Fabric and Trimmings for the John Knox Costume

Chalk pattern drawn out.

Even though I’m a huge fan of dressing up in costumes and the imaginary play that costumes encourage, I don’t like Halloween. I very much dislike the original purpose of the celebrations—the Celtic celebration of Samhain is extremely pagan—and because we don’t think that the original intent is all that far from current practice, we have chosen not to celebrate Halloween. However, since Luther nailed The 95 Theses to the door at Wittenburg on 31 October in 1517, we celebrate Reformation Day at our house, usually with a reading of the history of various well known reformers, and then games or a movie if it’s just our family.

This year was a bit different, since it was the first year B was really aware of what our culture does in regards to Halloween, and he, like any other four year old, wanted to dress up and get candy like all of his friends.

It didn’t help that his group speech therapy series was ending with a Halloween Party on Friday the 30th. I had an idea, however, as to how he could dress up and still celebrate Reformation day. I would dress B up as John Knox, Scottish reformer, contemporary of John Calvin, and the man who is considered the “Father of the Presbyterian Church.” (Fitting, since we attend a conservative Presbyterian church here in Fresno.) I talked the idea over with B’s speech therapist, and she loved it, and asked me to write a brief bio of John Knox out so she could share it with the class.

I decided that I didn’t want to spend the money on various items that wouldn’t look like a Renaissance-age outfit Knox would have worn. The biggest obstacle was going to be a Renaissance cap, but I had an idea as to how to make that. I got some bargain priced fabric (splurging on the ribbon and fur trims for the over-robe), and bought a simple black hooded robe at a local costume store. I borrowed a friend’s sewing machine, and then proceeded to throw together his robe. I am a total short-cut taker, so I just cut the 36″ wide fabric in half, folded it over, sewed up the sides, cut the front half up the middle to make the front portion of the robe, folded and sewed the shoulder area, hemmed all edges, added trim here and there, and voila, I had a robe.

From the front. The bottom flap flips out when E wears it, she has a smaller head.

He now wears the over-robe and pretends to be High King Peter.

The cap was MUCH more involved, and took me twice as long to make. I ended up cutting four oval shapes, three of which I cut the middle out. Two of those were the brim, and the third was the piece between the top of the cap and the brim. I sewed the outside edges of the cap part together, then the outside edges of the brim, pinned them all together and basted them. Then I put the bottom brim (that goes from ear to ear) along the bottom and sewed it all together.

From the side.

B was thrilled with the beginnings of his costume, but had to go to bed before it was all finished. Did I mention that I started his costume at 5pm on Thursday, October 29? Well, I did. I was a procrastinator (as usual) and totally lost track of what day it was until J reminded me that I had a costume to make, on Wednesday afternoon. Whoops!

I also realized in the middle of the afternoon Wednesday that I had almost nothing in regards to sewing supplies, so when I went to Ladies’ Bible Study on Wednesday evening, I left J home with the kids early, and went by Joann’s where I bought scissors, pinking shears, straight pins, thread, the fabric, dressmaker’s chalk, and some glue just in case I couldn’t borrow a sewing machine and wanted to reinforce hand-stitching. Thankfully I didn’t have to sew it all by hand!

B loves his costume, minus the hat and beard (that I also got at the costume store). He refuses to wear the beard and hat now, since he reiterates that he is “…NOT John Knox! He’s dead! I’m a boy!” He tends to pretend he’s a King of Narnia, or a Knight during Robin Hood’s time, and I’m glad the robe has sturdy seams, since B isn’t very gentle in sword-play.

Statue of John Knox, which was my reference point for the costume. Photo Courtesy Electric Scotland