Tag Archives: DIY costume

Fabric Heaven

Fabric Heaven

My girls have caught on way to quickly on my “if I can’t find it I’m gonna make it” mentality… It’s supposed to be my little secret… Well secrets out apparently!

Since occasions/parties and dressing up is a big thing in my household my girls get a choice of what they want to be for Halloween.

zoe
Jennah wanted to be Zoe from Sesame street and suggested I make it since I couldn’t find a ready made costume (in Kuwait and online). Poor Zoe even sesame online doesn’t have a costume for her. Trust my daughter to choose the underdog! Protector of the weak.

So off to the Fabric Souq in sharq I go….. oodles and oodles of fun. No seriously I wanted to buy it all even though I had absolutely no use for it.

Store after store I was looking for orange fury or feathery fabric. I could find one or the other, either orange but not the texture or Fury but not the color.

All the while thinking, it’s Thursday evening and she needs to wear it on Friday to her cousin’s “Halloween Birthday Party”… Serves me right for asking them! My mind racing and reminding me the faster I get the fabric the quicker I can start designing and sewing.

 
zoe-reemas

Finally I was led to a shop called Reemas Bazar, my wishes came true……What a fabulous selection!!! The have more than just fabric, they have all sorts of accessories, beads, and the works!!

Zoe-fabric
The main highlight of the whole thing is that I was in Sesame street heaven!!! I actually found all of the colors and textures for Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie monster, Abby and most importantly Zoe!
 

I got what I wanted and rushed to pick up the girls from their playdate and couldn’t wait to get home. Mind you I hadn’t thought the whole costume through…. There was still the question of the bug eyes….
 

I quickly manage to put the girls in bed to get started…ooops I can’t!!! I had to finish the cake and cupcakes I was making for my niece!!! (that’ a whole other POST!!!)
 

zoe-step1
Fast Forward to the next morning……So I set out to make Jennah’s Zoe Costume. I got a visual idea of the main components of the costume and it was time to get all the supplies. I dug through my craft supplies and got two Styrofoam balls, googly eyes, brown glittery foam paper and confiscated a headband from the girls’ dresser.

I’m all set. So I knew that all I needed to use the fabric for was her arms, a little chest area and somehow a wig. I sat there for a while staring at the fabric then it kinda hit me. I made a shrug that she wore backside front. Just a few stiches for the arms and that’s it. I put elastic through the hem the sleeve to hold it onto her wrists.

 
 
 
 
 
Zoe-headband
 
 
 
 
 
Next came the real crafty job… I stuck the two Styrofoam balls together and glues each of the googly eyes. I cut out eyelashes from the brown glittery foam paper and also glued them to the eyeballs. Lastly the pair of eyes were glued to the headband.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Now it was time to try it all on and hope for the best.

Zoe-Jennah
 
 
 
 
Jennah was extremely quick to put her ballet clothes on and just waited for me to turn her into Zoe…. Keeping my fingers crossed that it all fits and makes sense.

She wore the arms and I fixed the extra fabric into a wig and placed the headband to hold it all together. And Viola!!! Another creation I am proud to have made.

So this season its all about “Making Life Memorable” the creative way! Oh wait…..isn’t that always the case in my house?!

P.S. If you’re planning a Sesame street character you know where to find the tools to make it!

It’s Costume Season

It’s Costume Season

After the rush of “Back to School” is all over and I ever so gladly welcome the routine of a so-called organized life (HAH! made myself laugh) the fun begins!

Yes I’m intentionally going to ignore the endless drives back and forth, school drop-offs and pick-ups, homework and extra-curricular activities and I’m going to talk about FUN stuff like Halloweeeeeen!! coloriage-halloween@coloriage_lapinoo_com_

What a fabulous holiday that lets me get dressed up all crazy!! Oh and the kids too….

Every year I keep thinking how am I going to outdo myself this time?? Especially now that I have to think of not just myself (as a couple) but also for the girls!

I take events very seriously and try to be really creative.

It’s a mix of wanting to be unique and the lack of variety when it comes to shopping for costumes in Kuwait.

I mean so seriously that last year I couldn’t find the right wig for my costume so I went and chopped my hair!
 

Recoverd_jpg_file(130)

 
I was really happy about last year’s couple costume.

It took me a while to figure out and off course I resorted to ordering it from amazon which made me spend more on shipping than the costume itself. But what’s a girl gonna do?!

We were Neo & Trinity from The Matrix granted I didn’t have Trinity’s long sleek legs but I believe we pulled it off… Not bad Yeh!

I wasn’t that lucky to have enough time to order Jennah’s costume when I got the note from school about the Halloween event stating to “Dress up as a book character” only 4 days prior.

Needless to say I was frazzled and frantic. Halloween comes the same time every year, why would they tell us a few days before?

I know why….. to torture ME!

 
Off course my child of reading age says “I want to be Dorothy” Why oh why did she read the note?? Then I thought I love the idea. Off to the stores I go…..

NO Dorothy costume to be found. 3 days in search and still no luck.

Recoverd_jpg_file(296)
 

Finally I thought I’m wasting time! Valuable Samoor time.

It’s time to take actions in my own hands. Off to the Fabric Souq I go.

Oh Wow! What fun, rows and rows & columns and columns of fabric from every color of the rainbow.

I stood there wanting to buy it all while thinking “Why didn’t I do this to begin with?”
 
 
 

dorthy
I found the blue checkered fabric that’s Soooooo Dorothy, an elastic band and two buttons is all I needed.

A quick run to centerpoint for cheap red glitter shoes and I’m halfway set!!

Jennah was smart in digging through her stuffed animals and finding Toto. I guess the obsession of getting it perfect is contagious!

I quickly put the girls in bed and started designing and cutting the dress pattern. I spent the whole night hand stitching Jennah’s Dorothy costume, hoping that the measurements fit.

Now that I think of it I had no back up plan if it didn’t fit in the morning what would I have done? Yikes! Just thinking of that made me quiver.

Recoverd_jpg_file(58)
 
 
 
 
Morning came and it was a PERFECT PERFECT fit!

I made Jeenah wear one of her white tutus under the dress to give it that extra fluff it needed.

Two braids, white shirt & socks and lets not forget Toto! The whole outfit made complete sense.

I felt such accomplishment and relief that she got what she wanted and “Made Life Memorable” for the both of us.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On the other hand I’ve set myself up without realizing it. The girls are invited to 2 Halloween parties and have already decided on costumes (that I’m not exactly happy about!) but I have to let them have it…..

I’m having a really hard time adjusting to not having control.

Off course the search begins with no results as expected so I told Jennah I can’t find the costume she chose she barely looked my way then chuckled and said “Just make it mama” as a matter of fact….

I guess I’m heading to the Fabric souq and getting my needle and thread ready! Let’s see if I can pull it off this time too.