Mrs. Lovett is ready to go!

Well, fall is in full swing and I'm trying to finish up projects so I can enjoy goings-on like Boo on the Boardwalk, TRF, Dickens, and of course my school's Fall Bazaar.

I finished a lot of stuff over the summer but just never felt like writing since my aunt died.

I decided to use red bias tape to accent the dark black ruffles, and I think it makes it much more striking and gothic. I'm actually surprised how well it turned out, how easy it was to make, and how it (surprisingly big time!) fits me. And one of my husband's friends said I couldn't pull it off....

Hoping to go to Boo on the Boardwalk in Kemah this weekend. Still not sure about the make-up idea though, and never found a plastic roach to accompany me either....Halloween really sucks here in Texas. No stores have any cool accessories this year.

Mrs. Lovett costume almost finished

I finished the project as much as I could while I wait for my husband to fix the serger. I had changed out the white for black, and ever since it won't weave the thread like it used to.

I finished the skirt and decided to add some gothic brick-red bias tape to the edge of every ruffle (3 packages got me barely there!) I also finished the corselet, which really looks good with the clear red sparkly ribbon. All I'm waiting to do is serge the edges of the shirt, as it is made of a black sheer chiffon. Should look good once it is finished.

All I need is a pair of black mitts and some red and black striped stockings, as well as black lace and eyelet for the neckline (which I am having a hard time finding).

The only problem is that the black cotton I had to match to the chiffon picks up lint everywhere....looks like I'll have to carry a lint brush in my pie basket!

Mrs. Lovett Costume

I decided to take some advice from a blog I found about Mrs. Lovett's costume, and I think the patterns are perfect for the job.

http://simply-sewing.blogspot.com/2009/04/simplicity-2881-mrs-lovetts-wedding.html

So I ordered the following from Truly Victorian:

*TV108 Grand Bustle http://trulyvictorian.com/catalog/108.html

*TV400 1871 Day Bodice http://trulyvictorian.com/catalog/400.html

*TV492 1890's Victorian Corselets http://trulyvictorian.com/catalog/492.html

I'm thinking of ditching the whole idea of going overboard and trying to find the right paisley, as I am a teacher and summer won't last forever. I'm thinking of just having it all black - after all, it's for Halloween, and it's going to be dark at Boo on the Boardwalk in Kemah anyway.

This is my last week of school, so I think I should be able to start on this project this week, as long as I can get a lightbulb for my sewing machine. Mine burned out last night. :-(

Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett - Halloween?

Last year (BEFORE the hurricane) I was thinking of my husband and I going as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett. We wanted to go to Boo on the Boardwalk in Kemah, as it caters to everybody (not just children!) and Halloween is more a season than just a day. Those plans obviously got ruined, so I think I'm going to plan early and make sure it works out this year!

Christian already has a gothic red double-breasted Victorian vest from the wedding. All he needs are striped trousers (Goodwill, anyone?) and the wig and razor blades. (I'm still trying to talk him out of bringing real ones....grrrr....)

I've been searching for some ideas for Mrs. Lovett. It's actually very hard to find any costume at all, as all commercial manufacturers make the non-gothic Mrs. Lovett costumes from the play, which is actually pathetic, since they are so light-colored and happy-looking. They really don't set the correct tone of the play at all. Plus, they're late 18th century, in contrast to mid-19th for the movie, which is way more cool.

So far I've found some black paisley on eBay though a quilting store, and some kind-of expensive black swiss (I really want to keep the swiss!) I've found out the hard way that swiss is hard to find these days, as it is considered "vintage" and isn't popularly used anymore. Bummer. I'm not going to buy anything just yet, as I have to create a mock-up and figure out how much I need, as this project will be based very loosely on a few patterns.

As for the wig, I'm totally at a loss. I can't find one at all. I really don't want to mess up my hair, as it is waist-length, and it would be difficult to get it back from being all tangled up. Looks like there's not one in sight, and it's been a few years since the movie.

However, I should be able to easily find red and black stockings. (Horozontal, not vertical like in the movie. Another bummer.)

I decided not to go with a real waist cincher, since I'm a petite 34G and it would just make the girls look bad. Instead, in order to keep the look, I'll have a faux cloth one with very little boning to wear over the dress; it just won't highlight the waist like a real one would.

I'm also thinking I need a body-suit for the top since it's transparent, or I need to line everything in flesh-colored fabric. More work for me.

Also needed: cheap little meat pies (50 cents at Walmart), some fake roaches, and a basket!