Giselle, Hulk, and 3 Cheer Leaders

As always I committed to making the kids costumes. We even started thinking early and I got great deals on most everything thanks to Joann's week long sale where I was able to get something 50% off every day that week. I did however have to brave the "crazy lady" crowds that form during sales like these. Once I went in just needing a length of sequins and some black fabric and had I had known how huge the cutting line was I would have grabbed a number upon first walking into the store before even picking what I wanted, but I didn't and when I did get my number which was like 90 something I looked up and they were cutting 50, ahhh! So Paris , Lex and I had some time to kill, that day. I actually learned to go at 9 in the morning after dropping Jon off for class. 

I just happened to have a bunch of white fabric and tulle (yay! Free costume! Well almost.) so I started Paris' dress a while in advance because I was basically creating it as I went. There is no Giselle pattern in existence that I could find. So after much research from looking at pictures I googled, I came up with a plan, and got to work.

 I used

 a pattern for the top and a different one for the bottom. 

Problem #1 - The seams didn't match up exactly, but unless a professional seamstress examined it, it was going to be fine. 

Problem #2 - Cutting the top skirt and finishing the edge. I ended up having to sew a partial lining so the finished edge looked nice.

Problem #3 - Layering the tulle. I just kind of had to eyeball this one, with lengths and sewing them together to make a nice full dress, but not be too much fabric.

Problem#4 - Oops! Miscalculated, I'm drowning in tulle!!

Problem #5 - Problem 4 causes casualties! I had 

to go buy multiple packages of needles.

So the procrastinator I am, this didn't get done until the day before our ward party, so, I whipped up some little princess gloves, And last but not least embellishments. I actually didn't end up using near as many sequins and glitter glue as I had originally planned, but the dress turned out great! And, Paris loves it! We went and got a crown and a clearance necklace at Claire's. Put some spongy rollers in her hair the night before, and Voila! 

Giselle!

I'm not really sure what possessed me one day to tell Evey and her 2 friends that I would make them all matching Cheerleader costumes. I must have been in a really good mood! We picked colors about a week and a half before the ward party, ordered custom pom-poms about a week before and of course, I didn't start until maybe 4 days before, 

but with life and other costumes I knew I was really going to be pushing it to get all 3 done. So I made a quick call and luckily the Gillman's (Evey's friends) ward party wasn't until Halloween night, so the girls didn't need theirs until the next week. Hallelujah , more time (to waste!).  The pattern was pretty simple, so that was good. I planned to make leggings and a long sleeve shirt to go under, yeah that didn't happen. And neither did an embroidered letter for the front, like school initials. But Evey liked it and that's what counts , right?

Poor, Poor Lex. We had a hard time deciding what he was going to be, of course he had to be a character from one of the summer blockbusters, and since there was so many to choose from, it was a pretty tough decision. Just for the record, we are super movie geeks. We tote the kids to the movies whenever possible, we had tons of fun this summer! Ironman was top of the list, but making that look good would be super hard. Then Batman, Indiana Jones, Speed Racer, and Prince Caspian were brought up, When it was finally decided that Hulk was the winner I went to go find a pattern. Again, none in existence, not even some other muscle man pattern for me to follow. So I procrastinated Lex's the most. We bought the "Hulk Smash" hands a couple weeks before, so he had something to be excited about, but I didn't even start his costume until 5:00pm on the night of the party, that started at 6. I had to draw out the muscles, sew and stuff them, then attach them to the shirt. Luckily it wasn't too hard, and I didn't screw up, so I got it done and made it to the party. Late, but that's to be expected anyway, especially without Jon, he had to work(sniffle)! And, yes Lex loved it, and painting his face green and hair black. Their excitement just makes it all worth it!!

We were in such a rush to get to the ward party, I didn't get pictures, so these aren't so great. Better ones to come!

Super heros gotta stick together!