Thursday, October 29, 2015

Batgirl Birthday Costume Simplicity 1036

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Hey!!!
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Today is my birthday!  And my 40th one at that!   Yay!
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When the gym announced that they would be celebrating Halloween 2 days early, on my birthday, I started thinking about birthday costumes.
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First I wanted to be Catwoman, i.e. the 1960's Catwoman (think Eartha Kitt and Julie Newmar).   Seemed simple enough: form fitting black shirt and black workout pants, cat ears that I probably have in the closet from a past Halloween outfit, a wide gold belt worn at the hip and a gold chain or two around my neck.  Maybe buy black gloves and hot glue some gold fake nails for extra credit.
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But then I saw Simplicity 1036, Batgirl View A and I had.to.have.that.cape!!!!  Yes, I actually ventured into Joann's during the month of October to buy the pattern and the materials for this outfit.

Also I want to mention that it is really cool that Simplicity has the official licenses for these costumes, because it means it's the pattern for the real bat symbol and not some fake bat symbol.  :)

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The cape

this one
I purchased the black satin and yellow costume satin at Joann's.  This satin is more of the "Snow White" or "Robin cape" color yellow and not Batman yellow, but I am trying to give up my perfectionistic tendencies and decided that no one at the gym will say it's a real shame that the yellow satin does not match the yellow accessories.
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Falling off the edge of the table

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In progress, when I wonder clipped the lining to the cape exterior
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Real cape--real shoulder darts!
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Notable cape points:

  • The cape is a real cape!  It has a shoulder seam so that the cape actually sits on the shoulder and snaps to the front of the shirt.   That is so much better (albeit more time consuming) than a rectangle of fabric velcroed on the back!
  • It is fully lined.
  • The cape piece was too large for my cutting table so I brought it downstairs to my dining room table where it was still too large!    
  • Also I never work with shifty fabrics so this satin was sliding around all over.
  • Also the fabric had major wrinkles so I used my Elna Press to press them out, but also wound up getting water marks on the yellow satin after using my spray bottle even though I had tested the technique on a scrap of satin first.  Oh well!
  • The bat points are really, truly defined which is awesome!!!  Though I wound up sewing with 3/4" seam allowances instead of 5/8" because I have a new sewing machine and it is different than my old one.

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The shirt
  • I did not use the shirt pattern exactly.  I muslined it but it wasn't what I was looking for so I used my TNT Simplicity 9776 tank pattern (which has darts) and overlaid it with the Batgirl shirt pattern to morph it into something resembling a shirt.  
  • The fabric is Nike Dri-Fit from SewSassy.com.  
  • I did not bind the armholes, neckline, nor hemmed it because it is just a costume!  
  • Also no sleeves, because I will work out in this and don't need extra fabric on my arms.
  • I cut the bat symbol from sticky yellow felt, and tacked it on to the front since it was not staying in place.

The gloves

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  • Ok, I LOLed when the directions said "You have purchased gloves."  You're supposed to unpick the side seam of the purchased gloves and insert the flanges.  
  • Instead, I used some black ponte-ish fabric to make fingerless gloves from the Burda 7287 pattern.  
  • The "glove trims" are cut from two layers of yellow felt.  I had no idea that advances had been made in felt, so I bought felt that already has sticky glue on one side, and adhered it to another piece of felt without sticky glue.
  • I sewed the glove trims into the side seam of the gloves.
  • I did have to rotate the gloves by 180 degrees to get the seam to be on the outside, then cut a hole for my thumb.  
  • By using fingerless gloves, this will make my workout a little less hot.
  • Somehow one is longer than the other, but I am trying to give up perfectionistic tendencies and it is a costume.
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This one
The Utility Belt

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  • The utility belt was cut using the pattern, but eliminating the seam allowances.  This means it's 2" wide
  • as I did not have a continuous piece of felt (I had only purchased the felt rectangles), the belt is actually 4 lengths of felt sewn together to make a "continuous" pieced strip.
  • The bat symbol was cut from the felt with the sticky glue on the back, then tacked on in key places.
  • I made the "belt capsules" as per the directions; though they are not interfaced, I did faithfully zig zag the black "rings" onto the capsules.
  • I hand sewed the capsules on to the utility belt
  • I wish I had interfaced the capsules and pressed it because they do tend to get squished, but again, time to release some perfectionistic tendencies!!
  • The closure is black velcro, sewn on with yellow thread in the bobbin.  Originally black thread was in the bobbin but that showed on the outside and I couldn't let that one go....so I ripped it out and redid it.
The mask/bat ears

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My ham models the face mask and ears
  • it's actually supposed to be a hood, but that would be too hot for working out
  • I cut the eye mask away from the rest of the face pattern
  • I cut it out of black sticky felt and adhered it to a layer of non-sticky felt
  • I used bra strapping to make the band, which is stitched in between the layers of felt

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  • The ears are cut from black crafting foam, with the seam allowances cut away
  • I used a headband as a guide and cut a headband from 2 layers of black felt, stitched them together and used the bra strapping as the band.
  • The band has velcro sewn on
  • The ears have velcro hot glued on.  This way I can adjust the position of the ears
The pants
  • I decided to not re-invent the wheel and use my standard RTW workout pants instead of sewing ones from scratch.

The bootcovers

  • I'm not making the shoe covers as that would make this outfit too hot to workout in, but do you see the bat ears on the pattern?  Adorable!

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Overall I am quite pleased with this outfit and can't wait to wear it to class tonight!  I'm pretty sure I won't be able to do the whole class with the cape on, but maybe half of it??
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Be well!!


63 comments:

  1. WOW!!! How awesome is this?! You look absolutely fabulous! I love everything about your costume, and/or... birthday suit? If I may call it that :)
    Happy birthday, Kyle! I hope you have an absolutely wonderful day! *mwah*

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    1. Awww....thanks Carolyn! Hee for my "birthday suit"! :) Love your sense of humour!

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  2. That is fun! 40 and fabulous, have a wonderful day and best wishes.

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    1. Thank you Dilliander! It is fun to wear!!

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  3. so fantastic! you look great! happy birthday!

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  4. This might just be my very favourite out of all the wonderful things I've seen on your blog!
    Happy birthday batgirl!
    Best wishes, Jenny

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    1. Thank you Jenny! That is awesome that this might be your very favourite!

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  5. Happy birthday! Your costume is perfect and I appreciate your attempts to let it go when it comes to the perfect techniques we strive for in sewcialist circles. I've been trying to accept my projects instead of critiquing them lately, and it's really freeing! You look fantastic in this - and the Cape is gorgeous!

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    1. Hi Heather! Thank you! I love the cape! I'm still figuring out how to let go of my perfectionist tendencies. I think we are our own worst critics sometimes.

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  6. Happy birthday! Your costume is perfect and I appreciate your attempts to let it go when it comes to the perfect techniques we strive for in sewcialist circles. I've been trying to accept my projects instead of critiquing them lately, and it's really freeing! You look fantastic in this - and the Cape is gorgeous!

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  7. Happy birthday! Your costume is perfect and I appreciate your attempts to let it go when it comes to the perfect techniques we strive for in sewcialist circles. I've been trying to accept my projects instead of critiquing them lately, and it's really freeing! You look fantastic in this - and the Cape is gorgeous!

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  8. Happy birthday Kyle!!! It's a terrific costume - I love the cape points and the shoulder seams. It fits beautifully. I think it's good to let the perfectionism go a bit- it is liberating on some level.

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    1. Thanks Summer Flies! I love the cape points and shoulder seams too. I think my perfectionism was sucking some of the energy out of me.

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  9. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE!!!!!

    Cute costume:)

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  10. Happy birthday Kyle.
    This is the exact costume I'd love to make and you aced it. It's your perfect look😀
    Please celebrate your birthday for more than one day.

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    1. Thank you Maria! I like the idea of a multi-day celebration. The celebration continues on!!

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  11. Happy Birthday !!! and you look fabulous in your Bat Diva costume.

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  12. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE! Your Halloween costume is fantastic. I love it. That cape is awesome. The whole costume is awesome! Bravo!!

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    1. Awww, thanks so much Tomasa! I agree that it's awesome!

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  13. This is fantastic. Happy birthday, Bat Girl!

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  14. H*A*P*P*Y B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y!!!

    (can you stuff a packing peanut into the capsules to help them maintain shape?)
    This is one of the most awesome costumes I have seen this year.

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    1. That is a good idea, but I wound up just smashing them flat with my hands periodically. :)

      I am honored that it is one of the most awesome costumes you have seen this year!

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  15. SO WELL DONE! And a very Happy Birthday!

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  16. Great costume. I hope you had a great birthday.

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  17. Great costume. I hope you had a great birthday.

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  18. Freakin' awesome. I hope you have an amazing 40th birthday (welcome to the club)! I love love love that you are dressing up in costume to work out. And I agree with Velosewer – ALWAYS stretch out your birthday as long as possible, especially when you look this great!!

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    1. Hi Trumbelina! You made me LOL with "Freakin' awesome". :) I didn't know you were 40 too! This is my 5th time dressing up at the gym to work out. :) Fear not, it has been a multi-day celebration!

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  19. This is so awesome! Happy birthday!

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  20. "Happy Batday to you, happy Batday to you ..." Everybody sing"

    Will a thread spool fit in the cartridge roll? They don't weigh much, and they are very sturdy. Plus, wouldn't Bat Girl have had a sewing kit in her tool belt?

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    1. "Happy Batday"....I love it! And that is a great point, Batgirl would definitely have a sewing kit in her utility belt!

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  21. The best costume I've seen so far. It's awesome. BTW...Happy 40th Birthday.

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  22. Love it! My daughter is working on this right now - hoping she finishes before Saturday night:0 I need to look for some of that sticky felt. Happy birthday!

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    1. Hi Angela! Thanks! How did it go? Did your daughter finish her costume on time? I got my sticky felt at Joann's but still needed to hand tack it down in places.

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  23. Happy Birthday Kyle! I would seriously pay to see this gym class! LOL It's sure to be a lot of fun!

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    1. Ha! Maybe we'll start selling tickets! This year we have been dressing up a lot for decades nights (60's, 70's and 80's) and then for Halloween.

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  24. What an awesome reveal!!! The cape came out great, and I love all your detailed notes on the utility belt and mask, too. Happy Birthday, dear Kyle! Hope you had lots of fun in your class! xoxo

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  25. A very happy Birthday to you!

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  26. A very happy Birthday to you!

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  27. Fantastic outfit! Very impressed with all those points on the cape executed so perfectly. Hope you have had a great 40th Birthday!

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    1. Thanks Sew, Jean Margaret! The points were time consuming but well worth it.

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  28. Happy birthday Kyle! That is an awesome costume!

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  29. The cape is fabulous! What a great outfit to start your 41st year with superhuman status! Happy Birthday!!!

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    1. Heh heh heh! Yes, it was a fun day to have superhuman status! Thanks!

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  30. Happy B-Lated Birthday Kyle! Welcome to the 40's! Great job on your costume!

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    1. Thanks Shannon! It was a really fun costume to wear!!

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  31. : ), Kyle, HAPPY BE-LATED BIRTHDAY to you! Mines in Oct. too : ). How cute this is! I love all your notes, and attention to details. Its great how you modified the pattern to suite your needs to be able to work out in true bat girl style. Also, I got some clips similar to the ones like you used to hold the fabrics together on the cape from a craft magazine - Molly Makes I believe. I haven't used them yet but they look like they worked well for holding the slippery fabric together.

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  32. Happy Birthday! Your costume is awesome. The cape is fabulous! Simplicity has been doing a great job with costume patterns lately and this one is a prime example. Well done!

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  33. Oh Kyle that is brilliant! Happy birthday.

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  34. So stinking cute! Happy belated birthday. What a way to celebrate in style!

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  35. So stinking cute! Happy belated birthday. What a way to celebrate in style!

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  36. #goals

    -Splithoof

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  37. I found it interesting how your notes only focus on website..
    pirates of the caribbean 5

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