The one where I make my parents proud

Burlesque has apparently made a world wide comeback! Not sure if it was sparked by Cher and Christina, or if that was in response to it, or if the two are wholly unrelated. Whatever the case may be, Steve and I have become regulars at our local show Carousel Cabaret. Always full of fun, talent, and entertainment, it's become our monthly date night.

What has this got to do with crafting? Well, I'll tell you! I made pasties. These nifty little gizmos keep the performance fun rather than raunchy by covering up the nippular area. I'm not entirely sure why that makes a difference, but it does. Just trust me on this.

 The first step is a bit awkward- measure the diameter of your nipple. I measured just outside mine and found that a scotch bottle was about the same diameter. Figures. As it turned out eventually, it was a bit too big and I wound up cutting my circles down quite a bit. Next time I think I'll use a compass.

 Right. Now, cut your circle out.

Oh! I forgot to mention that this step is done with paper. It's actually just making the pattern pieces.

What I learned: this was my first attempt at making pasties, so there was a lot of learning going on. For instance, you need 3 different sized pattern pieces. You'll see why in just a minute.

 Fold your paper circle(s) in half.

 And again.

 This gives you the middle point, and a straight line to get there. Cut along one of the fold lines to the middle, and your pattern piece is complete.

 Now, using a sheet of craft foam, trace out your pattern pieces.

Notice, all 4 of mine are the same size. Next time, I will have 2 of one size, and 2 slightly smaller ones. You'll see why soon. I promise.

I got a pack of 10 craft foam sheets (assorted colors) at The Warehouse for $3.99. Unfortunately, there's no black (the color I actually wanted). The only black craft foam they had was sticky on one side (which wouldn't be that big of a deal really), they only had one sheet, and it was $1.29/sheet. I figured this was a more economic way to go.

Cut the foam circles out. Including the straight line to the middle. Then, cut out a triangle so that when the edges are put together, your pasty forms a conical shape.

This reminds me of The Missing Piece. My son's current favorite book.

 Now, sew the cut edges together.

The smaller of the cones will be resting against skin, so make sure your stitches are smooth.


<--- See? Different sizes.

 Using your largest pattern piece, cut 2 circles out of material of your choice.

I'm using fuzzy leopard pattern material.


Something about pasties and fuzzy leopard skin just seems to fit.

 There should be a bit of material hanging over your larger foam piece.

 Put glue on the larger of the foam pieces.

 Spread it around so it's covered.


Wipe as much of it off your finger so you don't get it all over the right side of the fabric. Or blow on your finger to dry the glue faster so you can peel it off and pretend you're a lizard.... No? Just me? Huh.

 Put the foam piece in the middle of your fabric circle, glue side down. Press the pieces together firmly.

The cut line on the fabric circle will be overlapped to allow the fabric to sit flat.

Now go do something else for a while so that the glue has ample time to dry. For me, I had dinner, gave the boy his bath and put him to bed, and watched a little tv.

In fact, Steve and I had one of those weird married moments last night. While I was making pasties, he was cooking dinner. Sometimes our family is a little strange. And although the other mums at my son's school know that I don't quite fit in, they're not entirely sure why. But, we've been informed by my teenage step daughter that we should get an award for being the coolest parents. I suppose that's a good sign.

When the glue is sufficiently dry, hand sew the edges of the fabric to the underside of the foam piece. 

 Now spread your glue on the smallest of the foam pieces.

This time I just used the tip of the glue bottle rather than my finger. It worked, but it wasn't as much fun as pretending to be a lizard.

 And press into the middle of the fabric covered piece.

Ta-da! Pasties! To wear them, use eyelash adhesive or double sided sticky tape to attach them to your twins.

Of course, you can dress them up more if you wish. I'll be doing more with beads, tassels, sequins, ribbon, and whatever else I find around this place.

And I'll list them for sale on my Etsy shop because I'm not actually convinced I'm brave enough to wear them myself. These ones, however, will not be listed for sale because I simply don't feel they're of good enough quality. I hold myself to high standards. I'll make another pair for sale, though, now that I know what I'm doing.


Happy crafting!