Sunday, October 28, 2007

Lumpyhead’s DJ Lance Costume

The DJ Lance costume is finished.

Behold:
I think we can all agree that I wouldn't last one episode on Project Runway. Tom and Lorenzo would be brutal.

Close up of the hat:It is not as big and furry as I would like it to be, but it's the best I could do. In the couple times I have put it on Lumpyhead's noggin to test for fit, he has hated it. Awesome. I bet he won't wear it for more than two seconds.

The glasses arrived a couple of days ago:
(Men's black-rimmed glasses from ebay, with no-power lenses.) Unlike the hat, Lumpyhead seems to love these, even though they slip down his nose immediately.

I made the shirt, pants, and hat using this pattern, then glued felt trim onto them.
"Made easy" would be the key selling point about this pattern, because I'm a lousy seamstress. It still took nearly two weeks. (I'm sure it would have taken an eleven-year-old Indonesian sweatshop worker 14 minutes.)

The biggest let-down of the whole process? These things:
I printed the puppets onto transfer paper, sewed up a little pouch, and stuffed it with batting. The plan was to have Lumpyhead carry them around in my friend Rich's poker chip case - which is silver on the outside and black felt-lined on the inside - to which we would affix color paper cut-outs to make it look like DJ Lance's boom box. But I'm really disappointed with how the dolls turned out. Because of the jersey-knit fabric I used and the "lousy seamstress" thing, they look like iron-ons stuck to some hoopty old socks.

Now, because 1) they suck and 2) we don't think we can convince Lumpyhead to carry the poker chip case around, they won't be part of the costume. Which is sort of a shame because . . .

From the “Because I’m a Damn Genius, Yes I Am” Department

While I was making the dolls action figures, I did this.
Can you see it? How about now?
It's a spot on our dining room table where all the finish has been removed. It is exactly iron-sized.

Why, no, I don’t know how that got there.

[whistles while avoiding your eyes]

Happy Halloween.

14 comments:

theotherbear said...

Well I think the costume looks very impressive. Most impressed by that iron mark on the table, too...

Auntly H said...

You deserve a whole King Size candy bar of your choice for this one.

Beth Fish said...

Sarah is so pissed at you, she wants that costume. Although I tried to convince her that she just wants the hat, because after a certain age nobody's butt looks good in an orange jumpsuit.

Violet said...

I like the look of that pattern. If I could be bothered to sew, I would probably try it.

Is there any chance you can apply an iron-shaped bit of polish on that table?

tammy said...

I love the costume. Too bad I've never seen the show so I have know idea who DJ Lance is.

Anonymous said...

I think everyone deserves to see DJ Lance, the original:

http://images.stltoday.com/stltoday/resources/gabba.jpg

I think Lumpyhead will be awesome.

Anne said...

Holy smokes, that's adorable! I didn't even know you could sew!!

Anonymous said...

I am in awe of your talents.

Em said...

Those glasses are the *best thing ever* and the costume is too cute. Don't fret about the lack of a poker chip case -- maybe you could carry it and put his candy in it?

As for the spot where the finish is missing: They make product for just such instances. E-mail me and I'll root around in the basement and get you a name.

nonlineargirl said...

You are my kind of seamstress. There is a small melty spot on our rug where I was ironing something and the iron touched the carpeting. Oops.

Devra said...

I couldn't get Aunt Bob's link to work for me, so I typed in my own google search. Lord help me. I typed in "DJ Lance Bass"

I am a moron.

Julie said...

Hell, I'm just impressed that you actually SEWED and IRONED to create his costume. Raisin's costume (Mary Poppins) was created from odds and ends I found on eBay and at Target, and the twins wore second-hand costumes from a rummage sale.

mo-wo said...

I bow to the uber-mama who actually sews the costume. I mean ours was homemade but that was by virtue of the thrift store and my mother's sewing skills.

mo-wo said...

I bow to the uber-mama who actually sews the costume. I mean ours was homemade but that was by virtue of the thrift store and my mother's sewing skills.