Dandies Discovered

I found a few dandies to make my life sew much easier and a bit sweeter. All thanks due to being early and not procrastinating Halloween! My longest and dearest friend Jo has long declared Halloween to be her favorite holiday. I may be following along in the thought, time, and anticipation spent in October 31st preparations. All for my darlings; I want them to always remember fun on Halloween! (Christmas still wins out, Easter is amazing, and who doesn't love turkey? And my V-Day cards - oh so lovely. How can one really choose a favorite holiday)!

So, here are my newly found treasures (I am counting on all of you to not jack up the price on my ebay item not yet won!!!)

Because this looks like Lil' Red. (I'm hoping for $0.99 plus shipping)
Because this "Cartoon Animal Wolf Cute Fluffy Plush Hat Cap" looks better than I can make. I'll see once it arrives. (imagine Simon instead of scary manequin head). I had no intentions of making a snout, beady eyes and nose. ($0.99 plus shipping!!)

Rarely is it worth to spend more in shipping than the cost of the item, this time it is!

Cape Update

I am happy to say that the Little Red Riding Hood looks absolutely beautiful! The fabric and clasp buttons look exquisite! The hood is a bit big, but I am hoping that the cape will work for Halloween, this Christmas/winter, and next winter at least! Check back for a picture, I do not have the camera today!(

I had a severe, devasting problem where I seriously considered paying a tailor to fix it or scrapping the whole thing. I had a seam pop where the hood attached to the collar and worked slowly, carefully, and like crazy cakes to make it work. I took it to the fabric store and asked for help. Which was good because the lady also showed me how to trim the middle layer and finish my seams.

All that is left is to attach the arm slit holes. I have these ovals that I need to finish the edges. Then I sew a small oval as the wrong side is pinned on the front side of the cape. Snip the middle of the oval. Push the oval fabric through and hand stitch to the lining. Sound complicated? Well, my only fear, and last one for this cape, is that I only get one chance to snip the fabric.

I will check where to place the ovals from the pattern and compare to where Norah's elbows fall on the pattern. Except, she is now hesitant to try the cape on!

And then for more fun!!! I found some black "fake fur" that I will use to make a hand warmer for Norah while she wears the cape. Red on the outside, a warm middle layer, and then the fake fur on the inside!

To top it all off, look what I found at etsy:
Red Riding Hood Bow

Then, onto the big bad wolf - vest, hood with ears and collar, and tail.

Did, Am, & Will

I did pin, cut, and assemble my project.

I am still working on it.

I will prevail!

The only frustrating issue so far is the fact that my hood did not stay pinned under the two layers of the cape as I went to stitch around the neck. All that was supposed to be left was the bottom hem, turn inside out, the slits for arm holes. And then contemplate the ribbon trim and button accessories. But now, I must deal with seam ripping many layers. I mean many layers with the interfacing, lining, fabric, warmer middle, and seams coming together.

I am frustrated yet anxious! Every handmade item must have a flaw or two!

This is exactly why I cannot wait until the week before Halloween to make costumes!

And the funny thing is, Norah is adament that she is "riding hood", but balks at the "dry fits" so I can determine fit and length. I hope she'll wear it!

I did it!!!

I did so many things. I am not done. But I feel such an accomplishment. Grandma G asked if I was being rhetorical. I really wasn't. I was shaking in my indecisiveness and non-sewing boots! But, I am on my way.

• I researched fabrics at a different store (Hancock's) as 2 trips to the competition (JoAnn's) resulted in no purchases.
• Hancock's is having a lovely 53% off sale - practically store wide. A lovely, heavy, and red"fall suiting" with a herringbone pattern was purchased. Only a return trip revealed it is dry clean only. That's okay, to me it feels exquisite. A great red satin/polyester lining was also purchased under the great price. Feeling and seeing fabrics is calming and soothing, I have no idea how I could buy fabric on-line.
• Hancock workers were much more helpful and explained how to pin the pieces in the same direction for the pattern to work. And calmed my fears of nap, my material had no nap. I could handle that.
• JoAnn's provided me a yard of warm and natural cotton batting with my half-price coupon.
• A great cape for Halloween and the fall/winter/Christmas season for hopefully more than one year - homemade and half-price!
• I pinned it all, cut the notches correctly, figured out on my own how to cut the smaller sizes without cutting the pattern, and had enough material without too much excess. Of course, I studied the diagrams and took my time and considered so many things.
• I am now ready to sew. I have to say, this hasn't been as terrible as I imagined. We'll see as I sew. Stay stitched to your seats to find out how it goes!

Big and Bad

So today's internet searching found me this costume image - to try to replicate for Simon's costume. I am thinking of making the hood/neck as one piece. Possibly making a "shirt" with fur. I'd fold the fake fur in half, cut a neck hole and arm holes. Sort of a pull-over. I'm thinking about sleeves, but am considering having him wear a grey shirt/sweatshirt to reduce the bulkiness. I might add some fake fur to those thin kid's gloves, since I'm sure I have a grey pair around somewhere. And of course, make a tail. And wear grey pants. Somehow using material to figure out myself is more calming than using a pattern - except the ears and the potential of sleeves. Yikes!

A Lil' Help Please!!!

Sewin' help that is!

Sew, I decided long ago that Norah will be Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween. I have the cape pattern purchased to make her a red cape - with the intent for it to work at Christmas time as well. Being in IL rather than WI or MN, the winters here don't get too bitter cold until January. We have had some mild December temps, so this cape could work. It is a hooded cape, that buttons at the neck, with slits for her arms to come through on the front sides. Slits essential to carry a basket of goodies to not just Grandma's house on Oct. 31, but to our neighbors' as well! Slits also essential for buckling into car seats.

Complicated crochet patterns are welcomed and fine for me. Easy, peasy sewing projects that can be completed quickly are somewhat okay. Picky patterns with unknown words and confusing directions cause such nervousness and I quit rather easily. Except, this time I am committed. My contemplations are listed below, with more to add, I am sure, as I tackle this project:

1. Really, really read over the list of materials and directions.

2. Do I start with understanding of the first 5/8 of the directions and tackle what I do not understand until I get there?

3. What in the world is a stay stitch?

4. At least I know how to baste.

5. Why can't my Mom, Aunt, or new friend Grandma G live - like- around the corner to pop over and help me/do it for me while I brew a pot of coffee - and crochet?!?!?

6. How in the world do I choose the fabric and colors? Yeah, even the fun design part is causing me to tremble.

• I am thinking of red velour for the outside (over corduroy, fleece, velvet, wool). Red ribbon trim along the bottom and up the front sides for a nice tied bow at the neck. But the inside lining - too many choices.
• Do I use the slippery lining, and if so, red to match or black with white polka dots, black and white design, or black/red/and white?
• Do I make the inside warmer? I saw some black "quilted" outerwear that could add some warmth - but will this sew well as a lining, with ease?
• Do I consider adding a third middle layer for warmth and go back to the lining material?

7. Will this turn out as lovely as the picture in my head?
8. Can I really trust the measurement sizes on the pattern? How much bigger should I make the cape for longer wear without drowning the poor girl? It is sized for 2-3-4-5, and she is measuring for size 3 perfectly. But I made a hat for her with my Mom, and according to the sizing it should have fit, it did not. I am thinking size 4. But cutting for size 5 is much easier - wtih notches and such. (which I like to ignore, but Mom says they are important).

9. And then I have to figure out the big bad wolf for Simon. I have some ideas and trepidation for that as well!

10. If Hancock has better choices, will they take JoAnn's coupons?

11. Sigh, enjoy, this is supposed to be fun!

12. And nobody can change their minds once the material is purchased! She will be little, she will be red, and she will wear a riding hood. He will be big, he will be "bad", and he will wear the wolf!