Superhero Capes!

So if you've checked out superhero-themed parties at all online, you've surely seen a variety of capes that people are making for their party peeps.  No exception here!  I couldn't leave our super friends without the proper gear, so I decided capes are a must-have for Brady's party.

I am many things, but a seamstress I am NOT.  So, I designed the most simple plan for capes, EVER!  They only needed one straight stitch across the top to be finished.  I was sure my Singer and I could handle that.  Not so much.  Epic fail.

Thankfully, my amazing friend Gemma -- my favorite British import -- is an ultra-talented seamstress, and when I took my pathetic little sewing mess to her house for a quick fix earlier this afternoon, she whipped them right into shape and created something truly fabulous.  And super inexpensive!!

OK, so let's get to the cape how-to...

First, I went to Walmart and bought the cheapest standard sized pillowcases available.  I found these in packs of two for $5.50 a pack {I made 14 capes so I bought seven packs}.  These are the perfect size for preschooler capes {I'm sure the queen and king sizes will be great for bigger kids}, they come in a great assortment of colors, and all the sides are finished edges, so that = much less sewing!

Next, I ironed all the pillowcases.  This was not an enjoyable part of the process.  I'm really, really good at a handful of things, and one of them is avoiding the ironing basket at all costs.  Couldn't escape it this time, though!

Next, I took the top part {where the opening is} of the pillowcase and folded it over, then ironed that fold.

Then I flipped the pillowcase over, and made two pleats each side of center.  I'm sure that makes zero sense, so let me just show you and hopefully you'll get the idea...

Next, I went to sew a straight stitch across that top folded/pleated part, because again, sewing is not my thing and I thought that technique would, at the very least, work to hold it together and look OK.

Wrong.

First of all, because of user error I had my machine's tension all messed up and that made for some wonky stitching.  Second I can't sew in a straight line.  At all.

What's that you say?....No, it's actually not easy...  If you can do it you're probably talented.

To save you a good cry and/or eye bleed, I won't show you the pictures of my sewing disaster...

Instead, I'll tell you how I tapped into my inner super hero and saved the day by enlisting the help of one more talented.  At nearly 10 PM last night, I texted my friend Gem and asked her if a Starbucks venti caramel macchiato would buy me an hour of her expertise.

Well, since she's basically A-MAZING, she took my capes and made them fabulous.  She sewed this rectangle stitch thing around the top and included the ribbon ties in that stitch {a waaaay more attractive solution than my original idea}...

Then, she asked me in her super cool British accent how I planned to attach the monogram medallions that I'd made and cut out of felt.  Ummmm...fabric glue?  Wrong answer.  Gem promptly began a zig-zag stitch around both the medallion and the red letters.  Check it out...

{Gem, a.k.a. Super Seamstress!}

Where did those medallions come from, you may ask?  Well, the circle is made out of yellow felt for the boys, pink for the girls that I found 4/$1.00 at the craft store.  The red letters are a heavier felt -- and though you can't tell in the pictures, it's actually a felt with glitter all over it so they really sparkle -- I got for $0.99 per sheet.  I managed to make 14 letters out of 6 sheets.

I used a salad bowl as a template for my circles, tracing that and then cutting out the shapes.

For the letters, I used my home computer to print letters in Arial Black font.  I can't remember the type size, but I made them to fit in a 6x9 area.

I simply printed out each letter, then lay {laid?  I have no idea the proper tense for that...my high school honors English teacher is grieving into her decaf right now...} the print-out on top of a piece of red felt like so...

Then I simply cut around the letters using poultry shears.  Because why not?  {Lord knows they've never come anywhere near poultry in this house.  We're a boneless, skinless chicken breast kind of family.  But that's neither here nor there.}

I used heavy duty fabric glue to attach each letter to the center of a felt circle.

So that's that.

I want to post a great shot of all the capes, in a row, hanging in some good lighting, but since it was after 5 o'clock when we got these finished, that big reveal will have to wait for tomorrow!

To sum up, these gorgeous capes cost me just under $4.00 each.  Seriously, four bucks.  My incredible iPhone photography does not do them near justice.  In real life, they look more than A-mazing.

Thanks so much to Gemma for taking my idea and sending it over the top {on a side note, I convinced her in our 2.5 hours together today to start her own blog, so I hope to introduce you to that really soon, because this girl is talented as has some really brilliant ideas!}

Also a HUGE shoutout to my wonderful mom-in-love, who has been a massive help to me this week taking care of my boys.  After picking up a nasty cough and 103 degree fever last weekend, the birthday boy was diagnosed with the flu by his pediatrician Tuesday morning.  He's been home from school this week, and I could never have accomplished all these birthday party projects without the help of Gran!

See you guys tomorrow for the final cape reveal, plus a cake/cupcake tower and other party goodies!