I spent my weekend making the neighbors 2 youngest kids (12 y.o.) their costumes for Halloween. They are swamped moving their 3 br house to their brand new 5 toilet house that is not quite finished yet. They have new rentors for the old house moving in Nov 1. So I'm helping by designing and making the kids costumes.
Haley, she wants to be a Crayon for halloween...easy..I can do that--and she wants to help- she likes crafts.
Matthew, he wants to be Oscar the Grouch (green monster in trash can from sesame street)...hard, but I can do that too! He does not necessarily WANT to help, but is super excited that I'm making his costume, and can be talked into making ME something in return! :)
We had a measurement meeting on Wednesday, we used a box as I could not find any paper. I drew what I had in mind and asked what they wanted--they were very easy to please. I found out later that they have told Cindy I am making their costumes--they must be very happy about that.
Friday I had my list of 'things I need' and took my Joann's coupons to Tacoma. Do you know how hard it is to find GREEN fur online or in a store!? I did find some online, but it was anywhere from $22 to $45/yard. I only need a yard or so, but GEEZ that's expensive!
Joann's had white fur (that laid down to smoothly, but was a bit long) for $14.99/yard and it was on sale. I bought some green polyester dye and hoped for the best!
For Haley's, she really is in love with Turqoise (girl after my own heart!), so I picked up 1/2 yard of sparkly disco ball type fabric in turqouise.
A trip to the Dollar Tree for brown fuzzy stretch gloves, black gloves, neon orange pipe cleaners, poster board..and a couple fake crows...and off home I went.
The new tenants are moving a TON of furniture and boxes into the big side of the garage below me. So I was up late listening to them, caught Shannon outside and borrowed a giant metal stock pot. Then got busy heating up water to dye the fur...
This was my friday night entertainment..and it was really really gross.
First, I had a giant stock pot filled with olive pea green water. ick.
Then, I added chunks of white polyester fur. And YES it looked and felt like I was shoving someone's white cat into simmering GREEN water. It was really really gross!
Then I had to cook it for 45 min. Stirring often--which just makes you want to puke because it's smell and the unappealing idea that you are stirring pea green FUR.
Just disgusting.
So I called over to make Matthew look at it, and got his dad Correy to come over to look...Then Shannon came over and we all decided it was really nasty! So I took pictures to share.
After the 45 min cook time, I had a hot pot of green fur--and decided NOT to pour it down the white ceramic sink in the kitchen (knowing I'd stain it green!). So I opted for the Bathtub--it's fiberglass. However...just for everyone's knowledge--it too stained GREEN. (after lots of bleach and scrubbing, I got it all off though!) So I dumped the green pea olive water down the drain, rinsed the fabric to cool it off with cold water so I could grab it. Then carefully put it into the front load washer and ran it on a light wash.
Moved the 'clean green' fabric to the dryer and VOILA! I have the matty-est Oscar the grouch fur in almost the PERFECT shade of green ever...and the washing/drying actually matted up the fur for the perfect Trash resident effect! I took pictures and load them here for your approval...the green did not turn out well in the photo--trust me, it's a great color.
Saturday, I spent the morning trying to figure out how to make a cone hat...it's a little harder than it looks. But used a 14" ruler to make a swooping line from a point and cut along that line. It went together really well. Whacked off the top of the cone - crayons are flat on top. and then covered it with sparkly Turqoise fabric. Done.
Next, I found my package of Red pipe cleaners grabbed a few, and made Slimey the worm, it's Oscar's friend...we'll glue him to the trash can. I also cut the fingers off a set of winter stretch gloves that were fuzzy and stuffed/sewed the fingers together to make Oscar's Monobrow. It looks great! Then I used the hoodie I got a Goodwill to use as a base for the head/sleeves/chest and back to pin the fabric to and made a pattern. Ok, well I just whacked on the fabric to cut the shape of a football head and cut it out.
Haley came over in the afternoon and we cut a big square of muslin and took it to the garage to mix some custom turq. paint and rolled paint all over the muslin. That was fun. Managed to keep paint off both of us too!
While Haley was painting, I also cut the bottom of the bucket off that will become my Halloween light with color changing LED bulb. I am painting it now. (separate blog entry).
Sunday, I had an 11am wake up call with the kids- Matthew and Haley came over to see if I was ready. I wasn't. So they came back at noon.
**Note, the kids came over in pajamas, which made me feel good--As I was in mine! :)
By that time I got Anya, to help me too. 3 kids and i don't know what to do with them! Anya watched Halloweentown, the movie and served as my oscar model. She and Haley made Oscar eyes out of ping pong balls, Matthew was put to work on making me a yarn covered Wreath--found the idea online, but no time to make one--so he gets to make one for me! :D
Sent Haley and Anya down to the garage at least 3 times to find stuff, check on the crayon muslin we'd painted and to keep them busy. Matthew and Haley tested Anya on math while I sewed Oscar. I broke a needle..cussed a bit under my breath, got mad, took a break to veg while the kids worked. (slave driver!) and then went and fixed the machine/finished sewing.
The older kids left, they keep parading all the pieces of costume around to show their family...there will be nothing left for a big reveal! :) We all agree the fur is perfect and the hat is nice and sparkly.
Anya and i watched part of Ghostbusters--she does not agree that it's funny. BUT we then went up to Panera for dinner (mom stayed home, she was napping) and while we were sitting there some "just teenagers", as Anya put it, were talking about "Ghostbusters". Anya liked it that she knew what they were talking about! Then we went to Halloween City--Anya takes me every year, because I'm scared of creepy crawling dead animatronics, creepy babies, and life size CLOWNS. ICKY...There was a dad there that pointed out to his son "Hey look, they have Ghostbusters..." and Anya ran around to see what he was pointing at! :) AHA...maybe she will like the movie afterall!
Sunday evening, I spent lining the crayola square with muslin, and hot gluing glittery turqoise stripes (above and below the crayola paper wrapper). It looks really cool! Thanks mom for the idea of a 'line' coming from the top!
Started on the silver garbage can for Oscar but I got too tired to finish it.
SHould be done by this week sometime...as long as I don't fall asleep in the evening! :)
LOVE making COSTUMES...
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