Mermaid costume endnotes

Mermaid, mermaid, blah, blah blah. Anyone who's talked to me in the past month has had their fill of hearing about sewing this costume. Still endnotes are productive for future projects, and for anyone interested in sewing something similar--maybe I can save you the time of reinventing the wheel.

So, here are a some notes on the costume making, for those of you who are interested in such things...

A few lessons learned:

• Ada's scaly blue tail was a perfect fit, but because I sewed a blue sequin border where the blue tail meets the fin, we lost some of the stretchiness of the blue scaly fabric there. As a result, Ada had a bit of a challenge walking.

• I made the cape with the idea that it was going to be cold, and, for the first time in decades, it wasn't. The evening temperature was around 68 degrees! Fortunately, the cape is something that will work for magician play, or fancy dress, and it's reversible. I'm hoping she gets more use out of it.

• As I was attaching the bodice to the scaly tail, I realized they didn't match: the bodice was too wide, and the tail was too narrow. After some reading, I realized I could probably make a few darts in the bodice to decrease the waistline. I had no idea how to do this, so--more reading. After some fiddling around with samples, and lots of ripped stitches, I got four darts into the waist, and--big grin here!--it worked.

• The biggest time-eater was sewing a lot of this by hand, from attaching all the sequin tape to putting the layers of the bodice and tail together. My hand sewing is atrocious, but maybe it got a little better with the practice...one can only hope.

• The fin was tough to fit onto the scaly tail--it flattened out at first, so I sewed a little triangular piece to each side to make it more circular (essentially I made two gusset-like pieces, I think), and then suddenly it had dimension.

• I did decorate an old pair of shoes for the costume, too. I used pale pink sequined tape, glitter, and some little shells. But because I glued all of this onto the shoe--they were too stiff! Ada shuffled around a bit and admired them, and then we decided to just keep them as a decoration.

My favorite parts of the costume:

I really love the entire cape. It's hangs well because it's got some weight to it. I used a heavier silk lining for the dark blue, and then I used batting between the layers to add warmth and heft. And I was pleased with how the ruffled collar came out. It was my first stabilized collar, and yay! It worked. My favorite part of the cape, though, are the plackets on the cape armholes. I taught myself how to make these, so I don't know if they are technically right, but I think they look really nice, and they make the cape look that much more elegant on Ada.

I lined the entire costume with a green stretch satin, and I loved the color so much I wanted to pull it through other elements. I made the piping for the arms and neckline with some of the sparkle organza wrapped around the green satin. I really liked this, and I'm going to find a way to use this fabric again.

I also used the satin to make a little tape to ruffle out around the edge of the bodice. It's tiny next to the piped border, but I think it's a sweet little detail.

The tail is really fun, and was neat to watch come together. I used four colors of an sparkly organza called "fairy dust." To make the tail, I used an interfacing base, and then added layers of different colors. Then, for the flowing part of the tail, I used unfaced bits of organza just cut in wispy shapes. We lost a few of these on the trek through the neighborhood, but that's okay--it still looked fishy!

If you are sewing your own mermaid costume, I would be happy to offer any advice--drop me an email!

Mermaid costume in process

If you've spoken to me in the past two or three weeks, you know my studio is awash in mermaid-like fabric.

Here are some peeks at what is happening at the sewing machine:

This is a partial view of the tailpiece. Stretchy blue, and a neat compromise between lycra and vinyl, it's perforated with little half moon shapes, which seem to perfectly suggest scales.

I attached the tail to the bodice with a little piped border. In the process, I learned how to make darts to pull in the bodice fabric. Everything has a little stretch, so the end result should be snug on Ada, but only to the point of fitting well.

This sparkled organza is flowing and crisp at the same time, and it makes for a perfect tailfin. I'm putting together pieces of blue, green, white, and pink, and layering them. The base piece has interfacing sew in as a base so it is pretty stiff, but the other pieces are loose. My goal is to attach them to the tail in a a V-shape, then add a border along the top to neaten the edge. This element has taken longer than I anticipated!

The part of the costume Ada loves best is the sequined bodice. I am sewing sequined trim tape to the top in strips. Talk about taking longer than I anticipated! I have been up late many nights with a needle and thread as I catch individual sequins and anchor them to the satin. To save some time, (and to be sensible about who is wearing this thing), I decided only to sequin the front of the bodice. The back will remain plain satin, which will be much easier for Ada to sit in.

There are other details I'm working on: shoes, a shell necklace, and a cape (it's cold on Halloween night!). I'm hoping I finish them.

And all of this because....well, because it's fun to try to learn to do new things, and Ada's face when she sees each step completed is a fantastic motivator. She appreciates all the things I make, and she is learning how to do these sorts of things herself, too.

I'll post the final results this weekend!

Because the mind of a toddler is ever-changing,

a wise grownup should not commit to a handmade Halloween costume.

Halloween is not a huge holiday around here--that is to say, we don't go all in for the decking out the house all things spooky, and most years, my husband and I don't dress up.

But the entire month of October is filled with costume-making activities for Ada and Esme. We actually sometimes start the sketching and fabric hunt as early as August. Ada and I love making designs and poring over fabric colors and textures. And by October 1st, the studio is noisy with the whirr of the sewing machine, and my under-the-breath mutterings as I stick myself with pins or rip misjudged stitches.

I rip a lot of stitches. As soon as the fabric gets into my hands, the costume becomes less about Halloween fun, and more about how I can learn from the sewing at hand. I get obsessive about trying new techniques, experimenting with lining, or seam finishes, or little embellishments. I have to stop from time to time to remind myself that this is just a costume, and that Ada will love it regardless.

I admit I almost feel guilty about how much I like the whole process. If one of my friends coos over "what a good mommy I am" for making the costume, I'm quick to correct her that this is really not the altruistic act she thinks it is. Once that fabric hits the sewing table, the costume really becomes selfishly and deliciously mine. As obsessions go, it's pretty tame. But it's a bit magical just the same, I think--the sensation of the fabric changing form is wonderous. With some cutting and stitches, it goes from a flat, smooth square into something with dimension. And if I am lucky, it somewhat resembles what Ada requested in the first place. Win for her, win for me.

This year, Ada has decided to be a mermaid, and true to form, I have gone overboard (very punny). I will post more about it in the next few days after I've taken some decent photos of it in process, but for the meantime, think: Sparkles! Turquoise! Texture! Oh, and a lot of pin sticks for me.

As for Esme, well--she is a toddler, and her interests change from day to day, or sometimes from hour to hour. I had the ambition to make her a fancy, fringy, leather-skirt-and-vest kind of costume costume when she first declared she would be a cowgirl, but five costume ideas later, I gave up on sewing anything for her this year. That same day, we stumbled over this Dalmatian costume at Old Navy, and we decided it was perfect. Esme has worn it for many days now already. My only fear is that she will decide that, come Halloween, the Dalmatian costume is too "everyday." Ah well.

Ada's costume is draped over the back of my sewing chair, singing its siren song.

Must. Finish. Soon. Ada reminded me at breakfast that there are only three days left before she needs it. Wish me luck!

Because I am learning to focus

I'm learning to focus on what I like to do, and (at least in terms of art/craft), I am going to start delegating the things I don't truly enjoy.

With some shame, I admit it: I don't really enjoy quilting. Well, to be more exact: it's the the quilting part of making a quilt that I don't like: you know, the part where you stitch the top, batting, and back, together. I love the feel of a finely quilted quilt, and I know lots of talented quilters, but I don't enjoy it enough to put in the time to do it well. There. I said it.

I do love making the quilt top. I seem to always come up with a plan for a quilt design, and I have many quilt tops in the works, but doing the actual quilting has been such a task that I've postponed finishing the pieces I've started.

This summer, in the middle of my frenzied organizing/cleaning/refreshing/repainting, I discovered a beautiful quilt I'd made for Ada with the many of the same fabrics from her baby quilt. Above is a photo of the baby quilt, which I did for her while I was waiting for her as a baby. During that waiting time, I had so much frenetic energy that I made dozens of projects for her room, including the twin-sized quilt I found in the armoire this summer. As I examined it again, I realize had made a good start on it, with putting the layers together, and beginning the quilting, but there was a lot of work left on it.

Ada found me with the newly-found and unfinished quilt, and looked at it with such longing. I wanted to finish it for her, but frankly, the idea of cramming it into my machine to try to quilt it left me feeling overwhelmed. Suddenly it came to me: There are people who do this sort of quilting professionally. What if I found someone to do this for me? And guess what?

Ada's quilt was finished by a lovely lady with a longarm machine and a talent for fixing my assembly boo-boos. Ada and I are both really pleased with it. Ada and I worked with Sharon to pick a design for the edges--Ada chose butterflies--and wow!

Now I'm ready to move on to piecing Esme's baby quilt, which has been on hold for, oh, about three years. My new friend Ms. Sharon will be doing the quilting part, and suddenly I feel the inspired energy to pick up that project right away. I think knowing I don't have to spin my wheels with the quilting has made me feel more free to enjoy the process of sewing the patchwork.

What's funny is that feeling okay with delegating is a huge deal for me. I'm a do-it-yourself kind of girl, and delegating runs counter to that. Or maybe not. Because--especially with artwork--if I can peel off a few things that I don't love or that take more time than reasonable--then I will have more time to do things with my husband and girls, and more time to make things and do things that really make my heart sing. With that in mind, I am going to embrace a little delegation so I can really enjoy the work in my hands as much as possible.

She arrived on Friday.

She arrived on Friday, elegant and polite, but needing assistance and some clothing.  You see, she's fallen on hard times, and her arms and legs were loose and not fully attached.  She couldn't manage to sew them herself, and she'd heard it said in the forest that I was kind to mice...

And so I let her in.

I am under deadline for another project, and so while I offered her a cozy place to sleep, I have to beg off stitching her arms and legs until Monday. She agreed, and nestled into her nest in our dining room clock.

She hasn't yet shared her name with me, as she is quite shy and a bit embarrassed.  But she and Mr. Mouse found lots to talk about, squeaking into the wee hours last night.  I think they may be fond of each other, truth be told.  Love at first sight?  Time will tell.

Tuesday Treasure: A Gift of a Poem

In keeping with my Tuesday treasure hunts, I'm going to show you another treasure I found this week.  But unlike most of my "hunts," I didn't look for this one.  Rather, it found me.  I've been walking on air all week because of it.

My friend Irene at wordloversunite gave me this poem on Sunday.   I literally swooned with delight at it.   It shimmers and glitters and thrills--a real treasure.   Allow me to hold it up for you to admire:  

Simplicity 8953

- for Kirie

The pattern promises to make a princess

so I gather together tulle, organza,

duchess satin and dupioni silk

to spin a girl’s dream: flouncy slip

beneath shimmering skirt, puffy sleeves,

bodice edged with beaded rosette trim.

I don’t warn her about the clock

or tell her how glass slippers sometimes shatter.

I stay up till dawn, add a tuck

so that it fits just right

and later as she prances and twirls

I vow to hold her close

should white steeds dissolve into skittering mice,

the royal coach to a rotting pumpkin,

the prince lost in moonlight, then

caught dancing with someone else.

- Irene Latham

You can read more of Irene's work on her blog, http://wordloversunite.blogspot.com/, and in her book, What Came Before .  I am so honored that she would be inspired to write something so lovely for me.   I treasure it.   Thank you, Irene!!

Candy corn is still in season

Just in time for Thanksgiving:  a skirt I made for Ada.  

Here she is in her new candy corn skirt. Isn't she sweet?  

Introducing Mr. Mouse

We have a mouse in our house, but he's the kind you want to keep.  His name is Mr. Mouse, and he has a long and storied history with us.   Someday I will tell you some of his background--it's rather strange, and it involves Martha Stewart.

He is a bit spoiled.  Here he is waiting for tea to be served...

He also has a nicer bed than most regular mice.  

Ada made him a quilt

and I helped make him a futon.

 

 This is the only photo I could get before he got angry that I had disturbed his sleep. (He can be difficult!)

We think that lately Mr. Mouse has been lonely, so we are thinking perhaps he needs to meet a friend, or maybe even a wife.     

Turkey Craft Roundup--you're invited!

Thanksgiving is only 3 weeks away. So I've got turkeys on my mind. I love turkeys. Turkey dinner, turkey art, turkey themes.  My tastes are wide-ranging, from simple hand-turkeys to Monets Les Dindons.

This year I'm starting a little flickr group called "Turkey Craft Roundup." I'd love it if you'd join! All you have to do is let the turkey-crafting mood strike you, take a picture of what you've made, and upload it to the turkey craft roundup group on flickr. Blog about your turkey, and use the Mr. Linky on this post to share what you've done.

Here are a few of the things I've made for past Thanksgivings:

Turkey placemats for the girls and for Ada's baby.  The feathers on these are actually pockets that hold a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, and a Thanksgiving note.  The girls really love eating off of these.

Turkey pom-poms, a la Martha Stewart.  Mine are a little cockeyed, but I think that's part of their turkey charm.

Hand turkey shrinky dinks, which I made into charms for the grandparents. This was a big hit.

Next up:
A skirt inspired by turkeys. Here are the fabrics I'm using.  

This project is more abstractly turkey, but I'm really loving the colors and the idea of "feathers." One night of insomnia, and this baby should be done...

What turkeys are you making?

The chipmunk costume how to, part 1

As promised, here is how I made the chipmunk costume. This is heavy on the details, so for those not interested in the nitty-gritty, just take a peek at the photos. Esme is pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

By the way, If you've stumbled onto this via a google search on how to make a chipmunk costume, I'd be happy to help if you have questions or need to see additional photos. Feel free to drop me an email.

How I made the chipmunk costume: I couldn't find a pattern for one, so I started with something close, a skunk. I used the McCall's pattern 8938 by Tom Arna.





First, the materials: I used four different types of faux fur, including fake fox, and three colors of fake rabbit, which I got from fabric.com. (While I was working with this stuff in the studio, I had to reassure our pet rabbit, Mr. H, that it was indeed not from a cousin of his.) For the ear details, I used some tan Ultrasuede. Unlike Ada's costume, this one has a conventional muslin lining for the hood, which makes it much softer to wear, and makes it less flimsy. The interior of the fur isn't scratchy, but not soft, either.


Next, the modifications to the pattern:
The stripes were the most obvious thing to change. Of course, I had to make it chipmunky, which meant piecing together very thin strips of fur and making a long piece to put onto the back. I used faux fox for the middle part of the stripe and the various faux rabbit colors for the edges. I decided to use the stripe as a cover for the zipper. I attached half of the stripe on one side of the zipper, and the other half attaches with velcro. I lined the stripe with muslin to makea better ground for the muslin and to reinforce the pieced stripe. Also, instead of making a separate stripe to sew to the headpiece when finished, I integrated it into the headpiece itself. Again, it's sturdier.
The tail attaches with two buttons attached to the end of the stripe. I omitted the foam the Arna design calls for, and the tail is much softer and more flexible.



I also added "wings" to the sides of the costume, to mimic the flaps that rodents seem to have under their arms. I drew a pattern for them based on how high she normally raises her arms to reach for something. The idea was that there would be slack when she was standing, and she wouldn't be constrained by them no matter what she did. To get the right effect, I figured out that I needed to sew the wings together at the outside edges, and then attach them with handstitching--one side to the belly, and the other side to the back. It's sort of like a pillowcase with one side of each opening attached to the body of the costume. I love the overall effect, and they are really cute when she moves, as she is showing in this blurry photo.

The belly and arms are modified from the Arna design as well, which calls for a single white patch to be sewn onto the belly. For a more realistic feel, I sewed the belly in sections of color, and then matched the wings and arms to it accordingly.

Finally, the ears: I used bits from all the furs together and then handstiched them together to get the idea of a more natural ear. It's rougher than I would like, but it works for a costume. Can you tell this was one of the last things I did to finish it?

A few cautions: While it is clean after being sewn, faux fur REALLY sheds while you are sewing it. I found myself coughing and wheezing while I cut it, and I had to get a dust mask to continue.

Faux fur is also tough on needles on the machine. I went through 5, even with the machine on half-speed and without needle basting.





The end result? It feels pretty chipmunky to me. And it is warm and snuggly enough for a New England Halloween. Esme wants to keep wearing it (the bottom part, at least) after she gets it on. And it's huggably cute. Success.


Part two is by request from the grandparents--just some cute shots of Esme as the chipmunk.

A doll's pumpkin costume

We are not, if you can believe it, really that into Halloween. But we do like to play dress up, and Ada’s baby was feeling left out.
So I made her a costume with some cheap synthetic velveteen and some lovely leaf-green velvet. It's the first outfit I've made for this baby, and it fits perfectly. I have a sneaking suspicion that Ada is going to want another outfit, and soon...

I confess. I love making this sort of thing, so there probably will be some other little outfit coming soon. Especially if I get to practice details, like lining (I used orange polka-dotted cotton), and edged puffy sleeves. My favorite detail on this has to be the little hat and stem. See how happy she is? I hope Ada is pleased with it, too.

Oh, and by the way, Ada's baby is not a doll--it's a baby.  I stand corrected.  Because who would be so crazy to sew a costume for a doll, anyway?

My Name is Esme, and I am a Chipmunk

Note:  No animals were harmed in the creation of this costume.  It's all faux fur.

I've been away from the computer and hunched over the sewing machine again.   This time, it's Esme's Halloween costume I'm working on.  She's going to be a chipmunk.  To be specific, she's going to be Pip from the movie Enchanted.  The idea is that Pip and Giselle are friends, and they will be great companions at the local Halloween party.

Ever a sucker for a big and unreasonable project, I told Esme, "Why, of course you can be a chipmunk for Halloween.  I'll make you a costume."  What?!  What was I thinking?  Of course, this conversation took place in August, promises for fancy costumes come easily when Halloween seems an eternity away. 

If I were a sensible person, I might have suggested that she wear one of the costumes Ada wore, or I might have decided to just have her wear some brown sweats and makeup, pin a piece of furry fabric on her bum as a tail, and be done with it.  To those who have the sense to know the value of your own time and make quick costumes, I salute you!  I, unfortunately, am too far into this one to turn back..

And actually, it's coming together pretty well.  It's my first real effort with faux fur, and despite the overwhelming amounts of fuzz that comes off that stuff when you cut and sew (seriously--I needed to wear a facemask), it's working out.    A few more hours, and it will be ready to wear. Look for more photos of the completed projects tomorrow.

Giselle's dress, part 2

Giselle from Enchanted had such a beautiful dress, and here are some more elements we incorporated to make Ada's costume authentic:

Filmy waves of organza on the underskirt.

The organza I used has little vines and leaves embroidered into it--it's delicate and just begs for a little edging.  So I edged it.  I used white ribbon.  I love the way these frills move on the dress.  It's not exactly like Giselle's, but it's close.  She has a profusion of tulle waves on the underskirt.  I think these work just as well for our purposes.

An extra finish on the underskirt.

I like this ribbon finish on the hem seams on the underskirt.  I've got another idea to use this in something else for the girls--maybe a skirt or top for the spring.

I also added an extra slip-like underskirt with 5 yards of tulle gathered onto it.  It gives the skirt extra-extra volume.  Ada will wear a petticoat, too, so it should meet her "poofy" standards.

I am not quite finished with the whole costume--of course.  I have to make the butterfly and topstitch the sash.  And wow, do I need to trim the threads (you can see some of them in the photos).  Because I used the dupioni silk, it's going to be a long task--there are threads everywhere!

The last thing I'm considering is to possibly finish the skirt with glitterglue waves and embellishments in the same way Giselle's skirt was finished.  See the photo below for what hers looked like. 

What do you think?  Glitter embellishment?  No?  The glue works okay, but I'm not 100% sure it will stay nicely.  Then again, it's a costume!   Delurk and tell me what YOU think!  Thanks.

Next:  Ada in the costume, and a preview of Esme's costume.  

Giselle's dress Part 1

Inspired by the movie Enchanted, I made the Giselle dress for Ada to wear on Halloween.   For the past few days I've been away from the blog, and swimming in a sea of tulle, dupioni silk, duchess satin, organza, ribbon, and lacy trims.  

This was my first attempt at an elaborate dress (or any dress, for that matter!), and I am pretty happy with how it turned out.  Okay, really--I'm so happy with it that I'm practically jumping up and down.  Here are some of the highlights:

I used this pattern from Simplicity--8953.  I modified it a bit by incorporating a flouncy slip with tulle, and puffy sleeves.  Oh, and a butterfly on the top of the bodice!

Ada's big requirements were the puffy sleeves, lots of poof in the skirt, and embellishments.  My requirements were that it fits, has nice details (including lining and clean seams), and is modest enough for a seven-year old.  

Here are the results, with some closeup shots to show what I'm talking about.

Here are the sleeves.  This was an entirely new thing for me to try, so I had my fingers crossed the whole time I put it together.  Because I wasn't certain of how to sew the lining with the sleeves, I made the sleeves separately and lined them on their own, sort of as you would a pillowcase.  I hand-stitched them to the finished armholes on the dress after I had lined the bodice.   I loved how these turned out--by happy accident, I got to include an extra ruffle as I sewed them to the bodice, and the finished edges look really nice together.  It's a detail I would repeat again.

The overskirts:

I used duchess satin on these (it seems to be what Giselle actually wore in the movie), and they have a lovely drape and sheen.  I edged them with ribbon, lace, and beaded rosette trims.  Look how they all come together on the edge of the skirt.

The collar:  Again, I used the beaded rosette trim for the collar trim, which accents the silk piping edge that's between the lining and the outer layer.   

The lining.  I don't know if there is a reason clothing doesn't have beautiful lining.  I chanced it and used a pretty white-on-white cotton print for the inside of the bodice.  I really like the way this came out!

More soon! Stay tuned!

I've been away from writing on the blog for a few days, but with good cause:  the dress for Ada's Giselle costume.  Yum!  I am hoping to finish it sometime in the next day, and then post lots of photos.  It's really something, if I do say so myself!!

I've been dreaming of a....

Giselle would say "true love's kiss."  And I have that, lucky me!   

What I'm dreaming of lately is the movie Enchanted, and specifically, Giselle's dress.   If I can manage to gather all of this:

And sew it together here (with some help from our little friend peeperkitty),

Ada will have a Halloween fit for a princess.

I've been stitching this together in bits and pieces, and I am hoping to finish it this weekend. And then it's Esme's costume...just wait until you see what she wants to be!

Pencil Case: ta da!

In a long line of projects, it's nice to have one completed. Here is the pencil case I finished last week. I love the Japanese fabrics. The textured red one has a great feel, and its companion flowery print worked well for the ties.

This picture is a bit off, but you really get the idea of the fabric textures from this angle.

And here it is, just before I sent it off in the mail to C. in England.    Now I want one for me!

Fabric! Projects!

Lest it seems this blog is all about the snails and chasing kids, I had to do a little show-and-tell about my project planning. I am in fabric heaven with these, and so I'm making a little batch of pencil cases and aprons. I know I'm not the only one who lays out fabric around the house just so I can walk by it and sigh...please tell me I'm not the only one who sighs at fabric stacks piled up around her house..

Here are some stacks that make me smile lately.

Love these with the winking owls. Now some pretty ribbon and some buttons...fun.



The strawberries print and the folksy print are for a swedish apron.




And these dots and birds are for Ada's pencil case...shh. Don't tell.

Hedgehog set

I love hedgehogs, and so does my partner for a swap. So I put this little set together for her with a little hedgie fabric and some lovely wool felt.


I put a new detail into this needlecase, too--a cute little pocket for embroidery scissors. I like it so much, I think I'm going to start adding a pocket to all my cases this size.


Here's another view with the pocket peeking out, and the little blink of the button. I love these buttons--simple, but so sweet.



I also made a matching pincushion, using a pattern created by my dear friend, Bari. Her pincushion tutorial, which is hugely helpful, is here. Check out blog, Bari J, and her handbag shop while you're there. But be careful! Her blog is addictive, and her shop is full of so many adorable bags and accessories, you'll want to get one of everything.