I have absolutely no training in pattern making, but it’s essential to the hobby so I slog through it! Well, I suppose you can wing it sometimes, but for stuff like this there really is no substitute.

Helmet. Cowl. Hood. Call it a hat. Making a fitted cowl is challenging, as I found out while sewing this one.  I also learned that darts make it fit so much better! So this time, I wasn’t afraid to add a lot of darts.
I started the pattern process in the best way I could think of – duct tape. I put a plastic bag on my head, turned on an episode of good old Ancient Aliens, and had my husband tape my head up.

Oh the glamorous hobby of cosplay! But if you think about it, your head is round and fabric is flat, so you have to go between somehow. Once my head is taped up and I hold my breath as he trims the bag, I pull it off and here’s what I get :

While it’s still in one piece, I carefully mark my seam lines and make a road map of what pieces go where. I also used six different colors of sharpie to make registration marks, which will tell me which pieces touch each other and where. This ended up being so, so helpful later on!

And now cut! I figured if it didn’t work, there are more episodes of Ancient Aliens to watch while I make another.

I then slashed my pattern pieces that didn’t already lay flat, and marked the new darts. And then, the puzzle pieces went back together one at a time until I got this lovely monster:

Just using scrap spandex to test it! Only one color is the same as it will be in the final version. Now, the foam head is smaller than my head, but even though it doesn’t look like it, this is an awesome start.

This shows me first of all that my pattern goes back together decently, and gives me many points on which to improve the next time. All said, a very successful first draft!

I get asked a lot how I make my costumes, and how can someone else make it too. My answer is always just give it a shot, this is how I do it and it’s the way you can too! Not trying to be patronizing at all, I write these posts to show that it all doesn’t just fall together, and you have to mess up, sometimes a lot, to make progress and learn. And sometimes it takes a long time until it looks pretty.

And sometimes because of aliens.