Patterns, patterns, and more patterns....

Yay!  Look what came in the mail today...

 

 

Kwik Sew 3104...for my daughter's Halloween costume

 

Butterick 5545...so I can make my daughter some leotards for dance class

 

And for me...B5640, M6559, V8380, V1250, V1228

Fire Star costume, Kwik Sew 3104

I just ordered a pattern to use to create my daughter's Fire Star halloween costume.  Kwik Sew patterns are on sale right now, so I was looking for a good leotard pattern (my daughter takes dance and I wanted to make her a few new leotards).  I came across this pattern and was so excited!  View A will be perfect for her costume!!  There is a front zipper, so she can just unzip it a bit to get an open-high-collar look.  For under $5, it's a lot easier than drafting it myself!!



Homemade Halloween costumes

I love Halloween, the #1 reason being that I get to make my kids their costumes!  I don't ALWAYS make them, but I have made the majority of them.  We are starting to think about costumes for this year, my son (10) wants to be Nathan Drake from Uncharted (a video game series).  My daughter (5) wants to be this:

Her name is Fire Star, she is one of Spiderman's friends.  It should make a really cool costume, especially with the flame details on the arms and legs.


Here are some other costumes I've made over the years:

Both kids wore this tiger costume, I believe it was a Simplicity pattern.

 

One year my son decided to be a crow...this was a challenge.  I ended up cutting hundreds of black felt feathers and attatching them to a store-bought black hoodie.  I made crow feet and a paper mache beak.  I would have to advise against using paper mache to make something your child's steamy breath will be blowing on...at the end of the day it was falling apart!

 

 

 

Last year Andrea wanted to be Ariel, it's difficult creating a mermaid costume that you can walk in and that will keep you warm in October in NY.  I decided to make pants with a flared hem that gives the illusion of a tail when you stand with your feet together, I think I was very successful!  My daughter was happy and that's all that really matters :)

 

 

This was Michael's costume last year.  He created a character that he has used in a number of short stories he has written, Mr. Mustachio.  It is a stick figure with a large mustache.  This was also a challenge!  I decided to cut strips of black fabric and sew them onto a light grey sweatsuit to look like a stick figure...it turned out great!  I sewed up a black felt mustache to complete the look.



Apple Dress

September is synonymous with apple season.  The perfect time for an apple-themed dress!!  I drafted this pattern myself.  The bodice features pintuck pleats with 2 vintage apple buttons.  The apple buttons are from my Mom's stash that I "borrowed" a few years ago, so is the fabric actually!  The cute model is my daughter, Andrea. 

 

 

Putnam Feline fundraiser...cat skirts!

A friend is coordinating a fundraiser for Putnam Felines, a rescue organization in New York.  Last year I sewed up some winter "cat" hats and painted a piece for them to auction off.  Apparently people loved what I donated, so I was asked to donate again.  This year I decided to sew up some skirts.  I came up with the idea of creating a skirt with a cat face as a pocket and to do another skirt that features a black cat for Halloween. 

 

 

They both turned out really cute and I'm sure 2 little girls will love them.  I'm sure the cats who will benefit from their sale will love them too :)

Welcome!!

Welcome to my blog.  Today, I have decided to join the sewing blogosphere!  I am a stay at home mom who is also a freelance graphic designer/illustrator/artist.  Both kids are in school now, one in Kindergarten and one in 6th grade, so I have more time to do the things I enjoy, like sewing!!  You can check out my other blog which features my design work, illustrations and fine art at www.laurasehn.blogspot.com or my website at www.sehnsationaldesigns.com.  Enjoy!