The Making of a Fairy

L was being less than cooperative in picture taking.

 I happened to have a compulsion to make L's Halloween costume. This compulsion is not because I am a crafty, creative person-I assure you I am not. However, I happened to have a mother who is, and every year for Halloween she would make us the most elaborate costumes. I always looked forward to what my mom would create and I think I really just want to give that to L. The only problem being that I am really not a crafty person. I craft not because I have an unsettled need inside of me to create. But mostly it is either because I hate the idea of purchasing something I know I could make cheaper or because it is falls in the category, like costumes, that my mother did it so I want to do it too.

This year L has been saying since August that she wants to be a purple butterfly girl for Halloween. Being determined to make it myself I started googling tutorials on how to make tutus and fairy wings. The frustrating part about these tutorial videos is that they make it look so easy! And it probably is for people who make this kind of stuff more than one a year (or less as I had my mom make L's costume last year).

For the tutu I used this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7aSPMEn7S0
And it actually was pretty easy. Mine turned out a lot like the video's tutu. However, my friend Amanda, the mother of Eva, decided to make Eva a fairy/butterfly girl costume too, and she is uber creative and crafty. I  was astounded when I saw the professional looking tutu she made. I am still not sure how we used the same tutorial and hers came out so amazing.

For the wings I used this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m-hrcGRUlk
This video is incredibly deceptive. First, 16 gauge wire DOES NOT work. It is not sturdy enough to hold its shape with the tights on it. (we ended up using super thick and coated garden wire). Secondly, painting fairy wings is pretty much a disaster for someone like me. I ended up getting a fabric spray paint, and then just painted glitter glue all over and embellished with craft gems.

For the top: I actually am a bit proud of this piece as I designed it and sewed it myself.

First, I cut out a "petal" using card stock.

Then I cut out six petals using some silky purple fabric I had left over from another compulsive sewing project.

I pinned together two petals with the silky side facing inward (to make three petals).

This is my 65 year old sewing machine that was my moms when she was a kid. My mom taught herself how to sew, and would make patterns for her dolls and sew them clothes. Then when she was, I think, ten my grandparents bought her this little Singer, which was old then, at a garage sale.

My bobbin was empty and I spent nearly 45 minutes trying to figure out how to spin more thread on the bobbin to get it back in place.

I did it! And only had to call Joe for help once. Someday I will have a modern sewing machine.

The petals waiting for their binding after I sewed them together, turned them inside out, and pinned them.

Measuring the binding for the petals, and the last picture taken on this sewing project. The Little Miss woke from her nap and is currently sick. I got distracted with trying to finish this and take care of her. 

Now more pictures of the actual costume. As stated, the ill Little Miss was less that cooperative with taking pictures. She wanted to play in her long a waited for fairy costume, not stand in the right lighting for pictures. Please excuse the snotty nose and messy hair :-)

Her protesting my pleas for standing in better lighting.

The jeans make me laugh as they remind of all the pictures we have of my sister and I trying on our costumes right after my mom finished them.

The back of the wings.

Another protesting picture. Luckily there will be more pictures when we actually go out for the candy and festivities.

Source: theintentfullife.blogspot.com via Imaya on Pinterest