27 Days Until Halloween: SPIDER COSTUMES

I think the Frog Queen is totally ready for me to move off of spiders... I can't blame her. I'm not sure I can take it much longer myself! Did I mention spiders terrify me?

Since Halloween is about scary, there is nothing scarier to me than spiders. Except maybe animatronics. Or maybe animatronic spiders... Dear. Goodness. NO. That would set my Frankenstein Complex just over the edge.  (*searches the internet for less than a second and returns with this* -- oh good, my nightmares realized)

My vision for a Halloween spider costume does not involve becoming the spider. Hell no, it involves my worst nightmare of being covered head-to-toe in the things! Since I haven't actually had the guts to make one yet, I'll give you the breakdown of my some-Halloween-far-far-in-the-future plans:

• Buy little plastic spiders
• Make a wig out of chicken wire, wig base, black wig hair, and then cover it with cobwebbing. This could either be achieved with hot glue webbing or with the stuff you buy for your house, but it should look like spiders are nesting on your head. Gross. - oh sure, this part sounds easy -- but my vision of a spider-covered Marie Antoinette wig is a little grandiose to be sure)
• Glue spiders to the wig (this lady did a good job at spidering her hair - that's what I'd be going for)
• Glittery black dress or wispy white one, also covered in spiders 
• Cobweb shawl - made in black or white with cheesecloth, to contrast against the dress color choice
• Skin covered in spiders
• Dramatic makeup

But, since I'm not brave enough (nor do I have enough free time this year) to make that, here are some quick, fun spider costume ideas:

Spiderweb Mother and Spider Baby 

...Of course, you don't need a baby for the above. You could just as easily create an 8-"legged" black wrap to go around you, or wear a shirt with a spider motif.

Spider Dog

• Another Spider Costume Idea From Martha Stewart
• Spider Princess Costume
• Teal and Lime - Super Cute, fuzzy child's spider costume
• Spider web braids for a little girl
• Hahaha - spider bun hairstyle for a little girl (or for me -- I'm doing this, y'all, just as soon as I buy some googly eyes)
• Spider hat (this year target is selling spiders that would cling to your head, I'll wager -- just an fyi)
• If you are talented with drawing and liquid eyeliner - spider eye make up option 1 and option 2
• For the visionary with time to make cool things, this is great inspiration

28 Days Until Halloween: SPIDER FASHION

This is dorky and girly, but I can't help myself. I need to go shopping for new clothes in the worst of ways, so I'm going to devote at least one post per 'creature' this month on using scary to inspire the wardrobe.

For 'spiders,' I was thinking that lots of draped cobwebs and black-widow colors would fit the bill. Lots of crochet and lace.

Spiderwebbed by phantompoe

And of course, a cobwebby wrap:

Spider Shawl with How-to From Martha Stewart

• Spider Web Skirt*
• Webby Shirt*

I also found a lot of cobweb inspiration for fashion dating back to the Victorian era; but 'spooky' prints seem to have hit a fad even in the 50's. I have to re-find some of my research and bully it into a proper post sometime.

Happy Hauntings, y'all!

(Also: deep breaths -- we'll be out of the spider phase of my blog very soon!)

Devillish Shoes

Brilliant idea for customizing shoes... though I wish I actually knew what "sugru" was so I could make them.

Devil shoes (men and women's ideas posted at Instructables).

DIY Spectrespecs

Luna is kind of my Harry Potter fashion hero.

Make your own Spectrespecs! They won't help you with the 3D, but they'll look really radical.

Crochet Mummy Gloves

Oh oh look! Crochet mummy fingerless gloves.

I wish my crochet ideas were this good. I also wish this wasn't distracting me from my current crochet project (a blanket for my father in law... wooooo, boring).

I Pity the Fool Who Don't Value Amazing Halloween Costumes

You may remember awhile back that I crocheted a Mr. T head for a friend (a 'friend' who found a new job an abandoned me, but a friend all the same) in honor of the new A-Team movie.

Well, said friend also made me proud at Halloween this year. You must wear your amazement openly upon seeing this awesomeness:



This is my favorite Halloween costume of 2010. There is no question; he did an epic job.

READY FOR HALLOWEEN DAY 28: I Vant to Show You My Neck

I saw a vampire bite necklace on boing boing earlier this year. It was crochet, and oh-so-easy-to-make looking.

So I finally made one -- found the pattern in a simply adorable little book called Witch Craft by Alicia Kachmar. If you have little girls who can't decide if they want to be a vampire or a princess, btw... please get them this book. It will help lead them down the path to darkness by sugar-coating it.

Anyhoo. I didn't follow the pattern, 'cause that's how I roll. But making up my own version (which includes a row of single crochet stitches after making the little closure loop, as opposed to just a foundation chain for the necklace part) took me all of a lunch hour at work while chatting with my friends.

In fact, I think even a beginning crocheter could master this in just a try or two. The hardest part was finding thread in the two shades of red I was looking for!

Obviously, this still needs some finishing touches--like being ironed flat since I kept the pieces in a little ball in my pocket after the crochet work was done--but I'm excited to wear it with my everyday-wear this Halloweekend!

Lovely Ruffle Collars

This is such a lovely idea for a Halloween Bride: ruffly, lacey collars. From Mme. Chaos.

A pattern/.pdf is included; is that not the most generous thing you've heard all day?

This would be lovely in black or white, and simply stunning for a bride with an otherwise bare neck. So delightful!

I Guffaw at Sparkly Vampires

Need a REALLY scary Halloween costume? Well, the success of the Twilight Saga scares me!

I know, I know -- half of you probably love the books. I adore you all, but I cannot go with you down that path. It's just not my way.

The vampires freaking sparkle and I am NOT okay with that.

I am, however, okay with this guy's Edward Cullen costume.

White button up shirt with the color flipped=awesome.Brooding expression=right on. Strangely overdrawn eyebrows=perfect. Is that a wig? It's beyond words. And you are spotted with big hunks of glitter.

I approve.

You've got to click on the link above and check out the few other picture's this guy's girlfriend posted on Craftster. They seems like super-fun people!

Fickle, Fickle

Okay, I'm already changing my mind about a Halloween costume. In a stroke on inspiration and show brand loyalty... I think I really want to be Marceline the Vampire Queen.


M is for Marceline by ~McMonster-Ridgeback on deviantART

Cute song from Adventure Time:



Even more of the episode here.

I'm so torn!! Jem, or Marcelene? Vintage, or newness? Either would be amazing, but I think Marcelene might be much radder.

Would a tank top be too cold for Disneyworld in late October? It can get kind of chilly in Orlando.

Spider Web Skirt

This is so simple it's almost silly; all you need is a solid skirt (preferably black or white) and a contrasting, thick thread.

The long strands are pinned at the top of the skirt, and then each layer of the 'webbing' is pinned to the skirt to let it fall in a scalloped pattern.

Check out MarthaStewart.com for full details!

Jem is Outrageous! Halloween Costume

I've been on a nostalgic Jem kick for the last few days. Yes, Jem and the Holograms is the show of my childhood (that and Batman) -- it was their Halloween episode that always stood out the most:


Part 1 - Trick or Techrat

I'm starting my Halloween costume planning NOW; I had a lot of fun and success the one other time I tried to be a known character for Halloween (Bellatrix), so maybe this year I'll forgo my beloved creeps and ghouls and go for something "truly outrageous."

Dress - Jem wears a pink faux-wrap dress with 3/4 length sleeves.

Burda has a decent pattern here (you'll have to sign up, but the pattern is a free printable -- it's a one-size only. I'm not saying it's the best or only option out there, just that's it's free and a great start!). One more note: Jem's skirt is short and asymmetrical (it's longer on her right side than her left).

You'd need to find a shiny pink fabric for the dress; something sparkly would be nice -- take note that the pattern is intended for a knit fabric.

Jem's Hair - Buy a long, blond wig (or pink, if you can find one). If it already has a lot of volume and rock-star layers, great! If not, you'll need to carefully cut it so it has long bangs and chunky layers. You'll want it to be (light) pink -- you can 'dye' a synthetic wig by coloring it with sharpie markers, though it takes time. You may want to just color chunky little streaks to save yourself time but still get the right feel (see the Make-up video for a reference -- this can look really great!).

Yes, Sharpie now makes PINK MARKERS!

Make-up - Jem's Make-up is pretty straight-forward. You need pinks for your lips and eyes, maybe a soft brown for your eyebrows. If you're more daring and complex with your make-up, try the video tutorial below:

Belt - she wears several colors, all the same style. White or Silver are the best options. If you're not much of a sewer (because heave knows there is no pattern floating about for this that I can find), tie a triangle of fabric around your waist with the long end on your left hip. Cut the back edge to give it fringe.

Earrings - the Jem Star earrings are definitely the most important piece to the costume. Jem can literally not be Jem without them. Sparkly, large, red stars:

• http://www.cosplay.com/photo/1796421/

Tights - regular nylons are okay, but try dip-dying them pink!

• How to dye gradient tights
• Rit Pink Dyes Guide

Shoes - heels! pink to match the dress, or white. If you can't find pink shoes to match your dress, may I suggest decoupaging some old ones with pink paper or leftover fabric? We've talked about this before, but pink glitter is also an option.

-----------------------

And there you go. My starting point for turning into Jem on the 31st of October.

My other thought for this year? Elsa Lanchester.

Bloody Nails Project

This is a lovely alternative to french tips, isn't it? Bloody fingernail tips!

You need:

• Red Nail Polish
• Darker Red Nail Polish (you could mix red and black, as is done in the tutorial)
• Black Nail Polish
• Clear Nail Polish
• A make-up sponge

This would make a beautiful manicure for a vampire bride. Or for your next Zombie Pub Crawl costume, ladies and gentlemen.

If wanting this to look glamorous, I would suggest finding a really thick-drying top coat. Or doing several layers of the clear coat, letting it dry completely between takes. The reds will be very textured, and this will help smooth out the look.

Classy Trick-or-Treat Bag

Joli Paquet brings us this lovely little bag for catching your Hallowgoodies.

Typically, I would say that this is a little too pretty for me. A bit more feminine than I'm comfortable with. But I can just see this lacy little bag complimenting some grand, old-fashioned gothic costume; the very idea makes me swoon with happiness.

Clever and elegant. I approve.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Glitter Shoes

Do you plan to be Dorothy for Halloween? No? Me neither.

Still, I'm thinking of ways to make shoes FABULOUS. Picture at right does not belong to me, but from MommyMac of craftster. Aren't they great?

Wouldn't it be fun to sparkle up your shoes for a special occasion (like Halloween, your wedding, or your Hallowedding)? I haven't had the chance to make any myself because... well, let's face it, wedding projects are sucking the life from my bones ... but this is the trial I will be undergoing at some point, based on project postings I've read throughout the internet:

1. Grab and old pair of shoes that you don't mind ruining (should everything go horribly wrong)
2. Brush them with glue or decoupage medium (modge podge, anyone?)
   
3. Cover the glue in glitter
4. Press the glitter gently into the shoes, especially if you use chunky glitter
   
5. Allow to dry
6. Shake off loose glitter
7. Coat in clear spray paint to seal (multiple coats might be necessary

Sounds easy enough. Some day, when I have time, I will be making sparkly shoes.

Big Daddy

Today, tomorrow, then it's October. I've scheduled posts for about 2/3's of the month already, to buy myself some time before the wedding. So if I seem to be MIA - my apologies. You know how it is; Halloween, wedding, Halloween wedding...

But, before I become suspiciously ghostly... I've been meaning to share this AMAZING getup from Bioshock that my friends were all wow'd by at DragonCon. Can you believe how amazing this is?

Official DragonCon photo

Webby Shirt

Fashionable I am not. LookBook.nu and I are not friends, and I hardly frequent it -- but I'm always fascinated to see what kinds of crazy things people choose to wear.

This spider-webby ripped t-shirt, though, has me so hooked! The kid who is rocking it in the picture made it himself, and was kind enough to post about how he did it at his blog: b l a c k w a x x .

Surely he didn't intend for this to be so spider-chic, but that's the overall effect I'm getting and I *adore* it.

Here's the video tutorial he shared on how to make the effect; the person who made it seems a little nervous, but it's a great video that gives you the knowledge you need to make your own:

Dress - First Fitting

The first fitting is complete!!



My costumer friend is pretty freaking amazing.



This is the first fitting, so all the pieces are rough - but I'm thinking it will come out fabulously.

Tatted Hairpiece

I have achieve a major victory in the arena of wedding costume: the hairpiece is COMPLETE!

Sundays have become yarn-circle days (I met two very nice ladies who crochet at a Starbucks and - really - what better place for tatting wickedness than the evil corporate coffee?

I was able to complete the three-layer tatted flower pretty much in one sitting. Since my wedding dress is "shell" colored (i.e. shiny pink-white), I did a multi-colored flower. The feather is white, but slightly off-white. The flower is ecru, white, then ecru again with a little pink pearl bead in the middle (that matches the dress almost perfectly).

Everything was mounted to a clear plastic comb with hot glue. the tatted flower was sewn together, and the bead was fastened with that same thread.


I can happily and honestly say I just made it up as I went along, but if you want a little introduction to tatting and you like the flower idea, here is an instructable for you!

Please ignore the blurry picture of this on my head -- I was in a rush to get something to my mom before heading out to husband-to-be's birthday dinner!

First Needle Tatting Project: Done

Sure, I've done shuttle tatting for a brief while - but needle tatting was new to me. Turns out, it's easier and faster. Shuttle tatting is fun - I won't be giving it up - but I expect you'll find me with a needle and thread in my hands more frequently from here on in. :)

Lazy? Maybe.

Anyway, I was inspired to pick up the needle by TotusMel's glorious masks, and I have finished one!

I completely attached the center part wrong, so I have go make a simple adjustment to the pattern to rectify my mistake, but how cool, huh? I'm very excited. If you are into tatting, you can find the instructable here:

Tatted Mask - More DIY How To Projects

If you've never tatted before, she was kind enough to share this; the project below would be a bit easier for you as well:


Needle Tatting A Necklace - More DIY How To Projects