Good morning, friends! Every year, I seem to end up making two Halloween costumes for K. This, I’ve realized, is because I never finish the main costume in time for the annual Halloween bash held at her school (which was this past weekend), so I resort to frantically sewing something quick and effortless.
Enter Ninja K.
I’m quite impressed with K’s idea for origami ninja stars. I helped her make them, and we used the pinwheel instructions similar to this one since that’s what we happened to have in a little booklet, but there’s also a shuriken (ninja star in Japanese) tutorial online too. We wanted to add the extra badassness with the wristguards, but I’m now wondering if it seems as though she’s sporting two broken wrists. K expressed serious concern that she didn’t look like a girl; since female ninjas used to typically wear purple, we improvised with a purple flower barrette.
The light blue criss-cross ties are actually fold over elastic. She thinks they’re beyond cool. In fact, she declared this the best costume I’ve ever made, though I’m still partial to the owl I made last year.
I self-drafted the entire costume, and it’s rather slapdash and sloppy as far as costumes go. I didn’t even bother finishing any hems, edges, etc and the crossover top is safety-pinned together on the side. However, I’m pretty proud of the knickerbocker-like pants/leggings, which gives the costume an almost authentic vibe. Excuse the visible dust all over her socks and general garb — it’s the curse of black fabric.
The costume comprises five pieces (not including the FOE): The mask, a turtleneck tank, a crossover cardi, a sash and the leggings. It was a super fast project and I’m certain K will wear these regularly. Sometimes it feels like it’s the jankiest, least polished items I’ve made that she loves best.
Anyhow, one costume down, one more to go! If anyone has any suggestions on how to make a werewolf costume with tattered dress pieces attached (to indicate that the werewolf used to be a girl), I’m all ears. We went from fancy-maid-girl to wolverine-in-a-fur-dress to girl-turning-into-werewolf. Although she’s indecisive, kudos for her originality…ninja star coming atcha:
This costume is super duper cool, and it’s all self-drafted?!!! Project Runway is calling you.
Ha, I would melt into a big puddle of stressed-out tears on PR, Jing! Thanks!
Wowza! I love that last pic! Real Ninja action! So cool! (and of course the costume is super amazing!)
Thanks, Annika! K was very into being a ninja!
I love the purple flower addition. good luck on that used-to-be-a-girl-now-wolf costume! that sounds tough. you and k will figure it out! sorry no suggestion.
I’m totally procrastinating on that werewolf costume. The pragmatist in me wants it to be reusable as regular daily wear somehow, but I’m not sure how to make that happen…Thank you, Anna!
This is such a cool costume! what a great idea! Kudos to K for originality.
Thanks Max! I just loved how K came up with the origami ninja stars idea — we tried to figure out a sword, but had to make do with that wimpy little stick…
Very cool! Good luck on the next one!
Thanks, Em! I need some serious luck…getting down to the wire, here!
Well… First you want to start with the wolf bits… so start with a footie pj pattern (Peekaboo pattern shop has a fantastic one), alter the feet to have “toes”, add a hood with ears and a tail and make it out of something furry and you have a wolf… then make a dress to go over the top, finish nothing, and shred it with your seam ripper. Aren’t costumes fun?
I made three this year… a vampire, a ghost, and a zombie, one for each of the littles.
Oh, this is great, thank you Laura!! And wow, three costumes!!! Sounds like it’s going to be a festive Halloween in your household
This is brilliant! fantastic idea for a costume and it looks very good. You two are a great team of creators.
We do make a pretty mean tag team
Now if only I could convince her to just wear the ninja costume this Friday…thanks, Maria!
THIS IS AWESOME. love the ninja, she looks so cool! yeah as far as werewolf i’d go get a bunch of faux fur and make a shirt and leggings (it sews like knit, just a lot messier) or maybe a brown sherpa or something, then make a dress to go over and hide the shirt/pant meetup. then she can still go to the bathroom in it. make a cozy winter hood from little things to sew and then go nuts with the makeup??? i dunno. good luck!! can’t wait to see!
Oh, I absolutely love the idea of making it a two-piece for bathroom ease. Brilliant, Kristin! I’m not looking forward to the faux fur messiness, which is a big part of the reason I’m putting it off, I think
You and K have really captured the Ninja spirit–amazing.
Thanks so much, Greta! It was a fast and furious sewing project!
Looks great! I was trying to get in a Zita the Spacegirl costume as a surprise Halloween gift for a friend’s daughter. A mash up of colour-blocked skater dress, with self-drafted cowl-boat neck and the bottom of the new Oliver and S bento t shirt to make the bottom of the black “Z” in the top with some long black thumb-cuffs on the arms and leggings….. but it looks like it is going to be a Christmas gift instead as I am heading to Portland for a conference tomorrow! Oh well… I am really looking forward to the “figuring out” process! Lol
How did I not know about Zita the Spacegirl?? K would love this! Good luck with the costume, Traveller, and have a great time in Portland!
Totally off-topic but there is a new skinny jeans pattern out there, pics here
http://gingermakes.com/2014/10/28/ginger-made-ginger-jeans/
Maybe this will work for you
I saw this a couple of days ago too, –anu! Thanks for the suggestion, I will definitely look into it. The waist seems pretty high on both, but I just might need that…;-)
so impressed by the costume as a whole, and specifically by the origami Ninja stars – clever you, K!
Clever K, indeed! I’m trying to convince her to wear the ninja costume this Friday because I’m becoming less and less enamored with the idea of wrangling faux fur. We shall see…thanks, Lucinda!
Brilliant. I was really impressed with the wrist guards and didn’t think they were too “orthopaedic injury” at all.
the purple flower barrette and the origami throwing stars are genius. you’ve given this a really feminine, deadly, Japanese vibe. And yep, that last photo looks like she means business!
Oh, so glad the wrist guards didn’t scream “carpal tunnel syndrome”! Love the feminine, deadly and Japanese description, Shelley!
Awesome costume! I love the flower
Thanks Liza Jane – K has a way with accessorizing