Another Princess in the Family

Lexi loved her costume.  She is better at letting me take a picture, and actually enjoyed styling it for me. I'm happy that it fits.  The bodice is a little snug, so I will have to put in the lace in the front to keep the sides from gaping open.

Presenting Lexi as Rapunzel.

I had to take this shot to show the braid.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair

Wow! I just finished Lexi's Rapunzel costume.  It came out so cute.  The hair is really cool.  I don't know how people come up with these patterns, but this is a really awesome one. I can't believe how many layers are used in this little dress.  I actually left one of them out.  It has an overskirt, a skirt, and a slip skirt. It was supposed to have a ruffle layer also, but I think that was just a little too much.  It poofs out enough without it. It was also supposed to lace across the front of the bodice like a shoe, but I don't want to put the eyelets in.  I don't do well with eyelets.  I think it looks okay without it.  I think Lexi will like it because she loves dressing up like a princess.  This is one of the ones she is familiar with, so I am happy that I was able to fine the pattern to make it. 

Rapunzel.  I can't wait to take a picture of Lexi wearing the costume.

I also got a little creative today and made a cover for the rocking horse that I have outside for the kids to play with.  I have been using an old grill cover that fit over it very nicely, but it has totally worn through from the weather.  I cut it apart and used the pieces for a pattern for a new cover.  I used a light weight tarp for the material.  I was able to use the edge pieces of the tarp for the edge pieces of the cover.  It worked out really well, so now the horsey will not get wet and the metal frame will not rust.  I love it when things turn out the way I hope they will when I start a project like that.

Hidden beneath this cover is a little brown horse that I used for my kids, and now for my grand kids.

I think I have finished all the costumes I need to make this year.  Now, it is just knit, knit, knit on those Christmas presents.

Sock Slippers Complete

I just finished the last sock slipper, so now all the men's Christmas presents are finished.  I also decorated a cake for Ellis for his birthday.  I made an Iron Man mask cake.  Before I could take a picture of it, his sister, Portia, gave him a bunch of pimples by poking her little finger into the cake all over the face.  Oh well, what can you do about a little two-year-old's creative cake decorating? As for Ellis' Iron Man costume, that will have to wait for a picture, too.  He took it with him back to Maine before I got a picture of it.  It came out pretty well.  I had to make a last minute chest vest for him, so that it would look like Iron Man had a muscular chest.  It only took about an hour to make and I had it ready for him to take with him, but that is why I couldn't get the picture first.

Iron Man with pimples.

The last three pairs of slipper socks.

Still have one more costume to finish.  I have a Rapunzel dress cut out for Lexi.  I will sew it next.  Then, I will continue to work on my knit projects for Christmas. 

Bunny Costume Revisited

I had an afterthought about the bunny costume I finished last night.  For some reason, I neglected to put a belly patch on the front of the sweatshirt.  I was planning on doing it, but I totally forgot until after I went to bed last night.  Of course, the first thing I did this morning was get to work on adding one.  I planned to make it oval shaped standing tall, but after getting it sewn in, it was perfectly round.  Now, if a circle is what I was looking for, it would have come out as an oval.  That is the way it seems to always work.  Anyway, I had to take the zipper out in the middle sections and insert the patch.  That was a little tricky, but worked easier than I thought that it would.  I also had to make a cord to thread through the hood today.  Now, the bunny is finished.

Bunny from the front.  The patch does look like an oval here, but when laying flat, it is definitely a circle.

Costume Time 2013

I have had a lot of requests for costumes this year.  So far, I have made a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Iron Man, Batman, a bat, a bunny, and have a Tangled princess costume cut out.  I am showing only the Batman, bat, and bunny this time.  I have to wait until Joey brings the Turtle costume back so I can take a picture of it.  Iron Man needs to have his helmet, boots, and gloves be brought down from Maine so they can be shown with the suit that I made for Ellis. The Tangled costume for Lexi is waiting to be sewn.  All of the costumes have been designed by me, except for the Tangled dress. I still need help when it comes to princess dress patterns. I have had a lot of fun creating these patterns.

The bat is for a friend, Luthien, but is being modeled by Joey.

This shows the Batman without my friend, Bastian.

The bunny is for my little Portia.

I will show the other costumes when I get a picture of them.  Meanwhile, I will continue to work on my Christmas projects.  I just have to finish the last slipper and I will have all the sock slippers finished that I am making for the men.  I'm still working on creating a sweater that may or may not be for Cheryl.  She isn't crazy about sweaters, so I am trying to create a pattern of one that she may like.  If she does not like it, I will give it to my friend for her birthday and make a pair of pants for Cheryl that she can wear to work.  I have the other sweaters all finished for the women.  I am also making animal hats for all the kids.  I almost have the first one finished.  It is a good thing that they do not take long to make, since I need to make eleven of them.  Nine for my grand children, one for Taylor who is a little girl I have been watching while her mom recuperates from reconstructive hip surgery, and one for Isamu, the Japanese exchange student that is living with my son and daughter-in-law for the year. I am also still working on the secret gift for my good friend, Nancy.  It is about 2/3 done. I should be able to keep busy right up until Christmas with what I have left to do.