Halloween is a pretty epic holiday in this house. Not only is it my husband’s birthday, but it will be the 36th and final year he has trick or treated with one of his boys. At 12 they start to be candy passers, not candy getters. In celebration, my son asked if I could send him out with a bang.

Being the Potterhead that he is, as well as possessing the auburn curls so like Eddie Redmayne, he asked if I could make him Newt Scamander.

Because it’s cold in the midwest at the end of October, the coat is made out of petrol colored polar fleece, using Buttericks B6502 that I graded down 2 sizes. It features real welt pockets and a place to keep his wand. The vest is simplicity 4762 that is cut in gold linen that again I graded down. The faux welt has the pocketwatch- a charm that I bought and tied to a piece of leather- sewn in so that its not easily lost. The pants are a jogging pant knit pattern from New Horizon Designs that I adjusted for ease, and length and cuffed and made out of poly from JoAnn fabrics. The suit jacket underneath is the same poly as the pants, but drafted roughly from a t-shirt pattern that I split, drafted lapels for, and then rolled. The bowtie is a piece of wool I had left over from a previous project, secured with elastic around his white oxford button down. The scarf is evenly spaced patches of heathered grey and gold linen look knit all tied together with embroidery floss tassels.

The suitcase is a cardboard box that had an opening lid, covered in leather like fabric, with a real leather handle secured that I sewed from some scrap leather I had, as well as painted foam core and brads. It secures with painted gold buckles, and opens to reveal my kiddos real Ravenclaw colors of bronze and blue for gathering candy.