This is Halloween.

So last year around this time I got started on an awesome little Halloween dress that I had planned on wearing if I had gotten a call into a school for supply work. However, it came so close to the wire that by the time I could take photos, it was on Halloween, and I didn't think that you guys would like to know how to make this AFTER it was already over. So I saved it for a year. Just for you.

I had a plan in my head. It didn't all happen. There wasn't enough time. But. The plan was this:
1. I wanted to create a knock-off version of these Louboutins:

2. I wanted to do my nails like so:

3. I wanted to do my makeup like so:

or like so (eyes only):

4. I wanted some sort of a spider fascinator:

Via google images.

5. And I wanted to make a dress out of some Halloween-themed quilting cotton my aunt gifted me.

I didn't get around to doing the makeup, but I managed to do the rest! (Let's just chalk the lack of photoshop up to "Halloween mood enhancement", yes?)

This is me trying to take a picture of the side on my own.

I used my Simplicity 2444 bodice for the basis of this bodice, then sort of just winged it to create the side panels. For the skirt, because I only half a yard and a half (read: no mistakes), I used Gertie's gathered skirt tutorial (the same as for the Princess Peach Skirt), again, altering for the side panels. I used self made bias tape from scraps for all my raw edges (Except the armholes. Those remain unfinished to this day!).

For the headpiece, I bought a piece of waistband elastic, a small amount of netting, and used some scrap black fabric and pipecleaners to make the spider part. That was a pain in the butt. I had to sew the pipecleaners into the inside of the spider body and then somehow leave enough room to get them out when flipped right-side out. I used some holey old (but clean!) socks to stuff my spider with and hand stitched him closed. I glued on the googly eyes and then sewed him onto the elastic. From there, I placed the netting and hand tacked it in place here and there until I was satisfied. This took forever. The netting kept snagging on the spider legs!

So blurry!!!! AHH!

For the shoes, my aunt bought me a pair at Goodwill across the border for something like $2. I think all the fabric and whatnot for the fascinator cost around $8 and the googly eyes probably cost me about $12. So altogether this cost me $22 to make! Not bad!

To complete the look I teased my hair and put on some heavy eyeliner.

I was pretty pleased with how this turned out. And even though I didn't get a call for supply work, I was still able to wear this out to lunch in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

I'm not sure if I'll wear this out this year, I'll have to wait to see what my mood is, but I'll certainly wear it again in the future. Hooray for using up scraps!

What are you going to be for Halloween this year? Are you going to make your costume?

{This is Halloween}