IT IS UPON US! The season of SPOOPY! Although this year it’s going to look a little different, I still can barely contain my excitement.

Now, this is usually the time of year (well, actually about two weeks ago) I start opening up commissions for Halloween — and by commissions I mean ZUUL. She’s become my most popular Halloween order by far. However, due to COVID-19 and 2020 being a clusterfuck in general, I will not be taking any orders for this or any other costume. The reason is that back in March all research labs were forced to shut down due to the pandemic. We have slowly begun reopening our labs in phases and with that comes a lot more work from collaborators.

I find that this year I am just too busy with my 9-5 to try to take on any additional commissions. I hate that I won’t be able to make a super fun costume for you all, but it was a decision that had to be made in order to keep my sanity.

That being said, I *am* working on something for myself — not for Halloween, but for DragonCon 2021 (please let there be a DragonCon next year – I need it!!!). I have always wanted to make (or have made) Princess Leia’s Cloud City attire. Well since we’re in the middle of a pandemic and I rarely get to leave my house aside from work, I figured it’d be a great time to teach myself a new skill…. HAND EMBROIDERY! What can I say, when I go for something, I go hard. The sheer amount of work the cape is going to take is mind boggling, but I am enjoying the task so far.

I’m almost done with panel 1 (of 5…)! I must say, I have a lot of respect for people who embroider full-time. Wow. I had no idea how long it takes to make such an intricate design – and how much blood, sweat, and tears go into it. But that being said, I’ve become obsessed. I want to embroider everything. I have a Fjällräven Kånken that’s BEGGING me to embroider on.

Now, I hope you all have a wonderful and SAFE Halloween, and I can’t wait until the time’s safe for us all to be together once again.