Dillon is invited to a Harry Potter-themed birthday where attendees are to dress as their favorite HP character, and despite my entreaties, wants to go as Harry himself. I thought it would be fun to pick someone a little more unknown/less likely to be represented – Cedric Diggory or Oliver Wood or someone – but no, we’re into Harry. But Dillon decided, and it is going to be Harry in Quidditch robes.
No problem, I thought. I can totally make those. I love, love, love to make costumes. To the point where I’ve volunteered with local nonprofit theater companies and my old high school to help out with their productions (pre-grad school, of course). But it is REALLY off-season for costumes, so when I went to my local fabric store – of which there are not many in Milwaukee, these days – the patterns are really lacking.  And there is a Lord of the Rings cape that I can probably modify sufficiently, but I am pretty sure I have the pattern already and so I come home empty-handed. (Noting that it will likely cost me at least $40 for the fabric when I could get the made-in-China version on Amazon for $25.)
And then I think – really, there has to be a pattern online for this. Harry Potter merch and craft stuff is EVERYWHERE online. But while I see someone who will make you a custom Quidditch cape for $140, I can’t find any great ideas. I am kind of bummed out. Really, I could probably fake it, but the hardest part is knowing how much fabric to buy. Too much and I spend more than I need (and add to the two giant bins of random extra fabric already in the basement) and too little and it won’t come together correctly.
Now to dig through the bins to see about that old pattern and if there is anything I can do with it.