Ghostbusters

Who ya gonna call...?

Yeah, I know, between the commissions I have on my list and the Senator Amidala costume I'm working on, the last thing I need is another costume let alone set of costumes to make, right?!

Well, every year my husband & I, sister & brother-in-law, and brother & sister-in-law all have a Halloween party. My husband & I were watching Ghostbusters the other day and it made me think how cool it would be if my husband, brother, and brother-in-law were Ghostbusters for the party!

Left to right: Ray (my husband), Egon (my brother), and Peter (my brother-in-law)

(Many thanks to Ghostbusters Fans for the images)

To go along with the men dressed as Ghostbusters, my sister will be Dana, my sister-in-law will probably be Janine the secretary, and I will be a lady ghost similar to this:
Our kids (10 in all come Halloween time) will all be ghosts. My husband & I have two kids, a boy (3 yrs) and a girl (2 yrs by Halloween).

Someone on Ghostbusters Fans community board had posted a link to a place that sells coveralls very similar to the ones used in the movie at a great price: Army Surplus My brother found a place on eBay that sells A.L.I.C.E. frames that were used to secure the proton packs to the backs of the Ghostbusters. While we wait for the coveralls and frames to come, my brother has been working on figuring out the details for the proton packs.

I am turning my focus on figuring out how to create a lady ghost and cute child ghost costumes. I have a large piece of satin blue/aqua fabric my mom had given me that my aunt didn't want. I am going to use it to make a Cinderella gown for my daughter's birthday party but I still have about 5 yards left. So, I began thinking about how I could use it as the under gown for my lady ghost costume. Yet, all the while, the Star Wars costuming freak in me kept nagging at the back of my head how wonderful it would be as the undergown to Padme's Episode 3 "Aqua Georgette" gown.

Now, the wheels in my head are spinning wondering how I can make both! I am wondering if I make the basic form for the Padme gown and then make a sheer white jacket or overdress that would go over the gown, probably with jagged hems to look more ghostlike. That way, after Halloween, I can remove the sheer overdress/jacket, add the arm gauntlets, headband, and back waterfall drape and I'll be Padme. I know I'd get more use out of the gown if it was a Padme gown, but our budget is pretty tight...making just the lady ghost would be easier and cheaper. But, how many times would I use it???

*Goes off to ponder some more*


Update: 6-4-08

I've contemplated this some more, and come to the conclusion that a duel purpose gown would be awesome, as well as more practical use-wise, so I have set about making the Padme gown with the idea of adding a tulle overgown sort of thing to it to make it a lady ghost. JoAnn's had a sale for Memorial day and their tulle was 50 cents a yard plus 10% off of that, so I got my tulle then! I was also able to find the perfect georgette fabric for the Padme aqua georgette gown at Field's fabric on sale, so now it is just a matter of getting the pattern figured out. I've started a pattern for the yoke out of paper and I've modified it several times. I think I may have finally tweeked my pattern to the final version now. I just need to try on the mock-up and see how it fits.

For my husband's Ghostbuster costume, the flightsuit came as well as the A.L.I.C.E. pack! My brother got the motherboard (i.e. the base) for the Proton Packs cut out yesterday, so we are well on our way!

This flightsuit will be the basis for my husband's Ray Stantz costume.

The A.L.I.C.E. frame (found used, on eBay, by my brother) will be the framework that holds the Proton Pack to my husband's back. It will need to have all the straps and kidney pad removed to be spray painted black and then the straps & pad can be reattached (after washing everything up really nice).

Now, back to work!

For an update to the Lady Ghost gown, see my posts: Lady Ghost and Aqua Georgette.