I notice as we get older we get into dress up parties more. As a child of limited budget I certainly dreaded them as I always looked lame. I would pick a totally normal looking character, some guy in t-shirt and jeans, so unknown that even if my shirt colour didn’t match the character in the books, who was to know? I suppose as we grow up and our disposable income increases from zero to something non-zero, so too does our desire to let loose and have fun. Maybe we’re just trying to get back to the carefree kids we once were.

Costume parties are definitely one of those cases where the more effort you put in the more you get out of it. Those that splash out have more fun than those who do a half-assed job. It is those that go the furthest that fit in the best, while those who aren’t dressed the part are left feeling guilty outsiders.

After the Smash anime convention, full of crazy fans dressed in crazy costumes, my friends and I decided to join the nerds, promising to cosplay the next convention.

Having plenty of time, I decided to try my hand at making my own Akatsuki cloak. It looked simple enough and cheaper than paying $80 online for something that wasn’t as fine as what I had in mind.

Here’s the tutorial I used as an introduction but the end process was something totally my own, essentially starting from scratch with my own measurements. I also sewed the garment together in a more logical (to me) order. I learned a lot about sewing from this project, including how much more there is to learn.

The cost of the materials came in at less than $80 but if you add in the sheer number of man-hours, even at slave rates, the cloak probably costs hundreds of dollars. The experience, however, was invaluable and hopefully you’ll get to read the fruits of my labour one day. You’ll know it when you read it.

Looking at the photos I remember with a shudder all the arduous work that went into sewing the cloak. Then I had to go through it all again. I didn’t make it in time to wear to Animania but the second cloak I made as a birthday gift for Little Miss Curious and she loved it.