Greg & Wirt Costumes from Over the Garden Wall

My husband and I decided last year to make it a tradition to watch the entirety of "Over the Garden Wall" at least once every autumn, and this year was no exception! When our friends brought up doing a "costume contest" for Halloween this year, we knew our perfect, seasonal costume: Greg and Wirt.

I sewed the main components of our costumes -- Wirt's cloak and Greg's outfit -- from scratch over the course of two simultaneously long and short weeks. In this video I detail both the tedious, frustrating progress and the pretty decent results!

I learned a LOT from this project. Other than boxers in middle school and an apron a few years ago, these are the largest sewing projects I've completed to date, and the first actual garments I've done. For all the blood, sweat and tears this project wrangled from me, I'm incredibly glad that it did it. The final results, while imperfect, were unbelievably rewarding!


THE WIRT CLOAK
I made Wirt's cloak by modifying the Simplicity 8771 pattern, option C (https://simplicity.com/simplicity/s8771). The pattern recommended using a heavier fabric, however I found that a cotton blend worked well as I needed two layers of fabric (one red, one blue) instead of the one layer the original cloak called for. I reinforced the strip across the front of the cloak with iron-on interfacing, which I covered with another piece of fabric for a more finished look.

THE GREG DRESS
I used Kwik Sew's K4138 pattern (https://www.amazon.com/KWIK-SEW-PATTE.... Despite the brand name, it was NOT quick to sew, and the instructions skipped several steps that caused issues later in the project. I recommend double checking the waist measurement when gathering the fabric for the skirt. Make sure to find fabric and a zipper of the same color; this was arguably one of the greatest challenges!

THE TEAPOT HAT
I bought an antique aluminum (or maybe pewter?) teapot from a secondhand store. I attached it to an old headband using large metal paperclips wrapped around the headband and creating tension inside the teapot, similar to the wire in a Christmas ornament (if that makes sense?). I then wrapped the exposed wire in ribbon to prevent it from getting stuck in my hair.

THE GREG BLOUSE
The blouse and necktie I wore is Unique Vintage's "Small Parlour White Neck Tie Power Play Blouse" (unfortunately unavailable now). It came with both a black neck tie and a light pink one, and was super comfortable, but any white button-up shirt with a collar would look great with some black ribbon tied in a bow.

THE SCISSORS
The bird scissors are from an Etsy shop (https://www.etsy.com/listing/10010303.... Honestly, there are a ton to choose from! I just looked up "gold bird embroidery scissors" and tons of options popped up, most of them very affordable.