In Which Maleficent Wins Halloween

Happy Halloween! Well technically the day after Halloween. But I wasn't ready to write the blog post until today - so - Happy Halloween!

I trust by now we have all unlaced our stays from the delights of chocolate and other sugary delicacies. Or are realizing that was one short cut on the costume we should not have take. I fall in the later camp since I didn't actually get to my costume until Monday, roughly 5 days before Halloween, and finished it five minutes before I was due out to an event. (Sound familiar?) It was to be really simple, I was going to wear my pirate from last faire season and my new cutlass, but then I bruised a couple ribs and couldn't wear a corset, so out came Maleficent.

It is truly terrifying to go dig out a half finished costume (half may be putting it lightly) after the influence of several glasses of wine. Insert freak out here. And then to realize there needs to be accessories and a fabric store run. And then next day led to two runs to the hardware store. (For headpiece and staff)

To begin we have the accessories.

PVC pipe with watering orb on top as orb on Maleficent's staff. I wrapped the pipe in painters tape to give it texture and grip for the paint. 

The Staff with the added pieces at the top. I cut down the swirls on the right because it didn't look evil enough. At this point the orb was wrapped in tinfoil and out to the backyard with the spray paint!

The paper mache layer over the headpiece. Yes my head form is a can of tomatoes over a wine bottle. I have no shame. And no head form. 

There wasn't sufficient time to paper mache the headpiece all together so I just used more painters tape. This shows the painted staff too. I believe this was Wednesday. So far no robe...

Required Feline Assistance. You can see the base of the horn to the left of the picture. The right picture shows the horn form and a completed horn. This was Monday? Or maybe Sunday. I can't remember. The kitty is Sylvester. He likes to help.

The lefr shows the spray painted headpiece and the right with some of the purple decorations I believe the left was the "OMG It fits!" moment.

Sylvester assists again. "I'm so bored, why are you playing with my bed?" He had spent the last few days on the fabric. 

In progress shots of the robe. I love the color contrast. And the sleeves are amazing! There will definitely be more on this. And we can also see the train. There is just something about a fabulous train that puts a girl in character. 

And now the finished robe! More pictures coming I swear.

Happy Halloween!

Cheers!

Merlina

Happy Halloween!

This makes it two posts in a week! I blame Halloween and the fact I have power here. So important. I also finished a Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge! EARLY!

So here we go:

Background:
About 6 years ago I made this costume for Halloween. It was my first big project. Complete with a corset I drafted myself, petticoat, bustle pad, and chemise. I admit to there being a zipper in the back of the bodice, but I couldn't think of anything else to use, and it is put in so well so it stays. This is what it looked like:

Yes I am quite young in this shot. A senior in high school. Note the long sleeves, the slight bustle and the train. I never like how the skirt fell. It didn't have enough weight. I then made a new bodice to this posted in a post a year ago. But this would be the skirt with the new bodice. 

I still need to adjust the bodice for this look, but the cape shows up later. It's so pretty. With silver moons and stars on the tulle.

So last year I got it in my head that I needed to repair the skirt, line it with something. I bought several yards of black cotton broadcloth, took apart the skirt, laid it out and cut out the lining. The next part should be easy. It was until I ended up with a wicked headcold that left me unable to look down. I got better and then we lost power. Damn you Sandy. I tried stitching by candlelight which failed miserably. So I put it aside. This year I was motivated and on October 28th, I tore out seams and redid the skirt, did crash course research and made an Order sash, and removed the sleeves from the original bodice. Throw in Catwoman's velvet gloves, some pretty pins, and sparkly jewelry and you get the Queen of Darkness in Court Dress.

Upon taking these pics I realized for this type of dress, I should be in a tiara. I don't currently have one for the Queen. For now her Bat headpiece will have to do. She is much pleased by her cats and her throne. You can see two in the pictures above. (the black one refused to be photographed from anywhere but the stairs.

And now for the Historical Sew Fortnightly Facts:

The Challenge #22: Masquerade

Fabric: Originally 3 black velvet curtains, 1 yard muslin. Added in: 4 yards black broad cloth, about ¼ purple satin

Pattern: Originally from “Patterns for Theatrical Costume”, there was a lot of research about court attire.

Year: Um…bustle era? There is a bustle under there. Maybe more Steampunk

Notions: Three fancy pins for the sash, thread, gloves, jewelry

How Historically Accurate: It looks historically accurate. But it’s really not. There’s a zipper in the back of the bodice. And it was never meant to be historically accurate.

Hours to Complete: I originally made the bodice and skirt 6 years ago. Started the skirt redo last Halloween, got sick, Sandy came. Finally finished. Maybe three or four working straight.

First Worn: Day before Halloween for pics. Grad Students don’t dress on Halloween for Class

Total Cost: Um….maybe $50 overall from the beginning?

The Queen and Her Pirate Wish You All

Happy Halloween!!

What Has Become of Halloween?

I love Halloween, it is one of my favorite holidays. Not necessarily for the sake of being scared, I am very close to several of the top haunted attractions and yet have never attended. I only do scary at certain times of the day. I love Halloween for the chance to dress as someone you're not for a little while. As I have learned to sew, Halloween has become more about showing what I can make rather than what I purchase. However it is what is purchased as "costume" that has become increasingly more disturbing.

It first hit me when I was in the locker rooms after working out. A fellow classmate who happens to be fourteen asked me what I was going to be for Halloween. Having to attend class and fight my way through costumed celebrators on Halloween, I answer "a tired grad student". This being my costume for the last time Halloween happened here. (more on that later). "What about you?" She answers that she doesn't know because she feels to young for the costumes.

I think about her words as I get home, shower, and hit the internet for a bit of research. I tend to avoid Halloween stores for several reasons but mostly because I make my own costumes. My last purchased costume was ten years ago. A quick Google search turns up what I want. I have stumbled upon the land of the short skirts, the land of too much sexy! Everything has been sexed up from Darth Vader to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Even Snow White is showing quite a bit of skin, seriously, she's a princess!

The more depressing part continues as you look through the teens and then the girls' costumes. I was unaware a short skirt was mandatory to dress up for Halloween! Where are the fun costumes that let girls be girls! Certainly we have Supergirl - dressed in her traditional colors but then also in PINK. Because girls are supposed to like pink. I have never worn pink willingly in my life. Partially because it doesn't work with red hair and partially because it's been defined as the "norm" for girls. And yes, why must a little girl look like such a sexed up Red Riding Hood?

I'm a little okay with the pink Supergirl. She's at least standing in a powerful pose. But the Red Riding Hood? Really? If anyone watches Once Upon A Time, there is such a better costume idea! After much searching through the "Top Costumes" (don't get me started on the "Unique Costumes" - the identical ones...) I have found girls' costumes that I would actually allow my children to wear if I had any.

Yes the boxer is in pink. But I'm a First Degree Black Belt in MMA, I'd rather have a daughter in that then something else. And the little magician is just so cute! And a Wonder Woman that's actually appropriate to a child! Yay! Personally I'm partial to Wonder Woman, I wore a toddler's version when I was really little.

To me, these over sexed costumes don't work. Partially because they're so silly. (Anyone ever seen a firefighter in a dress?) And partially because they're not fair. I have participated in costume contests where I spent hard work, time and effort to craft a unique Halloween costume, but have lost to a cookie cutter over sex prepackaged costume.

In addition, Halloween tends to be very cold around here, cold enough to require a sweatshirt and a turtleneck under one's costume (ah the fond arguments of my childhood). At least the smart ones tend to choose their costumes that way. Especially since last year we had no power and the year before that there was snow on the ground.

Am I knocking sexy costumes? No. I've worn them. I went as Catwoman one year for Halloween, fully covered in a purple catsuit. I froze, and kept my green cape on for most of it. But I made that costume. The only sexy costumes I have brought are for non public wear. So no, I'm not knocking sexy costumes, but they have their place, and that certainly isn't on a child. I was 21 when I was Catwoman. When I was 14, I went as Zorro, the male version.

Now I'm plotting to finish my Queen of Darkness Costume which is Victorian influenced. But I can still be sexy, because that's about character and attitude, not what you're wearing. So until they bring back the good costumes, I'm gonna continue to promote creativity and dressing up like a super heroine, because that is much better than cookie cutter overdone costumes.

Cheers,
Merlina

PS: Pictures of Halloween Costumes, save my Catwoman Costume are from www.partycity.com. They are not used for any financial gain and all may be found online. I have not individually linked each pic back nor written citations. Catwoman is my costume based off the DC version from the 90s.

October Sewing/Halloween/Here we go again

So October brings much: colder weather, lovely colors in the trees, fresh apple cider, and Halloween. Which subtly translates into frantic sewing. Woohoo. As I recall in recent memory, I was stitching the ears on Catwoman's cowl like ten minutes before a party one year. (Typical, one would think I'd learn...)

This year's problem is not cat ears. Nope, it's indecisiveness. I have two costumes ideas, one is mostly finished, the other partially finished. The first is Countess Dracula/Queen of Darkness. I have a couple issues with this one that make me unhappy. Probably stuff easily fixed with some quality time with a seam ripper. (more on that later.) The other is a historically inspired interpertation of Princess Jasmine in Disney's Aladdin. (Which I mentioned earlier.)

This is Countess Dracula/Queen of Darkness:

This consists of a trained black "velvet" skirt, a black "velvet" bodice with light boning and back lacing. The slightly puffy sleeves are attached to the bodice with the black chiffon drape below. The cape is black tulle (but with a nicer drape) with silver details (moons and stars). As is the collar. The cape and collar are removable and the skirt and bodice are separate. The Skirt is from my Phantom costume.

As mentioned before there a couple issues to this costume. There's something funky with the skirt. It never hangs quite right and I'm torn between redoing the waist band/pleating or getting a couple yards of black satin to make a full skirt to match the sleeves. In addition, I think the bodice needs a little trim of some kind, it seems very plain to me. Plus, it needs a new corset/chemise to make it all sit right, and some skirt support. I already have a fun Halloween fabric for the corset. I just can't decide on the skirts. And I do have a lovely corset pattern, which is kind of my go to for any corset. It just rocks and fits so well:

If anyone knows anything about pleating Victorian Natural or bustle skirts, links or advice would be greatly apprcieated. I believe that's what this skirt is supposed to be. Maybe it needs a better petticoat. I've no idea. Victorian is not my strong point. But damn can I make a corset.

This  is my corset base pattern, I use it to draft every corset I make. Or at least as the basis when playing with patterns. I've also used it to draft bodices and such. It's awesome. It started as the corset from Simplicity 5834, and went from there. In its latest incarnation it was the corset from my Maid Marian garb. 

The other costume, Princess Yasmin, is partially finished. I have the harem pants and the blouse, I just need to figure out the coat and get up the guts to cut out the fancy fabric as well as hem the veil.

The whole reason for this is to enter a costume contest in my area. And I really want to enter. But in addition to all this, I also have a couple sachets to make to put lavender in. (We have cloth moth issues and a cat who is usually a mighty hunter but is scared of these things...) Obviously they are in purple fabrics.

I also have my friend's Supergirl cape and possibly advisement on another costume. As well as an apron for my grandmother's birthday. And here I thought I'd stop this massive sewing run. I never learn....

Cheers!

Merlina