“Because COVID hit, I started sewing a lot more”

Nova Starling: “In fourth or fifth grade, my parents signed me up for a sewing lesson. I did that for one or two summers, and then that was about it. I didn’t really sew a whole lot back then. But then my mom gave me a new sewing machine at one point, and then COVID hit, so I had a lot more free time. From there, I started actually sewing a whole ton more. I’m dressed up as Edelgard von Hresvelg from Fire Emblem: Three Houses. I was in tech for pretty much the entire time I spent making this, so a lot of this [happened] after rehearsal, like I would go home and I would do the sewing.

I did a lot of work actually, during rehearsal, like I brought my whole pattern into the show to start cutting it out for the skirt. I sewed all of the clasps on the back during a performance [of Almost, Maine], so it was kind of chaotic, but I have a costume and I think it turned out okay, so I’m pretty happy with it. I’ve made a lot of this stuff that I actually wear to school pretty frequently. So from there, because COVID hit, I started sewing a lot more. Now, sewing is just my main [hobby to do] when I’m bored.”