Storm Cloud Costume

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Sewing Machine
• Sewing Notions
• 3 1/2" Needle for hand stitching
• Sun Hat, 14", 1
• Paper for spraying glue onto hat
• Loctite Spray Adhesive, High Performance, 13.5 oz., 1
• Mineral Spirits
• Poly-fil, approximately 1/2 oz
• Tulle, White with fine glitter, 58" x 2 yds
• Tape, masking
• Rotary Cutter & Cutting Board
• Hot Glue Gun & Hot Glue
• E6000, clear, 0.18 oz., 1
• Nylon Monofilament, 8 lb., 100 yds, 1
• Spandex, Blue Metallic Hologram, 1/4 yd
• Spandex, Gold Metallic, 1/2 yd
• Foam Board, 22" x 28", 1
• Fabri-Tac, 8 oz, 1
• Belting, 1", Black, 1 yd
• Velcro, 1", Black, 14"
• Cardboard, corrugated
• X-Acto Knife
• Ruler

DIRECTIONS:

Cloud:

1. Set up spray area.
2. Use tape and paper to cover inside of hat to brim. This will keep the spray glue from the inside of the hat. Spray the underside of the brim of the hat with adhesive. Immediately apply handfuls of Poly-fil. Flip and repeat on top of hat covering entire surface. Clean nozzle of spray can with Mineral Spirits.
3. Cut off selvage edges of Tulle. Fold over one long edge of Tulle 1". Sew fold with widest stitch on sewing machine. Do not backstitch. Tie off the tails of thread at one end of stitching. From opposite end pull one thread to gather tulle. Fold under the ruffle edge of gather and hot glue stitching edge of Tulle to underside of brim of hat. Start at back of hat close to the inside of the hat. Continue around the brim adjusting the gather to finish the gathered edge overlapping 1" over the start.
4. Lay Tulle over Poly-fil. Overlap the raw edges at the back of the hat. Use 3 1/2" needle and thread to secure overlap in place. Hand stitch through the Tulle, Poly-fil and hat to secure the cloud to the hat. Bunch the Tulle to create irregular lumps. Take special care to adjust the fill and Tulle under the brim of the hat. Try on the hat to determine the best locations for hand stitching.

Raindrops:

1. Cut out cardboard with corrugation running from top to bottom of raindrop shape. This will allow a needle to be threaded from the bottom to the top easily. Cut blue fabric, one same size as cardboard and one larger. Place a large fabric raindrop wrong side up. Place a cardboard drop centered on the fabric. Place a small bead of hot glue close to the edge of the cardboard from the top point to the center of the bottom. Immediately pull the fabric up onto the cardboard and press in place. Continue the bead of hot glue on the close to the edge of the other side of the cardboard and stretch the fabric up and press in place. On top of the edges of the fabric that is secured to the cardboard, place a small bead of hot glue close to the edge. Immediately place the fabric piece that is the same size as the cardboard. This will cover the raw edges of the first fabric that was attached. Repeat.
2. Thread the 3 1/2" needle with approx. 3' of monofilament. Tie a knot about 1' from the end. Push the needle through a raindrop. Start at the center bottom and pull out through the top point. The knot in the line should land at the entry hole. Place a small dot of E6000 at both the entry and exit holes, around the line. Repeat. Multiple raindrops may be added to one line of monofilament. Attach one raindrop. Add a knot on the line above the raindrop to set the location for the bottom of a second raindrop. Run the line through the raindrop and secure with glue.
3. Thread the tail of line (below the raindrop). Pull the tail up and through the raindrop the hide the tail. Start close to the initial entry hole and end close to the exit hole. Cut off the line close to the raindrop.
4. Attach the raindrops to the cloud:
5. Thread the monofilament line on a raindrop onto the 3 1/2" needle. Hand stitch the line through the brim of the hat. Tie off the ends on the top of the brim. Hang raindrops in a random pattern around the brim. Apply a small bead of E6000 over the knots of monofilament line. Let dry.

Thunderbolt:

1. Use pattern to lay out thunderbolt shape on foam board. Cut board with X-Acto knife and ruler. Lay the board, RS up on the back of gold fabric. Trace around and cut fabric with rotary cutter. Lay the board WS up on the back of gold fabric. Trace around. Remove board. Add 1/2" to all edges, these edges are the dotted outline on the pattern. Cut fabric. Clip in to edges at turns of lines. This will allow each edge of fabric to wrap around the board. Replace board on fabric WS up. One edge at a time, add Fabri-Tac to the ½" edge of fabric. Keeping the board on the outline line, pull the fabric edge over to the back of the board and press. Repeat. Flip board over to make sure that puckers at corners on the front are kept to a minimum.
2. Cut 2, 16" lengths of belting. Double fold over one end on each and sew to encase raw ends. Lay one half of 7" Velcro on each piece of belting. Start Velcro close to folded end of belting. Use a zig zag stitch down either side of Velcro to attach to belting. Attach the Velcro together.
3. Attach the strap to the back of the thunderbolt. Place the raw ends of belting 2" down from the top edge and 1" in from the sides of the thunderbolt. Make sure that the top loop is not twisted. This will create a halter like strap to hang the thunderbolt. Use Fabri-Tac to attach the belting to the board.
4. Attach the fabric to the back of the thunderbolt. Apply a small bead of glue close to the edge of the back of the board. This will be directly on top of the fabric wrapped from the front. Start at the top edge and over the belting. Press the fabric in place matching up the edges of fabric with the edges of board.
5. Open the Velcro to attach thunderbolt straps around neck.

JOANN HACKS:

• Try on hat through the addition of raindrops to ensure best visibility.