Replies

1. 
   susanmwilson | Oct 09, 2002 04:53am | #1

   My 6 year old is a Star Wars fanatic, so this year he will be a Jedi Knight, complete with a beaded hair braid.  The costume is partially complete, and he wore the underrobe to bed as pajamas the other night because he was too excited to take them off.  (it's basically a hooded robe over a wrap tunic plus boot covers).  Not too creative, but he gets sooo excited it's fun!

   He still wears parts of a Pokemon costume from 2 years ago!

1. 
   carolfresia | Oct 09, 2002 03:52pm | #2

   When you get him in the whole outfit, and awake, how about taking a picture to post?

   I've got to get cracking on my son's costume--this year it's a Civil War drummer boy. The clothes are my job, and my husband is supposed to organize the drum part, and, I hope, a couple of brass buckles. It's not terribly exciting, either, but it should be pretty fast to make and I doubt he'll run into another kid with the same costume!

   And my 2-year-old daughter will be a clown again this year--I'm sticking with that till she's old enough to form and express an opinion (OK, she expresses opinions about stuff all the time, actually, but so far hasn't figured out the costume thing). At that point, I expect I'll be breaking out the sparkly tulle and sequins.

   Carol

1. 
   Tish | Oct 09, 2002 09:09pm | #5

   I loved my daughter's Sparkly Tulle stage.  It is the easiest stuff to sew.  No hemming or edge finishing required.  Gathers are a breeze.  I gave away the Fairy Princess collection to the girls across the street when we moved in 2000.  I had a real problem with magic wands, though.  She broke dozens of them "magicking" the neighborhood shrubbery into bloom.  (It works, but sometimes takes several months.)

2. 
   Tikiclub | Oct 09, 2002 05:39pm | #3

   My SIL comissioned me to make the green eyeball guy from Monsters, Inc. Just found the fabric yesterday. Why is it that lime green is hard to find when you need it? I plan on using an old pumkin pattern, which is what I used to make the blue M&M last year for him. Cute as a button. I'd post that one, but the scanner's broken.

   
   

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   Edited 10/9/2002 10:40:54 AM ET by TSittler

1. 
   carolfresia | Oct 09, 2002 06:38pm | #4

   Yeah, we know about trying to buy fabric out of season! We produce each issue of Threads at least six months before it hits the newstand, so it's sometimes hard to find, say, a yellow beach towel in December, or a nice selection of wool crepe in June. So far I have not had to find lime green fur (is it fur?) at any time of year, however.

   The costume dilemma I've had with my son is that he talks about things that would be really cool, and that I could actually make (e.g., Spongebob Square Pants), but that would be less than ideal for that day when they wear their stuff to school--hard to get on the bus, perhaps worse still for visits to the boys' room. Each kid and each costume presents a special challenge!

   Carol 

3. 
   ChrisHaynes | Nov 23, 2002 09:52pm | #6

   About costumes... I have used making costumes as a way to experiment with techniques... So I have a few pictures. 

   Here is a knight where I used a cool dragon from a deteriorating T-shirt.  I used colored thread on the dragon side to trace it and give it strength... and gold thread in the bobbin.  On the reverse side it is black... so the dragon is an outline:

   
1. 
   rjf | Nov 26, 2002 02:53pm | #8

   What great-looking costumes!  Your boys must have a wonderful time on Halloween.  And the animals are really cute.  Thanks for sending pictures.     rjf

1. 
   ChrisHaynes | Nov 26, 2002 09:34pm | #9

   Thanks.  It is fun.  But they are growing out of the costume stage and turning into teenagers.  Though one does have an interest in using the sewing machine.

1. 
   ChrisHaynes | Jan 20, 2003 05:23am | #10

   Okay, so Halloween is 10 months away, BUT there are school auctions!

   Since I have a daughter I thought it was a safe bet to buy some lovely pink and flowered sheer fabric from a yard sale.  Turns out at the ripe age of 8, this little girl has decided to reject all things frilly and pink!  Oh NO!!! 

   So I still want to have fun with making princess things... so I will.  And also help her school's auction (supports the art and music program).  So here comes some princesses (and a witch... the starry fabric bought at half price since a store had used it as part of a Christmas display).  I also had some butterfly buttons which you can see in the detail photo of the Flower Princess (I had bought a bunch of flower and girly buttons when a sewing store closed... naively thinking I could use them for my daughter, sigh):

   
1. 
   HNYMAMA | Jan 20, 2003 05:55am | #11

   Oh how pretty:)  My baby girl is big into the princess stuff,  I need to make her some of those just for dressup.

2. 
   rjf | Jan 20, 2003 03:22pm | #12

   Even the witch is pretty!  Good for you that you kept sewing even tho your daughter doesn't want frills.            rjf

3. 
   carolfresia | Jan 20, 2003 09:55pm | #13

   Great costumes! THInk of what a help you're going to be to some other mom who now won't have to devise a costume herself! And I'll bet your daughter starts eyeing that frilly stuff again one of these days...don't they all go through phases?

   Thanks for posting...

   Carol

4. 
   ChrisHaynes | Jan 22, 2003 04:32am | #14

   Thanks.

   Actually what is better is that some other parents will be paying to support the art and music program in the school!

   I think that the next time I'll make anything feminine for her is possibly for her wedding (she is only 8)! 

   Actually... I think that in the near future SHE will be the one sewing stuff, in whatever style she wants!  She and her brother helped make their costumes this past Halloween, it never hurts to get them started early (they also made matching outfits for their beany babies).

4. 
   ChrisHaynes | Nov 23, 2002 09:58pm | #7

   Then there is the use of costume patterns to launch into other uses.

   Several years ago my boys talked me into buying an making the Power Ranger costumes.  The pattern called for using felt... but the supply of red and blue felt seemed to have dried up.  So I was fortunate in having red and blue cotton in my stash... and I found nice shiny fabric for the helmets.  Except the shiny fabric (metal lame) was too limp, so I bolstered it with iron-on interfacing and some fleece in my stash (learning to use a damp towel in lame). 

   I later used this technique to other costume hoods: