Crossing Generations: Creating a Clown Costume

A few weeks ago I got a Facebook message from my granddaughter.

“Grandma, could you do some sewing for me?”

“Sure. What do you need help with?” I asked. I was thinking of hems, patching, some kind of tailoring.

“I need to make a clown costume, child size, for school. John Wayne Gacy.” OK, I was a little shocked. Well, more than a little shocked. I’m thinking hems and she’s thinking a costume…..and John Wayne Gacy. Creepy killer clown who murdered young men and boys. What the ….???

“It’s for school. I need to make a child’s toy that would never be produced. Mass murderer costume kits.”

Do I have to tell anyone that she is in art school? What happened to adorable kittens and puppies with big eyes? Oh, we left them in the 70’s. Thanks for the reminder.

She sent me a link to see what he looked like (totally creepy). I looked at my pattern pile and saw this one on top.

 

“I have a pattern I think would work. Do you have a sewing machine?”

“Uh no.” Ugh. “Do you have the fabric?'” “Uh, no.” Shaking my head, I quickly organized the rescue operations in my head. Sewing shears (vintage, of course),

 

needles, thread, pattern, pins, sewing machine. Good thing we planned to drive.

We took a trip to the local Joann’s and found this fabric.

   My granddaughter, Devinne. Yes, she looks like she’s up to something because she usually is.

The neck piece.

 

Devinne trying on the costume pre-pom poms. The costume is child sized, she no longer is.

  We were able to get my grandson, Aidan, to try on part….that is, until he ran out of the room saying we tried to dress him up like Little Bo Peep. 

 

Finished project, at least the sewing part. Devinne did the pom poms.

I do have to admit, though, it was fun. It gave me something to do during the downtime since I didn’t cook much while we were visiting. A true cross-generational project.