fall’ Fall

My Calendar says October but the thermometer says July. We’d normally be enjoying cooler temps by now and the house would be decorated for Halloween. It’s our no-fall, fall.

I thought about decorating every day last week. But when I stepped outside and felt a ‘wall’ of heat, I high-tailed it back inside. Is hot-and-dry the new norm?

Our seasonal average is 76 degrees F or 24C.  Instead it’s been in the 90’s F  or 34 C for days.  What’s especially strange is that the angle of the sun and the behavior of the trees indicates early autumn. I find myself clinging to the ‘old’ normal: moderate temps and perhaps a bit of rain. What do you suppose the scientists will have to say about these changes one hundred years from now? Is the weather turned upside down where you live, too?

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat.  I’m enjoying all the things I love about October while continuing to lose the extra pounds.  It’s day six and all is well.  I’m also reconsidering my Halloween night giveaway. Mini bags of pretzels are another option.  I met someone who gives away books for Halloween, but with close to 200 children, ranging in age from 1 to 16, I don’t think I could pull that off. I love that she does, though.  I’ll let you know what I come up with.

Under-the-sea Costume Updates:

Though it was blazing hot all weekend, we braved the heat in short spurts to paint. We huddled in the side year in the shade and added layers of blue to the rubberized chest for Mike’s Guardian of the Sea costume.

This is the package photo:

Starter Costume: Perseus

Starter Costume: Perseus

And our color additions:

halloween mike's costume

Transitioning to Sea Guardian

I found a gorgeous button on clearance for $1.87 that I’ll incorporate into the costume:

swordfish button halloween costume

Awesome button from a clearance rack

My sea gardener costume is still a pile of fabric. Hopefully I can get to it today.

Pumpkins on Parade

Special thanks to Boomdee for the second suggestion this month: a baker. Boomdee says:

I’d like to see a pumpkin dressed as a baker because when I see pumpkins, I see pie……mmmmmm pumpkin pie 😀 Yum

baker pumpkin collage

Catatouille

You can read more about pumpkin-dress up month at, NEWS FLASH! Halloween Takes Over Gardening Blog.

If you have any suggestions for ‘pumpkin costume of the day’ please let me know. I’ll see what I can do.