A Sewing Non-Tutorial

We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Blog Post...
Before I get started - don't forget to go to this blog post and enter the contest to win some cool stuff from www.familymatters.net.  You don't have to do ALL of the things listed to enter the contest - even one will do.  But do as many as you like, and for each thing you complete, enter a separate comment - it's totally worth it.

Now where were we...

Going Big
I have to find my "Go Big"  self tonight, cause boy, do I have a lot to do.  It's all self-induced, well mostly, and it's all lovely stuff, but as is often the case when a I have to go big, I am suffering from a big case of I don't wanna's.

So I thought for fun, I would share one of the projects that was on my to do list for today.

Morgan needed a super hero costume for youth tonight.

Let's just set aside the whole - Why does anyone need a superhero costume for youth? question.

Can I just say that every time I say a sentence that starts with "Morgan" and ends with "youth", I get an overwhelming sense of "Shut-the-Front-Door-You-Have-Got-To-Be-Kidding-Me-She-Is-Not-Almost-12-She-Is FIVE!"  

Ok, so it's not so much a sense as a very specific over-hyphenated thought, but it's real.

It seemed only appropriate that we make a perfect super hero costume.  That's the problem with big ideas. They always seem appropriate at the time.  I think ideas must come from the inner recesses of my highly neglected Type-A (Perfect Country!) self.  I think it has turned against me and feeds me big and wonderful ideas that I potentially could accomplish with time to spare if I would only plan out my days and remember to do things in advance even if I don't feel like it. That should also have been an over-hyphenated sentence.  Forgive my lack of grammar.

I actually remembered to get the supplies for said costume on Tuesday.  I went to the dollar store and found some sweet pillow cases and decided they would be perfect for the job.  We decided that since we only allowed a budget for a home-made costume, Morgan would go for a home-made super hero:  Super-Morgan.  She informed me that Super-Morgan has The Power of Awesome.   The costume should reflect that.  No pressure or anything.

While I did get the supplies to hopefully contain her awesomeness into one costume on Tuesday I didn't get to sewing it until today.  I thought about it, but it didn't happen until this morning when I realized I couldn't do a bunch of baking for tomorrow's events because I was out of brown sugar until after I went into town. Verily I am a twit: I have only been in town twice every day this week and bought every other grocery under the sun.

What follow is not so much a sewing tutorial,  but a glimpse into how things get done around here sometimes.  It's not pretty.  This is really a confessional more than a tutorial.  I will do better next time - promise.

How To Make an Awesome Super Hero Costume in Under 90 Minutes

1) Do not pre-wash the pillow cases.  You don't have time.  Well, you did, but you don't now. Cut the side and top seam of the pillow cases off and put your material right sides together sew the top together, no need to pin, it'll be fine.

2)  Place ties right below the inside of the new seam, right sides of ties to top-right side of the cape.  Sew them in place.

3) Realize you have forgotten to make a casing for your elastic up top, rip out the ties, they were on backwards anyways.

4)  Make a casing - don't worry if your bobbin thread is the wrong colour, you have way to much to do today to wind a new one, and it's just a costume - seriously, what made you think you should do this anyways?

5) Get ready to weave your elastic into the excellent casing you have just made.  But wait!  You have made the casing with the fabric facing the wrong way.  Pick the bloody seam out. You got yourself into this mess after all.

6) Make a new casing, weave through the elastic - don't forget to pin the end or you'll have to re-do it!

7) Sew the crap out of those little elastic ends, cause you are SO sure you have done it right this time and there is no way you want it coming out and injuring someone half way through some hair-brained super hero game.

8) Now that  you have the casing and elastic finished put the ties on again.  Sew them really good, cause you are an excellent last minute seamstress.

9 )They are still on backwards. You are an idiot. Cut them off, cause you are too mad to use the seam ripper. Be thankful that you are only mad at the yourself and not on at your two year old who insists on trying to hit the backstitch button every 30 seconds.  Did I mention you have to leave for Art Camp in 20 minutes and this is your ONLY chance to get it done because you have a LOT to do this afternoon, and you didn't do it on Thursday night like you should have?  Well, you do, so get over it and get it done.

10) Decide to do away with the one-sided ties and just do a hack-job with draw-string chunks.  Then quickly cut apart another pillow case - but this time don't take off the side seams, quickly make a casing at the cut end and weave some draw string through.  This goes surprisingly well.  You have made a fun matching super-hero skirt. Make a quick felt logo for Super-Morgan and decide it's worth sacrificing a less than perfect white t-shirt for the sake of a costume full of the power of awesome.  Oh, and make a mask with some leftover pillow case pieces..



11) Get your wonderful daughter to put it all on, and hear her tell you it's awesome.  Now GO!  the kids are in the car waiting to take Nate to camp.  You did it!

(PS- Now that I have written this, and the coffee has kicked in, I am totally feeling like doing stuff again - Yay - off to bake!) 

Remind yourself that her confidence and exuberant character are some of your favorite things about her.




She really does have the power of awesome...I gave birth to a superhero...Who Knew?

Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson