It’s been a week since the launch of my website and my first post, so I apologize for taking so long to get to this second post. We are getting ready for the new school year, and while NYC had pushed the first day of school from Sept. 10th to the 16th, we still have yet to learn who the teacher is and which class my daughter, Melody, will be in for second grade.
But that hasn’t stopped us from thinking about the fall activities. While trick or treating is still up in the air for our area, (and we will most likely not be participating), that isn’t going to stop us from putting together a costume in the spirit of Halloween. Every year, it has been a challenge to get a costume for Melody. She is a very tall and big girl for her age, so all the toddler costumes never fit her. This left us with limited choices, and sometimes if there is an adult sized costume, it was way too inappropriate for a young child (think sexy princess, sexy superhero, sexy potato, ok, the sexy potato was a fake, but it was still pretty funny). So I would try to piece together what I can from purchasing parts online to crafting anything that is missing.
Last year, Melody wanted to be Doc McStuffins, so I brought all the separate pieces on Amazon to put together. This year, she wants to be Starfire from Teen Titans Go!, since she is currently obsessed with the show. Of course, I looked up costumes, and to no surprise, everything was skimpy and barely covering lady bits. I had some fleece fabric I had purchased several years ago, with all good intention to make things with, and then nothing. They turned out to be the perfect colors for this costume!
Of course, now I am obligated to create this costume because the craft gods have conveniently planned the purchase of these fabric remnants all so long ago. Melody was destined to become Starfire for Halloween this year. So with all that being said, this leads up to the first part of this challenge: trying to figure out the arm bracelets.
As you can see, it is difficult to create the rectangular shape that is in the drawing above. All the pre-made costumes have slip-on sleeves. While we probably could do the same, it was interesting to see if we could recreate the 3D structure of the arm pieces. After much pondering, I noticed that a milk carton was similar in shape. If cut correctly, maybe we can fake it using a milk carton. After thoroughly washing out two empty cartons, I proceeded to form them as from the drawings. Instead of sleeves, I made thumbholes so they can fit like gloves, which allow them to stay in place better. I also cut the underside shorter than what is depicted, allowing more freedom in movement.
After everything was trimmed, I checked the edges of the cuts. Due to the soft plastic the milk cartons were made from, the edges were not sharp. However as a precaution, I lined all the edges with masking tape just in case. This is also to prevent snags to the fabric when I cover the pieces. The gloves look great so far! I think this plan may work!
After this part was completed, I come to realize that this method could be used for many other costumes in the future, like Wolverine’s claws, a pirate hook, basically any costume with an unique hand piece. This is good to keep in mind. Now that the structure is completed, next step will be to skin it. I am going to try and do the sewing this week, so please stay tuned for how that portion goes.
Thanks for reading and see you in the next post!