Halloween:From Stash to Treasure

People who know us, know. They know that Halloween is a big deal in our house. It always has been. My husband and I approach this ghostly holiday with as much, (if not more) vigor and delight as Christmas. Some years the preparations begin as early as April to be ready for the big night. We have hosted parties under circus tents in our backyard, built cemeteries, creatures of the animatronic species: (an·i·ma·tron·ic Pronunciation: \ˌa-nə-mə-ˈträ-nik\ Function: adjective Etymology: short for audio-animatronic -of, relating to, or being a puppet or similar figure that is animated by means of electromechanical devices ) and walk- through frights. Our costumes usually take more than 20 hours to complete. We don't subscribe to the store bought Halloween here, no Sir. Homemade or not at all is the house Halloween policy. We make costumes for countless other people and work in the winter on full facial appliances made with liquid latex, plaster and wax to alter our appearances come October. Stay tuned for some recaps from Hallows past around this year's night of October 31st. Ahh, the pressure to out do our selves! When we found out we were going to have a baby, we both started thinking about what type of a costume would be best. I wanted to wait until we at least knew if it was a girl or a boy. My husband wanted to wait to meet the baby, to let it's personality guide him on the costume choice. A big deal indeed. As we approach this first Halloween, we are a bit divided, but have conceded to each other. Or my husband has conceded to me, rather. (Smart idea). My costume idea has (reluctantly by one on the board of Halloween) been voted in as the winner, due to comfort, ease of construction and time constraints. (We are still on the fire wood assignment of course) His costume idea is great and would have been a treat, but also would have required about 20 more hours to complete, without any assurance that it would actually work on an 11 month old baby. Along with a long recipe list of craft materials and mold making ingredients that is just too long to assemble in time. I know I will win him over, even though he feels a little slighted. Halloween is a bit like his version of childbirth I think. He wanted to go through this, and do the work and try hard, you know, to bring Ava into Halloween, like I brought her into the world. Cosmic, yes. Crazy. I know. In the ever pressing task of coming up with a first Halloween costume for Ava, I turned to my fabric stash for inspiration. Of course, the costume has to fit into certain logistical guidelines: it has to be comfortable, reasonable and functional. Read: warm. We are in Maine you know. I love it when a castoff scrap calls you from the stash and whispers to you the real purpose it should fulfill. These little polka dot flannel and red fleece scraps whispered their purposes as booties for Old Hallows Eve. I certainly wish I could now share the rest of the (yes, warm, soft and comfortable) costume I toiled into the night completing, but alas, we must save something for the big reveal on the big night. So here is a little preview. I am off to work on knitting. Oh yeah, and 2 more costumes, for us "adults".