A guide to thrift store Halloween costume making

In my life, I think I've had one, maybe two, store bought Halloween costumes.  One was a smiling scream mask, before the movie was even in production.  Oh to be in 6th grade again.... Other than that, they've been repurposed clothing pieces, fully homemade outfits, and of course, thrift store scores.  I thought it might be helpful to the internet to have yet another guide to making a really creative, totally unique costume using thrift store clothes and items.

Rule 1: Start Early
You are only going to be frustrated and extremely limited with your choices if you start a week before Halloween or any costume party.  Thrift shopping takes time.  The stores themselves are often spread out around an area.  In my neighborhood of Philly, there are about 5 in walking distance (and I include lower-cost consignment shops in my list):

• Greene Street Consignment on east South Street
• Retrospect Goodwill on east South Street 
• The random vintage shops on Fabric Row that cannot be found through Google searches
• Philly AIDS on South 5th Street
• Circle Thrift on Broad Street
• Sophisticated Seconds on west South Street

and it is a 3 mile walk between them, not mentioning the walk getting to the first from my house and the walk home from the last .  Since it's the city, I always recommend walking rather than driving; in all of these areas, you could take just as long to find parking as walking.  So instead of bum-rushing every store in town over one arduous day in late October, I find it's much easier to do a little bit every so often when I'm in the immediate areas of these stores.  And that could take about two months to cover all the ones I like, in far away places like Manayunk, the Northeast, and even the Mainline.  

Rule 2: Be Flexible

I am very susceptible to falling in love with an idea before it can possibly materialize.  This has led to a lot of creativity over the years, but also a lot of heartache.  When I wanted to be Mintberry Crunch, I was unpleasantly surprised that green pants were extremely difficult to find in thrift stores (or even in cheap regular stores).  And while I was looking for those green pants, I must have looked over hundreds of other cool pieces that could have made excellent costumes, if only I weren't in love with Mintberry Crunch that year.  So from that, I have learned: start with a few favorite ideas, but also keep your eyes open for other appealing items.  

Then, you won't waste your time looking for the "perfect" pair of pleather pants in your size for a Joan Jett costume (preferably in black), while sitting in front of you is an amazing white satin suit that would be an amazing Freddie Mercury on you.  

Rule 3: Be realistic about your limits as a crafter
Again, this is one that I fail repeatedly.  In the heat of the moment, I assume that I can alter anything, dye anything, make any accessory necessary, and that can end up a monumental waste of money (because even thrift items can add up), time, and energy...not to mention the heartache mentioned above.  If you or someone you know is an amazing seamstress, than by all means, buy that dress that's 3 sizes too large or too small, and make the best of it, since it is, after all, only a costume intended for a few hours of wear.  But if you have only sewn a single apron, and that was back in high school home-ec, search for easier project.  It will be better in the long run than trying to turn a fluffy 80's prom dress that looks like a sack on you into a tailored Elizabethan gown.  And definitely don't attempt a totally new craft without practicing on scrap materials first!

But at the same time, don't be afraid to think outside the box.  Between fusible webbing, fabric glue, and all the basically-ready-to-wear items in craft stores these days, it's not too difficult to find a way to turn anything into nearly anything, as long as the basic foundation is there.  And if you keep your costs down, it's not the end of the world if you can't make a $5 dress and $3 of supplies into the costume of your dreams.  In fact, it might just be the practice you need to make the next one even better!

I hope this helps in your quest for a cheap and creative costume!  Since I've already started my hunt for my 2012 halloween costume, I will document my triumphs and tribulations for the next few months.

Kindle Cover

I have had this project sitting and waiting around since Christmas, when my husband gave me a Kindle.  Two days after, I went to Spool to buy the fabric; a week after that, I bought a pattern from Etsy; eight months later, that's how far I got.

Once the quilt was finished, I felt free to start something new in the quilting arena of crafting.  Behold, my quilted Kindle cover!

With coordinating wood grain pattern inside:

The binding is the same as my quilt, since I had a few yards left over.  I was too lazy to break out the sewing machine to do this (actually, too lazy to find the power cord and pedal, which had been separated from the machine for a few months), so it's all hand-quilted and hand-bound.  I'm so excited to have this to protect my beloved e-reader finally!

Philly neighborhood sampler

I recently finished this cross stitch sampler of some of the parts of town, although I have yet to get it framed.

I wanted to try to get some of my favorite named places in,  but I also had to consider ones that fit my design. That's how Olney made the cut. 

Also, I had to learn a few things. For instance, Old City is not spelled "olde".  And that there is such a place called Strawberry Mansion.

I'd really like to make another two samplers like this, in slightly different colorways, showcasing other sections of town.  Then I could display them a triptych. How cool would that be?

Thrift store score: Chinese Rugs Designed For Needlepoint by Maggie Lane

I found this book at my local thrift store and have been loving it!

Although it was intended for needlepoint, specifically very large and grandiose needlepoint projects, this is a great book for other purposes too.  For instance, this cross stitch I made was based on a design from the book.  Using the medallion motif from one of the rugs, I easily stitched this little guy on brown Aida cloth using cotton floss.

The book can also be used as inspiration for borders and backgrounds, all very lovely and deceptively simple.  The best part is that the graphs do not have any color coding, so its easier on the eyes and one can fill in the colors however one likes.

 

News: Spool is no longer a fabric store

I was quite surprised and, I'll be honest, a little dismayed that Spool, located at 1912 South Street, Phila, Pa, is no longer a retail store.  They have now gone "full time" as a class studio.  Read all about it on their website, http://www.spoolsewing.com/.

It's really a shame.  I loved browsing and buying their selection of modern, funky cottons and oilcloths.  But then again, their store hours were never that great, so maybe it's for the best.

I should add that they have a small selection of online store items.  But why would I want to pay for shipping and wait when they are only 9 blocks from my house?

The binding is done, so that means my quilt is really really finished, right?

After a year of tedious work, my quilt is finished!  There are so many steps along the way that give a quilter a false sense of accomplishment, since at the end of every stage, it just means another more arduous task is waiting.

First, it's all the cutting.  Then when you've cut everything, you have to make all the blocks.  When that's finished, you have to piece the blocks together.  Then baste the top to the batting and back.  THEN quilt the whole thing.  THEN BIND IT.  A few times, I came close to screaming, "When is it going to stop?!?!"

But it finally has!  

During the binding process

The pattern I used was a freebie from a quilting magazine...I forget which now.  It didn't come with a name, so I've just been calling it the lattice quilt.  I've recently found out that the basic block is called an "Indian hatchet," although most Indian hatchet quilts look very different from this one.  

The blocks were machine pieced on my trusty Kenmore home sewing machine, while the quilting and binding were done entirely by hand.  The reason for this madness?  First, I couldn't fit the quilt under the arm of my machine, especially in the center.  Second, I could not find a local person to hire to do the quilting, either by hand or longarm machine.  I since found a quilting service nearby, The Meandering Fox,  but that was only after I had started and hand-quilted about a third of it.  

And now that I type this, I realize that I'm still not really done with the quilt.  I promised my husband that he could write an inscription and I would embroider it on one of the blocks, so it is technically incomplete, even though I slept under it last night.

some crafty neighbors

As I start this blog, I'd like to give a shout out to some of the crafty people and companies in Philly who inspire me to keep making and doing.  Here is a short list, just to kick things off:

Forage Bow Ties (by Something's Hiding In Here)

Not only do I love that these folks are making fabric accessories right here in the city, as opposed to some country half way around the world, but they "[seek] out deadstock fabric to make their seasonal, limited editions" of their gorgeous bowties.  I found out about them in that amazing mecca of uniquity and handmadedness, Art in the Age.

Stitch and Sip No Libs

A great meet up for knitters, with members from all around the Philly area.  The organizers have plans for a full time knitting studio...more on that later.  Let's just say that they have a bunch of knitting machines and they know how to use them!

Clean Wash Letterpress

The owner has recently moved all of her vintage and antique machinery to a new workshop space, and I am very excited to see what happens next with this shop!  Full disclosure: this is the letterpresser that created my wedding invitations.