I thought I had one more year of picking out my kid’s Halloween costume. The plan was to recreate this iconic duo of Wicket and Leia from Return of the Jedi, which is my favorite Star Wars film:

But the two-year-old had other plans.

He hadn’t seen the movies yet, but of course they permeate pop culture. We came home from a consignment sale that summer with this mask and red lightsaber. And so he steadfastly insisted on dressing instead as “Dark Vader.”

I didn’t want a store-bought costume for three reasons. 1) I look forward to making Halloween costumes every year; 2) I thought I could actually make a costume more detailed version than what I could find ready-made; and 3) I wanted it to be comfortable so he would wear it trick-or-treating. I studied photos from the film to figure out all the fiddly bits, and then set out to recreate Vader’s capes and control panels in felt and nylon knit. I slipped the belt panels onto a black webbing strap and created a “chain” for the cloak with metallic braid and Velcro. The base of the costume was from the closet: a black long-sleeved shirt, black sweatpants, and black converse–because of course Vader would rock Chuck Taylors.

Sad to say, the mask never had a chance, and the light saber and gloves were both eventual casualties while trick-or-treating. However, the costume was still immediately recognizable and, needless to say, well received in the neighborhood.

This is the first year we adults made an effort to dress up with the theme, a test run of sorts for our eventual family cosplays. Dad got a plain muslin tunic and a quick-and-dirty Jedi robe from thick-spun brown linen and one of the Simplicity costume patterns. Meanwhile, my closet held everything I needed–can you even call yourself a Star Wars nerd if you can’t dress like a Jedi exclusively with items from your wardrobe?

So, there you have it: A Halloween 2013 retrospective. Thanks for reading along, and have a happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you!