Too big and too short

The sweatshirt is too big, and I made the arms too small. I'm wondering if Kwik Sew men's patterns have the same sizing issues that Kwik Sew women's patterns do. I size down for the tops since I fall between 2 sizes. If I don't, the tops are too big in the shoulders. DH was between sizes. He was almost big enough for the large size range, so that's what I made.

At any rate, we need to make another fitting toile for him before I cut into the windpro. It wasn't that expensive, but it's hard to get.

The monkey costume is coming along nicely. It's going to be much too big, but I'm hoping that we can just roll up the sleeves and legs. I'd really like for Boobla to be able to wear this for 2 years, so that I'm alternating making costumes for the 2 kids. Next year, it will be Goosey's turn to get a new costume.

The body of the costume is almost finished. I used broadcloths instead of fleece. The instructions tell you applique the tummy patch down without any finishing of the edges. That would be okay in fleece. I decided to sew 2 tummy patches together and turn them inside out before appliquing to the costume. That makes the patch slightly smaller, but you can't tell. You'd be able to tell if I had raw edges zigzagged down. They dumbdown the costume patterns so much that I wonder why they don't tell you to use a fusible web to attach the tummy patch.

I wish I used batting in the tail instead of stuffing it. I think a softer tail would have been better, more durable, and more washable. I worry that the stuffed tail will get kinked. It's also a heavy, stiff pain to work around when sewing the rest of the costume.

I used ribbing for the wrist cuffs. The instructions tell you to gather the sleeve ends before attaching the cuffs, supposedly all in fleece, but I didn't need to do that with the ribbing.

I hate putting in sleeves on children's clothes. I'm pretty sure the sleeve cap is always to big for the armscye, but I haven't found any direction on how much bigger it should be. It's always a pain to get it eased in with no puckers.

There is no interfacing in the collar band, and I didn't add any. It wasn't until I put the band that I thought of it. Plus, they don't have you finish the seams where the collarband attaches to the neck. I serged mine, but would it have so hard to tell us to fold one side over then topstitch? Well, I didn't think of it until afterwards.

The ears aren't interfaced either, but I caught this before I made them. I'm going to put in some fusible tricot to give them a little more umph. I'm using broadcloth to line the head. I've got the boots cut out, but I don't think I'm going to make them. Boobla can wear black sneakers.