Tour de Fat!

   If you know anything about Tour de Fat, you know how fun it is! This year my boytoy and I sorted through old prom dresses at the thrift store to find one that I could butcher and alter to make a fun and flashy costume with that would match my boytoy's no-shirt blue tux outfit. 

   Unfortunately I totally spaced on taking before pictures of the dress. I know, I know, but you'll just have to use your imagination to picture the original dress, which extended to the floor and had no flashy sequin belt or large ruffle. 

I cut the dress at knee-length, and then used the fabric from the very bottom of the dress to create a large ruffle. Having a serger saved loads of time, as I simply just serged along the edge of the pre-cut ruffle, and ta-da!

Using the overlock machine on the ruffle. I pinned small pleats to create a puffy effect.

I had to sew the sequin belt (which I also found at the thrift store) just below a large opening in the back of the dress where the zipper was. The dress was a tad tight, and depending on the day it was a challenge to zip it all the way to the top. I decided to extend the belt just a tad and add a button with elastic under it, this way the dress would be held together with the button closure at the top of the zipper, yet be covered by this added belt.

Oh, and I also used some of the scrap tulle from the bottom of the dress to cut into strips and tie onto my pigtails, somewhat noticeable in the pics. And we used some of the sequin belt to attach to my boytoy's top hat to match our outfits. What a fun costume, and what a fun day!

Bag Holder

  Just for fun I made my boytoy this plastic bag holder. I love the vintage Snoopy scraps I was able to use on it!

Quilted Serger Cover

  I finally made a beautiful quilted cover for my serger! I love everything about it: the red corduroy, the Japanese heart with typewriter fabric, and the small strips of linen.

Superhero Capes

  After making superhero capes with an Octonaut theme for my nephew's fourth birthday party I decided to make some more neutral ones with simple stars on the back. Simple cotton fabrics with velcro closures make for an easy dress-up item for preschoolers. I wish that I had a few of these when I was working in a Pre-K classroom, I'm sure they would've been a big hit!

Teal with red star

Blue with orange star 

Light purple with pink star

Blue with red star

Caterpillar Costume

  It has been way too long since I've posted! After taking a break over the summer I've been very busy designing and prepping many new clutches and other items to list on my Etsy page before the holidays are upon us. But before I list those I have two adorable Halloween costumes to share!

  I was asked to create a caterpillar costume based on Eric Carle's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. After looking at many ideas I decided to use felt for mine with a bodysuit for the body and a hat for the caterpillar's head. The original costume was made with a red infant cap that the parents purchased for me, and I added the antenna, eyes and nose. I then purchased extra red felt to create two small felt caps for the two costumes that I've listed for sale on Etsy. 

  I absolutely love this costume! It's sure to be a hit on Halloween. It'd look even cuter as a group costume with a butterfly and some of the caterpillar's favorite foods nearby. 

Get one before they are gone!