Trying to concentrate on things other than Halloween

So, I've started my next dancing bra - nope it's not the one I showed last time. Instead, it's a basic striped covering I'll be able to build on and make more interesting in the future, but for now it's just something I can wear under a vest that goes with the next costume.

So it begins:



In non-bellydance, not even Halloween, related news, I'm making a new cropped hoodie for myself. I found a button up cardigan-type shirt at Goodwill that I liked the buttons and unfinished hem on, but the cut was all wrong. So, I took off the bottom of the thing and am making it into a hood.


Hope this will be a quick project so I can start to wear it as the weather turns more and more Spring-like (alright, maybe I'm getting a little bit excited about it).

While I work tonight, Igor and I are watching a classic: Leon, The Professional. Jean Reno, one of Natalie Portman's good roles, and a drug crazed Gary Oldman - yes, please! My only question is: why do they make such crappy trailers for such awesome movies?

Already? Really?

The last couple days I've felt a little wistful for Fall. For those who worship the sunnier seasons, this probably sounds crazy. Maybe it's all the costuming I've been doing the last few weeks, maybe it's because I've been doing some Halloween 2011 planning and purchasing . . but I kinda wish it was the beginning of Autumn instead of Spring. I know, I know, winter's just ended and here I want crisp winds and decaying leaves already. I'm sure I'll change my mind on the first truly glorious day we have, but for now I'll dream of Fall.

Speaking of which, Halloween costume stuff!

This mask will become part of Igor's evil gnome face once it's painted up right.


This is the fur I just purchased to make my take and ears

It's almost mangy enough, maybe if I rub it around in the dirt a bit . . .

Bra



Skirt




Belt





Headdress




Underneath I wore these nice subtlety sparkly pants and the vest I wore is currently undergoing modifications for another costume. Speaking of which, I have to finish the next dance costume by May 5th because I perform again on the 6th! Woohoo? What happened to my promise to myself to not perform again until August? Oh well.

Holy Costume Supplies, Batman!

So, until I sat down today and started to lay out all my supplies to see what might go with what for which costumes, I had *no* idea how much I'd collected over the last six months. So much fabric! So many baubles! Trim! And danglies! And sparklies - oh, frackin' my!

Metal!





Fabric!



Stuffs galore!


And that's just a taste of some of the more recently acquired stuffs! As overwhelmed as I am with the possibilities, there are the three things I'm going to (try to) focus on for my next dance costume.

The bra (note the pins)


The belt (still in its proto stage)


The headdress (just a bunch o'bits)


I want the three main metal crescents to stand up and I think I can do that with some wire in the back and some hot glue. I think.

What does it all equal? I . . . don't really know. Last costume had a kinda barbarian circus feel (and I will be posting more photos of that one soon), but I have no idea the theme behind this one.

In Halloween costume news, I've got all the clothes for my costume together, big gnome pants for Igor, and a good creepy mask to build his evil gnome face on. My plan is to have Igor's costume done by the end of next month and my tail done by the end of June, then all that's left is my mask and getting all the stuff to decorate the house with - which I had a little epiphany about a couple days ago. For my birthday I'll have an evil gnome and zombie forest animal making party. No need for gifts, I'll just ask people to bring a baby doll or stuffed animal to zombify and - viola - we're well on our way to our own haunted forest!

It's been a while - but I have a good excuse!

Ok, so I've been MIA for how long now? Yeah, but I do have a really good excuse and I have been busy. In addition to starting to draw up solid plans for Halloween, I've recovered an entire bra, half re-covered another, completed the rest of an entire dancing costume, headdress and all - *and* danced in it!!!

Ta-da!

Better lit and more detailed pictures to come.

I already have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do for a second dance costume, but still have to gather all the materials. I'm thinking lots of silvery, shininess. Oooooo-ahhhh!

Now, onto Halloween. I've made a list of everything I need for the costumes and hope to make an initial run to the secondhand stores to see what I can get. Both costumes will be pretty simple except for two parts: my mask and my tail. Have NO idea how to do the tail, but for the mask it'll most likely be paper mache and fake fur using good ol' balloon based construction.

I'm thinking something like this:


crossed with this for the mask

but using fake fur to make it into a full head mask.

Zombie squirrel here I come!

The posting here may be intermittent, but I am bursting with productivity like a salt baked slug in the summer sun!

Post holiday funk . . . nope!

Sometimes after Halloween it takes me a bit to get the ol' creative juices flowing again, but not this year! Igor and I are already planning for next Hallowmas and hot damn if they aren't some awesome plans. I think we already have our costumes thought out *and* a whole lawn/house decorating scheme. Now, I wonder if there's any place to buy lawn gnomes in bulk . . .

More than just for next year, our post-Halloween discussions have opened up other creative vista thingys. For the first time in who knows how long I've written (and absolutely completed) a short story! Igor has sketched some ideas for paintings he wants to complete this winter and he will be providing illustrations for my story.

Also, this weekend I get going on my next belly dance costume. I have no idea what I'm going to do about a headdress, but the rest is going to be a piece of cake.

Along the lines of dancing costumes, I want to try and recover a few of my old bras to make some nice dancing tops. I can't find any tutorials on recovering bras, but I wouldn't mind achieving something like these two:

Found here


Found here

These next two bras give me all kinds of crazy ideas



And, of course, I love this one:

From here

But, if ever I become skilled enough, I'd love to attempt a version of this last bra

Until Next Year . . .

I had a wonderful Halloween weekend as I hope everyone did! There was lots o' dancing and drinking and free cupcakes, giant babies and long-lost friends found, sugar-crazed children and general revelry.

This Halloween also made me realize how every day I should consider myself putting on a costume: my going to work costumes, my going out to play costumes, costumes for bike rides and rainy days and snowy days and adventure walks, even my I'm-a-gamer-who-isn't-even-going-outside-once-today costume (this consists of a bathrobe with a hood and the comfiest sweatpants known to humankind).

Anyway, as the Halloween dust settles I'll post more pics, but here's the first of us in full costume:


Best after Halloween movie ever? The Nightmare Before Christmas of course!

A short list of what I hope to work on this winter:
- Fancy framed felt flowers
- Books, books, books
- Swirly, shiny, kick-ass belly dance costuming
- Soup for all occasions!
- Gruesome gnome stories

More guts - this time they're edible!

I attended a potluck birthday party that was also a screening of The Shining. For the potluck portion of the evening the only guideline for food was that it had to be gross.

So, I made baked intestines.

I found the recipe for these Faux Stuffed Intestines at 365Halloween. I almost made bloody jello worms, but as the birthday girl is vegetarian, I thought this vegan dish was the better option. The guts were quickly devoured at the party and they're so good I think I'll make a version of them throughout the winter! Mmmm, healthy vegan intestines.

Now back to putting the finishing touches on costumes and watching Hammer Horror movies. Tonight, one of my all time favorites, Horror Express!