Turtle Tumble!

Our community has the equivalent of a Rubber Duck Race, only with Turtles that Tumble.  The Boys and Girls Clubs and the local arts council, and perhaps a few other non-profit organizations, benefit from this event.  One of the banks in town that helps sponsors it, asked met to paint their windows to help advertise, so I did.  I painted on Sunday afternoon, much to my late grandmother's moans and groans.  She would not have approved the painting on Sunday!  However, it was the only time I could possibly fit this project in with my teaching and sewing Halloween costumes. 

 I had one of the turtles that they drop from the sky, I guess from a helicopter.  I just painted a bunch of tumbling turtles that looked like the ones they use, well sort of like the ones they use, anyway.

 

Of course, I painted the wrong date on the window.  The lady who called me from the bank told me the date, and without thinking about the fact that it was on a Wednesday, and I knew this event was on a Saturday, I just painted what she had said.  On the way to school Monday morning, it hit me that it couldn't be the right date.  So, I called to confirm that I was right, and she said that the date she gave me was the last day that the turtles could be adopted.  Oh well, I went back yesterday afternoon and changed it in about 5 minutes.  I blurred it out in these photos.

Gotta go grade papers!  Hope to have a Luna Lovegood or a Fleur Delacour costume to show you after this weekend.  That is, unless I decide to go to the Un. of TN football game Saturday.  I don't normally miss those games, and I haven't made it to one, yet, this year, but, grandkids' Halloween costumes are more important!

Hedwig, the Owl!

Seeing as how it is Sunday morning, and I need to go up to get ready for church, I don't have time for much explanation, but I wanted to show you my Hedwig, the owl from Harry Potter, costume.   I started with this pattern.

 Here's the body.  As you see, I used the pattern and added wings.  The fabric is some kind of synthetic, soft stuff that doesn't ravel and looks kind of feathery when it is cut into feather shaped strips.  I sewed them on in rows after sewing the 6 pieces together, except for one seam so that I could do it on the flat.  I left one panel bare for the belly of the owl.  I later glued real feathers on that panel.

 Here's a close-up of the fabric feathers next to the real feathers. 

 The wings are stuffed a little.  It looks like a lot in this photo. 

 Miss R's arm will fit inside the wing, but if she wants her hands free, she can stick them through this slit.  I didn't even stitch around it because it won't ravel, as I said above.

 There's an old pillowcase inside for the lining. 

 For the eyes, I began with two bracelets from my grandkids' dress-up clothes in their play area at our house.

 I first glued the black lining fabric around the bracelets, then, I cut gold velvet circles.  I cut the inside circles out of the center of the gold, glued those onto the black and secured with glue around the back.  This reminded me of making covered buttons.  Then, I took a little piece of white plastic to glue on to give the eyes some life.  The beak is made from the same gold velvet.

 The headpiece has the fabric feathers underneath with the real feathers glued on top of them.  I was just going to put them around the eyes, but I'm glad I decided to cover the whole head.

 Next, I will make Hedwig's talons.  Miss R will wear yellow or gold tights.  The talons will be made from this mottled patterned quilting cotton, and will slip over her shoes.  I'll show them to you when I finish.

 Yesterday morning, I got a call from a lady at a local bank asking me if I would paint on their 

windows.  We have a big event in our community coming up that will sponsor the Boys and Girls Club, the local arts council (I'm on the board of that), and perhaps a few other non-profit groups.  It's called a Turtle Tumble.  It's like a rubber duck race, except they use rubber turtles.  This bank is one of the sponsors so they want to advertise it on their windows.  Even though, I do not have time to do this, I'm going to anyway.  My grandmother would not approve, but I am going to paint this afternoon, yep, on a Sunday.  I will pray for forgiveness.  It is for a good cause and it is the only time I can come up with to do this project.

Today is my husband's 59th birthday!!!!  He caught up with me!

I do not have time to proof read this post, so if I made errors please overlook them!

An Update!!!! & Undersea Creatures!

 First I want to let you know that I GOT MY SEWING MACHINE BACK!!!!!  It is FIXED!!!!  I am so happy.  It may seem silly to some, but it's like I've had a sick family  member who has come out of intensive care and is going to make a full recovery!!!  I haven't had a chance to sew on it yet, but my sewing machine guy (who is my new hero) tells me it works perfectly!!!!!

Lil"E wants to be an undersea fairy for Halloween.  Of course, my first thought was using blues, greens, maybe purples, but not for Lil"E.  She wants PINK, her new favorite color.  It was purple.  So, it dawned on me that seashells are pinkish.  I made the bodice in the shape of a shell using this shiny (no sparkles - they hurt and itch!) satiny fabric that was in the box of fabrics that my friend gave me. 

 I added some shimery white sheer organza type fabric that I had in my stash, left over from making angel wings for church.  I bubbled the skirt and inserted satiny seashells and "pearls" (plastic beads) so that she'll make pearly noises (whatever that is)  when she twirls. 

 The over dress is made like a pinafore that ties on the sides.  I gathered the skirt and sewed it on the outside of the lower part of the seashell bodice so that it would make a ruffle at the waist.

 Underneath is a SOFT under-dress made from velour fabric that was also in my friend's box.  Boy, do I ever owe her one!!!!  Lil'E really doesn't like anything scratchy touching her sensitive skin.  This under-dress will be so comfy for this little fairy.   I added satiny puffy sleeves to the under-dress, and added lace with pink and pearl accents.

 To finish it off is a seashell crown.  Actually, this costume isn't quite complete.  I'm still figuring out the wings.  I made a set, but I don't like them, so I'm still debating how I'm going to make them.

 Since, Lil'E is going to be an undersea fairy, it stands to reason that her little sis', Lil'B would also be an undersea creature.  She will be a sea horse.  Our little Miss R was a sea horse a few years ago, but she was a gold and brown shiny sea horse, and wasn't as old as Lil'B, so her costume wouldn't work to hand down.  Actually, Miss J was once an undersea fairy, but the sizes and colors didn't work for Lil'E, of course.

 This fabric came from my friend's box, too!  It is hot pink moire satin.  I thought it looked like it a watery look to it, even though it's pink.  The really shiny stuff is kind of orangey-pink sheer fabric that I had in my stash.  I don't remember what I had used it for, but I'm sure it was someone's Halloween costume a few years back.

 The fins on the head and back have pipe cleaner spines that hold them up.  I just zigzagged over them.

 The eyes are cut from a styrofoam cup colored with a black permanent marker.  I used my hot glue gun to glue them on and decided to put the glue all over the surface, partly to hold them on better, and partly because I thought it look kind of cool.

I made little shiny shoulder fins.

 Here's a close-up of the tail.  Can you believe that I almost forgot to make the tail?  What kind of sea horse doesn't have a long curly tail? 

Here's a front view.  It is really hard to photograph a sea horse costume.  I hope I get some photos of the kids in their costumes!
Next, is the Hedwig the owl costume (Harry Potter's pet), and Luna Lovegood and Fleur Delacour (both Harry Potter characters) for the sisters in Connecticut.  Luna and Fleur actually wear real clothes.  I plan to make their costumes so that they can really wear them if they choose.

Can you believe that I have strep throat again?  At least I think it's strep.  I haven't been to the doctor, but I called my friend who is a physician's assistant.  She called medicine in for me.  I thought I was just exhausted from teaching and all the other stuff I've had to do this week.  Yesterday, I got a really bad headache, though, and realized my throat hurt, too.  When I looked at it, I saw those white spots on my tonsils that look strepish.  So, I am staying home from church this morning and doing computer stuff so I can rest.  My sister has been here this week.  I sure hope she doesn't get strep because with her COPD that would not be good.  I can't miss school because there is TOO MUCH TO DO to get ready for a sub and it is more trouble than it is worth most of the time!!!!  I'm going to try to get some school stuff done today on the computer.

Do Dinosaurs Wear Pajamas?

These monster Tyrannosauruses do!!!!                                           

Our Big Little Man, who is 3 years old, told his mom and dad he wants to be a monster T-Rex in bed for Halloween this year, and that Little Little Man, who will be 11 months by Halloween could be a Baby Monster T-Rex in bed.  As you can see, BLM's pjs are two piece with short sleeves and short pants.  LLM's are like a sleeper except without feet.  His dino suit has separate feet that slip over his shoes.  BLM will slip his feet right into his dino suit's feet.  I attached a rubber hair band to the back of the heel so that it can hook around the button that is inside the back of the leg, so that his feet will stay in.  I guess these feet will get pretty dirty when he's out trick-or-treating, but that's ok.

 Here's Big Little Man's head.

 He will look out through the mouth.  The teeth are made from Mr. Clean sponges.

 Here's where his head will fit.

 Little Little Man's head sits on top of a hood that will cover his head. 

Here's Big Little Man's naked T-Rex suit.  I didn't take a  photo of Little Little Man's without the pjs.  It looks like a smaller version of this one, pretty much.  His feet aren't attached, though. 

I have my friend, Marilyn to thank for this green stretchy ribbed fabric.  It was in the big box of fabric and trims that she gave me recently!!!!  I'm going to use some fabric from this box for Lil'E and Lil'B's costumes, too.  What a blessing to have friends like Marilyn, and like Tina, who has loaned me her machine so I can make these costumes.  I am such a lucky lady!!!!!

Thank you to those of you who wished my daughter well, through the hurricane power outage.  They got their power back on Saturday, after 7 days without it!  They were safe and no damage was done to their home, so they were actually lucky.  Our daughter in MA had no damage either.

We are getting the rain from Tropical Storm Lee right now, but it is badly needed, so I am not complaining!!!!  It has cooled down considerably, too!  Whew!   These 90+ temps have been miserable!!!!  It's going to be in the 70s for a few days!!!!

The insurance company is investigating whether or not they will replace my machine if it can't be fixed.  Of course I have  a deductible I'll have to meet first.  But, I'm truly hoping that mine can be fixed!

Update........

I still don't have my machine.  The couple who own the store where I bought it and where it will BE REPAIRED??? had to leave town suddenly because of a death in their family.  They are back, now, though, and he said he would try to let me know something toward the beginning of next week.  In the meantime, my daughter hasn't had a chance to send hers to me.  Hurricane Irene kind of got in the way of her being able to do much besides try to figure out how to survive three young daughters with no power and no water for 7 days, now!!!!!!  But, my friend has loaned me hers, so I'm going to be sewing today!!!!