
Panda Costume
I’m sneezing fur fibres.
I should have guessed cutting and sewing that much faux fur fabric would pollute the air and my lungs with black and white particles. Furry bits are literally everywhere. Â A small price for a big Halloween dream.Â
Given my daughter’s obsession with most things “Disney Princess” (insert eye roll) I was warmed when she set her mind on being a Panda for Halloween. Â She was inspired by one of her favorite stuffed toys, and so was I.Â
All told, this costume took about 4 hours to make. (Of course not consecutive, who would ever leave me alone for 4 straight hours? Wouldn’t that be bliss.) But it wasn’t a long drawn out complicated process.
I didn’t have a pattern, apart from an old pajama pattern i used to trace the pants. Â I simply cut about 5 inches away from the pattern so it would be roomy enough.
For the top I really just guessed, Â I cut on the fold so that the shoulders stayed together and traced the lines of a T-shirt for the minimum size for the arm holes. It’s a little wonky…but mostly it fit together just fine.
I did the same for the hood. Â Just traced her current outside jacket hood, and cut a few extra inches, so it would be larger.
 I lined the hood with a soft muslin.  a)Because the interior of the fur was a little scratchy and not so nice against the skin, and b) so i could fill it with stuffing.Â
The only hiccup came while making the Panda head. Â Nothing to do with sewing or screwing it up. Â No. It was when Violet said, “I don’t think I want to be a panda anymore,” and walked away.
What!?????? Noooooooo. I followed her, dragging fur on my socks up the stairs.  “Listen,” I said, I’ve been working very hard on this, and you made a choice to be a panda, you’d better stick to it.” Then she struck a deal with me, that went something like this. “Well, how about if it’s good and I like it, I’ll be a panda again, but if not, a strawberry.”
I agreed, knowing there was no way she was being anything BUT this Panda. My lungs are full of fur!!!
In the end she loved it. Â I added a red bow on top, just to seal the deal. This is not my first rodeo.
It was my first crack at making a Halloween costume though, and I loved it. I love that she loves wearing it, she’s proud to show it off and that it was something that we created together.
Plus…I won’t have to battle her to wear a coat on Halloween night…she’ll be sweating in all that unbreathable poly! Genius.