my sewing machine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>Yup.<\/p>\n
My youngest is now in 6th grade.\u00a0 Inspired by youtube videos he\u2019d been watching, he wanted to experiment with craft foam to make armor for a Roman soldier, though after some more investigation, and learning that the Romans had strips of armor but the Greeks had more of a breastplate look, he settled on the latter.\u00a0 Conveniently enough, I had a pattern for a tunic (I had used it to make Roman soldiers for the school\u2019s Living Stations of the Cross), and the robe\/undertunic was a sort of DIY job based on a costume I had sewn last year for All Saints\u2019 Day.\u00a0 The cape was a tablecloth cut to a reasonable size and the armor was, in fact, painted craft foam \u2014 my son made this part, we picked out the materials together, and I did the rest of the sewing.<\/p>\n
This is the outcome:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/533\/2018\/10\/IMG_2880-1_LI-650x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Yes, I\u2019ve still got a bit of that paranoia about kids\u2019 faces.<\/p>\n
I thought it came out pretty well, and I had a fun time making it, and the sewing machine didn\u2019t give me any trouble, either.\u00a0 But when he came home from school, he was disappointed.\u00a0 Not because he was accused of wearing a dress, or anything like that.\u00a0 Instead, it was because, as he said, \u201cNo one wears costumes anymore in 6th grade \u2014 nothing elaborate and homemade, anyway.\u00a0 They wear jerseys or so-and-so was Jake From State Farm, and things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
So it looks like my costume making days are over, and I\u2019m left with being sentimental over past years, like this one from so many years ago that I\u2019m not going to hesitate to show you the face, since the boy in this picture is now a surly teenager.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/533\/2018\/10\/IMG_2239-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
He said he wanted to be a \u201cflying lion\u201d so I made a lion costume and added on a cape that I\u2019d made before.\u00a0 And the further story behind this costume is that I had intended to put together something quick with the sewing machine, by taking a hoodie and attaching fake fur, but then I picked up a pattern, and then I discovered that the sewing machine didn\u2019t work.\u00a0 (It was the first time in a number of years I\u2019d tried to use it, and I tried oiling at all the appropriate spots but it wouldn\u2019t budge.\u00a0 Later on, I tried again and it worked just fine, as if the oil just needed days or weeks to seep in and do its magic.)\u00a0 So I started hand-sewing, and even though it took night after night of staying up late after the baby went to bed, I kept adding more touches, like the fringe-mane and a lining.\u00a0 And the end product was one happy child \u2014 two, actually, because when that baby was older he enjoyed it, too.<\/p>\n
Or this one, also modeled by the now-surly teen:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/533\/2018\/10\/Tim-2015-768x1024.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
with apologies for the poor lighting.\u00a0 Like the soldier\u2019s cape, this is also a transformed tablecloth, and I was particularly pleased with this one because I made it just by estimating size, and by referencing instructions for a hood online.<\/p>\n
But now I\u2019m back to wishing I had other ideas of things to make.\u00a0 At the moment I am engaged in another one of my attempts to lose weight, which are always moderately successful but never quite to the point that I can wear the sort of clothes I\u2019d like to wear or that would be fun to sew.\u00a0 And I\u2019d love to make a cosplay-type costume, but it would be silly to do so without an actual interest in comics or conventions.\u00a0 And I tell myself that it would be perfectly fine to make something without any use, if I enjoy the process of making it, but that just doesn\u2019t feel right.<\/p>\n
So I suppose I\u2019ll troll etsy to look for ideas for a bit, then go back to getting dinner ready.<\/p>\n
Oh, and if you want to read a Halloween (or Day of the Dead)-flavored retirement article, check out my latest at Forbes:\u00a0 \u201cAging, Dying And The \u2018Day Of The Dead\u2019<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\nHappy Halloween!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Yup. My youngest is now in 6th grade.\u00a0 Inspired by youtube videos he\u2019d been watching, he wanted to experiment with craft foam to make armor for a Roman soldier, though after some more investigation, and learning that the Romans had strips of armor but the Greeks had more of a breastplate look, he settled on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2209,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[486],"class_list":["post-11511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-halloween"],"yoast_head":"\n
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