Gosh, how is it Monday again? I just got to my laptop and it’s already past 10pm at night. I doubt I’ll finish this entry tonight. Julius and Patricia were home from school today while Will and I both had to work, so our house is a complete disaster. Will and I have been trying to clean the house on Friday nights (I know, trust me, my 20 year old former self is disgusted with me). So the trashed house after only 2 days of cleanliness is even more depressing to me than usual. At least I can listen to audiobooks while I clean, which is why, dear reader, I am slowly becoming illiterate.
Well only mostly illiterate. I joked to Will the other day that I was going to write a novel, but when I told him my idea, he laughed in my face! I won’t tell you what it was, not because I am ashamed of getting laughed at, but because it is not possible to do the plot justice without getting taken off search forums. Someday, someday.
During my sabbatical, when I could have been writing romance novels, I got ahead on Halloween costumes. Except I couldn’t decide on what Will and I should be. I’ve been really interested in making wings for a Rhysand costume, but Will wasn’t sure he could pull Rhysand off. That made me a bit sad on several levels. I guess I can pretend that a Rhysand and <insert female lead> costume would be a spoiler for all those poor souls who haven’t gotten to read ACOTAR. Instead of being a walking spoiler we are going with a completely different couple who Will is admittedly more into than I am. But at least one part of the couple is a badass female. That’s all the spoilers I’ll give for now. Unfortunately there is no family costume this year because Julius wants to be a blue m&m and Patricia a purple and orange butterfly so I just couldn’t figure out how to mesh those themes together this year.
I am really excited about Patricia’s butterfly costume, and I finished it like 3 weeks ago so I’m desperate to show it to you this week. The only thing I bought for the costume is the black dress which was on sale at Target.
Marpesia Butterfly Wings
What you’ll need:
- black shirt or dress
- white lightweight synthetic material (mine was leftover from a project I can’t even recall)
- black, orange and purple acrylic paints
- fabric painting additive
- foam brushes
- needle and thread
- candle
1. Place a shirt, arms spread wide, on top of your white fabric. Using a tailor’s pencil or chalk, trace first around the top arms of the shirt, then downwards forming a butterfly wing shape on one side of body.
2. Fold shape in half then cut along the lines you drew in step 1 forming a pair of wings.
3. To prevent your wings from fraying without sewing, light the candle, then hold the edges of the fabric close to the flame so they knit together. Continue with entire edges of wings.
4. Mix your paint colors with fabric additive, then paint the wings. I recommend doing the lighter colors first or the central colors then finishing with the black.
5. When one side is completely painted let dry. Flip the piece over then repeat the pattern on the opposite side using the bleed thru as a guide.
6. Let second side dry.
7. Using a needle and thread tack thru the wings along various points on the arms of your dress.
8. Fly!
