Star Trek, The Next Generation: A Photo Story

Last year, Eliza was a hobbit for Halloween. The costume was incredible. She looked adorable. She made it to SFGate’s Crafty Halloween Costume Hall of Fame.

So this year, I upped my game, and made her a beautiful multi-layer, multi-shade, green organza skirt to wear as Puck. The first time I put her in it, she shrieked and cried, and now she cries when she sees it. Organza is itchy, you see. And the loss of four hours of my life so depresses me that I can’t post the picture yet.

I racked my brain for a few weeks, and then decided to go matchies with Gillian. This was Eliza’s first costume, in 2009.

The hair is hers. The eyebrows are not.

Since then, I was in a play that required this shirt:

Image and t-shirt from ThinkGeek.com

A family of redshirts! We’re all doomed together, at least.

I started Eliza’s costume with a red leotard purchased online from a dance company. I fabric-glued ricrac to it, and with the help of white felt and a black iron-on patch, made the insignia. Fabric glue made the costume almost complete.

All I needed was the collar. Until I realized I’d glued the insignia to the back of the leotard.

Note that the leotard is, indeed, backwards.

Off came the insignia, and back on it went. And then, not wanting to wait for a trip to the fabric store, I bought a $10 “velvet” vampire cape at Walgreen’s, whose fabric was thin and stretchy. Perfect for a leotard. Sewed it in place in under 10 minutes.

Put it on Eliza… and the stretch in the leotard placed the insignia somewhere around her spleen. Off it came. Back on it went.

A trip to American Apparel later, and presto! Black tights and a red skirt, and we had Toddler Uhura to go with Baby Redshirt.

Special thanks to Dottie of ModernKiddo for hosting us for trick-or-treat in Alameda!