I found that out quite quickly when I was measuring Isabelle for her costume. As I was measuring, Nathan wanted to be measured too. Every single time I tied some string around Isabelle to measure her, he wanted a piece of string tied in exactly the same way. And if Isabelle tried on the muslin, Nathan wanted to try it on too. Oops. I felt so bad. I should have started costumes early and made one for him too. But there was no time. We ended up going to Target to buy his costume.

There was no way I could have made his costume too. That is because, this year, I thought I wouldn’t go with a pattern for Isabelle’s. I wanted to try making it straight out of my head. I knew I could do the bottom, I was planning on a circle skirt, but the bodice would be the challenge.

I have a drafting book for sewing but have come to the conclusion I suck at drafting (or caved under the pressure of getting it done by Halloween). My front piece looked ok but the back piece looked crazy. So, me making a bodice went out the window. I went and dug up a bodice pattern from one of my Japanese craft books. I used the sleeves from there as well made up a collar and I then added a circle skirt. And I winged it with the apron.

I think it looks a little large but it isn’t all bad. My favorite part of the dress is the underskirt thingy, that’s what I’m calling it. I love how the trim peeks out on it. That trim costs just about as much as Nathan’s costume.

I was hoping the dress would poof out more. But it’s only a little poofy. I even made a petticoat trying to give it some more poof. But my material choice didn’t cut it. I didn’t want to use crinoline or tulle because of the scratchiness factor. I used yards and yards of muslin instead and well…no poof.

But look how happy she is.

So, to make up for it, we brought the kids to a generic little amusement park. Where the little train wasn’t even working.

And the crappy teacup didn’t turn. Sigh.

Sadly the corn maze was closed. Too muddy from the rain the day prior.

But, happily, to make up for it they let the kids pick tomatoes. Tomatoes and jalapenos. And you know how much Isabelle loves picking food off trees or bushes, in this case, just to not eat them.

Then more Halloween fun was to be had at my friend Veronica’s pumpkin carving party.

Which all culminated in Halloween!! We met Alan’s family at the mall for some trick or treating. It was our first time trick or treating at a mall. It was crowded. And you know how I feel about malls right?

Yeah. Never again. It was ok to try one time but…nope, not for me. It wasn’t absolutely horrendous but the hoards of people did not help. Nor did the woman, who pushed me in her rush to get her child or something, help the situation. I say something because after she bowled into me and continued on her way, that way was not to a child. She was just pushy.

I went all road rage on her in my head. And it’s so funny, I’m generally a mellow driver but obviously I’m not good with people impinging on my personal space. But anyhoo…off topic. After the mall we went trick or treating at real houses. Well, Isabelle did at least. Nathan mostly stayed in Alan’s arms except for this one time.

Wish the picture wasn’t blurry. And that was all our Halloween fun. Four days of it. Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, and Halloween!

I finished Isabelle’s bucket hat last night. Yay!! And I didn’t need to buy any fabric for it, everything is from my stash. Double YAY!

Did you know this pattern is for a reversible bucket hat? REVERSIBLE!!

I wasn’t sure about this contrasting thread when I sewed the first line but I figured if I hated it, Isabelle didn’t need to wear it with this side out. But I think it looks great.

It is a big hit. BIG.

With Nathan that is. I took this last night on my cell phone to send to Alan. As soon as I was done sewing it, he put it on, and wore it for a good long time.

In fact, this afternoon, as I was trying to take pictures of it, Nathan tried to grab it.

Yoink!

And how does Isabelle like it?

Miss Posey Pose a Lot likes it ok.

She went all crazy with the posing with it.

As you can tell.

This one is my favorite.

Where she’s posing like an Asian. Bwa ha ha! I asked her where she learned that from because Alan and I DEFINITELY do not do this. She said she learned it from a book.

Isabelle likes it but isn’t ecstatic about it. She said, “thanks for making me a hat mama!” then tossed it aside. Nathan definitely had it on longer than she did. Guess I should make my little guy one too.

Project Notes
Pattern: Oliver + S Little Things to Sew

The only other change I made from the pattern is, I opted to use cotton flannel instead of interfacing. I was worried it wouldn’t be stiff enough but it came out nice.

It’s a pattern by Dana at Made. I originally bought it hoping it would fit Isabelle, seeing that it fit Dana’s 5 year old daughter. But I completely forgot, I have a VERY TALL 5 year old.

I need to adjust the pattern a bit for Isabelle. But in the meantime, I made one for Nathan, the 18 months – 3 Toddler size. I made it from two bath towels, two orange bath towels. Yes orange. You can see quite clearly it’s orange.

When I bought the towels, the reasoning behind the color was, I thought Nathan looked nice in orange, like his daddy. I somehow neglected the fact that his swim trunks are bright orange. And his swim top is bright orange. I just made my little boy this brighter than the sun outfit.

Maybe Nathan doesn’t like being brighter than the sun. What am I talking about? Can’t you tell from the pictures? He does not love it. I think that’s why I didn’t blog about it right away, I couldn’t get a good picture of him in it. Still can’t.

When I put it on him, he’s all, “off!! OFF!!” I thought he’d be less objecting once we were out. But nope. Same reaction.

I so enjoyed making this. It was a nice sewing project, easy and not too large. I miss sewing. That’s why I joined this Oliver & S sew along. We’re sewing from the book, Little Things to Sew. I thought it would be a perfect thing to take part in since everything is small and therefore quicker to make. We’ve started out with bucket hats! And guess what color I chose for the fabric?

Orange.

I used this eyepatch tutorial for occlusion therapy by LucyKate Crafts. Isabelle chose the colors. It’s made of felt. Even the button! Well, I think the button is felt. I can’t remember what it said on the packaging. All I know is that it’s soft and not hard like regular buttons.

It’s nice not to use bandaid type patches.

Why didn’t I make one sooner?

I couldn’t find the umbilical cord hat I knit for him. Yes, I misplaced a knitted item. Sigh. I made it back in December and put it in a safe place until I could see them. They live up the street from us and this was the first time we met the little guy. Either that or I put it on Nathan’s head to see how much he’d grown and he walked off with it.

Ok back to what I was saying, easily distracted today. Since I couldn’t find the hat, at the last minute I sewed the baby a blanket with some fabric I had in my stash.

I think the fabric was from my friend, Veronica. She used it to wrap Nathan’s birthday present. How awesome is that? A present wrapped with FABRIC!! I made a baby blanket with it. Just a very simple blanket with chenille on one side, backed with this dinosaur flannel fabric and inside a layer of flannel. It’s nice and super thick. And for some reason I always mix up flannel and fleece. I have to ask Alan every time, what’s this fabric that’s in my stash. Ok went off the trail again.

While I had the fabric laid out and was cutting into it, Nathan was all over it. Later after the presents were all wrapped up, I felt bad. I should have saved the fabric to make something for Nathan.

I realized I never shared it. It was taken back in August last year, right after we went to the Renegade Craft Faire. Isabelle saw a cute little robot there but we didn’t buy it for her. So, I tried to recreate one like it when we got home.

I let her choose the fabric and the buttons. It’s not as cute but it’s made with love.

And he’s special because I made a little heart to stick inside him.

I miss crafting. I cannot seem to find the time lately. I didn’t even finish the umbilical hat I started on Friday. It should have only taken me a day. Sigh.

It’s a shirred dress with some modifications.

You probably can’t tell from this picture though.

I made it so the back can open so it’s easier to pull on and off.

I used buttons as closures.

Isabelle chose the buttons.

It has three buttons.

One red.

One yellow.

And one green.

But not orange.

Because?

Because Isabelle did not choose orange.

I made matching button loops for each button.

I’ve never made button loops before.

It was easy.

I googled and found this great embroidery floss button loop tutorial by Ysolda.

So, that’s one red button loop.

It was a little wonky being my first.

One yellow button loop.

It was improved being my second.

And one green button loop.

The best since it was my third.

But no orange button loop.

Why?

Because Isabelle didn’t choose an orange button.

And I’m totally stalling.

Can you tell?

And why am I stalling?

Because if I show this next picture you’ll see right away the dress was not for me.

It was for Isabelle.

Isabelle’s Isabelle doll that is.

And of course we had to make dolly Isabelle a necklace to go with her new dress.

A jingle bell necklace.

Yay! No more naked Isabelle doll. So, that totally took me over two years to make her a dress.

And Isabelle wanted to cut her doll’s hair since Isabelle’s hair is no longer long. But it doesn’t grow back, I told her. Should I?

This year, with the homeschool group, we went to a new pumpkin patch. At a farm! Smith family farm. There was a corn maze,

big pumpkins as big as Nathan,

old farm equipment, animals, a Miwok Indian village, a show the kids participated in, and a hay ride.



I thought it was pretty awesome. And everyone who paid entrance got to take a pumpkin home!

In that same week, we went to my friend Veronica’s pumpkin carving party. We’ve gone for three years now. It’s becoming a tradition. I didn’t want to go empty handed so I attempted to decorate cupcakes with a Halloween theme: skulls.

Sort of looks like a blob. With three holes.

Isabelle was running around playing. Like last year, she had no interest it pumpkin carving.

She did draw a face onto a pumpkin which I then gutted and carved.

Hers is the one next to my bat pumpkin.

Then on Halloween, we started our morning by lighting up our pumpkins during breakfast. I made Halloween themed pancakes like this bat.

And after breakfast, I finished sewing up Isabelle’s costume, McCall’s 6141. Originally she wanted to be a robot. That’s why my banner looks like that. She wanted me as a dinosaur and Nathan as a red ball. I arbitrarily chose Alan’s costume, Kick Ass. But then Isabelle changed her mind and wanted to be a princess. She chose the pattern and the pretty gold fabric. And I’ve rambled a bit. Back to what I was saying. Yes, you read that right. I finished sewing it up ON Halloween.

The night before, I thought I wasn’t going to finish it. The back ties call for eyelets.

When I tried putting the eyelets on, I screwed up about 80% of them. I don’t know what I was doing wrong but they were all bent out of shape and not staying. And, stupidly, I had only bought one pack so I couldn’t try again. I didn’t have a zipper so couldn’t go that route. None of my buttons would have looked right so that was a no.

I was stumped. I dreaded the thought of having to go back to the store to buy more eyelets. Doing that just to have a strong possibility of screwing the eyelets up again and again and needing to cut out more and more pieces of fabric.

I lay down for bed and then it dawned on me. Buttonholes! I got right up out of bed, though I was tired, and made 14 buttonholes. FOURTEEN! And that did the trick. Don’t need no stinkin’ eyelets. So, the next day all I needed to finish was the hem.

After I was done with Isabelle’s dress, I was feeling ambitious. I decided to make her a treat bag too, a little frog prince treat bag.

I went with a frog prince bag because I really wanted to sew Nathan a costume to match Isabelle. But since it took me freaking all week to make Isabelle’s costume, I did not have the time to make one for Nathan. We ended up using a frog prince towel for this picture.

He didn’t care for it.

That night he wore Isabelle’s old bee costume.

So the frog bag was a good route to go. Nathan didn’t go up to any doors so it was silly to even think of making him a matching prince costume.

And that was our Halloween festivities. How was your Halloween?