Gracie's Halloween Costume

Two days to go!  Then its Halloween!  I really hadn't expected that I'd want to make just one more costume, and then I did.  Gracie called.  I just may die with an army of OOAK Gracie dolls.  Actually, I think this little doll is going to get a wardrobe.  Just a small one, but a holiday paper doll one.  

Way back when, I had a subscription to Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine.  I loved the paper dolls inside and they were the main reason I got the magazine.  Time and tide, many moves and life changes, the magazines went the way of the western wind.   Now that I'm sewing, I wish I had them all once again.  Thank goodness for Pinterest, since I can save off copies just to work from now.  Who needs all this paper in the house?  I seriously just dumped tons of doll catalogues from the 90's, a few months ago.  

As you know, I love Chinese dolls, so Gracie is just going to be a favorite for a long time to come.  Interestingly enough,

I just acquired two Helen Kish Song dolls to turn into OOAK art dolls.  The basic Song has lighter coloring.  I really like her.  Urban Song has darker face painting and will make a lovely doll to dress from some Chinese holiday at some point in time.  I had Urban Song many Chinese moons ago and sold her because I didn't like her clothing and I didn't sew.  Now when I collect, I'm recollecting dolls I once loved but for the purpose of creating something unique with them.  But let's get back to Mary Engelbreit.

I guess I had shared this Gracie paper doll on Facebook and a couple of the comments got me thinking, and that, then, was the challenge to make this costume.  I knew it was going to be involved, but I had a week and time on my hands, so I gave it a whack.

The most frustrating thing was not in the making of the costume, but in finding a suitable wig.  A red wig.  I ended up purchasing

several red wigs from a seller on Etsy, and when they arrived, I chopped away at the mohair one with bangs.  It just didn't have the "clown" look.  The hair smoothed under like the Gracie doll's wig and she looked awful in red hair.  What can I say?  Still I was able to achieve the short bob look, but the doll will never wear the wig.  The wig was the base for the cute little raspberry colored clown, bowler hat.

Funny how things work out, but I just tossed two little doll suitcases recently.  And of course I'd need one to put Gracie's wig in.  What does a clown carry with her?  A suitcase.  A suitcase of props and magic tricks.  I had this little pink metal suitcase in my stash, so I used that instead. Its small enough not to take up too much room on a shelf, displaying Gracie.

Gracie's Halloween clown costume is made from silk.  I looked for a moon and star fabric in my stash but must have tossed all the quilting cottons I had like that.  This is why I have so much "stuff".  You never know when you'll need this or that.  The moment you toss it, you find you need it.  Well, it would be doubtful that any of them would have been correct for the costume, so I'l have ended up making my own "fabric" anyway.

Dark purple and orange pumpkin silk make up the costume.  The moon and star appliques are yellow silk, backed by iron on interfacing.  The tiny appliques still tended to fray, but there wasn't anything I could do about that.  

I traced the tiny stars and moons onto the interfacing side, cut them out, then glued them to the purple silk with fabric glue.  After it dried, I touch ironed them to set them.

The ruffles gave me a fit.  Green silk that was edged in a zig-zag stitch.  It still frayed.  There's the big collar that has four layers, the ankle ruffles that also have four layers and the cuff ruffles that have two.  The collar snaps in the back, but the cuff and ankle ruffles close with hooks.

I had to go out and purchase green yarn to make the pom-poms.  I got the last green in this color at our Michael's store.  Once used, I put it away with my yarns from my knitting adventures.  I do not ever expect to knit again, but the yarn is there just in case I need a pom-pom.

The hat is needle felted.  It's pretty tiny, but I gave it a go and its cute.  It has three green leaves and a yellow flower with orange center.  Its all in the details. 

I probably could have gone to town on the accessories because they are all so wonderful.  Cookies, cupcakes, drink cups with spiral straws!  What fun!  But, it was the lanterns that caught my eye, and this is what I made. 

First I had to make her clown shoes.  I've never made clown shoes before, so I really had to think on this.  Clown shoes are supposed to be long, big, over-sized.  But if you cut out that paper doll costume, the clown shoes would fit perfectly over Gracie's Mary Janes.  Now how is that "over-sized?"

And her feet can't flop in them.  So I made them just a little little longer, like half an inch, and the heels are nice and snug.  The spats go over the big red clown shoes.  Why did clowns wear spats?  I think it was to make fun of "dandies".  Clowns were often dressed as hobos wearing over-sized suits trying to look dressed up.

In the paper doll illustration, Gracie's holding a little pumpkin.  So, I needle felted this little pumpkin and ran a thread through it to hook over her wrist.

The lantern is the best of the costume.  I thought long and hard on how to make both lanterns as I love the owl, too.  I started the owl, but the shape wasn't quite right so I just may try again this weekend.  Something to do.  

After buying ping pong balls and cutting holes out of them with a hot knife, I decided to try foam balls.  I had Styrofoam but didn't like the rough surface.  So, I bought the smooth ones.  Now the way you're supposed to make these according to someone on the Internet, is with rice paper papier mached over balloons, then once dry, you pop the balloon.  Ummm....  I'm not sure, and you'd never get one this tiny.  

So I drilled out a hole in the smooth foam ball with a 3/4" bit.  Then I used Mod Podge and string to make the "wire form".  Once dried, I papier mached tissue paper over the lantern.  This is all miniature work, or doll accessory work.  The lantern came out sweet for Gracie to hold, but I think you can tell that two balls, one smaller, would just not do for the owl.  The body needed to be oblong and paper wings and tail and all other manner of paper bits would have to be cut out and applied to make the owl.  It's also a very gluey mess and nasty to clean off your fingers, but I may give it a go this weekend anyway just for fun.  I would use the grainy Styfoam balls because you can pinch them into shape.  

I'd love to make Ann Estelle's ruffled jester costume someday.  And I've had plans to make an Audrey Ann.  Tonner did not make her into a doll, and I love her.  I've enjoyed having the magnetic paper doll f her.  I know exactly what I'll do to make her and then she'll get her own paper doll wardrobe.  Just as soon as the Tonner doll I wish to use appears on Ebay.  

I'm still having fun, and I love sharing these things with you.  I'm sorry if you haven't been getting my blog posts through email notifications.  I tried to look into this and there is no technical support for this blog.  It is free through Google.  If you recall, I had this notification about needing to export all the subscribers, back in 2019.  I thought I'd done it correctly as things seemed to be going along smoothly, then a couple of close friends of mine said they weren't getting notifications any longer.  There is nothing I can do to fix this.  

I hope if you've enjoyed my blog and are reading this, that you might join me on Facebook under the name Melissa Hoover.  I post all my new creations there and provide a link the blog posting I wrote about it.  I apologize if you haven't been getting the posts, but I just can't find a way to fix this.  You are what keeps me motivated and inspired.  I hope you'll consider this option.

Monday is the big day.  Happy Halloween!  When I write again it will be during that quiet month of November when we begin preparing for Christmas.  I think the tree will go up mid-month.  Why not?!  It takes so long to decorate it that its worth having it up a bit longer.

Love, Melissa