Tag Archives: Samhain

November 7, 2025 · 7:31 pm

Defining Horror

Merry meet all,

The excitement of the Halloween/ Samhan festive fun is behind us. Now we all face the long, dark cold that lies ahead. Most of us look forward to winter the way we look forward to root canal. The winters in Atlantic Canada leave much to be desired. 

My cat’s napping on the couch. The groomer trimmed her claws today. So far, she is doing okay with her new medication. 

I believe that the dark half of the year is the ideal time to write and reflect on horror. I love the dark half of the year. I know that the cold, ice and snow go hand in hand with this dark season, but I love it. I want to write another horror novel (yes I am crazy lol). I want to find a trad publisher. I want to earn bigger royalties. Ah don’t we all? I also want my own apartment. Again, another pip dream. It can’t hurt to try. I do have to come up with new writing material. I am proud to say that most of my earlier stuff is all published. 

This is the time when many still socialize, but also a time when some people opt to turn inward and be more reflective I am of those. I have a stash of lovely herbal teas to enjoy, cardigans to keep me warm and a cute cat to keep me company. I am so fortunate. This time, as I meditate on what I will write, I want to really ask myself what horror means to me. I have been through a lot, but the last several months have been an eye opener for me. I was thrown out to the streets by my own family, forced to move out of my old moldy apartment, spent a few months moving back and forth from my Mom’s apartment to my boyfriend’s and have to keep seeing my moving boxes stored in my Mom’s basement. 

Horror is loss. I returned to my garden only to see the old stuff from my kitchen stored in my garden. It looked as it all lacked the soul that flourished while I lived there. Like no one was there. Like no one cared. Like something had died. Now the kitchen appliances are gone, but it is not the same. I bawled my eyes out. I wish I could go back to my herb garden on Crown Drive, but I know everything has changed. Life’s a bitch. 

Horror is sacrifice. Maybe I should say, forced sacrifice. I am personally tired of sacrificing, or being forced into that position. I was very reluctant to leave Crown Drive. My heart longs to return to the past- to the freedom I possessed over my life, but the mold was too far gone. I had no choice. I can’t bring back the past. Now I have to live with someone. It sure is a challenge. The rent is so expensive I honestly have no idea if I will ever live alone on my own again.

Horror is death. My boyfriend and his family had to put their beloved dog, Tucker, down. Tucker was fourteen years old, but he was truly suffering. I took Penny to the vet. I thought it would be a routine check for her fructosamine levels because she has diabetes. Poor cat. It turned out she now has hyperthyroidism and high blood pressure on top of diabetes and arthritis. Now I rub her medication on her ear twice a day. Penny had a bad weak spell prior to her appointment. Penny is also fourteen years old. It’s getting harder for her to jump up to a higher surface, but that is why I am here. I will always be here to help her, no matter what. I hope she has a good long life yet. Yes she has me wrapped around her white velvety paw- with perfect pink beanies on her paws. 

I feel like focusing on writing my next horror novel on something that hits much closer to home. I believe that horror has many different interpretations. If twenty people saw Psycho or Silence of the Lambs movies or read the same horror novel, I think the people would each have their own interpretation of it. It is open to many different perspectives. What horror is to one person may not be the same to someone else. Some people like slashers and others prefer true crime or the supernatural. We are all individuals in our tastes and preferences. We are all entitled to our own tastes and preferences. No one is right or wrong in what they enjoy to watch on the silver screen or on their Iphones. Personally I hate TikTok, but I know many others like it. 

Horror is personal. I did just mention above that it means different things to different people. Horror can be so many things. There is a difference between terror and horror. Alfred Hitchcock knew that well. Let’s imagine we are on a rollercoaster. Terror is the slow, agonizingly suspenseful of the thing (I forget the word right now), the rollercoaster ride going up, up and up to the high peak. Horror is the terrifying descent paired with the ignored, frantic rational part of your brain praying you do not die. Just for the record, I refuse and just will not ever go on a roller coaster ride again. Just writing all this made me queasy. Losing a pet, a child even your home can be deeply and extremely personal. Terror is waiting for the mind-numbing horror to happen and horror is when it happens and not a damn thing you can do to stop it.

Horror is many things with many scary masks. The scariest horror might be when the mask comes off and what we see then we find the most frightening- when we can recognize it and be repulsed at the same time. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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October 31, 2025 · 4:24 pm

Merry Samhain )O(

Merry meet all,

Witches New Year is here!!  It’s raining. I hope that doesn’t daunt the trick or treaters. 

I am so excited, but unfortunately I had to take my cat to the vet. It turns out she has lost a ton of weight and she now has hyperthyroidism and high blood pressure. Thankfully, she will be treated for it. I hope the medicine helps her. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been very busy preparing for Samhain. I just love this time of year. I am not celebrating the ancestral supper at my Mom’s. I am going somewhere else to perform it. I have to clean the kitchen, set the table and  prepare the food. I cooked the pot roast ahead of time. I baked a loaf of pumpkin bread and Samhain soul cakes. I plan to bake chocolate cupcakes. I have halloween cupcake liners and decorations! 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m going to buy a bottle of red wine to make mulled cider. I want the brandy to make another herbal tincture. I have a nice Samhain simmering potpourri potion and I made a nice Samhain anointing oil. Derrick will not be home to attend the ancestral supper. I can perform it alone, then he can reheat the meal afterwards. I really have my work cut out for me to clean. I look forward to it. I still have to carve the pumpkin, dress the table- (and clean, clean and clean), heat the food and set up candles etc. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I attended a Halloween party last night. I won a prize for Best Witch! The party was low key, but I still had fun. There was not a lot of people there. Tomorrow I am attending a public Samhain Ritual and the Witches Ball after the Rit. I can’t remember ever being this busy.  

Samhain is the third of three harvest Sabbats. This is a good time to honor our ancestors and reflect on our blessings. I plan to enjoy the dark half of the year. Halifax is perfect for a foggy, misty afternoon. I have not visited a cemetery yet for October. I will visit the cemetery today. I love cemeteries. 

Place photos of those who have gone before you, be that family, relatives or pets. Burn brown and black candles. Keep in mind: fire safety! Cook a lovely meal for your own ancestral supper. Light a candle and set it at your window. Carve pumpkins and as you carve, work in your intention. Arrange candles, acorns, gourds, dried waxed leaves, photos around your regular altar tools for a spooky Samhain altar. Put your heart and your intention into everything you do. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am not certain if doing a grave rubbing is allowed. I want to, but I haven’t tried it. I just don’t want to get in any trouble. I advise checking to see if it is okay first. Most of all, have fun. Be safe and have fun. The spirits are celebrating Samhain right along with you. Invite them in and that keeps you in the good karma department. Don’t dowse your pumpkins in bleach. It makes curious squirrels sick. Don’t burn a ton of candles and wear long, flowing sleeves. That starts fires. Don’t leave candles unattended. Check the kids’ candy. 

Do have and show respect for the dead. Don’t summon the dead in a cemetery at midnight tonight or any night. No, it is not cool. Leaving an offering of food or something like it at a crossroads or outside your apartment is fine. If you heed these warnings, know this: Burning the apartment down because of candles left ignored or the like, IS NOT COOL! Your landlord will evict you and hate you and NEVER GIVE YOU A GOOD REFERENCE LETTER! So have fun, have tons of fun, but please be smart about it. 

Know how to use a fire extinguisher. Memorize its location. Learn how to use a fire blanket that puts out fires. Buy one and store it in your home.

Keep pets safe! 

Merry Samhain, everyone!!

Let me know in the comments below what a wonderful and magickal Samhain you experienced!

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch 

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October 23, 2025 · 1:55 pm

Samhain Activities

Merry meet all,

October is flying by. Like it’s a witch’s broomstick racing against time. I have been so busy. I apologize for not posting more here. Now for the good news!

The book drive for the Edith Garland Dupré Library (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) was a smashing success! I am so proud to have participated in the book drive. I mailed them a copy of my novella The Cult of the Spider People. Jill Girardi from Kandisha Press had this to say about the book drive’s success:

“Hi Ladies! As you may have heard me going on about, the book drive we did for the Edith Garland Dupré Library (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) was a great success! Here are the first pics of the special Women in Horror book section created just for our books!

Libraries are one of the last strongholds for free speech in America, and every single one of you who contributed helped continue to uphold and fight for this right. Thanks to all of you who sent in books, offered to donate money, and helped in any way. Freedom to read and freedom to write! This is very important to everyone on the planet. We should all have the freedom to read what we choose. 

Wicked Shadow Press has published my flash fiction story and many other stories by talented authors in a 3 volume anthology collection- Halloweenthology! This marks their third descent into the haunting heart of Halloween and they are proud to have come this far. I am proud to be pubished in those books!

Cover of Autumn Falls
the anthology my story is in

Samhain is almost here! I have a pumpkin and I stocked up on candles and incense for the big day on October 31st! I plan to have an ancestral supper. I am also atending two Halloween parties and a public Rit. I can’t wait! It will all be so much fun. 
Stock up on cider and root veggies. I love sipping cider and enjoying a hearty beef stew during the autumn season. Cider and apples are full of Vitamin C, which we need in flu and cold season and the stew warms our hearts. Hot cider is good, too. Carve pumpkins and bob for apples with your friends!  Get candy for the trick or treaters and your favorite costume. Before you know it, it will be October 31 and you want to be ready for it, right? I do. I am sad that I do not live on Crown Drive anymore. I had bonfires in my backyard and no one noticed or cared. I miss having my own place. I can still have fun though. I plan to enjoy every single minute of Samhain. I hope you do too. 
Collect autumn leaves, hold a bonfire, dress your altar for Samhain and have fun! 
I had so much fabric left over from my halloween patchwork blanket project that I used the black fabric for an altar cloth. I just organized all my sewing patterns. It was a real mess to sort through. I had to iron all the pattern pieces (a mountain of them!). I sorted them with the pattern envelopes. I spread the envelopes over my floor. I sat on the floor and it took me a few hours to get it done, but I did. That is a good task to complete before the 31st. It’s good to start the Witches New Year on the right foot…. 
I know that my life was uprooted earlier this year. I moved from Crown Drive. I had a lot to deal with. However, everything has calmed down. Everything is sorted and all my belongings are all in my Mom’s basement and on the main floor. I did not want to move. I lost my garden. That was the hardest part. I faced a challenge and I learned a lot about myself. I hope that everything gets better. The one thing I did not want to face was thrown right at me, so to speak. I will miss my garden and the nature trail. I do not miss living there though. I don’t miss the ants and the mold. That place was one giant ant hill. I have to live with my Mom (ugh) because the rent is so expensive. That is a huge problem for most people everywhere. I don’t know when it will be affordable again. 
I have to adjust to living with someone. My Mom is the ultimate conservative mundane person. I am enjoying Samhain somewhere else with someone who doesn’t get all hung up on that. 
I wish you all a memorable and magickal Samhain
Blessed Be, Spiderwitch 

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October 11, 2025 · 6:11 pm

Twisted Dreams Press is publishing my novel in 2026!! )O(

Merry meet all,

Dear readers, I have awesome news! Twisted Dreams Press is publishing my spooky novel The Mourning Tide! I am overjoyed. This is the 1000th blog post! I saved the announcement of my novel being published for the 1000th post. This all means a lot to me. My grandparents have passed and I hope that they are proud of me. I am dedicating The Mourning Tide to them. This is a dream come true, a dream that began ten years ago. I first was inspired to write the novel ten years ago. Yes, that long. I am not kidding. I can’t wait for the cover art!

The book is scheduled for release next October. There is always a reason to look forward to October and the publication of my novel is the best reason for celebration ever! I am so happy. 

I finished the halloween patchwork quilt! Today I sewed a blanket binding to the quilt. I love how it turned out. It is gorgeous, magickal and screams HALLOWEEN! I will be cozy this winter. If I may so myself, the quilt is bewitchingly beautiful. It was a lot of hard work and so was writing and editing The Mourning Tide. I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing well. Taking care with everything we do and taking the time to get it done is the key to success. Next, I plan to sew a matching pillowcase. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Horror Writers Association hosts an annual blog event, Halloween Haunts. I always participate in the event. I shall post the link to my blog post for the event here: https://horror.org/halloween-haunts-hounded-by-the-dead-by-heddy-johannesen/ I plan to read the other posts by the other authors. 

I love October. I am not the only one for sure. I sewed a Halloween blanket, dyed my hair, bought new candles, enjoyed nature walks and went apple picking today! Pumpkins adorn many porches, and the skies are so blue! I even watched Hocus Pocus last night. I sewed myself an orange and black Halloween skirt. I have a new witch hat too! I hot glued black flowers to the witch hat. 

Today’s post is short and brief. This is my 1000th blog post!!! Cause for celebration. I hopd you all have a wonderful Mabon-Samhain. I shall keep writing here. Grab a pumpkin spice latte and get ready for more awesome blog posts. I am so happy to have reached this milestone. It feels good to have reached this milestone and to have made my dreams come true. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

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October 5, 2025 · 10:16 pm

Halloween Blanket Project )O(

Merry meet all,

Samhain is almost here!! Are you as excited as I am? Join me, dear readers, for a post on how I will make a Halloween blanket! Grab a coffee or pumpkin spice latte and settle in. 

I began this halloween project by visiting the fabric store. I was enchanted by the array of halloween print fabrics. The fabrics were on sale so I got everything I needed. I bought threads, a zipper, and black, grey, orange and black fabric with red streaks. I was grateful that the staff was so helpful in determining the amount of fabric that I would need. I do believe I bought too much, but it is better to have more than less. The black fabric with red streaks is for a frame over the patchwork squares.

I washed the fabric by hand with vinegar and laundry detergent, then I dried them on the line or in the dryer. I do not want to go to all this work only to have my fabric warp or go wonky. The fabrics have formaldehyde in them for shelf life, so I had to wash them It makes them much easier to deal with. It is a good idea to always wash your fabric, but then it does all need to be ironed again afterwards. 

I measured three inches wide and measured the necessary length for each of the three inch wide strips- forty-two inches in total. I have to sew that together, then once all the patches are done, sew the strips to the squares. (Argh stop the madness!)  The quilt will be bound (like bias tape) in solid black fabric.  I have two strips of orange fabric with a skull print. One will be sewn onto the top of the quilt on the top side showing and the other will be sewn onto the bottom of the patchwork squares on the top side showing. It will all look amazing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to measure and calculate a lot. I hope I have enough brown fabric, that is the bottom side of the blanket. It has to match to the top side of the blanket. Originally, I planned to have six patchwork squares in a row. Now I have extended that to eight. There are nine rows of squares in a grey, orange, black, bright orange, grey or beige square pattern. I cut out about slightly over seventy-two squares. I did not intend to cut out that many, but when I arranged all the patchwork squares in rows and saw how it could all come together, I changed my mind several times. I had to cut out specific patchwork squares- mostly the black and orange. I have a black fabric with a spider and spiderweb print. I had two orange spider and spiderweb prints, but one was more matte and the other bright. I rearranged and rearranged until I thought I had it all planned. My cat laid down on the squares and messed them up. Argh!

I kept changing my mind. Once it is all sewn together, it is permanent. I wanted to be certain. The layout in the photo is not the layout that I decided on. I wanted to share the photo so you would all know what I was talking about. It is a good idea to keep the cat out of the room (not to be cruel, but Penny messed up my squares, sweep and mop the floor to get to layout the squares). Once you sew, it is done. 

I sew the first row together, then I sew the second row and so on and so on till I get to the last row. Then I sew them all together. I plan to sew with a quarter inch stitch- the skinny stitch. (I can’t recall right now, my brain is addled.) There is more orange and black in the layout. To save my sanity, I used a black marker and painter’s tape to keep the rows organized.  You can see the small pieces of the painter’s tape in the photo above, I wrote row 1 on the tape and stuck that to the squares. I did the same with the rest of them till I got to the ninth row. They are all organized that way. I have to mind that the squares have a decorative print and that all the squares prints face up the right way. They all have to be the same size. 

I bought a meter of this cool black print Halloween fabric. The squares were all about nine inch by nine inches. I cut them out very carefully and I arranged them over my patch squares. I kept moving them over the squares till I decided I was happy with the layout. The blanket will be amazing! I want to get filler from the fabric store. Then once the patches are all sewn together and the bottom of the blanket (the brown fabric) is sewn to the top of the blanket, I add the filler. Hopefully it will not be too expensive. 

I saved the black strips between the nine inch larger black crow or skull squares. I might sew on the strips of the black fabric over (between) the patchwork squares. I don’t have enough for the whole patchwork top, so we will see how it goes. Or maybe I will be brave and sew the strips on diagonally! We will see. 

I chose somber colors for this blanket. To me, Samhain is a time of festive joy and is somber at the same time. The colours are an earthy, muted brown, a cool matte black spiderweb print, a matte orange spiderweb print, a brighter orange spiderweb print, a grey + beige print material covered with crows and punpkins, and a grey +beige snowflake and pentagram fabric. The last fabric was so witchy I just had to buy it. I am happy with the layout and the arrangement of the patchwork squares and the colours. It all just blends together so well. 

I will alter my dress from Killstar and my green dress from HolyClothing. The hems are too long. I live in Nova Scotia, which means that anything with a long hem will sweep leaves off the sidewalks or collect dirt, mud or leaves. Then I have to hem them again. Best to do it now. I am not totally happy with it, but it pays off to alter a hem as it guarantees the fabric will last much longer. 

I will save the fabric that I trim off for the hemming. The patchwork blanket will be a ton of work, but it will be worth it. I sewed all the squares together. There were eight patchwork squares in rows and a total of nine rows of patchwork squares = 79 squares in total.  The squares are sewn together and shown in the photo below. I can’t change my mind now on the order of the squares, but I can change my mind on the rows and which order they should be in. 

The rows of patchwork squares sewn together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last two days I worked hard on the patchwork quilt. I had to see the forest for the trees. In other words, no matter how many times I laid the whole quilt in rows on the floor. I could not see then that some patches were repeated. I had to make new patches and sew them in several times. It is always right sides together when you are  sewing and that is easier said than done. Now all the squares are different save for two, but it does not matter. All the patches squares are sewn and all the rows are sewn together. Then once that was finally completed, I started on the frame with the black and red streak quilting fabric. I measured how much I would need by lining the strips of the fabric along the width and length of the material. I cut the strips to the width and length I wanted. The quilt is about 58′ x 64′. Then I pressed and turned over a long edge about a quarter inch to avoid fraying. I stitched that down and then pinned the strips with the turned under edge on the outside. When I sew the top of the quilt to the bottom side, the rough edge will be caught in the fabric and won’t show a raw edge. That also helps me avoid fraying. So I have to sew down both sides of the material. I am nitpicky about the fabric ends meeting evenly and avoiding raw edges showing. 

Once that is completed, I can finally sew the brown fabric together and then sew the quilt top to the brown fabric. Then I will insert the nice cotton filler and then line it all up and to make sure it does not bunch up, I will sew the quit filler in. Then I plan to add a black edge binding. It will look amazing! The more effort you put in and caring about all the tiny details, the better your work looks. I added two strips of the orange fabric with a white skul print to the top of the (top of quilt) and a strip on the bottom. If you look closely at the above photo, you can see them. I have to make sure the seams are finished. I always pin and press and line up my edges. The tiniest things, no matter how mundane or boring they seem.,matter and the more care you take, the more beautiful the final effort will be. Sewing has tons of repetition, pin and press and sew over and over again, but that is the way it is. I want my quilt to last a long time and keep me warm on cold nights. Paying attention to the details now guarantees that will happen. 

Next, I can sew the brown fabric and once I sew in the spider, check all my seams, sew on the black frame fabric, and sew the brown bottom fabric to the top quilt fabric, then I can finally insert the filler. I have to leave a hole large enough for the filler to go in between the two fabrics then sew the hole closed. Then I am done! I just want to take all the care I can now so that I am truly happy with it. 

Today I made the small repairs, sewed the spider onto the front of the quilt and added the filler. I trimmed the excess and sewed the front, filler and the back of the quilt together. I bought bias tape from the fabric store but it was the wrong color. I am so excited to sew the bias tape onto the blanket but I have to be patient. It has been a lot of work so far. 

In other news, I sent my BFF Onyx a herbal tea blend. I hope it arrives soon. I bought a cool black blouse online from Killstar, a few candles from Horrified Candles and a wand. However, Canada Post is on strike again. It may be a while before I receive my parcels. I received my Horrified Candles! Very happy about that. 

I bought a new witch hat. My black wool witch hat paired with a black top or cardigan (to keep me warm), and my purple astrology boots should keep me stylin’. Yeah We all love October. The most magickal time of the year. 

 I would love to hear what projects, crafts or rituals you all are conjuring this month, Please leave a comment and tell me all about it.

I want to add that this is my 999th post. The next blog post will be the thousandth post!!!!!! I have learned a lot about maintaining a blog, made mistakes, survived the disaster of my old blog site being hacked. I am still here and typing- and kicking! It makes me so happy to have achieved this milestone. I could not have done this without all the wonderful support from my awesome friends and readers. I love you all. I am very happy to have come this far. I have to party when I write the thousandth post! I have a lot of reasons to party this October. !!! )O(

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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August 21, 2025 · 1:14 pm

Autumn Magick )O(

Merry meet all,

Summer is almost over. The heatwave is still on. The next turn in the Wheel of the Year is Mabon. Mabon is the first of the three harvest Sababts. I’ve seen some autumn leaves already! Soon pumpkins will be displayed at our fave grocery stores and kids will be back in school. Fall is my favorite time of year. 

I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of a particular book: The Book of Oberon: A Sourcebook of Elizabethan Magic. I can’t wait to get my mitts on it. I ‘m also waiting for a Viking drinking horn to arrive. The waiting is the hardest part. 

Wicked Shadow Press is publishing my eighth flash fiction story, The Cries of Dead Children, in their anthology Pocket Full of Posies. I am very happy and I look forward to reading the anthology. Reading what other authors have written really helps me with my own writing. 

I read the amazing novel Relics by Tim Lebbon in three days. I just love that book. I don’t know why the book sat on my shelf unread for so long. It is the most amazing book ever. There is a reason why I read the books by other fellow horror authors. They truly do help me with my own writing. I break out of a rut/ shell. I would recommend Relics in a heartbeat. He is an author with a real imagination. Wow. 

I plan to organize all the books tonight. I have a ton of books to organize. It’s a very good thing that I have a system. I really want my own apartment but it costs a fortune. IKEA will not come to pick up the pieces of the bed frame. I guess we are stuck with the assembly. Last time I ever order anything from them. 

I’m sewing myself a Samhain skirt. I am using the Butterick pattern B6999. The skirt has three tiers and has a ton of gathering. The skirt is orange and has a print of black ravens. The first tier is orange broadcloth- solid colour, no print. The two tiers are made from the printed quilting fabric. I am also adding a lining made from voile. The waistband is elastic. I want to sew on black ribbon to the tiers as well. I hope it turns out well. I am making a modification though. The sewing pattern instructions say to do the gathering in one long seam. I hope that is the right word. The third lower tier is the hardest part. I have to do the gathers. I have already hemmed the tier. I sewed a narrow hem. The lower tier has five sections to gather. Now I plan to modify by sewing it in five individual sections. If I follow the original sewing instructions, I can’t get the long thread tails that I prefer. If I do the gathering basting stitch in the five sections the way I want to, then I can get the long thread tails. I will wrap the threads around the pins in figure eights and secure the gathers with clips. Then I can sew the lower tier to the upper tier and then finish the skirt this weekend. 

I cut out the pattern pieces very carefully. I know my readers know that but I wonder how many people ever think about cutting out pattern pieces to get the line of the fabric. The garment is designed a certain way. Once you cut fabric, that’s it. The expression “measure twice, cut once”. exists for a reason. Since I cut the pattern pieces with care, I can easily determine the top part of the skirt pieces from the hem part of the skirt pieces. The fabric has a print too and I made sure the ravens were all facing up and not down or mismatched. I stitched with an even 5’8 inch seam allowance. That insures the skirt seams won’t unravel and that I will fit in it and the pieces lock together much better. I always press my seams, sometimes on the right and wrong sides of the fabric. Pressing seams on both sides ensures that the seam is pressed its very best. I like to make the seams lie flat, like very flat. 

Of course, the orange halloween skirt will be worn all year-round. Ha ha just kidding, it will have to be worn in the fall. But then, I am a Halloween person. 

I have a lot of leftover fabric. I may make a Halloween bag with it then use the bag to hold Samhain charms, candy or pendulums, tarot cards or runes! Cat treats. Who knows? 

The best time of year is almost here. Fall vibes, autumnal breezes and the swish of a halloween skirt… bring it on! 

 

 

 

 

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November 17, 2024 · 7:19 pm

Witch Gown in Progress )O(

 

Greetings darklings:

The wind grows colder. Golden leaves are strewn over the streets and clog the gutters. Yes my darklings the dark half of the year is back. I love this time of year.

I have been busy sewing the blue Arwen gown I posted about earlier. I am so close to finished and yet so far from finished. I have finished the sleeves. I sewed in a casing for the cords on both sleeves.  I worked in the cords through the casing on both sleeves. The cords average about thirty centimetres.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I seam ripped the grey sari trim from Etsy and I made a facing the second time. This time, I got it right. I sewed in the facing only instead of sewing the facing the way it says to in the instructions, I just sewed it in next to the collar seam. I had to seam rip the entire centre back seam because it was uneven. I have basted the centre back seam. I want to sew the zipper in tomorrow at the library. I love how the dress looks. It is very fairy like. I sewed a second collar with the navy blue knit fabric and the embroidered blue lace. I plan to sew that on or slip stitch it onto the first collar. I want to arrange the second collar over the first collar to look like there is 2 dresses like in the photo below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took a break from the dress and began working on the bodice. I cut out the pattern pieces and I had left them aside for some time. I ironed them all. I was on my own. That means no room for error. 

I’m using this beautiful midnight blue velvet/ velveteen. It is the most beautiful colour. I did a gathering stitch on the front of the bodice and the double darts in the back of the bodice- which I did perfectly for once in my life. It is doing the eyelets lacing strips on the front of the bodice that has taken the most time. The seam allowance on the bodice front was hard because it did not want to stay down.
I sewed three blue lace sections onto the front of the bodice, one on the right and the left and one in the centre. Then I added interfacing to the wrong side to stabilize the lace up section. I stitched down the eyelet strips by hand and then I realized I could not get the laces through the eyelet holes. So I seam ripped the eyelet strip and wove the ribbon through. Tip: I burnt the edges of the ribbons first with a lighter just a little to make it easier. A safety pin refused to go through the eyelets. I stitched the strips down again. Now it is done. Argh. Now I have to sew the shoulder seams and sides of the bodice and then sew on the bias tape and a zipper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I photocopied the pattern piece & printed it out. I adhered interfacing to the pattern piece and cut out the dart section I needed. I was using a dark coloured fabric so tailor tacks or chalk was not letting me be as precise as I had to be. I marked with pins where the dots were. I laid down the fabric under the whole pattern piece and lined it all up and marked with chalk where the darts had to be on the fabric. It was easy! It is probably why I made great darts because that step allowed me to easily see where it had to be. I am so proud to have sewn such perfect darts. The darts are shown in the photo above but they may be hard to see. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I sewed the shoulder seams and the side seams of the bodice together. I trimmed the hem of the bodice a little to make the edges of the fabric meet evenly.  I also sewed the bias tape to the hem of the bodice, the upper part of the bodice and the armholes. I am so tired and sore now. This project has been a lot of work and a bit more cost than I had planned. I had to order a pattern for the dress because it was initially missing or so I thought. I had to buy the fabric which cost more than I thought. I still have lots of fabric left over. I bought a dress form. It has cost a lot but I believe it is worth it. I stapled the receipts together. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is too dark and cold to wear the dress now. I put in a lot of hard work and time to make the dress. If I don’t do it now, it will eat at me all winter. I only have a little to do now. I have other projects to concentrate on so that is why I am glad I devoted the time I had to it now. I still have to sew in the zipper into the back of the bodice and a zipper into the back of the dress. I have decided that tomorrow I will sew the blue lace trim onto the hem of the dress. I’m sewing the trim onto the right part of the fabric- the top side. I trimmed the raw edges and excess of the hem earlier so there will be no issues with it later. I can’t wait to see how this all looks and to get to do the Grand Reveal!

The bodice is beautiful. I have to touch up 1 or 2 spots where the lace and the trim  is loose on the fabric but that is easy to fix with a slipstitch. I can’t decide what I should use for the braided trim to go on the bodice – the hem, the upper part of the bodice and the armhole seam.  I love how the bodice turned out and I am sure it will still fit despite the fabric taken in because of the darts, the gathering stitch and the seam allowance. 

Today I finished the bodice. I can’t believe how beautiful it all is. I learned how a zipper is set in. I learned a lot! I know now which presser foot – the zipper foot to use. I know how to line up the fabric with the zipper foot. I know how to sew a machine baste and how to hand baste the zipper in. I know which stitch width and stitch length to use for sewing a zipper in. I know how to sew it in, line up the presser zipper foot and seam rip a zipper out. I am so proud of myself. I did way better with that than I ever expected. I just need way more confidence in myself. I always relied on someone else and now I can do it on my own. I seam ripped the machine basting after I sewed. I am so much more confident in myself now. 

I am not lining the body of the dress, only the sleeves. I don’t need to fully line the dress which would be a total pain in the ass. Instead, I own a chemise from Holy Clothing. I can wear that with the dress. I still have to seam rip the zipper out of the dress that goes with the bodice and redo the sleeve upper cap area. I am doing all that at the library. That saves me a ton of frustration and tidying up. I need the extra help. I have taken so much care with the garments this far. I just can’t have the upper cap of the sleeve sewn in wrong and the zipper done wrong. I just can’t have it. Then I am done! I want to sew grey lace trim on the inside hem of both sleeves and sew a white trim in under the neckline. I want to check it all over for holes in the seams. I can’t believe I have gotten to this point. 

Update!: The sleeves and the zipper are done! I repaired and sewed the second collar to the bodice. I finished sewing the grey lace trim to the lining of the sleeves. Now all the hard work is done! I want to put the finishing touches on the dress and then it is time for the Grand Reveal! 

 I can’t wait to do the Grand Reveal. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I await what the dark half of the year has to offer. I will  finish the dress tomorrow night. I have many other projects to focus on. I can’t wait as it all sounds exciting! 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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November 1, 2024 · 10:39 am

My Samhain Experience

Greetings darklings,

The sun’s shining brightly on this early November morning. I am in recovery mode. That’s my jack o lantern in the photo. I had an awesome Samhain experience. I want to share that here with my dear readers today. 

I performed a bonfire ritual outdoors at my backyard step two nights ago. I was trying to get hydrogen peroxide and Epsom salts to ignite. No luck. I used a candle to light my hag torches made from mullein stalks. To my surprise, it worked! It proves there is something to going old school with our Magick! Candles will always work when everything else fails. A lovely fire brewed in my cauldron. It was freezing cold outside but the fire kept me warm. I felt the presence of spirits as I sat there with my black wool cloak draped around me for warmth. The smoke rising from the cauldron was so fragrant! 

The next evening, I performed a nice ancestral supper. I cooked a pot roast to perfection. I set a plate for Spirit and myself and left food for spirit too. The turnip, carrots and garden grown potatoes were perfect too. The energy was in the air and I am sure spirits were with me. The candles burned bright and flickered a LOT. I got choked up, remembering my grandparents and several memories returned to me. Yes it was solemn and sad. I can’t believe I cooked that buttery soft truly magnificent meal. I even wore my mourning veil. I ought to make all my meals that delicious and amazing. 

Last night, I left candy out for the eager trick or treaters. Tonight I baked a loaf of pumpkin bread, roasted pumpkin seeds, carved a pumpkin, brewed a batch of rose flavoured chocolate, and made marshmallows from marshmallow root herb powder. I need to blend it more. I bought granola bars and tried a s’more with the chocolate and the marshmallow blend. It tasted great but it is not quite there yet. I am so tired from slaving in the kitchen. The marshmallows can chill in the fridge for tonight. I am tired. Real tired. The kiddies ate most of the candy I left for them. I lit a candle and left it on the windowsill for the spirits. The pumpkin will go out in the back yard tomorrow. 

I was too tired from all that to perform a Solitary Samhain ritual. I still have candy left over from last night and a bowl of freshly roasted pumpkin seeds. I have a large mason jar full to the brim with pumpkin puree. I wish I was able to share all that magic, fun and savoury food with someone. I did it all alone with the ghosts and my cat. That is part of being a true Solitary Witch, I guess. 

Now it’s November, October hangover time. I want to buy a new canister of coffee but I must wait for a few deliveries to be made to my door: kitty kibble, a dress form from Amazon and copies of my published book! I can’t wait. The Arwen dress is not finished yet. The new dress form will make sewing the dress much easier. 

In other news, my novel is an Amazon Best seller! That is awesome. I will now write a sequel to The Cult of the Spider People. It’s successful so it would be worthwhile. I bought a neat Horror Tarot deck. The images on the cards make me think of the older days of pulp fiction. 

I would love to hear how you all celebrated Samhain!

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

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October 29, 2024 · 9:52 am

Samhain Blessings )O(

Greetings darklings:

Samhain draws near! I’m busy preparing for Samhain. I have a lot to be excited about! My short stories are published in two excellent collections published by Wicked Shadow Press – Halloween 24 and Witches Brew. Also, my novel is published! That is the pinnacle of my achievements. 

I still have to carve a pumpkin, leave an offering to the spirits in my garden, do the ancestral supper, bake sinfully delicious Halloween treats, buy candy for the trick or treaters and have a Samhain bonfire outdoors in the backyard. On top of that, I want to make sure I don’t freeze to death while I am having the bonfire. 

I am so hurt that the jerk that once was a part of my life – after the atrocity he did to my garden, he will never again be a part of my life. He cut down my haskap plant right down to the ground. I am furious. It will take years for it to grow back. I now have a longer time to wait for berries. He has no clue of what he has done. The nerve. It’s ok. I plan to play a cruel witchy prank on him. Never mess with a Witch. I will protect my garden with the ferocity of a starved eagle on cocaine. He has no clue what he’s done. I will be cruel. It is only fair. I plan to leave a very nice offering to the garden. I conjured up a Samhain Protection Powder. The protection is just what is needed here. I’ll get back at him. My poor haskap bush was growing berries. I can’t believe what he has done and he doesn’t feel bad about it which shows how unintelligent he is. I ever see him near my garden again and he will be in deep trouble. 

I dressed my altar for Samhain. I might buy more cider and wine today. I definitely plan to try making sinfully good Halloween treats. I bet you are all looking forward to Samhain and making plans. Samhain is the most highly anticipated Sabbat of all the Sabbats. 

I wish you all a memorable & magickal Samhain!!!

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

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October 15, 2024 · 10:18 am

The Cult of the Spider People pre-order )O(

Greetings darklings,

I am so happy! My debut horror novel is out for preorder. I am so happy and grateful to have made it to publication. There are many perks to this as well. One, I have an Amazon author page now. Two, it means I have arrived. I am so happy. I will include the link here to the page on Amazon where my novel is listed. The book is released on October 25th. It feels so good to have achieved publication. My novel is also the first in the Bone Chillers series. I am so proud of that. I hope my novel gets good reviews. 

The editor for Unveiling Nightmares and the imprint Bone Chillers had to step back from editing to take care of matters in North Carolina. Now Nora Peevy and I are reading submissions for the publisher. It’s been cool so far. I can’t wait to sign books for eager readers. I want to do a book signing at a local bookstore. I know I can’t have a big tour like  some authors but I am still over the moon happy. 

Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/Cult-Spider-People-Bone-Chillers-ebook/dp/B0DJYJWKXQ?ref_=ast_author_mpb

I hope that you will consider buying a copy or leaving a review, my dear readers. I believe that I will now write the sequel to Cult of the Spider People. The publication of my novel now leads to new and better opportunities. I can try for a Bram Stoker award. I doubt I would win but it doesn’t hurt to try. There are other awards and honours I can apply for.  I can get used to this. 

I strolled down the nature trail yesterday on my way to my Mom’s for a thanksgiving meal. The nature trail was lovely. The trees were resplendent in many autumn colours. It was misty and overcast. It was perfect. I took a lot of pictures of the fiery coloured trees. 

My Arwen dress is slowly coming along. I figured out to work the sewing machine a friend of mine gave me. I have to buy more interfacing and finish the collar and then sew the sleeves next. Then I set in the sleeves and hem the dress and add the trim! I donated a Witch dress I had but I kept the bodice details and the ribbon. I want to make the bodice that goes with the dress and I might use the bodice trim for it. I am not lining the dress. I have the Tauriel grey dress from Holy Clothing. I am wearing that with it. Now I don’t need to line the dress. I want to complete sewing the dress by October 31st. I sewed the dress using knits and chiffon. I am never sewing a dress in satin or velvet because they are difficult fabrics to work with. Using the knit material means I can wear it more often. I will post photos of the dress once completed. I’m buying a dress form too. That will be a huge help!

The dress will be lovely. I took care to cut and sew carefully. The more care I take with it, the more beautiful it will turn out. I just can’t wait to have a dress form. That will make a huge difference. 

I will post more here about my novel and its success! I have to prepare for Samhain too. Till next time, my dear readers

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

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