October MAGAM determined, Pool noodle project and a Garment Bag completed

October MAGAM Determined - 

Hello everyone!  It's been over a week since my last post so I am way overdue for an update.  I've selected my "One" MAGAM project for October - which will be to make a pair of workout pants.  I know, I have tried to make workout pants before and failed miserably, but since then, I've read so many good things about the Jalie "Cora" pant, that I have a feeling this pattern just might be "The One!".

The fabric I will use for the Cora pants is some animal print poly/spandex along with some plain black spandex that I picked up during my last trip to Mill End fabrics in Reno.  The reviews I have read all say that the waist in the pattern runs small, which just might be perfect for me.  I prefer to have a tighter waist in my workout pants.  There is nothing worse that doing a few burpees and then having to keep pulling your pants up afterwards!!

Pool Noodle Project - 

I've collected all of the supplies I need for my Halloween costume this year.  Have I mentioned that at my employer - Halloween IS A BIG DEAL!!  The CEO does a company wide speech which everyone attends in full costume, everyone gets pizza for lunch and the decorations on each floor are awesome.  There are costume contests, decorating contests, pumpkin carving contests - you name it, we probably have it.  I won 1st place with my carrot costume a few years ago too!  Really no work gets done this day, but it's all in good fun.

The theme for my area this year is "TV".  So - with that being said, below are all of the supplies I need for my costume.  Do you have any ideas of what it might be?  Leave a guess below in the comments if you do.

My supplies are below:
- 2 pool noodles
- 3 pipe tubes of pipe insulation
- cardboard box
- Gray, tan and yellow felt
- Red cello wrap
- 3 sets of round eyeballs
- 1 bag of freezable ice cubes
- 2 cans of spray paint
- 1 small piece of foam used for a cushion

Garment Bag completed - 

And lastly, I finished the final item on my September Sew for 30 list of projects.  The garment bag is finally done!!  This was a pattern traced and given to me by a dear friend.  It's Butterick 4156.

It's made from a piece of cotton I've had in the stash for quite awhile.  I knew I would never make a garment out of this, but thought the print was so cute, it would be perfect for a garment bag.

Since I didn't have the pattern instructions, but the traced pattern, I had no idea of how much bias binding I needed - so I just started cutting out a bunch.  When I had a pile of what I thought would be enough, I started sewing.  In the end, I was 6 inches too short - not too bad for just guessing!  I just out another strip and finished the binding.

I added a 2 inch piece to the sides as well so I can carry more than one garment and items won't be flattened.

Here's the back view.  I sure I will get a TON of use out of this garment bag.  Each month I bring in Show and Tell items for my local sewing guild meeting and I'll no longer need to bring a clear plastic bag with me to cover my items.  Yippee!!  I'll finally have a garment bag to keep them neat and tidy while transporting.

The garment bag adds a total of 4 more yards to the Stashbustin quest - which brings my YTD Total up to 95.125 yards.  OMG - I am closing in on the 100 yard mark!!!!

That's it for me today.

Happy sewing everyone!

Star

Need a "Healthy" Halloween Costume?

I have the perfect solution!  I actually made this a few years ago and won first place at work!  Halloween is a very big deal at my employer and each year we try to come up with something unique and fun as a theme.  This particular year, we had a garden theme and I really wanted to be a vegetable.  Here's what I came up with!

Yes - I was a carrot that year and it was a huge hit!  

 Side view and back views.

When I finally determined what I was going to be, I thought and thought about how to support the top of the carrot on my shoulders and here's my solution.  This is a view on the dress form looking thru an armhole to the neck/shoulder area.  I used two metal wreath frames and wired them together as my supporting framework.

Shopping for the wreath frames was a bit funny.  I can just imagine the surveillance footage of me in the floral department putting these frames over my head to see if they will work and then searching for the perfect "carrot top" piece of greenery to complete my ensemble.  The security guards probably thought I was just crazy and decided to leave me alone!

The fabric is orange felt with a layer of shiny sheer polyester chiffon looking stuff that I pleated and sewed in random rows across the width of the felt.  Once the fabric was finished, I hand sewed the top portion to the metal framework and then pinned and cut the body of the carrot until it looked right.  

Of course I had to have an organic sign to.  I designed this on the computer, laminated it and just taped it on.

Here's a picture of the costume just hanging on the dress form.  It actually keeps it shape very well and the framework is comfortable to wear (well, that is as far as wreath framework is meant to be worn!)

 Another side view of the armholes.  

It's the hat though, that truly makes the costume I think.  The hat is actually a funnel that I covered in fabric, added some ties and found the perfect "carrot top" greenery to put in the top of the funnel.

A view of the inside of the funnel.  It doesn't look very pretty, but it works.   I just hot glued the fabric and ties in place.  The greenery piece fits nicely into the funnel portion too.

So if you are looking for a different costume this year - I highly recommend being a carrot - it was a great costume and I received a bunch of compliments on it.  

I also carried a basket with me and gave people the option of either taking a bag of candy corn or a bag of small carrots - most people took the bags of carrots.  The cutest thing though was when little kids saw me - their mouths would just drop open and they would be in awe!  After all - it's not every day you see a big carrot!  And not a single kid took a bag of candy corn - they all wanted carrots - it was so cute!

That's it for today - hope this has inspired you to explore a different type of costume this year.

Until next time - Happy Sewing!