MAKE IT SEW: My Hufflepuff Badger Hood & Slytherin Snake

Remember the free sewing pattern I featured in my last Gems?

This one, by Sew Desu Ne?

Well, after that post my friend Christie asked if I wanted to get together, and try making our own.

This was a big deal for me, because A) I am famously bad at/scared of sewing and B) I've never had a craft day with a friend besides John. Like, ever. I've always been jealous of peeps who do, but most of my friends live far away, and are super busy, and yeah, I guess also I've never asked. ::sheepish grin:: 

("See here the Awkward Introvert in her natural habitat of self-doubt and second-guessing. Tsk. SO SAD.")

SO.

Here's what went down:

I will say that Choly's pattern is phenomenal: it's clearly laid out with step-by-step photo instructions. I'd never have had a chance without it. Oh, and my materials cost about $15: that's for two yards of fleece, a little faux fur, and a few big buttons.

Actually I made both ears with the wrong fabric. Yay.

Christie made the unicorn pattern, with a slight variation in the mane so it could have two colors.

Since sewing isn't already hard enough for me I also set out to modify the hood into a badger design, using soft faux fur for the stripes and inside the ears:

You can see the shape I'm using here for the stripe on each side. It worked out great, but I had to hem the fur before attaching it to the fleece, since the edges shed like crazy. This took two tries (hemming curves is hard!), but I eventually got it "good enough."

PSA: The sound of a machine needle snapping in two is... unpleasant. Also you should generally try to remove ALL your pins before sewing over them.

Christie and I got started in the early evening, then I kept going late into the night after she left. Around 3 the next morning, I had this:

I did realize (too late) that I'd just made an Ewok hood. Not sure if that's an Oops or a Bonus.

I used enormous buttons for a more Kawaii effect, but that meant they were too big for our machine to make the button holes. So the next day I had to hand sew the holes and hooo boy, do those not look good. But it's OK, you don't really see them:

And I do like the giant buttons!

I had to get John to take these photos since my arms aren't long enough, and after that shot he said, "I dunno, you should do something. Crinkle your nose, it'll be cute."

Yeeeah... you know where this is going.

"Is this cute? IT DOESN'T FEEL CUTE JOHN."

As for the rest of my outfit: odds are it's going to be hot at our party (boo Florida), so a full-body furry badger onesie is out. (Dangit.) I'm going to be warm enough in this hood & these giant clawed slippers.  So I'm thinking... black shorts and Hufflepuff t-shirt? With silly striped socks? The contrast from my outfit at last year's party is cracking me up. This one will definitely be more "me."

John will be wearing this fabulous "Huffleton" shirt plus some Hufflepuff PJ pants that his QUACK made for him.  (I still don't know what QUACK stands for, but it's a FOE craft exchange like Secret Santa.)

THE WIZARDING WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN

Oh! And here's Christie's almost-finished unicorn hood:

She just has to add the horn and buttons. (I convinced her to buy giant buttons, too. Mwahahaaaa!)

As hard as making that hood was, at least it showed me I can (eventually) do SOME sewing. So the very next night I tackled another project: 

Turning this $5 thrift store dragon into a Slytherin snake.

(I hear he's originally from Ikea, in case you want to try this, too.)

It took me another two nights, since I had to completely un-stuff and remake him, but in the end...

  Ta-daa!

I'm pretty proud of the tongue; I re-used the dragon's mouth lining to make it. And I didn't break a single needle! PROGRESS.

For my next sewing project I'll be trying to make House Christmas stockings - and when I do I'll make this guy a little Slytherin scarf from the scraps. (We also have a thrift store badger and lion, but I'm still looking for an eagle. If one doesn't turn up I may have to... gulp... BUY A NEW ONE. The horror!) 

Thanks so much to all of you who cheered me on through the Badger build over on Instagram, and for following along! John and I are in full-time Party Build mode, so you can expect a steady stream of projects of all sizes from now through December, as we slowly turn our back room into the Hufflepuff Common Room. We also have several more big surprises planned, so wish us speed as we try to finish them all in time!