Only 2.5 weeks until Christmas?! Where has the time gone?! Just a couple weeks ago I thought I was ahead of the Christmas curve – I’d bought most of the gifts I intended to buy, and I’d ordered Christmas cards. Then Thanksgiving happened and everyone got sick and I fell behind. Just when I thought everyone had recovered fully this weekend, everyone got sick again! Luckily we got to see Santa first. Unfortunately that meant I am way behind on the gifts I planned to make this year. I reeeeally need to start early next year. I know I say that every year but with Julius and Patricia being born only a few days apart, just before my favorite holiday, my fall has become extremely busy.
Even so, I am proud of myself for getting all the Christmas cards out already. This must be a record! For the cards this year we got our fabulous photographer, Shayna to take more Halloween costume photos. I am totally in love with them. I cannot wait to show them to you on Christmas, but I don’t want to spoil them for those who have not yet gotten our mail.
Oh my gosh, I have to tell you a crazy breakthrough. Patricia LOVES hats. Before this week Patricia would rip hats off her head as soon as they were placed there. Now she ASKS for hats to be put on. The more hats the merrier. Yesterday she walked around the house all day with both a reindeer hat and a unicorn hat on. She still doesn’t verbalize exactly yet (or we haven’t figured out the verbalization) but she has gotten very good at hand gestures. So she’ll point at a hat and lean forwards so you can put it on her. And in a crazy twist of fate she now cries when you remove a hat. Honestly it is adorable and my dream come true as a haberdasher!
So my costume for Halloween was extremely easy. I just made a hood/hat thing and a tail (that can’t even be seen from any of the pictures, so I won’t bother showing you how I made it) which I combined with a store-bought onesie. Onesies for adults are extremely easy to find nowadays, thanks to the pandemic and the “fashion” of pajama wearing. Much like Julius, I have worn my costume several times now because it is so darn cozy!
Wild Thing (Feathered bird thing) Adult Hood Costume
What you’ll need:
- scrap fleece pink fabric (darker would be better, but I didn’t feel like buying anything)
- scrap white fabric (mine was terry cloth)
- scrap orange fleece fabric
- stuffing
- scrap yellow fabric
- black embroidery thread
- 1 15mm snap set
- embroidery pattern here
- hood pattern here*
*I have a ladies’ medium size head, so you may need to size up or down the pattern. Do not forget to add 1/2″ seam allowance when NSA (No seam allowance) is indicated.
- Cut hood pattern pieces from pink fabric as indicated.
- Match hood pieces, right sides together, and stitch along the back.
- Fold unfinished edges under 1/2″. Stitch.
- Cut out all pieces for beak from orange fabric.
- Pin two top pieces of beak right sides together and stitch along top.
- Pin bottom of beak to top, right sides together, stitch.
- Turn right side out and stuff.
- Cut feather pieces out of white fabric as indicated.
- Pin top feathers pieces, right side together and stitch along two longer edges.
- Turn inside out and stuff.
- Pin 2 side feather pieces, right sides together and stitch along two longer edges,
- Turn inside out and stuff. Repeat for second side feather.
- Use the embroidery pattern above to applique eyes onto the hood. Center a 5″x7″ hoop on the seam and a line parallel to and 5″ from the front of the hood. Stitch guide lines, spray yellow fabric and attach over guide lines. Stitch tack down stitches. Clip as close as you can to the tack down stitches leaving yellow circles. Stitch final stitching.
- Hand stitch extra material of beak, down over the opened end of beak. Stitch beak to hood, just below eyes.
- Hand stitch top feather to hood by facing the unfinished side just above the eyes, with the finished side pointing towards the beak. Stitch. Flip the feather back towards the back of the hood and discretely stitch to the top of the hood to hold it in place.
- Hand stitch on of the side feathers to hood by facing the unfinished side just above the eyes, to one side of the top feather with the finished side pointing towards the beak. The point should be pointing towards the centerline of the hood. Stitch. Flip the feather back towards the back of the hood and discretely stitch to the top of the hood to hold it in place. Repeat for last feather.
- Attach the snaps to the bottom points of the hood as directed.
- Pair with a yellow onesie and you’re ready for the rumpus!
Julius is staring into all our yellow eyes.
Will the hat excitement segue into big bow enthusiasm? That could be fun, too!
Perhaps! But don’t hold your breath! She is still picky with hats. She asked to put on Julius’ brimmed hat the other day and then immediately ripped it off. We haven’t tried a bow since she started liking hats though…