Simplicity: 2853 (Adult Gorilla, Lion, Bear and) - Type:Costumes  | | Viewed 71 times
| 2 more reviews | Review rated Helpful by 1 people Very Helpful by 3 people | | Reviewed by: | quixoticpixels | 
 | About quixoticpixels | | WA USA | | Member since: 4/2/08 | | Reviews written: 48 | | Sewing skills:Advanced Beginner | | Favored by: 26 people | | patterns reviewed: 47 | | Bio: more... |
| | Posted on: | 3/1/10 3:24 PM | | Project Photo: |  | | Pattern Photo: | 
Simplicity Pattern Info | | Pattern Rating: | Highly Recommend | | See other patterns in this category: Costumes | Available for sale on PR: $16.95 (See envelope)  | | | | Fabric: | Flannel [See other projects in this fabric] | | Related Links | Click on  to add a link |
| Pattern Description:
From Simplicity: "Adult Gorilla, Lion, Bear and Cat Costumes"
I used the pattern to make costumes for a skunk and Eeyore...and a hood for Piglet.
Pattern Sizing:
Adult XS-XL. 2855 provides patterns for child-sized versions of these costmes.
I made these costumes for middle-school students. Is it my imagination or are they much larger than they used to be? Eeyore is 5'11"!!!!
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
They would have looked the same if I had not altered the patterns to look like different animals...
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, the instructions were great! Very clearly written.
My sister-in-law, the director of the play for which I made the costumes, was approached by volunteer "seamstresses" to make the costumes. They told her that they had taken home ec in high school, but hadn't sewn much since then. I would NOT recommend this pattern for anyone who hasn't sewn recently. The pattern isn't difficult, per se, but involves creating darts, inserting zippers and working with tricky fabrics, e.g. faux fur.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The pattern was easy to adapt to my purposes, i.e. making a skunk and donkey...
Fabric Used:
I used flannel for the bodies and hoods. The director and I were concerned that the actors would get too hot under the stage lights if we used the faux fur or fleece called for by the pattern. Using a different fabric meant that I had to make some changes in construction. For example, the instructions didn't suggest interfacing the facings, but my flimsy fabric really needed it.
Also, flannel is a serious lint magnet. If you use this, keep a lint brush and/or sweater comb on hand.
I pretreated the fabric by washing it a couple of times in hot water. Neither costume is particularly washable however, due to the addition of faux fur and wool yarn. I'll have to talk to the director about how to care for them.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I altered sleeve and pant lengths on both costumes to fit the actors. The costumes had a lot of ease, so fussing over body fit wasn't required.
I doubled all lighter colored fabrics to prevent show-through when appliqued to darker fabrics.
I sewed pipe cleaners into Piglet's ears so we could shape them later on.
I used the pointy ear pattern for Piglet's ears, but lengthened them by about an inch and a half.
I understitched the facings and hood linings so the edges were nice and crisp.
I drafted my own tail pattern for the skunk. This is kind of how I went about it. I was going to add wire to make it stand upright in a perky fashion, but ran out of time for that engineering feat. Had I done so, I would have attached a belt to the interior to support it. I initially stuffed the tail with Polyfil, but it was too heavy, so I replaced that with plastic grocery bags. Much lighter!
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Right now, I'm worn out from sewing two of these (plus a third hood), so sewing another seems like a crazy idea; however, the project was incredibly fun, so I might warm up to the idea later on!
I recommend this to anyone in need of animal costumes. The outfits go together very smoothly!
More Information and Pictures:
I blogged about this project here and here.
Photos of the costumes | Buy this pattern for $16.95 Add to Bag  |
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4 Comments
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They look great!
3/1/10 4:01 PM
These are so cool! Love the ears on both =)
3/1/10 4:52 PM
Wow! Great job. I love the costumes.
3/2/10 1:10 AM
Wow, these came out great! You confirm my belief that in order for a pattern to be successful you have to think it through entirely. Good job!
3/6/10 12:40 PM