Chronicles of Chaos

October 31, 2007 | Print

Homemade Halloween

I’m making the kids’ costumes this year. It’s hard. For me, it’s very hard.

I don’t own a sewing machine and the last time I sewed anything it was a Girl Scout potholder in 3rd grade.

Amelia’s a black cat (it has to be black, mommy). A simple costume, but not free of challenges.

I’m concerned that the stuffed velvet tail, sewn to a belt, will come undone during the school Halloween parade. The Elmer’s Glued perky ears will begin to sag.

I’m sending thoughts into the universe that should these events occur, Amelia will not notice and/or care and neither will any of the other kids.

We’ll see.

Wyatt is a troll, which can sound strange outside of the context of his Waldorf preschool. We/I cut bright green yarn to pin in his curly brown hair. I found a forest green T-shirt (women’s small) at Banana Republic, a few yards of silk in a trolly pattern to tie around his body in some way to be determined tomorrow morning five minutes before school starts, and a green fabric belt.

It’s an excellent costume.

I’d be lost without the creative inspiration from the funky fabric store down the street. Everything’s sustainable and cool. The owner is a mom and gives me all of my how to ideas–do you have a glue gun? Uh, no. Okay well you could gather it together this way and then sew it here…do you want to use my sewing machine in the store?

Me deer in headlights, she’ll discover that though I’ve bandied about the wistful phrase gee if I only had my sewing machine, I have no idea how to use one.

Thanks so much, but we’ve gotta get home. I’ll figure it out.

Moments later I’m hunched over the kitchen counter, cutting black velvet with jagged scissors. I sew for hours and hours to make one two and a half foot cat tail.

I’m spent from the figuring it out, the sewing without knowing exactly how to knot thread. My brain is tired, my fingers crampy.

Soon after I sit on the couch, watch TV and eat a bag of Bearitos lightly buttered popcorn for dinner.

I’m feeling proud of myself, a little high with the idea of making their costumes every year–but I’ll need that sewing machine and glue gun.

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