Handmade gifts for Christmas 2014

Since most of my crafty/knitting post have been cosplay related lately I decide to share some of the little gifts I made this year.  I set myself the challenge of working only from the stash and I am proud to say I met that challenge.

When it comes to making gifts it can be very time consuming so I like to make sure that what I make is a winner out of the gate.  I prefer knowing someone specifically wants something so when being observant fails I just flat out ask.  That was the case with my brother this year.  He told me he wanted little Jawa named Blizz.    I found a few crochet patterns but none knitted ( Please know I don't hate crochet I just can't do it, and yes I've tried) so I had to make this up as I went.  Having knitted plenty of little dolls/animals - it wasn't that hard.  There was some ripping out here and there.  And now I realize he's not wearing a cape.  Oh well, my brother loves it so that's what's important.

Second up is for my dad.  This is the fourth hat I've made him.  It's super boring 2x2 ribbing but sometimes you just want boring.  This yarn was leftover from this sweater.  It seemed a little light so I dug up the Kool aid I have stashed from when I used to dye things with it.  For the hat I used one green packet, two blue packets, and about one third of a grape packet.

Next is a cowl for a friend.  It's leftover sock yarn and done entirely in seed stitch with some little yarn overs here and there.   I wanted something light enough to be worn indoors because I didn't want her to have to remove it every time she goes inside.  Plus, living in southern NM, making it light weight means she can wear it for a much longer time than the few days/weeks a year it's actually cold.

Finally, the one sewn one.  Again, for a friend.  She has just gotten into sewing and was lamenting she couldn't find a big pincushion.  I could have bought her one but I figured I'd try making one instead.  I used this tutorial.  Or rather I read it through once and then had at it.  It's not perfect, but it should do the job.

My great uncle's yearbooks -1939

Remember ages back (July) when I posted the first one?  No?  Here's a link.

The observant might note that the last yearbook was 1937.  What happened to 1938?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Either he just didn't buy one that year or it got misplaced.  I do have 1940 and will get around to posting it.  Probably six months from now.

This year the theme was "Then and Now." 

Each section begins with an illustration of "Then" on the left page . . .

. . . and a photo of "Now" in the right.

This year my great uncle played varsity - he's in the front, number 70.

Being a junior, this year he also got a solo photo.  He looks very cool.

Continuing with the theme of "Then and Now" are photos of teachers and staff "Then"  I made this extra large so you could see all the details.

This is the Junior Safety Council - who have awesome coats. 

Male cheerleaders, just because.

I'd love to meet the new Nash.

This particular yearbook was ephemera heavy.

The back of the Jinx dance ticket.  In case you can't read it, it says "Whopee, I finally danced"

I'm assuming this "arrest notice" was a way of "collecting" one's date to the dance.  The address on it is in a residential area.  Bonus, the dark haired young lady in the white sweater is the one whose name appears on the arrest notice.

But what of Peggy Landis mentioned in the last year book post? A Margaret Landis is standing behind the brunette looking left.  Mystery solved?  Anyway I love Peggy's hairdo. 

Then and Now: Peter Pan

Source

My friend and I always talk about how when you watch something you haven't seen since you were a child you see things completely differently.  There are things that went over your head or didn't stick in your memory at all.  Inspired by my viewing of Peter Pan Live! I've decided to start a series that might end up being only this one.  After all, it all depends on me watching something I haven't seen since I was a child and having a lot to say about what I remembered it was like and what it really was like.

What I remember:

I remember the Darlings running away from home.  I remember lots of flying - "Think lovely thoughts."  I remember thinking Tinkerbell was horrible.  I remember the song about Neverland, and the "I won't grow up" song.  I don't recall if I wanted to run away with Peter but I do recall wanting to fly. 

What I realized:

Actually, Tinkerbell isn't really all that bad when you measure her against other characters.  Sure, she's jealous of Wendy and tries to have her killed and she is strangely possessive of Pan, but she's makes more sense than either of the two leads.

Let's start with Pan.  He is the hero, right?  The whole play is centered around him and his joyous youthful adventures.  You are supposed to want to run away with him, right?  But if he is the symbol of everything wonderful about childhood, well then he fails.  He's selfish, cruel, and shows a remarkable lack of curiosity.  He actively mocks learning.  In song and dance even.  Pan does what he likes and doesn't much care about the consequences.  I've worked with children for years and I have to say I am offended.  Yes, kids can be like that at times - but so can adults.  I suppose there's a reason Pan has a whole syndrome named after him but there are actually plenty of wonderful qualities associated with childhood and Pan seems to possess none of them.

Now Wendy is so strange that I can't decide if this is because gender roles have changed so much or she is just horribly written.  She is clearly in love with Pan and runs away with him.  Ignoring the fact that she brings her brothers with lets talk about what she does when they get to Neverland.  Does she get to run around and have adventures with everyone?  No she has to be a mom.  She goes to Neverland not avoid growing up, but to play at growing up.  Pan is father and "husband" but he is hardly a supportive partner to Wendy - frequently mocking her efforts to act as mother - a role he specifically brought her to Neverland to fill.  Wendy is an effing doormat.  So when she finally escapes Neverland does she get to go off an have adventures?  No she has a daughter and sits every night in her childhood nursery waiting for the return of the selfish brat that she still hasn't gotten over after all these years.  And when he finally returns what does she do? She offers up her entire female line as some sort of sacrifice to Pan.  Does she completely forget that she nearly died in Neverland or does she not care that she's sending her child to a dangerous place with a forgetful and careless boy?  Is this some wacky form of Stockholm Syndrome?

Since Pan doesn't change (and he wouldn't have to grow up to grow as a character) the only way the play really works for me is if Pan is presented as a tragic figure.  Showing how his unwillingness to grow up denies him the opportunity to fully enjoy and participate in life.  But then you have Wendy there still adoring him and waiting for him and giving him her children.  Which makes it feel like the play is trying to present Pan as an ideal.  But he isn't.  He's not even very much like a real child.

I don't know how much was rewritten for this version - I do know that they added a song.  (But only because I watched a behind the scenes thing -as I mentioned, my memory of the songs is hazy. ) I think if I'd been in charge of the rewrite I would have changed the ending.  Let Wendy go off and live a life and have her own adventures.  Let her really grow up and not fixate on the boy who kidnapped her and her brothers.  Let Pan return to an empty nursery and wonder where she is.

I am not saying I totally hate Peter Pan - in terms of cultural literacy I think the play is very important.  But I have to say I see things very differently through adult eyes.  Perhaps that's because I'm a stodgy old grown up now. 

Who'd happily climb a tree and still wants to fly.

On a semi - related note Tom & Lorenzo are doing Musical Monday's again.  They did Grease last Monday which I think is the perfect example of a movie looks totally different through grown up eyes.  I've seen it plenty of times since becoming a "grown up" but I just might tackle it at some point for this series.

On Modesty and "Old Fashioned"

This recent post on Cos Couture got me thinking about modesty and how we often associate "old fashioned" with covered up and modest looks.  Which is a bit odd. It assumes that fashion runs in some sort of line straight from completely covered to showing it all off.  But fashion has always cycled.  

A fashion plate from 1919

Now, I will be the first to point out when skirts are too short in a film or show set in the 1920s but while the actual length of a 1920s dress may look long to modern eyes, in terms of what women were wearing just a decade earlier hemlines were shockingly higher.  But they didn't stay that way and by the 1930s they had fallen again to something closer to 1910s lengths. 

Rising hemlines in the twenties . . .

 . . .Falling ones in the thirties.

And then there's the sixties.  The mini skirt was mini.  So short many women opted for tights to avoid flashing people.  Last time I was in a store I didn't see any dresses or skirts that short.  And while the 20th century saw some of the biggest shifts, hemlines have always risen and fallen.

I admit this is evening wear, but clearly plunging necklines are nothing new.

It's the same for necklines and the tightness of how clothes are worn.  I guarantee there are plenty of older women and men who have uttered comments on how "dowdy" modern clothes are.   Yes, there are "Old fashioned" folks out there thinking the young people should wear tighter  and more revealing clothes.  And no, they are not all dirty old men.

This is the first image that popped up when I did a Google search for "appropriate work wear" Yawn.

While the casual and special occasion clothes of today can some times get pretty revealing the notion of accepted work wear  is pretty conservative.  Can you imagine an office allowing women to wear skirts as short as those shown in the SCDP offices in recent seasons of Mad Men?  When I was younger I was pulled aside for wearing clothes that showed  a little too much or were too brightly colored according to those who spoke to me.  I didn't think I was showing too much or being inappropriate but I did as told.   Then when I got into vintage dressing I had to think carefully about what I could get away with and what would lead to another "little chat".

In the Cos Couture article she writes about how the visibility of the human nipple through clothes was not considered to be obscene and in fact its appearance was sometimes enhanced with the sewing of buttons on the bra.  It brought to mind a time when I was bra shopping and asked the clerk if they had any bras that weren't lined with foam.  She responded to me in a despairing tone "But the nipples."  Apparently I had been unaware that such exposure was not only undesirable but downright tragic.  And yet the store was filled to the brim with push up and padded bras.  Clearly enhancing the actual size of one's assets was okay but let's not remind people that breasts have a functional as well as decorative purpose!  Where will fashion take us twenty, thirty, fifty years from now?  What are we enhancing and admiring right now that will become obscene?  What will we chose to show off and augment instead?
 

Just some old fashioned ladies.

So why is that most people equate "Old fashioned" with prim, proper, and (occasionally) prudish?   Is it because most people are ignorant of fashion history?  Is it the idea that fashion only runs in one direction?  Is it, perhaps, coming from the same place that the notion that old people are naive and unworldly?  That the mythical "Good Old Days" were a simpler and more innocent time? I hate to shatter anyone's illusions but the "Good Old Days" exist only in people's imaginations.  Life was never simple, it was just different.  Attitudes change over time, maybe sometimes for the better.  Of course what is "better" will depend on your perspective.

"Old fashioned" should simply mean that it's fashion from a time previous to now.  But that's not how it's used.  This certainly doesn't bother me on the level of a "wrong era" comment.  I think how it really bothers me is that it seems to be closely associated with a value judgement.  The person using the remark is often either praising or insulting what they deem to be "old fashioned."  Either being an "old fashioned" girl is good because you are prim, sweet, and proper or it's bad because you are prudish, repressed, and dowdy.  Take your pick.  I prefer neither.

What do you think of when you hear the term "old fashioned"? 

Nanowrimo update

Saturday morning I crossed the finish line on my Nano novel.

 After confirming it, I turned off my computer and didn't turn it back on again until this morning.

This is the song I was listening to when I wrote that 50,000th word:

Seemed appropriately festive.

Here's to the return to non-novel writing.

NanoWrimo did swallow me whole*

So why didn't I use my carnival of a closet for this year's Halloween costume?  Confession: I wanted to be Harley but I was a little nervous about premiering the costume at a con.  I know, me nervous about wearing ANYTHING? She who flounces about in public in things most folk would be embarrassed to leave the house in?  Who puts on hats, gloves, and seamed stockings whenever she can?  Who has no problem wearing a cosplay to a movie completely unrelated to it?  Or perhaps dinner out as Captain America on a day that isn't Halloween?

Crazy eyes, also a some what blurry look at the makeup.

Well, we all have our comfort zones.  And for me fem versions of male characters had become a con comfort zone.  Oh yes, I have Death but have you ever noticed how she isn't sexualized like many other female comic book characters?  Harley represented the deep end to me and since I'm not one to do things by halves I decided to go for it.  But with a little caution.

Yet another poorly drawn concept sketch. Those little shapes in the corner are ideas for pattern pieces.

The costume itself presented some other challenges.  There's a lot of Harleys out there and while I find inspiration in looking at other cosplayers I certainly don't want to straight up copy someone else. I don't know where the 1920s style came from but once it hit me I was churning out concept sketches.  I like that it fits with Harley's gangster's moll voice.  I also like that it's something I've never really seen and reflects my own style as well as Harley's.  Plus, comfy.

This dress seems good for dancing.  Must go dancing in it some time.

Let's start with the dress:

Fabric - As mentioned, I was having trouble finding the right fabric and once I found it I realized the cost of fabric alone would be twice my cosplay budget.  While I always go over budget I felt like it was bad to go that far over with one purchase.  So I strolled the aisles of the fabric store looking for something that was even close to what I had in mind.  Needing two particular colors in the same fabric made this an extra challenge.  All I could find was 100% polyester.  I am not a fan of polyester.  I don't sew with it and I try to limit it's presence in my ready made clothes.  But, standing in the fabric store, I realized that if I wanted to be Harley - this was it.  I told myself that if I didn't get the fabric now, I'd have to do something else.  Or completely re-evaluate my plans for the costume.  So I bought it.  My major complaints about the fabric were how badly the fabric frayed and that after pre-washing the fabric lost most of it's drape.

Notice how I managed to hide most of the neat details on my costume?  I'm very good at that.

The pattern - In the past I've made two twenties style dresses by adapting commercial patterns.  I was ready to try self drafting.  Which is actually another one of the reasons I didn't go with my ideal fabric - I would have been quite upset if the dress was a failure and I ruined that much expensive and beautiful fabric.  I looked at tons of reference photos, drew pictures, and thought a lot about construction.  I used plain old brown package wrapping paper to create the pattern pieces.  The pattern worked well except I had made it too long and had to cut out about a foot and a half in the middle and reattach the skirt to the bodice.  I'm excited to try making another 20's style dress again because I have all sorts of ideas for improving construction. 

The sequins look better than this in real life, I swear

The decoration - Initially I was on the fence about adding lace but as I messed up a bit on putting the neckline together - I decided the lace would nicely cover my mistake.  I wanted to bead the dress but I found the fabric to be too flimsy to stand up to the weight of beads so I used sequins instead.  There are still beads there - I used them in the middle of the sequins to help hold them on like I've seen on other garments.  I've never put sequins on anything before but once I got the hang of it - it was kind of fun.  Plus I love the results.  Sparkly.

Best close up shot of the hat.  Also, no glasses so you can better see the makeup.

The hat:
I had a hat in mind but I figured the dress was the priority.  I was going to make a quick scarf to wear ala Clara Bow (my other visual inspiration for this costume.) but I ended up making something too big to use.  I decided since I had everything I needed to make the hat I might as well go for it.  I used veiw C from this pattern and it was super fast and easy.  I didn't look at the instructions though.  And I didn't use fleece like I was supposed to.  I have to say, I think I'm in love with sewing hats.  It takes so little fabric and goes so fast.  It's the beading that was time consuming but like with the sequins, the results were worth it.

The bag:
Harley carries a little black handbag sometimes but that's sort of boring.  I took fabric I already had (a cream colored linen) and made a little bag.  I beaded the dollar sign (hugely time consuming) and bought some pretty gold cord and voila - a fancy beaded bag that doubles as a loot bag.

Other accessories:
Earrings - The red one is part of a pair I made back when I made beaded jewelry.  The black one is from a pair I got as a gift (Thanks S!).
Gloves- Captain America to the rescue here.  I took one of the gloves I no longer needed for cap and bought a black pair from Sock Dreams.  I used the remaining lace to edge the gloves.  Of course now I have an "extra" pair of mismatched gloves.  I'm sure I'll come up with a use for them.
Gun - Bought at a party store - definitely something not something I was interested in making.  I do have plans to alter it so it fits with the costume better but those had to wait til after Halloween. (As my friend says: "Eh, it's just Halloween." Cons are when it's important.)
Shoes - the prettiest shoes in the world from Miss L Fire.  How I wish I'd had the money to get them in all four colors - it would have been awesome to wear one black and one red.
Stockings -Both from sock dreams but different pairs.  One with a red seam and one with a black seam.
Shawl - the little scarf that turned out way too big.

The whole thing?   Went off well.  I was particularly proud of my makeup.  I do need to do some minor adjustments on the dress - to improve fit - nothing cosmetic.  And then there's the gun - so this baby isn't quite con ready but I do think once it is I will have fun walking the con floor in it.  Though I'll probably still have nerves the first time.

Watch out Harley! Wonder Woman is behind you!

Even if Harley isn't completely done and I've got updates/revisions I'm working on for other cosplays I'm already thinking about a new one.  I want to try to do some simple ones - using the supplies I already have.  I've got someone in mind already but I don't know if I will do that one or work on updates on older costumes.  There is a con coming up in January that I hope to attend but I'm not really sure what I want to wear yet. 

* Well not only the novel - I obviously did other things but when I'm churning out 2,000-3,000 words a day I'm not too interested in spending more quality time with my computer.  Right now I'm less than 10,000 words from winning.  My novel is horrible and makes no sense.  So all is progressing as expected.

It's no Halloween but it's still one of my favorite Holidays

It's Veteran's Day.  I urge you to DO something nice for the vets in your life.  Because actions speak louder than words and it doesn't have to be huge.  Take 'em out for a drink - it can be a soft drink if they don't drink alcohol.  Bake 'em a cake.  Let 'em take possession of the remote.  Whatever thing you can do to let them know that while you can never possibly fully thank them for what they've done you will never forget it.

Don't have a vet in your life?  You can always donate:

Disabled Veterans of America
Veterans of Foreign Wars
United Service Organizations

Sadly, Batman didn't show up

Okay, so first of all, since 2004 I've been doing this every November:

So right now I'm mostly trying to get a novel started.  However, after teasing for months I felt like I should at least share this:

Yup, a 1920's style Harley Quinn.  I'm sure you already guessed it.

Because I don't have time right now to put together a whole post on my costume.  I did get photos - not great ones mind you (I swear what looks clear and fine on the camera is blurry 75% of the time.) but photos.

I will have more photos, details, and an explanation for why I chose not to got the closet costume route this Halloween in a full post.  Next week.  Unless I get swallowed by a novel.

Halloween Costume link round up

It's down to the wire.  If you are still casting about in desperation for a costume - hopefully these links (or Imelda's video) will help inspiration strike. 

The Trashy Diva blog has lots of ideas.  I especially like this one .  Mostly because it encourages people to not go buy stuff they will never use again.

Take Back Halloween is full of brilliant ideas for those who are sick of the traditional "sexy" costume.  My personal favorite is Rosalind Franklin and it's a super easy closet costume type to boot!

Head on over to Closet Case Files for some wonderful Iconic costumes.  I would add Janis Joplin and Dorthy Parker to the mix as well- and not just because I may have been them for past Halloweens.

Have you seen the massive Halloween Series on  New Dress A Day ?  31 Thrifted/closet/on the cheap costume looks.   They are all amazing but I think The Artist is certainly near the top for me.  Can't wait to see the rest.

Curious about my costume?  If I have a chance I will post a pic on Friday - if not Sat.  Either way - have a massively Happy Halloween!

A photo and a suggestion

Any guesses?

Been busy this week with work on my costume and other things.  Just wanted to leave you with this teaser photo and to remind/inform you that ComicFest is this Saturday.  Go and enjoy.

A costume fiend's guide to closet costumes: Part Two

Okay, here's some other ideas.  Not knowing what someone has in their closet I can't guarantee any of these will work but hopefully they will get you thinking about ways in which you can create a costume for (almost) free.  I'm also noting "bonus buys" - items you have the option of buying that won't cost a lot of money but will be a nice touch.

I cannot say how much I love this photo

Punk - I've actually done this for a friend and I also punkified my second doctor costume once but I figure you got enough of my mug in the last post.  Tartan, fishnets, bandanas, leather and jean jackets, buttons, patches, blue jeans, studs, docs, etc . . . Have a shirt destined for the rag bag?  Tear it more and "fix it" with some safety pins.  Heavy and messy makeup. 

Bonus buy: funky colored hair is great so if you're everyday hair isn't quite as wild as some folk - get some hair chalk or spray color to make it more punk.

Dent is the gent on the right.

Arthur Dent - Put on your favorite PJs and robe.  Don't forget your towel.  So easy I feel silly even bringing it up.  Seriously, when I did a search for the reference photo I found another site that listed Dent as a suggestion for a cheap costume. 

Bonus Buy: Pimp your "electronic book" with a "Don't Panic" decal.  This is the one I have on mine.

 

I don't think Jason is wearing enough red here.

Mighty not yet morphed Power Rangers - I was thinking of this already but when my brother brought it up and I just had to mention it.  Remember how the rangers always wore the color of what ever ranger they were even when they were in their regular clothes?  Go through your closet and see what color predominates.  That's your ranger.  Also, this would be an awesome group costume. 

Bonus buy: Check out thrift stores in the toy and jewelry section for something that resembles a communicator.  Wear it and talk into it all night.

Be sure to click through to check out more wonderful photos

Suffragette - Have a long skirt and high necked long sleeve blouse?  Or a long dress?   Make a sash that  says "Votes for women" - a sharpie and an old sheet are all you really need.  Failing that you can always make a sign.  Put your hair up and add a hat if you have one.  Instant suffragette.

Bonus buy: In the US the suffragette colors were purple, white, and gold (purple, white, and green in the UK) so pick up some ribbons in the appropriate color and make rosettes.  Tutorial here.  Pin them in your hair and on your dress,  give them away if you make a bunch.  Or if you don't want to go to the trouble of making rosettes just put the ribbons in your hair or on your hat.

The mid '90s series was awesome (Nancy is in the middle)

Nancy Drew - I dress like Nancy all the time but I tend to stay firmly within her earlier years.  You don't have to go vintage - Nancy has a lot of looks to pick from.  She's been a blonde, a red head, and a brunette.  She's "lived" from the 1930's until now.  Take a gander at this page for a guide to the various versions of her in print.  This page can help with visual references to her appearances on film and TV.  Be sure to have a notebook and pencil for writing down clues and a flashlight just in case of "in the dark" sleuthing.  Also handy if you happen to be escorting trick-or-treaters.

Bonus buy - A magnifying glass would be a great accessory.  It wouldn't have to be a large one either.  I am particularly fond of the necklace kind. 1928 Jewelry has a wide selection here.

Still stumped?  Here's a few more hints:

-Look at that percentage of your wardrobe that never gets worn.  Little black cocktail dress?    There's always the bombshell version of Catwoman.  Pencil skirt that's a little too vavoom for work? Go rockabilly with teased hair and a t-shirt knotted at the waist.  Item of clothing covered in sparkles and sequins?  You can be a circus performer.

-Enlist the help of a friend and go through each others' wardrobes.  Maybe there's something you can lend each other or maybe one of you will "see" a potential costume that the other just can't.

- While I may have discouraged buying from a Halloween store - I do think it's a good place to get ideas.  You may actually own most of the pieces of a fab costume - you just need to get the inspiration.  Also, you can sometimes find nice things at a reasonable price that serve as good touches to a costume.

-As I mentioned before - it's always good to reuse things from previous costumes - so what have you been?  What were your friends?  I have no problem "renting"  some of my costumes to a friend - though I do have some rules.  Like "don't alter it" and "DON'T wash it".  You may have a friend who is totally cool passing along last year's costume.  Just be respectful of what their wishes are regarding it.

-Never be afraid of starting with a previous year's costume and doing something new with it.  With some fake blood and scary makeup it's not hard to do a zombie version of a previous costume. Or maybe you can combine parts of an old costume to create new one.

I hope I gave you some ideas or at least a starting point for your costume.  For me it's not about having the best costume or the most impressive or even being recognized (Which pretty much NEVER happens on Halloween. ) but being comfortable and happy in it.  And for that to happen you never need to spend a lot of money or time. 

A costume fiend's guide to closet costumes: Part One

I love Halloween.  While I love things like candy, pumpkin carving, and wee kiddos trick-or-treating my favorite part is obviously the costumes.  Pre-cosplay I used to spend months and sometimes lots of money putting together costumes.  Ones, that sadly, sometimes only got worn once.  Now while I am all for dropping whatever cash you can afford to put together a costume you love and plan on wearing over and over - it just doesn't make sense for something you're only going to wear once.  And seriously, do not drop big $$ at a Halloween store.  Some stuff is nice but most of it is over priced and cheap.  So, that's why I'm writing a two part guide to building a costume from what's in your closet with little or no need for purchasing anything.

While I obviously own actual costumes this post will focus on ones I put together from what I had in my closet.  Yes my "ordinary" clothes aren't very typical but I still think most folks can pull something off. 

A general apology about the quality of my photos - as I wrote last month my camera tends to die on Halloween so I don't always have decent pics.  Or any at all.  In some cases I'm cropping out others and in other cases I simply don't have full length pics.

This was at the end of the night - my makeup held up well.  Also, this was the year I got smart and borrowed a camera when mine died.

Last year I was the Emcee from Cabaret.   My vision for the costume was a sort of menswear inspired but feminized version of the various costumes - which range from a tux to shorts and suspenders.  With the exception of the undershirt (borrowed from my brother) everything is something I already owned.  I did buy some makeup to make my face white.  It was actually eyeshadow which got plenty of use as intended after that night.

Wow, a full length shot.  So rare.

This could easily be adapted depending what you have and how much skin you want to show - I almost went with lacey pettipants and fishnets but I decided I felt like being more covered up that night.  Another variation would be just to wear a suit.  The main thing here is the makeup - heavy and theatrical.  Most of these costumes rely on makeup - if you aren't comfortable applying your own makeup see if you have a friend willing to make you up. 

This is an example of picking the worst possible background for a shot.  Had I known I was only going to get three pics out of my camera before it died I would have been more careful.

The year before I was Regina - the evil Queen from Once Upon a Time. Again this is all stuff I own.  I did end up having to buy a black dress because I didn't own one at that time.  Like the eyeshadow for the Emcee, it got plenty of use after Halloween.  Feel free to use Halloween as the excuse to buy something you plan on using in your day to day life.  The paper mache heart and shrug were from previous costumes - don't forget that anything you made or bought for previous years might be a good starting point for this year. 

My paper mache heart.  Isn't it pretty?

Again, this is a costume that hinges on makeup - and hair.  Really once you have that down, just wear the most fabulous outfit you can put together in a dark color.  Obviously a heart is a nice touch but if I hadn't already made one I wouldn't have bothered. 

Oddly enough, not the most unflattering photo of me.  Also, I'm not wearing makeup here - does this count as a no makeup selfie?

And then there was the year I was a pirate. Pirates are pretty easy to put together. Stripes, bandanas, vests, etc . . .  Everything I already owned (including long striped socks that aren't pictured.) with the exception of the hat.  I bought a plain floppy brimmed felt hat at Old Navy (of all places). I altered it so it was tri-cornered - an easy (and reversible) fix that requires almost no sewing skills - and added the feather.  Which I had lying around.  I could have kept the hat floppy and it would have still worked - I just wanted a tri-corner hat.  If you own a striped shirt or peasant blouse - pair it with some black yoga pants, and boots and you're halfway there.  And, as I note in the caption - I'm not wearing makeup.  I think you can go either way with a pirate look so rock what's most comfortable.

My brother as Dream, and me as Death.  Probably my favorite picture of us together. 

As I mentioned in my post about my Death cosplay - it began life as a Halloween costume.  The only item I bought for the costume was the ankh.  Yes, I already owned a black lace parasol.  I bought it for another costume but it's a ringer for Death's - spooky.  Or coincidence.

You can't see the Ankh, but you can see the rest of my costume.

If you want to be Death you don't have to buy the ankh - just cut out a piece of cardboard in the shape of an ankh and cover it in foil.   Since Death is an eternal  and has worn all different looks through out time you can pretty much wear what ever you want as long as it's the right color.  Death mostly wears black but she does wear red at funerals.  My advice for the eye is to use either a pencil or marker type eyeliner. I also think whiting out your face is optional - no matter what your skin tone.  So if you don't want to cover yourself in white greasepaint, don't.

Hope this will give you some ideas.  I will be back next week with a few more ideas that will hopefully make creating a costume from your own closet easy.  Never let a lack of funds or sewing skills prevent you from having an awesome costume again.