Thursday, February 9, 2012

Halloween Costume: Inky the Ghost


For Halloween this year, my 4 year old wanted to be a ghost--a sheet ghost. I think he's been watching too much Scooby Doo. So I've never actually seen anyone do this, but it seemed a) kinda lame, and b)a little dangerous in terms of keeping little eyeholes lined up with little eyes. So I did what any mother does, asked every few days what he'd like to be hoping for a different answer, and started thinking of ways to keep a sheet in place on a little body. Sleeves? Big face hole alla Scream? Cape with Hood? I bought materials and continued my campaign against the ghost.
At the beginning of October, I revised my strategy, and started pushing options via online photo searches. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, a "Hack-Man" app, and some quiet coaxing, was able to morph a sheet ghost plan into a PAC-Man ghost plan. Woot-Woot!!
I still didn't have much of an implementation plan, and the Internet failed to offer up a nice tutorial. But I plowed ahead, purchased Costume grade satin and 1/2 inch foam, then improvised. A small creative miracle happened because the costume is nearly perfect.
Unfortunately for the next frantic searcher looking for a ghost costume, I didn't take progress photos to make a tutorial for them.

Some quick tips:
1 cut a headhole in the center of the foam. (I used 42x24 inches for my 44 inch child)
Cut 4 trapezoid shapes evenly spaced in the bottom edges on either side of the foam.
Cut 2 pieces of fabric with 4 inches clearance on all sides (50x32 for me)
Make eyes. I used 2 CDs offset to make an oval shape for the whites, and a water bottle for the blacks. Both from fleece, zigzag stiched to appliqué to each other then to the satin.
Then sewed the 2 pieces of satin together to make a long tube.
I traced the trapezoid scallop onto one inside out edge of the tube and sewed w 1/4 inch seem allowance, then repeated on the other side.
Turn right side out, stuff w foam, cut headhole into satin w 3/4 inch seam allowance.
Zigzag head hole closed, then cover seam w a tube of robbed knit fabric.
Close stuffing seam.
Sew sides together near edge leaving openings at top for arm holes.
And done.

Oh, and did I mention it's reversible with a white ghost on the inside!?

Too bad this was the year Connecticut called off Halloween because of a freak snow storm 2 days before that shut off power to most of the state for days and days. 

Followers