[meleliza]

Tiny candy has been in the drugstore for a while now, so it’s really time to start planning for this high holy day. After going way OTT last year, I have convinced my kids that a theme of classic (and simple) Halloween is best. My boys will be ghosts, and my 3 year old is over the top excited to be a black kitty cat. No Oliver and S pattern in silk with hand picked zippers this time! Clearly I was crazy last year.

Kitty will get furry ears on a headband and a tail, probably some little furry wrist cuffs. Black street clothes and some painted on whiskers. Done. For the ghosts, I discovered a stash of old white curtain sheers from Ikea that are just wispy enough to look ethereal. Drape, attach to a baseball hat, cut eyes. Done. Maybe shred the hems a little. With so little work, I’m actually for once planning some costumes for hubby and me too. I’m making a long dramatic black cape and will probably buy a pointy hat. Black street clothes. Maybe some fun make up. Hubby will be harder because the kids have decided he should be a pumpkin. They think this will be the ultimate in hilarity. Kitty keeps saying “a fat pumpkin” and laughing her little head off. I have ordered fabric and have some ideas, but will definatley be winging that one.

The only tricky thing I have to do is a fancy dress costume for a friend who has asked for my help. She has a grown up Halloween party to attend and has recently gotten herself absolutely tiny. This is no small feat after three kids! She wants something really special. So I’ve agreed to do a costume for her, though it’s not my area of expertise. Black satin in a fantasy style, with drapy sheer sleeves. Should at least be fun to make.

What are the rest of you doing? (Realizing that not everyone here is obsvant of this particular event, of course.)

[Tamara]

We don’t really do Halloween but it seems to be creeping in to the shops I have noticed. One of the girls yesterday in woodwork made an axe and I suggested it be part of a zombie outfit – unintentionally thinking of halloween yet not mentioning as such.

If we DID do halloween I think we would do the ghost thing with old sheets. Its easy and it seems to be the initiation to silly season so we could start as we mean to proceed.

[Jane]

Piper wants to be Periwinkle from the Disney Fairies. I have some of Michael Miller’s Fairy Frost fabric in periwinkle to make the costume and will probably borrow some of Sharon’s ideas from the one she made for Sweet P last year (thanks Sharon!). I just have to get the time to work on it.

My son is 14 and is hitting that age where it’s not cool to dress up. We explained to him that by having a sister 10 years younger if he continues to dress up, people will think he’s such a super big brother for taking her trick or treat that he’ll still get handfuls of candy per house not just a single fun sized bar. I think it worked to convince him. So my husband bought some LED’s that can be sewn into/onto fabric and I think they are working on a Tron inspired look.

Hubby and I always dress up, don’t know what we are going to be this year…

Jane

[Mama_Knowles]

Your welcome Jane, Sweet pea still wears hers at least once a week.

The three older boys will be wearing their costumes from last year that I made, once again they have not stopped wearing them yet, this has to be the biggest complement of all. : )

The two little ones are going as Little Bo peep and wee little sheep. I can’t help myself, I am going all out again. My kids love to see what mommy makes them and I love the challenge of it. Sweet pea will have an all out costume using the Fairy tale dress. I am planning on making the dress to be worn separate from the corset so that it might work as a church dress well. For Caspian’s lamb I am using Tamara’s ideas on the Cat in Hat costume she made her little boy for school. I love, love it! All fabric is bought so all I have to do is finishing up Garrett’s Field trip pants and I am on my way!

~Sharon~

[Maggie]

One daughter wants to be a monarch butterfly. That is the big black and orange kind. She will wear black street clothes, a headband with antenna and wings. I was thinking about making wings, but they are easy to buy. I may buy them if I find nice ones.

My other daughter wants to be a cat. Again, she can wear black with ears and a tail. We have the ears and tail already because the other daughter was a cat a couple years ago. I doubt she will let me paint her face, but maybe just a little black nose.

So, no sewing unless I decide to make wings.

[needlewoman]

Oh wow ladies, it all sounds wonderful. I love the idea of cats, and SP as Bo Peep in precious new fairy tale dress will look wonderful. What will you do for a bonnet, MK? I almost scared to see the pics of PC as a lamb; I’m sure he will be so cute that I’ll cry. Jane, so nice to hear from you. Don’t know much about Periwinkle as a ‘personality’ but the Fairy frost fabric is so lovely, and P will look adorable in soft blues, and wings. A monarch butterfly is original! And Mel, your husband will take out the year’s “Good Sport” prize if he goes as a pumpkin. For your slim friend, what about a Mortisha Adams type outfit? You could virtually sew her into it – a la Marilyn Monroe being sewn into the beaded dress to sing Happy Bday to President Kennedy.

[needlewoman]

PS: Was in one of our premier department stores yesterday, and nearly died to see the Christmas tree/decoration department already set up beautifully – it’s not even October!!! Not that it stopped me looking – I love Xmas decs!! But for goodness sake, even for commercial reasons, it’s way too early!!!

[Mel]

Christmas!!! It’s way too early for that!

My eldest wants to be Miss Mush from Wayside. http://wayside.wikia.com/wiki/File:Mrs._Mush.jpg

I love that she tends to choose things that are not immediately recognizable. And was excited to notice that Miss Mush’s dress looks a lot like the Library dress so gives me a good excuse for getting the new pattern. Not that I need an excuse . . .

I found some purple chambray on clearance for $3/metre and then the salesperson gave me almost a metre extra so this will be a much more economical costume than last year. Now I just have to wait for my local shop to get the pattern in as I prefer paper to pdf.

[Liesl Gibson]

Mr.s Mush! I love it. S was digging in her dress-up box last night, pulling out random items and piling them on the floor. When I asked what she was doing she told me she wants to dress up as an abstract painting for Halloween! I guess random clothing and abstract paintings are similar in some ways…

[scgoble]

Mine said she wanted to be Velma from Scooby Doo, but recently changed her mind to “pumpkin.” Booor-ing. But oh well, easy for me.

[Sarvi]

Cannot wait to see little lamb Caspian! I have a super ambitious plan I want to keep secret until I am sure I can pull it off — but have bought a costume from Target as a backup. I feel it’s kind of a compliment that my kid assumes I can simply make anything she can imagine. It’s like it never occurs to her that some things might be too hard for me, or indeed even that there is a class of things that mommy can’t make. Gotta say it feels pretty good that she thinks that, even if I know she’s wrong.

[sayiamyou]

Sarvi, I love that girl of yours. She knows mommy can do it all!

My husband wants our F to be Frodo, so I’m planning O+S pieces for that. My daughter chose an off-the-rack witch costume (I suspect mostly for the hat). I’m a little disappointed that I won’t be making her costume this year, but whatcha gonna do? Maybe she’ll change her mind and want to be Arwen since we’ll have a Frodo. Who knows. She changes like the wind these days.

[Mama_Knowles]

Arwen would be so fun make for her Mel! Maybe she will change her mind. Oh Sarvi, I can’t wait to see this! I sure you’ll pull off what she is wanting, your sewing is awesome!

I giggle every time I think of Caspian as a we fluffy little lamb too. His was chosen before Sarah’s was. : D

[cybele727]

Sarvi, Ms Sassy does that to me. She pages through what few catalogues we get and places an order with…. You make dat foh me?

[Tamara]

Half of these characters I have never heard of! But they all sound fabulous. Sharon it is just perfect you are dressing your little lamb as a lamb. Can’t wait to see!