Plague Doctor, Health Screener Edition 2020

https://www.etsy.com/listing/236325647/plague-doctor-mask-pattern-pdf-download

Cartoonist/illustrator Erica Henderson prompted this project, after her Toucan Sam Plague Doctor, 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_8DBpgh16Q/

I figured I could make a fabric one for my job as a health screener.

I sewed the paper pattern together to test it

It just seems like the right costume at the right time at the right job.

This style has the added ridge down the nose which gives it more structure. I had considered adding a wire in that ridge if necessary, but on trying it on I realized it wasn't necessary.  The proportion of the width of the face portion vs the length of the nose, plus keeping this in as light a fabric as possible (I used muslin) keeps it from being too heavy. 

I took off the forehead piece and eyepieces, and contoured the upper seam to fit my face with my glasses on. The glasses definitely do the work here, I didn't need to duplicate 'eye coverings'.

Adding a second layer (one of the light poly cotton pieces from my regular face mask) makes it feel more like a real mask and reinforces the structure around the face. And adding the straps to hold it in place keeps the shape open and stabilizes it.

And it would be nicer if I had planned on adding it when I was sewing this together.

I could make it washable and finish it more nicely, but I'm hoping not to get a lot of use out of this one.

Getting a Snuffalupagus vibe here

This took less than an hour. Which shows, and you'll be more careful.

I modeled it with various hats. It needs the broadbrimmed original.

Frankly, I like it better out of paper. You could make this out of oaktag or craft foam and do fine.

The only sad thing is that the day before Halloween is going to be a very quiet day at work with hardly anyone to see the costume. And after polling the neighbors, we're not going to get any trick or treaters. This is my favorite holiday, I can't deny how sad this makes me.

To cheer myself up, I'm going to plan a sewing project for an outdoor decoration that is appropriate for every holiday. I mean, these things are SEWN.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Warner-9-5-ft-Pre-Lit-Beetlejuice-Sandworm-Animated-Airblown-Inflatable-224336/308475547

One last minute costume suggestion:

https://wintercroft.com/

You can cut them out of paper and decorate them and wear them and hang them on the wall.

They make splendid things.

The Inevitable Halloween Costume Post 2020 edition

Umbrella Academy, photo Netflix

Not everyone in the Umbrella Academy wears a regatta blazer.

Simplicity 9094, an Academic lewk

https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2020/10/01/pattern-roundup-halloween-2020?

I really appreciate how they have mentioned some current pop culture references; Umbrella Academy is not that well known, and Ratched (also mentioned, it's the Ryan Murphy prequel story with Sarah Paulson) may have slid past some folks' radar.

https://www.simplicity.com/simplicity-storefront-catalog/patterns/brands/simplicity-sewing-pattern-s9094-misses-mens--teens-cosplay/

Number Six wears a regatta jacket too.

https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/09/tcdpris_ec025-2000.jpg

Because there really aren't a lot of new and weird costume patterns out this year (and if I missed them, please comment), I'm going to share the purchased kind.

https://www.amazon.com/ZMJ-Hellboy-Right-Halloween-Costume/dp/B07PQLT9BW/

Right Hand of Doom, screen accurate

I am never going to finish the Left Hand of Doom

What I love are the 'NonLicensed But You Know What They Are' selections.

Smiffy Costumes on Amazon (search 'Smiffy women costumes' for best entry selection)

has solved for Mamma Mia! costumes...

Microphone not included

Remember the time in Joann's I met the kids who were going to go trick or treating as the twins from the Shining? I hope they are doing great.

They could get their mom to make them a couple of these sweaters

Hat included

https://www.cosdaddy.com/Cosdaddy-Gone-with-the-Wind-Scarlett-O-Hara-Cosplay-Green-Dress-Costume.html

This website has a lot of costumes on it. Animal Crossing, too.

It's hard to gin up a lot of enthusiasm for costuming this pandemic year. I didn't have a local con to finish the latest Dalek costume for, so the new hat/helmet is frozen in time. I had promised myself to keep working on it, doing a very gradual layering up of paint over a week or two, for the time when I would need it, but you know how life intervenes?  I'm still sketching that Elric Bro hoodie as well.

for more of this absurd goodness:

https://www.thedad.com/knockoff-halloween-costumes-are-so-funny-its-spooky/

It's links to Twitter responses to a call for weirdest knock off costumes, so everyone who took a photo gets their own linky credit.

And  speaking  of  Spirit  Halloween .....

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/style/spirit-halloween-costume-store-undead-forever.html

 is an ode to the pop up Halloween store

which I would appreciate if they hadn't opened right around the corner (literally the other side of the same building) from Display and Costume, my favorite holiday decoration store. A store that was going to be closing this year, instead saved by a last minute lease reprieve.

And which closed storefront did Spirit open in?

Pacific Fabrics Northgate.

(weeps openly)

I have to go finish my homework.

Masks continued

I am actually wearing the mask that matches the shirt. (Also a color coordinated Pekka jacket, and pants that coordinate absurdly well. This doesn't happen much except with black fabric, so I'd like an OOOOH, please.)

I am wearing the mask that matches my sister's pants

The pants of my sister, in progress in July

A batch of masks for my son and his tribe

The dress that matches this mask is done, but too summery for chilly October.

Yes, matching masks and seasonal masks will be a thing for the foreseeable future.

Hey, Ann!

I have continued to refine the process, cutting out second and third layers in batches and just roughly pinning them together, tossing them in the project box, sewing them together when it needs to happen. I have still not drunk any White Claw, but my corner store sells a lot of it, thus the free project box. I'm not worrying about the thread matching on the interiors, or even having a dark interior for a dark mask.

I cut out a lot of interior parts, and then I cut out exterior parts, and then I match them up and sew a batch.

The interior piece is a teeny bit smaller, to fit inside it a little better. I just recut the pattern piece to acknowledge I was doing this at the machine each time.

Chain sewing

Mostly I want my interiors to be comfortable and a cotton poly blend for evaporation. That's been less moist wearing them at work for hours and hours and hours.

I am cutting knit fabric to make straps

You pull on the cut strips to make them curl in on themselves (I learned this trick from Steph C at Cake) and they make pretty stretchy and comfortable straps, either around the head or around the ears. The lycra jerseys have more bounce to them for the 'around the ear' models.

I bought these on Amazon. They are not that bendy, so I'm not linking the product

Wire continues to be a pain. I have a lifetime supply of 10 gauge jewelry wire, so I can use that, but it is fiddly to get in once I have made a channel for it, or even goofier if I try to sew around it. I bought wire strips which are not heavy gauge enough to stay bent.

This is another instance of Amazon being inadequate to the supply chain. No inperson vetting for products new to market. I would buy from a known supplier if one were available. I have whined about Amazon's lack of interest in it's vendors and customers before, that complaint is still holding true if not more so now.

If you are going to shop with them, please leave reviews for products AND answer the questions about them if queried (and do ask those questions). I amuse myself by leaving short stories about the plastic crows I have purchased, but I do give prompt and accurate answers to more important product queries. If we are stuck with this ridiculous service after it has taken down all the real businesses that have cared about our custom, then we have to game it in our favor.

And for getting this far, a reward (with a tip of the hat to Threads for reminding me about this project)

https://www.instructables.com/Plauge-Doctor-Mask/

I am going to make one for work, because it's kind of inevitable that I would. 

I am a health screener now, you know.

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-mask-post.html

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-04/amazon-jeff-bezos-protest-beverly-hills

Housekeeping Note: Switching to Fridays

 I am taking a college accounting class this fall, as well as working, and my homework is due on Sunday night. 

I just finished my homework for today, and really can't wrap my brain around editing photos and wrangling captions and in-bedding videos and talking about sewing for work. 

Which I have been doing, and I have thoughts. The Pekka jacket is on version three, heading for four.

This is version two, the elephant version without the midpanel princess seams.

Four! And I hated it out of the gate. Go figure.

I have been trying be consistent about keeping a schedule on this here blog/storage shed , and trying to publish on Sunday nights. That's not going to happen for awhile, so I am shifting to Friday nights.

You can always read it Sunday night.

Or Monday morning.

It's a pandemic. What is time?

 and yes I am shameless

https://www.zazzle.com/i_am_going_to_survive_this_espresso_cup-183297920927885084

Modern Modernization Today

https://www.thedrum.com/creative-works/project/ogilvy-cdw-modern-modernization-today

 This was a ad on the Threads website.

Which just cracked me up, but I didn't have the time or mental bandwidth to click on at work.

Cause internet at work

But here I am a month later, going through the photo roll, and my photo reminder paid off.

It's short, and it will crack you up. 

Oh, that Ogilvy!

I didn't even show you Office Goat.