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.