Memory Lane: Halloween 2009

Over the summer, we saw the new Star Trek movie, and Kivi turned into a Trekkie over night. That's my girl!


This is the third time I've used that Simplicity pattern (purple queen, and spider witch previously). This time though, I made some major modifications. You know, I think I'm getting the hang of this sewing thing!

First off, I used the sleeves from the boy's knight costume instead of the long flowy sleeves. Next, I bound the neckline in black to simulate a female Starfleet uniform. And finally - I cut it off a little above the knee. The uniform is supposed to be short enough that it barely covers the butt, but Kivi was only 7 1/2 years old. Plenty of time for the sexpot look when she's older. Oh, and did I mention that this is the first time I've worked with a knit? I'm glad the stretched out lettuce edge on the lower hem looks deliberate (and good). Ok... I'm starting to want a serger.

She already had the boots and the black leggings. I bought the black turtle neck. The Starfleet insignia was mine from when I was a kid. I just mounted it on black foam and turned it into a pin.

Kivi wanted to be a Vulcan, but I wouldn't let her dye her hair (sound familiar?). So she's a red-headed half-human Vulcan. The eyebrows turned out great. I used powder and glue stick to cover her real eyebrows, and a brown eyebrow pencil to create the slanted ones.

Creating the holster belt for the communicator and phaser was tough - sewing is an exercise in spacial relations, and that doesn't really come naturally to me.

AND... This is the first year my sewing machine didn't quit on me right after starting the Halloween costume project. Yeah!!

Memory Lane: Halloween 2008

Kivi really kind of designed her Spider Witch costume herself. She knew she wanted to be a witch, and that she wanted to be scary. So then, she found the fabrics and said "we should buy this see-through fabric and put it on top of this shiny fabric." Huh. Can I do that? "Ok, hon, that sounds like fun." (DOH! Not only am I working with a see-through fabric again, but now I'm working with a slithery slippery metallic fabric??? I'm insane).


It was hard to figure out the modifications to the pattern (the same pattern as her purple queen costume from 2 years before) to make a 2-layer costume. I don't mean to brag, but DAMN, Kivi and I make a great team. I think this costume is lovely. And the neighborhood girls have been playing dressup with it ever since. I bought the hat and jewelry at Party City or some place like that.

Oh, and did I mention that my sewing machine went on the blink AGAIN??? It HATED that hot-pink fabric. This time when I took it in to be fixed, I came home with a new sewing machine.

Memory Lane: Halloween 2007

This time Kivi wanted to be Medusa. I think we had just watched the 1980s era movie Clash of the Titans or something. We looked at artist renditions of Medusa, and she decided to be a beautiful version.


The costume turned out GREAT. The snake hat was an utter pain in the ass. My fingers got so sore poking holes through the plastic snakes so that I could sew them on, that I ended up drilling tiny holes through them with my Dremel. Never again. (Hmmm... is a pattern emerging here?)

This was also the first (and so far only) time that I've made a vintage pattern. This one was from the 1960s, and I got it from someone on eBay. Pattern conventions haven't really changed that much, at least not in the last 40 years. They are still written for people who know what they are doing. At least I knew slightly more this time around.

I got the fabric on clearance for about $2/yard. It's this slithery stretchy costume fabric, and my sewing machine HATED HATED HATED it. I was getting pretty tired of dealing with that temperamental beast. Another trip to the repairman, who made a minor adjustment, and it started working again.

Memory Lane: Halloween 2005

This is the very first Halloween costume that I made for Kivi. Not only did I make it, but I designed it myself! I made a poncho out of white fabric by taking a rectangle, and cutting a hole for Kivi's head. Then I sewed on some ties to hold it closer to her neck. I then made a hood, and sewed TONS of strips of fabric and gauze all over it.


The darned thing was uncomfortable, and probably dangerous for my then-four-year-old. She couldn't see very well with the hood, and we ended up trick-or-treating with the hood off most of the time.

This was the first year that my sewing machine got temperamental on me, and I had to borrow a machine from a friend to finish Kivi's costume.

Linen napkins

I haven't located a source of organic linen that I'm happy with (yet). So, these are regular linen, which is still more eco-friendly than cotton. Flax (the plant that is turned into linen) requires less water and pesticides.



I have to say that it was HARD getting the edge to roll neatly. Or is that because I'm not terribly used to sewing with a serger yet?

Anyway, check out the different sizes available in my Etsy store.