More Halloween Costume Stories - what was the greatest Halloween Costume you ever wore?

Click to enlarge the image. These are from the October 2012 issue of Real Simple. Clicking on the holiday label at the bottom of this post, will bring up other holiday posts including more of these stories from past Halloween Posts.

New remotes as a proactive, avoiding carpal tunnel, action

I have mentioned, many times over the years, that I am super careful about my hands. If I do a lot of handwork one day, I do not do any for several days or even a week.

I am careful of my hand, wrist, arm, shoulder, neck placement pretty much all the time. So careful of my lower back too.

I have also mentioned I record everything I watch and then blink thru commercials. Our recorder is set for 30 second blinks. So I am not fast forwarding. I am jumping in 30 second segments.

So I push the jump button, a lot.

And I had sort of noticed the jump button was getting harder and harder to activate.

We ended up with extra remotes, because we only have one tv hooked up to cable now.

As the kids have moved out, we went from 3 (5 of us) to 2 (4 of us) to 1 (3 of us). So we have one tv hooked up to cable and three TV's hooked up to Rokus (which get Amazon and Netflix and PBS and other services). 

So I took two old remotes to the cable company and traded them for two new ones. They were free. They did not even look up my account.

World of difference between the old remote and the new one. So, I actually should have done this long ago.

Two remotes is a very handy thing in general. Two that work easily is wonderful.

I did this while oldest was home to program remotes for me. Yes, I am sure I am capable. But so much faster for him to do it.

I have a list going for when he is home for thanksgiving.

Top of that list is an iPhone for me. A whole series of buttons now do not work on my phone. And my love of a keyboard for texting is now being out weighed by Internet access and a camera.

And third on that pro list is the ringer shuts off but can call twice to get thru at night thing. Because 6, 7, 8am is often the middle of the night for me. And 11pm - 1am is sometimes the middle of the night for me. So that feature will be great, IF it has an option for texting that works like the calls.

Oldest is my go to for all things computer related.

Seams Unlikely by Nancy Zieman

Gretchen, habits interview

Elmer the Elephant Jacket

Yes, it looks just like Elmer the Elephant.

Lining is a cotton print with elephants. It is very light, nearly white with pale etching. So it is not competing with the bright, pieced solids.

Those are 3"x3" cut squares which finish at 2.5"x2.5". I made some effort in placement of colors, trying to keep them random and like colors somewhat apart.

The pieced outer layer was sewn to double nap flannel. I used a quilt as you go, flip method. So the jacket is three layers thick - pieced layer, flannel layer, lining.

I used Butterick pattern #6139. I think a size 12. Middle probably needed a size 10 and I went up one size. I probably should have gone up two sizes to a 14. I ended up needing to use a 1/4" seam allowance instead of the standard 5/8". It was too snug in the shoulders with 5/8. So I sewed the sleeves in once, at 5/8 and then took it apart and redid it with 1/4 seams.

So when I cut out the pattern pieces, I was cutting pieced squares already sewn to the flannel.

I used 5/8" seams to attach the side pieces to the center front/center back (princess seaming which makes it more fitted and less boxy), and at the shoulder seams, and when I sewed the pieced front and the lining (right sides together, leaving an opening in the back hem and then flipped the whole thing right side out). I think I used 1/4" seams everywhere else. I serged everything I could.

I sewed in the ditch (side seams, shoulder seams, around the hem and sleeves) from the front/pieced side to hold the lining and pieced/flannel layers together for ease of taking it on and off. The only place I top stitched was the neck opening.

I certainly would not like to be making more than one of these, because it was labor intensive. It was more than just making a jacket. It was all the piecing and then making the jacket.

But it turned out really cute. And she can just leave it at school for chilly days.

I loved these

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/03/magazine/01-brown-sisters-forty-years.html

Pete the Cat

This is a long sleeved, heavy weight, woman's shirt from Goodwill. I think $4.50.

Just so you know, incredibly hard to find plain yellow anything in fall. 
A kind clerk at my box store told me yellow is a spring color 
and I was wasting my time looking in all the stores, now.
So, I bought 3 shirts at Goodwill, had middle try them, 
and this was the keeper.

I split it up the center, added yellow cotton facing that was heavily interfaced, 
one layer of iron on plus another layer of cotton. 
I had three of the buttons. I had to buy the top, aqua one.

I returned the shirts I did not use. 

It looks like a doll size shirt in the pictures, but it is actually a women's size large,
so middle can wear it as a sweater/jacket over regular clothes.

It was for Pete the Cat week at preschool, last week. 

The next set of pictures are for Halloween in her class. 
The theme is children's books.
Everyone is supposed to dress as a character.
I found this picture, and that gave me the idea.
The hat is a stocking cap I remade.
The cap was $1. 
The shirt is actually a waffle weave shirt from the boy's department at Walmart in a size XL. The shirt was $7+. 
I had the pipe cleaners and fabric in my stash.

Dress up clothes line

See the long leg piece, against the wall, running along the floor? That is what keeps it all upright.

The U screwed into the back of the bookshelves keeps it steady.

This was a place to get a bar for the dressup clothes (posted a week or two ago) without taking up much extra room.

The doll blankets are "therapy" blankets, a rough side (towel) and a soft side (minky selections), the pillows have pillow cases

Knit shirts for modern dolls, I took pictures of the steps as I did them, so I remember next time

Arm stretch - this is an area where I do have pain sometimes, it happens more often with my left arm (holding things) than my right arm (doing things)

https://youtu.be/OT-1mQSE3lw

His suggestion is if you do a lot of arm/hand work, this is a stretch to do several times a day. I think he mentioned 5 times a day.

I do not feel a defined stretch when I do it. But then my arm does feel better. If you type a lot, I think it is super important to check arm and hand positioning. Like height of chair. Being able to rest your forearms on something. Etc.

Cowboy vests

I figured out the mathematical formula to calculate how long the pieces are for armhole bias tape on this vest pattern. I then sewed four vests/eight armholes easily. They are identical cowboy vests, picture below.

I am getting much faster. And better.

Might be the cleverest things I have ever done

I did not know regular people could order embroidered patches used on uniforms. We can. And they are very inexpensive and also high quality.

I already had the NASA patch. It has been hanging around since (I think) 2000. It had a $8 price tag on the back, but I was so glad for it to finally have a good home that I did not care. The other patches were between $.60 - $2.00.

The fabric is Marine Vinyl. Used to make cushions for boat seats. Very dense and durable. Also wipe-able.

I bought the reflective strip at JoAnns and peeled off the iron on strip on the back and sewed it in place.

I used outdoor thread (very think, comes on a spool) to sew the shoulder seams. I also top stitched the shoulder seams. They are very sturdy. There are no side seams. I drafted a pattern so it was all one piece.

I curved the edges so it was easy to bind. I used one of the strainers out of my kitchen to get the perfect curve. I used packaged double fold binding. My binding is sewn together on the bias. This means I had to sew the armhole binding into a circle before I attached it to the vest. That was the only trick part.


Middle is teaching in a three year old preschool room. First classroom that is all her own. It has taken both of us all summer to get her ready. And now I am filling in holes as needed. My two close friends have helped hugely (they are both big garage sale people, so they have found great things).





The vests are for her dramatic play classroom areas. I am collecting toys with these same themes. Found firetrucks. Still looking for NASA and police and ambulance/EMT.

Last week's project -
The aprons are for dress up play (BBQ, cooking, tool bench, she has all three in her play areas). They are also made from Marine Vinyl. I used wider double fold packaged bias tape for edges. The tie parts are reinforced with 911 iron on interfacing. Velcro on the ends. Short ties so they do not strangle. All those edges of bias tape are straight stitched and zigzagged. 

I enjoy Amalah very much

Death and children (explaining death to children)

Watching Amazon Prime on my iPad, when I touch the screen, while an episode is playing, it tells me who (actor's name and their character's name) is in that scene. We are often discussing "they look familiar/who is that/what else have they done?". So a handy feature for us.

V. $ecret

Tags from Victoria Secret NO lines underwear.
I put more information in comments.

These are shorts, from Dick's, that both my girls wear under short skirts and dresses.
These are a very silky fabric and very form fitting.
Both girls need a medium.
They have them in black and in gray.
There are some shorter and some longer,
the girls wear the middle length inseam which I think is 5".

Last season of Lewis started last night (in the states)

The first series was Morse. They are all currently on Netflix. Oldest and I have both watched all (33 episodes, 8 seasons) of them. PBS and great (in our opinion).

When Morse stopped, Lewis (his sergeant) continued on PBS. Really great, maybe better than the original Morse, in my opinion. It is that series, Lewis, which is winding down now. The first seven seasons are free on Amazon Prime, for members. The last season, currently playing, is on PBS for free or Amazon Prime for a fee.

Meanwhile, a younger version of Morse, called Endeavor, started. The first two seasons are available free on Amazon Prime as part of their package. The third season is available for a fee. I happen to love Endeavor, but not everyone does.

Netflix = everything is free on their system for their members. Not everything is carried on Netflix, but if they have it, it is free for members.
Amazon Prime = somethings are free for members, other things require a fee. So instead of not carrying things, they carry them for a fee.

5 posture, back strength moves

Five moves for better posture.

Four and five can be done at a desk.

Stargate (again), Veep, and Downton

Youngest and I watched Stargate (SG1 TV show and the related movies) in the days of checking DVD's out of the library and waiting for Netflix DVD's in the mail. A marathon in those days was 2-3 shows in a row when we scored at the library on the same day the mailman was beloved.

I am rewatching the series on Amazon prime right now. The series will take me a long time, because I fall asleep part way thru at bedtime and then watch the second half the next night.

(I always have wondered if Kurt Russell was sorry he didn't stick around for the series (he did the first movie). Richard Dean Anderson is such a good fit that I always have wondered if the series would have faired as well with Russell.)

Meanwhile, my husband really wanted to watch Veep. Also on Amazon Prime. I thought I would love it because I adore Julia Louis-Dreyfus. I tried. Maybe as many as the first ten+ shows, so I really tried. I can see why other people, my husband included, think it is very funny. It just makes me sigh or cringe, depending on the episode. My favorite character is Gary Walsh (Tony Hale). His attention to detail and ability to take care of her is clever and sweet and funny. But the rest of it just isn't for me. I stopped part way thru the roast episode because I did not think I could bear whatever was going to happen with her song. Season 2 episode 4. So, I am done. My husband watches things I do not like when he is on the elliptical. So I hope Amazon Prime is on our Roku system.

Also on Amazon Prime is Downton Abby. Middle did not see it when it aired. She is loving it now. I think she might be on season three already. (Being PBS, it is short seasons. She is going to be very sad shortly, because I think there are only eight six seasons. Finding a great series and then having it end, with no more, is sad. Be careful not to say anything that would be a spoiler for her. Somehow she knew nothing about the show.) I think she has two more weeks before her boy is back on campus. It is a good end of summer show. I had to talk her into trying it. But it hooked her immediately.