I don’t even know how to preface this project. Maybe a short back-story? Maybe not. Lets just say that Ace (like most children) has an active imagination and loves costumes. Unfortunately, I can’t find Ace lately. Batman seems to have moved in with us, and I’m sure Ace would love to meet him, but I never see them in the same room. So weird. Anyway, we feel extra-safe having Batman around, so I wrote a short story in graphic novel format about our latest adventures at home. I’ll upload the pics to Flickr, so hopefully you can click-through to read them even if you are on a small-ish screen; though, like much super-hero entertainment, a bigger screen is probably better. I hope you enjoy.
The details:
Bat-suit and mask from Burda Style 1/2014 (not yet on their website) size 110 (it fits over his clothes, but he’s on the small size for being nearly 5). The pattern comes with a utility belt, but Pete and I opted to skip the pattern for the belt and put together something special using an old belt that must have come attached to some shorts Pete bought some time ago. I gave it elastic loops to hold the Bat Light and the bubbles. The thing dangling off the front of the belt is a 3′ tape measure with a glow-in-the-dark Bat symbol painted on by Pete. I don’t know what that has to do with Batman, but little boys seem to love having a tape measure handy. (As an aside, I hadn’t realized how good Pete was at free-hand drawing the Bat symbol until he helped with this project) The pocket is slapped together out of quilting cotton and sewn on. Robin-Puppy is held on by a loop of fabric with Velcro so he can be easily attached/detached by Ace without help. Since all the stuff on the belt makes it heavy, I sewed down velcro on the free end of the belt loop and on that side of the belt to give it some extra hold. He hasn’t had it fall down on him yet. There are also cape instructions on the pattern, but I pretty much ignored them and free-handed the cape out of satin I had to make an emergency run to Wal-Mart to buy (how do I not have a stash of black satin?). Robin-Puppy’s mask and cape were also made on the fly with scraps of satin, grosgrain ribbon, and velcro for the cape, and felt/elastic for the mask.
The Bat-suit is made of Laguna cotton jersey, some from my stash, and some from a new piece I had bought to replenish my stash. I may have to stop counting Laguna cotton jersey as stash-busting or hoarding. It seems to be my #1 staple fabric for all purposes.
The shirt Guinevere is wearing just happens to be one I made for her last year and never blogged. It’s mainly made of a shirt Pete wasn’t going to wear anymore, with scraps of Laguna cotton jersey left over from this shirt color-blocked because I didn’t have enough fabric with the way Pete’s shirt was configured. She looks so good in orange it just amazes me.
Stash-busting stats: 24/50 projects. 50 yards.
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