Halloween 2012

I know it's been a while since halloween, but I thought that I would show off the latest costumes that I made.  I always put so much work into sewing for weeks at a time, and then I have this empty feeling when it's over.  Like I want to keep up the momentum - but I have nothing to sew for.  Haha.

Adam was a scarecrow.  I found these overalls in the thrift store - but they looked too new.  I ended up trying to sand them to create frayed edges - but it didn't work as well as i'd hoped.  I then added patches and stitches in various places and Adam took them outside and rubbed them on the grass.  Then I glued pieces of an old hula skirt (don't ask) to his leg openings and hat to make it look like straw.  His mask was really tough - but I found a few tutorials online and kind of merged them together to make this one.   

Wesley was a jedi Knight.  He didn't want to be anyone in particular.  This was the second robe I made since the first one ended up like a dress.  Not something a 9 year old boy wants to wear!  His clothes were a karate go and I found a belt at the thrift store that looked jedi-ish.  My husband bought him this lightsaber to carry at night since it would be dark. These were girl boots - but I recovered them with a cut-up leather-like coat from the thrift store and they turned out just right!

Jax loves Batman - so we thought this costume was fitting!  I made the little symbol and sewed it to the polar fleece jacket.  Then I made the utility belt out of t-shirt material so it was nice and soft around his little belly.  I couldn't find black pants anywhere so I found a pattern online and sewed some out of leftover material from the cloak I made last year.   Finally I took one of the big boys old batman capes and cut it down to fit Jax.  He loved wearing the mask - but getting rid of his soother was another story.

Ready for Trick or Treating.  It was really foggy on Halloween - Very cool  - but cold.   Jax LOVED  going door to door and realizing that every house gave out CANDY!!  

Little Quiet Books

For Christmas last year (2011) I made a couple of quiet books for a niece and nephew who had just turned one.  I wanted something simple - but colourful to capture their attention.  The first one I made was a number book.

Front Cover

Lizard and Butterflies

Cars and Boats

Cupcakes and Balloons

Leaves and Fish

Flowers and Stars

This was the Back page for both Books


I'll share the other book in my next Post!

Halloweens Past

 I love Halloween.  I'm not quite sure why.  Possibly because it falls in the middle of Autumn, which is my favourite season, and the trees are still changing color.  (Although here in Canada - we usually accommodate  for snowsuits under our costumes due to unexpected snowfall!)

I thought I would post a few pictures of the costumes that my boys picked out for Halloween in the past.  

These pictures were taken after I got a digital camera - so earlier pictures are not shown (and I don't have the patience right now to scan a couple years worth of pictures into my computer at the moment).  My oldest has been:  Superman (9 Months), Eyore (1 year old), Mickey Mouse (2 years old), and a Mountie (3 years old).  My Middle Child has been: A Strawberry (or a Tomato) (4 Months old), and Eyore (1 Year old).  Sorry I don't have those to show you :)  

2005

Harry Potter.  This was the first cloak I made.  I even hand-stitched the Gryffindor Emblem.  

A knight.  He LOVED this sword!

2006

A Bat.  I bought this costume.  And then felt guilty for not sewing something.  I love his expression.  He always tries to act like what he is dressed as and this is his "bat" face.

A mountie.  This is the costume that I made for my oldest when he was 3.  

2007

An Army Guy and Robin.  I made the army costume and bought the Robin costume.  I was a greatly loved Robin costume and worn almost every day for a couple of years.

2008

Green Arrow.  My husband and I made this costume.  

Ghost Rider.  This is where I discovered that it is NOT fun to sew leather.

2009

A Ninja and Super Mario.  I searched for a Super Mario costume this year to buy and they didn't have any.  Now they are EVERYWHERE!

2010

A Yip Yip (from Sesame Street) and Harry Potter.  Again.  My husband wanted a challenge, and we had seen similar costumes at the comic convention in Calgary, so he helped make the Yip Yip costume.  

This was the second Harry Potter cloak I made.  I had to get a close-up of the emblem this time.  

 2011

Gandalf and Frankenstein's Monster

My little Pilot.  Not much of a Costume - but we were walking around with the Stroller and it was Cold out!

 Random Pictures

Evil Scarecrow.  My husband made this costume a few years ago, and it usually makes an appearance on Halloween.    P.S.  Chocolate powder makes clothes look dirty when the ground is frozen!

My baby.  He loves to dress up.  This was taken this summer!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Last summer, a couple of my sister-in-laws wanted to get together and do something "crafty".  We decided to do this Happy Birthday Banner.  It adds a ton of festive-ness to a birthday and all we have to do is blow up a couple of balloons to place around the room!  

I would go all out when my boys were little and decorate with themes (pirate, jungle, under the sea, etc..) and then stress when I couldn't get everything done before midnight!  

Our living room is tiny - so this pretty much goes from wall to wall.

A better view of "happy"

A better view of "birthday"

I thought this added something to the whole look - and tied all the colors together!

 Now - I can make the birthday boy feel special in minutes and no more stress!  (And my husband even remembers to bring it out for MY birthday!  

Birds of a Feather?

I was trying to find fun gifts for people this year that would use up some of my fabric stash. I came across THIS tutorial by UCreate and decided that it would be a perfect gift for my grandparents and my husband's grandma. I actually painted a front for me - but I ran out of steam after making all the Christmas gifts this year. Maybe I'll make it in the spring!

This is the pillow I made for my husband's grandma. My grandparents have a blue criss-cross patterned ribbon instead of the green. Sadly - I forgot to take pictures - but I loved how that one turned out, also.

Halloween Candy Cookies

Ok - I know that this is February and Halloween was MONTHS ago - but I wanted to post this idea that my boys had. After they had gone trick-or-treating, they had HUGE bags full of candy. They came up with the idea of making cookies out of the little chocolate bars that they got.

So I got my favourite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe and instead of chocolate chips, I added chopped up mini chocolate bars, m&ms and *Canadian* Smarties :)

All Chopped Up!

Finished Cookies

I found out that the chocolate bars with peanut butter, or carmel don't hold up very well. Solid chocolate with nuts work best. They were still really good - and didn't last long with 3 hungry guys.

It also helps to have a really cute helper!

Catch of the Day

My oldest came home from school a couple of days ago, telling me he had to give a Secret Santa gift to a girl in his class. Today as I was surfing the 'net, while holding my little one, I came across this tutorial from Make it and Love it and just HAD to make it. We paired this little bag with a notebook, pencil, and some licorice.


Here is a picture of the bag open.

And closed.

Other side.

Hopefully she will like it : )