Sewing: Halloween Costumes, 2011. The Earth and The Cowboy.

This year got off to a rough start, costume-wise. I wanted to dress the boys and my grand-daughters as the band Kiss. However, as the two middle kids became more and more uncooperative, I realized how miserable it would be for us all trying to get them to pose for pics, trick-or-treat, etc. I decided just to let them pick their costumes. That worked well until William picked Spider-man. Spider-man? really? I just bought a costume. The thought of actually making that costume was just so.....depressing. But, I didn't really like it and thought I'd have to make a hood and paint his face instead of using the mask because we didn't like wearing the mask AND his face wouldn't show for the pictures we had planned. meh. Besides, he knows nothing about Spider-man, or any super heroes for that matter.... It was so random.

Less than a week before Halloween, William approached me and said "I don't want to be Spider-man, I want to be the Earth." and I lept for joy! WOOT! The explained to me how he wanted it to work, so I put it together. Fleece over a gigantic paper lantern!

Aldous has had a bit of a cowboy obsession for a couple of months, and we had gotten him a pair of cowboy boys for his birthday in September.  My sister Bonnie gave me the brushed cotton cow print a while back, and I made the vest and pants fringe from black suedecloth. Ordinarily, I would just buy fringe but JoAnn was out of the black, and I didn't want to go to another store. The vest lining is a neat plaid shirting that he will actually get a shirt out of. Eventually.

Riding the range.

Dirty-faced kid trick-or-treating!

I'm glad I took it easy this year, and this was the first time the boys were both mobile enough to do any substantial trick-or-treating. This year we went with friends, and they had SUCH a great time!