Are you getting ready for Halloween? Can you believe that since I started sewing, I haven’t been invited to a single fancy dress party?! I’m outraged! I’d love the opportunity to make myself a costume. I’ve no idea what character I’d like to make, but I’d want it to include maybe a frock coat, some frills or ruffles, a bit of smocking perhaps, but overall, look really cool!! … is that too much to ask?! … any suggestions?

But in the meantime I’ve consoled myself with a Halloween shirt.

I picked up this great themed fabric in JoAnn when I was in America earlier in the year. It was on sale at $5 a yard (I also got an extra 20% off everything for logging in to the free wifi!)

So I put away the list of everything I was supposed to be doing and made this shirt instead. For a bit of extra ‘fun’ I decided to add a bit of piping to the pocket and the back yoke.

I’d cut the pocket out already when I decided to add the piping, so only the top bit matched the pattern, but I don’t mind that so much as I thought I would… and perhaps the ‘horror’ of an unmatched pocket adds to the Halloween theme? It’s subversive-sewing-horror!

I cut out the fronts separately to make sure the pattern matched across the centre front.

It’s a bit garish, I suppose, for a day-to-day shirt… but pretty low key compared to most Halloween outfits! I love it and plan on wearing it for most of October!

Hopefully next year someone will invite me to a fancy-dress party?

Happy sewing!

Notes to self:

  • Don’t be lazy, re cut the bottom half of the pocket next time to match!
  • Maybe it’s time to make a proper western shirt now? – all the piping, shaped yokes…
  • Costume idea – Haunted Highwayman?