Halloween: The Costumes

Happy Halloween

from Pumpkin Pi, Flamingo, Pirate, Fairy, Butterfly, and Caterpillar!

This year's costumes were lots of fun to make and put together. The best part of my month, though, was when I was at the fabric store in early October purchasing material and realized that my mother-in-law (retired professional seamstress & costumer) would be here just a week before Halloween! Without her, the amazing metamorphosis from felt, thread, and wire into these AWESOME butterfly wings would not have happened. THANK YOU JOANNA!

I've had the patterns (from an old Martha Stewart catalog) for these butterfly wings and the caterpillar costume (along with several other adorable baby/toddler/kid costumes) since before Adah was born. With 2 October babies and the other Halloween with an infant being just after an international move, I had just never managed to take advantage of those cute patterns. Well, this year I was determined to do it and I chose this cute pairing of the caterpillar baby and butterfly mama. Joanna completely put together these awesome wings. I get credit for safety pinning on some straps and making antennae out of pipe cleaners. Joanna also got Holly's costume started. I made the hat and sewed buttons on the straps. I also sewed on the spots, for which credit goes to Adah! She cut out and sewed together the black-and-white layered dots.

Gunnar was easily persuaded to be a pirate this year. He loved the sword and saying, "Aargh!" and mumbling things about "Bad Beard." (That was not a criticism of his own beard, but rather a reference to Phineas & Ferb.) The other fun part is that Adah was a pirate for Halloween when she was 3, and she wore the same red pants! (No beard for Adah, though.)

Maggie's fairy costume was quite simple. We already had everything we needed in the dress-up drawer for her "Sugar Plum Fairy" get-up.

We jazzed up her look with some curly blue ribbons and lots of glitter! She had on glitter body lotion, sparkly lip stick, and blue glitter on her eyes and cheeks.

Finally came Adah's flamingo costume, which was also really fun to put together. I hit the jackpot at the Salvation Army when I found the pink go-go dancer-style dress, pink bolero top, and pink feather belt! She already had the pink leggings and socks, and the light pink boa is mine. The hat really made the outfit though. After doing some searches online I finally figured out the best way to do the beak. I made the pilot cap out of pink fabric and then stitched on the beak that Damon made out of a piece of white art foam cut to the shape of a flamingo beak. Some Gorilla glue, a little detailing with a Sharpie and voila! We jazzed up her face with pink lipstick and swooping pink eye make-up.

The kids and I all dressed up for the school costume parade on Friday (Gunnar, Holly, and I spectated in costume). The big girls each got to dress up again for Halloween parties with friends, and then we all dressed up Saturday night for our church Halloween carnival. I love getting a little mileage out of my costumes; in fact, don't be surprised if you see those butterfly wings again. I asked Joanna to make them with repeat-use in mind!