The costume looks much better on the doll than on Mr. Neilson, that’s for sure. When I was putting it on I realized two things. 1. I neglected a bottom. I put the baby’s jeans back on because the diaper just seemed obscene. 2. I attached the skirt differently than I’d intended, but I think it worked out better for ease of construction. The other option was to simply sew the fold-over elastic on top of the bottom edge of the top. It would have given it a more defined waistband, but I also risked the slippery fabric being a jerk. Maybe next time.
In other news, I realized what makes me so frustrated about costuming, and what I really need to find a way to get over.
I feel so damn inadequate. I’m often unimpressed with my results, and I find the pathetic green-eyed monster coming out when I see everyone else’s costumes. Case in point, The Bowler.
Once upon a time, I was rather proud of this costume. The more I look at it, and the more I study the real deal, the more I see how short I fell. And my immediate, knee-jerk reaction to inadequacy has always been to give up. I am clearly not awesome, so I should probably just go home.
And I know this thinking is wrong. I know what I should be thinking is, “Okay, so there are some things I could do better, so let’s do them better next time.” Mistakes are learning experiences, and whatnot.
I will never truly enjoy costuming… Hell, I will never truly enjoy anything… if I can’t stop comparing myself to others. I’m not really sure what the key to this is, but I guess the place to start is to correct those thoughts after I acknowledge them. And to use it as a driver to improve, and not to give up.
Keeping the Thor in Thorsday 
First of all your doll costume is ADORABLE. Kudos to you for sewing tiny little armholes. That would drive me crazy.
Secondly, your bowler costume is very cool. It is also one of the first things you ever made as a costumer. I look at the first things I made and cringe because I see what I could do differently and think bad thoughts about them and myself. But then you have to just remember that everyone starts out somewhere, and everyone learns as they go. Your Steampunk Christmas outfit was so cool. I love your circus costume. Your runner belly dancer was inspired. You do a lot of very fun and impressive stuff in a very short amount of time. Give yourself more credit- you are good at what you do, you are a fun person, and gosh darn it, people like you. 😉
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I like the waistband of the fairy costume. I don’t totally understand how the elastic fold-over operation would work, but I think another option if you’re dissatisfied is to add ribbon. Fairies like ribbon.
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