halloween sewing 2026: 2
rika's shirt! (and some other sewing talk)
i'm no stranger to making big plans and have definitely planned out some big halloween costumes and cosplays that never panned out. so i am really proud of myself for actually starting this project and finishing the first piece!
it turned out a lot better than i thought it would! this was an intimidating shirt to make since it is so structured. when i first saw the pattern i thought it'd be fun to use it someday to make like... a little... lawyer outfit... for bnuy. still will probably do that someday... i have a pattern for a little suit jacket and everything...
ANYWAY i was pleasantly surprised that this pattern is actually in my skill range already! and this pattern was neat because it felt sort of true to life. human scale version would take some extra tricks and polish, but i think i understand how these shirts are generally constructed now? which is neat.
A note for myself for next time:
The sleeves ended up a bit too long here despite my best efforts to keep them short. Part of the issue here was that i expected to hem the ends of the sleeves so I gave myself a lot of seam allowance, and then just went with it anyway instead of cutting it off. (because Iβd already put in some darts on the back of each sleeve and didnβt want to redo them). I tried to fix the issue by just using wayyyy more of the top of the shape as seam allowance, but it may have fucked with the fit a little under the arms. a couple cm off the end wouldβve fixed it perfectly though, I think.
Also I shouldβve measured the collar more precisely based on the planned neckline instead of just guessing a length based on bnuyβs neck girth (lol). And I just freehanded the shape which is halfway fine. βHalfwayβ fine because I should have just taken the time to make it symmetrical (like, by only freehanding half of the shape).
i've also been meaning to explain a little bit more about my general process when making doll clothing, so i might as well do that here. i am using these two books primarily:
i got the medieval book first. my recent interest in sewing was sparked in part because of my interest in the medieval historical period. i've always loved medieval shit, and really been vibing with the "medieval princess" archetype in my daydreams. maybe i started thinking about it a lot when i was reading the berserk manga earlier this year and drooling over princess charlotte's dresses?
i also watched the favourite (2018) earlier this year and while that's a different time period technically i think, i just have spent a lot of time thinking about craftsmanship from before the industrial revolution, and especially about how making sure the people around you have clothing was something that must have taken up so much of women's time in that era. it's kind of upsetting and sad to think about it, but also mindbending on a way i'm addicted to when stoned and making something myself. i love that about fiber arts - the connection with other women, stretching hundreds or thousands of years into the past...
anyway! all of that to say: when i decided sewing was a thing i wanted to learn to do, starting at the very basics of garment construction by going back in time to medieval techniques seemed both exciting and logical to me. especially because i don't have a sewing machine, and enjoy the process of hand-sewing.
so i used that book to learn a general process for fitting clothing - i learned that medieval tailors would make this like, keep-on-file type pattern per customer called their personal "block". you make the block by starting with two blank /unpatterned rectangles of fabric, and then fitting them closer and closer to the body (by pinning and repinning and repinning and repinning, and snipping) until they form the basic front and back of a simple tunic. here's bnuy going through the process:
once it's fit closely, you mark where the pins are (and the book provides some instruction as to like, where the key places to put the pins are - places like under the armpit, above the shoulder, and at the waist). then ideally you commit that shape and the markings to a piece of paper, but since doll clothes are tiny i just keep the block for each doll i have in my sewing kit in fabric form. anyway once you have this done, the idea is that you can use that pattern as a template and alter it as needed to make the differently shaped garments, but with the same consistent fit. this method is super handy for dolls imo because they do not grow so their measurements will always be the same haha.
but yeah as far as making this specific shirt - i referenced the pattern and instructions from my other book! i got this book while on vacation, visiting some friends in portland. i was on the fence about getting it because i didn't have much room in my bag to bring stuff back home on the plane but i'm SO GLAD i bought it because it's been fucking awesome. it has a really handy section at the beginning talking about some sewing basics specifically for doll clothes (like about how to attach different styles of closures) and it also has some nice tutorials for more general sewing skills (like gathering fabric, and sewing darts and elastic).
so yeah, i started with bnuy's personal block, and then i altered it a bit to match the shapes from the doll dictionary. i also had to do some re-measuring and a little bit of math. my brain's spatial reasoning center go BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
i'm excited to keep making stuff from both books! really trying to stay committed to my halloween idea as my first priority, but then idk what i'll make next. i want to make like.. everything. hehe