Shark Costume Part 2: Drafting and Cutting Out the Tail

UPDATE!  See this link for the Shark Costume Pattern

Welcome to part 2 of the Shark Costume Tutorial series!  This posting will focus on drafting and cutting out the tail. 

I love making Halloween costumes.  In fact, Halloween costumes were the first project to really make me want to learn to sew.  I just HAD to have something different from the standard brothel pirate costumes and Elvira wigs at local stores, but I didn't exactly have the funding for anything elaborate.

So the requirement was "uniquely cheap."  Or maybe "cheaply unique."  :)

Did I mention I had no idea how to sew?

I went to the local Joann's and browsed the Halloween patterns, trying to find something I could manage on my own.  Eureka!  The Flintstones!  How hard could it possibly be? 

Turns out it was a little harder than I thought, but after some trial and error it turned out bueno.  I made costumes for my roommate, myself and our dates.  Roommie K. and her beau were Fred and Wilma.  My short, blond date and I -- with my sassy little bob -- made a picture-perfect Barney and Betty.  It worked out perfectly and I was hooked!  Okay, perfect except my date felt a little too twinkie-esque and added horns to his forehead with fake blood running down into his eyes.  Harumph.  Boys...)

Didn't the costumes turn out cute?!  Sorry for the quality...and cropping.  No creepy ex-boyfriends on this blog!

Anyway, here's how this shark tail thing is going to go down...

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along Part 6 - Mission Complete!

The tote liner turned out FANTASTIC!  And yes, though I'm guilty of dragging out my postings, I did complete it and send it to my friend _before_ her baby debuted.  Gorgeous little K.T. joined us Jan 14, and I'm so pleased this reached her loving momma in time.  :)

So, are you ready to see the final step?

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along Part 5 - Homestretch! Liner Construction

 
We're almost there! All that's left is to construct the liner using the parts and pieces we've prepared -- what we're going to do today -- and then to attach it to the bag.  Let's get this puppy together!

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along Part 4 - Attach and Divide the Pockets

Hiya!  Well, after a few days away, I thought we might jump back into making the lining for our Thirty-One Utility Tote.  If you have one of these totes, you know that the outsides are usually beautiful and covered in lots of practical pockets.  From a quality of construction standpoint, they hold up really well to extensive abuse.  The only real problem for me is that the inside is a bare, plain white.  No lining, no pockets.  Here's one that was given to me a couple of years ago: 

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along Part 3 - Organizing Pocket Prep

Our tote liner's coming along fantastic!  If you're just jumping on board, be sure to check out the first and second postings in this series.  Thanks for joining me!

For this posting, I'm going to prep the pockets.  When you're first learning to sew, it may seem like the bag structure should come first and the pockets be an afterthought.  But the pockets actually have to be sewn and inserted before you sew any of the bag sides together --you can't insert them later.  Bags, like many garments, have to be constructed in a certain order for various features like pockets, linings, dividers and zippers to be incorporated.  That's why you should always sit down and really plan your bag on paper before you start cutting and sewing...at least, if you want to have any organizing features.

Remember how I told you not to fuse the pocket pieces along with the other bag parts?  I have something special in mind for these.  Read on to find out what!  :)

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along Part 2 - Cutting and Interfacing

Welcome back to the Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along!  For the next step, let's focus on cutting and stabilizing our fabric.  If you're just joining us, welcome! ...and be sure to check out this posting to catch up.

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along - Planning and Fabric Prep

Another year gone? Really?  I don't know about you, but 2012 took my family for quite a ride!  In all the excitement, I didn't get a few things on the blog that I had promised, and even more that I had planned.  So here's a look at a few of the projects that were completed, and the tutorials will make it to the stage in 2013: