FOX COAT COSTUME: TUTORIAL

October 24, 2013
As you may have guessed, Chelsea's Halloween costume was inspired by Ylvis' viral hit, "What does the fox say?" If you haven't seen it yet, I'm including a link so you can watch it.
Ever since it went viral, it has been one of Chelsea's favorite youtube's to watch, and has made my life a whole heck-of-a-lot easier (I'm tellin ya, trimming C's nails while she's entranced by the colors, music, and human-like animals has never been easier). And so, we only thought it appropriate to honor Ylvis and his viral hit this Halloween by dressing like foxes ourselves. Haven't exactly decided what Andrew and I are going to do for our costumes, but I think we'll just stick to creative makeup this year... Maybe.
Now, I have this costume available for sale in my shop for $20, but if you feel confident with your sewing and following online tutorial abilities, here's how I did it.

You will need:
1 model coat
Model pants
1 yard of red felt
1/3 yard of white felt (or three crafter's squares)
4 red buttons
Needle and thread (in addition to machine)


Step 1: Model and Cut
Just as a side-note, this is my old coat from when I was two. Tender!
Fold your red felt in half. Lay half of your model coat on top of the felt, aligning the zipper and center of the coat with the fold of the felt. Cut around the coat, lengthening if desired, and allowing one inch between your cutting and your coat (for seam allowance). Cut a second piece with a bit of a lower neckline, then cut this piece in half, right down the middle.


Step 2: Cut-Tummy
Lay white fabric on top of the front pieces of the coat and cut an oval for the fox's tummy, cutting down the middle. Set aside.


Step 3: Cut-Sleeves
Making sure that your red felt is folded in half, lay your model coat on top of the felt with the sleeve folded in half and lining up the top of the sleeve with the fold. Eyeball the curve of the shoulder and armpit of the coat, then follow the sleeve down, all the while leaving 1 inch for seam allowance around the entire coat.


Step 4: Shoulder Seams
With right sides together of the front two pieces and the back piece, pin at the shoulders and sew with a 1/2" seam allowance. Trim excess fabric.


Step 5: Sleeves
Flatten out the coat thus far with the front two panels and the back panel lying face-up. Pin your sleeves to the main body with right sides together, pining the center of the top of the sleeve to the shoulder seam, and cutting off excess of the sleeves to align the sleeve and armpit if there is any. Sew.


Step 6: Sleeves and Sides
Pin the sleeves and sides of the coat, right-sides together and sew.


Step 7: Measure
Measure the neckline of your coat.


Step 8: Hood
Cut a rectangle piece of fabric as wide as the neckline and 14" tall (height may depend on child size). Take the two top corners of the hood and pinch them right-sides together. Pin in place, and sew.


Step 9: Hood cont'd.
Pin the right side of the hood to the right side of the jacket neckline and sew.

Have your little one try on the costume and adjust the hood as necessary by sewing at a diagonal at the tip.
*Remember! It's better to sew conservatively and to sew again until it is enough than to sew too bravely and have to pick. Food for thought.


Step 10: Tail
Measure from the top of your model pants to just a bit past their knees. Cut two tail-shaped pieces out of red felt that are 6" wide and the length from their back to their calves long. Also cut two decorative pieces of white felt to go on top of the red. With one tail and white piece laying face up (not pinned or sewn down), lay the second tail and white piece on top with right sides together and pin in place. Sew the two tail pieces together, leaving the top of the tail open for turning.


Step 11: Ears
Cut four red-felt ear pieces (5x3") and four decorative white-felt ear pieces and sew each pair together the same way you did with the tail.

Step 12: Hand Stitch
Very carefully, use a stitch picker or your scissors to cut the thread at the base of either side of the ears and tail just about 1". Strategically and carefully place the ears and tail in logical positions on the outfit and hand-stitch them to the hood and back of the jacket.


Step 13: Tummy cont'd.
Hand stitch the tummy pieces to the front of the coat.


Step 14: Buttons
Select four buttons and place them on the left side of the jacket (the jacket's left side) and cut corresponding holes (or, lines) on the right side of the jacket. I also re-enforced the inside of the button holes with a needle in thread to prevent tearing.
Once you've sewn the buttons and cut the button holes, you're done!
To view more photos of this adorable creature, click here.

I will admit that I got a little blurry-eyed making this costume for Chelsea. Every single Halloween of my life, my mom never bought me a costume from the store (although sometimes I really wanted one). Every year, she made me a costume of my choice, and that is the reason why I have always wanted to be able to sew. That is why I learned, so that someday, when I was a mommy, I could make my children their own costumes, too. It's so crazy that "someday" is finally here. I love being a mom. Nothing I'd rather do.
Happy Sewing!
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4 comments

  1. Oh my gosh!! This is to DIE for!!!!! I love it! It makes me sing in my head, "What does a fox say!" lol

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    1. That was definitely the idea! She LOVES that song and video. We watch it nearly every day, haha! Your Tron costume is AWESOME, by-the-way!

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  2. oh my golly! this is too much ! totally pinning this for later .... maybe halloween this year?!? or dress up for the rest of the year. haha

    thanks for sharing!
    xo

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    Replies
    1. It was so much fun, and it would be a super easy project for an adult costume, too. I'm thinking maybe I'll be able to talk Andrew into a woodland creature costume next year. Maybe if I offer to make him a wolf, he'll be more willing to dress up?

      Thanks!

      Sue

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