It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Some people are inspired by holidays that are meaningful, or patriotic, or religious. Some people celebrate holidays that encourage charity, or fellowship, or piety. Some people get excited about giving handmade gifts, or cooking homemade meals for family and friends.
And that’s all fine, I guess.
But in my world, all those other occasions are just a way to mark the time until October 31 rolls around.
This year, I made an itty bitty costume for my wee niece Claire (who, I’m told, has recently begun to take some meals from a spoon instead of from my sister — go Claire!).
sweater pattern: improvised
yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease
hat pattern: Felted baby Yoda Hat, from Vera Sunshyne
yarn: Cascade 220
I mailed it off to New York last week. My sister, an accomplished craftster herself, sewed ribbons to the hat to keep it on, and pipe cleaners across the ears to keep them perky. My brother-in-law, a brilliant scientician and dyed-in-the-wool nerd, happened to have an infant-sized light saber. You know, just lying around.
For myself, I had to come up with something for a Big Lebowski-themed party, and with only $30 to spend. So what greater crafty challenge than Maude Lebowski’s golden viking valkyrie from The Dude’s drug-induced cinematic hallucination, Gutterball?
If you don’t care about how I put together this ridiculous get-up, please feel free to skip past the following text and just enjoy the grainy photos. But Megan requested a step-by-step, so here it is.
First, I made a tube dress out of stretchy gold lycra (NOTE: big box craft stores mark all their shiniest fabrics 70% off during the week before Halloween). I sewed on some wide straps, and added four tiers to the skirt. I backed the lycra with some heavyweight black interfacing before cutting out the skirt pieces, to give them more structure.
Then I found an armored breastplate meant for a child’s gladiator costume — I had to tear a bunch of plastic dragons and shit off it before spray painting it gold. I drilled 5 holes along each side of the plate, and one at the top of each shoulder, and used gold ribbon to lace it up the back.
Then I made the bowling-ball-bra, using a foam ball from the floral section of the craft store. I cut it in half, and used a broom handle to make three indentations in each half. Initially, I used spray paint, and the foam almost completely disintegrated — I was left with two shapeless blobs of fizzing gold stinkiness. So I started over with a second ball (luckily, I’d bought a two-pack), and used regular gold craft paint and a foam brush.
I made a channel through each of the “cups” with a double-pointed steel knitting needle, and threaded a ribbon through, tying the ends together through holes I’d drilled in the breastplate.
Then I bought a $5 Viking helmet and spray painted it to match everything else. I also spray painted some old shoes (and sewed gold ribbons onto the ankles). And finally, I spray painted a devil’s pitchfork from the dollar store, which made quite a handy trident.
And I think that about covers it!
[click for bigger version]
To round out the scene, the party included The Dude in his coveralls, Saddam Hussein as the bowling alley attendant, and my friend Vanessa, who grazed the ceiling in her spectacular handmade foam headdress.
Vanessa is the kind of militantly DIY Halloweener who will create a realistic samurai costume from cardboard boxes and bamboo window shades. (Seriously. I couldn’t make that up.)
Girl takes Halloween so seriously that we’ve already started discussing next year’s party.
Just 364 days to go.
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November 27th, 2007 at 1:45 am
Oh, this is so fabulous. Congratulations!
November 27th, 2007 at 12:15 am
OMG OMG O..M…G!!! That dress is absolutely freaking GORGEOUS!!! I love it. I love the color combo. I love the Amy Butler dots. I just love it love it love it. I couldn’t stop looking at it.
*Taking a breath*
Did I already say I love it? Well I DO!
November 27th, 2007 at 12:22 am
That dress is SO cute!!! “Case of the Mondays”…. Why do I hear the woman from “Office Space”?! I still say NO POM, but what a great compromise.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:26 am
So, so, so awesome!
How long did it take you to make that? I would love to sew more, but I’m such an instant-gratification junkie when it comes to making things for myself.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:28 am
you are too cute.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:29 am
Good night that is super cute! Suits you perfectly…
November 27th, 2007 at 12:29 am
So terribly, terribly cute!
And you know where I stand on the pom debate
November 27th, 2007 at 12:37 am
So cute! Love the fabric, love the cut, love the eeeeeee!
November 27th, 2007 at 12:42 am
Awesome dress! It totally made me smile and wish I had one myself, seriously. And for the record, I’m totally voting NO POM on the hat.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:49 am
What a wonderful dress! It’s inspiring, really. It looks like I could do it before next year & it is adorable.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:49 am
I love that last picture!
November 27th, 2007 at 12:50 am
Ooh, nice to see a little of the lining and facings. Looks lovely.
How cute are you about being almost 30 and wearing animals on your party clothes?
Did I mention before “no Pom?” But detachable Poms are a good idea. You can always leave it at home if you think it will get you into trouble.
Oh wait, I’m thinking of another detachable “p” thing.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:50 am
Wow - I LOVE IT. I’ve been coveting that fabric forever, and you made a gorgeous dress out of it. Very inspiring! And that green wall is fab too.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:53 am
Oh man, this is just the cutest cute in the history of cute.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:55 am
I encouraged a similar debate with a pair of peds I made last summer. Passions do run high. I ultimatly chose to remove the pom from the ped, not because I didn’t like it, but for practical reasons. A pom pom is simply too fragile to be survive on a heel.
Your dress is fantastic. Glad you found a way to chase the Monday blues.
November 27th, 2007 at 1:00 am
Oh, heavens, you make good stuff!!
A friend of mine once requested a hat with a removable pom, for when he felt “pom-pous,” tee hee!
November 27th, 2007 at 1:02 am
Love it, those Amy Butler bits just throw it in to overdrive!!
November 27th, 2007 at 1:02 am
Very cute!
November 27th, 2007 at 1:04 am
Oh my goodness that is just the awesomest dress ever! The colors, the print, the fit…I love it! So cute!
The Pom-on-a-pin seems like a good solution to me.
November 27th, 2007 at 1:05 am
love. love love.
sigh.
i miss my sewing machine.
November 27th, 2007 at 1:09 am
goofily excited is the way to be. I’m that way with any little project I do. Pajama pants can make me dance; I can’t even imagine how I would react to successfully completing a lined dress.
Bravo
November 27th, 2007 at 1:19 am
sassay! just gorgeous!!! (both you and the dress)
November 27th, 2007 at 1:27 am
Seriously sassy! The dress is awesome.
November 27th, 2007 at 1:28 am
omg! that is fabulous, and you look totally chic and sassy in it. i would be grinning like crazy if I made something that adorable too
November 27th, 2007 at 1:32 am
Ummm, I want one! I love this! Great job!
November 27th, 2007 at 1:47 am
i’ve seen that fabric at brooklyn general and thought “what would i make with that?” a dress was an awesome idea! fabulous job!
November 27th, 2007 at 2:07 am
a-door-bell! love it.
November 27th, 2007 at 2:12 am
Aghhhh you are ADORABLE! So is that dress. Smashing.
November 27th, 2007 at 2:54 am
This just rocks on you! Perfect!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:15 am
DUDE, that dress is awesome! You’re totally rocking it! I want one just like it! Is this gonna be your holiday party dress for sew I knit, cuz I’d so wear that to a holiday party!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:53 am
Great dress!
Did you ever find out how those plates got in your sock package?
November 27th, 2007 at 3:57 am
The squee face is perfectly appropriate for an almost-30-year-old who’s wearing the most kickass dress with animals on it I’ve ever seen. You are amazing, Pam!
And seriously, call me and we’ll talk about 30, which I’m thrilled to finally be and you need to get to this place, too.
November 27th, 2007 at 4:05 am
looooove this. it’s so perfect on you, too.
November 27th, 2007 at 4:27 am
Such a cute dress! The color really pops against that green wall, too
November 27th, 2007 at 4:38 am
great dress -love the colour, and seeing how happy you look in it makes the whole outfit pop even more! i am also a big fan of DIY sewing that works out so well.
November 27th, 2007 at 5:40 am
Oh. My. God. That is so freakin’ cute I can’t stand it!!! And the pic of you showing off how sassy you really are and saying “eeeeeeeeee!” is the best.
November 27th, 2007 at 5:42 am
This dress makes me smile. I love it. I also love this fabric and now wish I had bought more of it when I saw it. I failed to see the potential at the shop. A dress. A dress!
November 27th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
I love that dress! You’re so industrious being the first sew-a-longer to post
btw - I grew up outside Detroit, and I lived in St Paul for a bit when I co-oped at 3M during college
November 27th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
stinkin’ adorable. miss sassy. your cute dress cured my back to work blues also…
November 27th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
I can imagine how great it looks with the green silk lining (purple + green= gorgeous) and it probably feels as good on as it looks, huh?
November 27th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Well, I just happen to have 2 yards of the yellow honeycomb fabric (with red bees)… Your dress is fantastic! How many yards did you use?
November 27th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
That dress cheers me up (after a long weekend of working on a fellowship application, I need it!). I can just hear Phil Hartman now…sassy! Good for you for being the first one on the sewalong to post…you’ve inspired me to work on my holiday dress (after the fellowship app is posted on Thursday!).
November 27th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Wow, that dress is really cool!
November 27th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Lovely job Pam!
Lord, I miss wearing cute dresses. As soon as I’m done having/nursing babies I swear that’s all I’m going to wear!
November 27th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Beautiful dress! I want to learn to sew now.
November 27th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Gosh you’ve been busy! Love the dress, your hat is fab, and your baby knits make me fall over with the cuteness! I just got that Parkes book too, and was stunned at the sheer volume of useful info. Way to apply the knowledge!
November 27th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
What a beautiful dress! - I love the echino fabric and it’s fun to see it something other than a bag.
November 27th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
THAT’S THE MOST GORGEOUS THING EVER!!! (Sorry, but I wanted my enthusiasm to stand out among all other “normal” admirers. This dress deserves all caps.)
November 27th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
It’s perfect. And so incredibly perfect on you!
November 28th, 2007 at 12:57 am
It looks so great! Awesome job, lady
November 28th, 2007 at 1:52 am
Do you know how much I love this dress? I’m coming up there to steal it from you. lol
November 28th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Wow! Adorable. I’ve loved that fabric and that is the perfect use of it. And the pom-on-a-pin is genius!
November 28th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Pom on a pin—of course! I love that your accessory is going to have its own accessories.
The dress is cuu-ute.
November 28th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Oh Pam, you inspire me to run to my sewing machine. That is such a beautiful dress. I hope you can wear it all over the place to show it off. I’ve been planning my first adult garment for weeks but I’ve been scared to try. My hands ache from sweater knitting so perhaps now is the time for a wee sewing break??
November 28th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
The dress is super cute on you! You are so amazing with your awesome craftiness.
November 28th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
… invisible zipper? Okay, if I hadn’t already been in awe of your mad skillz, that’d do it. I have *yet* to get one to work just-as-it-should on the first go-round.
(PS, the dress is absolutely adorably faboo!)
November 28th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
A FABULOUS dress! I love it. The colors looks spectacular on you, especially with the green wall as a backdrop. It definitely warrants an eeeeeeee!
(And I vote no pom, too.)
November 28th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
That dress is just fantastic, especially up against those vibrant green walls. Wonderful work, as always!
And still (and forever): go pom!
November 29th, 2007 at 10:31 am
I’m abolutely impressed by your sewing skills - this dress is so very, very beautiful and seems to have the perfect fit indeed! And your photography rocks big time too! Congratulations!
November 29th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
love love love love LOVE! You are a master of all DIY things! (Just the Halloween costume itself proofs that)
November 30th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Of course I love it! You look stunning. [I’ve finally managed to send off your little parcel yesterday - there’s a photo of the wrapping at Flickr… in case you’re curious…]
December 1st, 2007 at 4:01 pm
you look awesome in that dress. a true kick a$$ master of DIY. even the little pucker is cute! haha! the pattern calls for a pucker every now and then.
December 4th, 2007 at 3:41 am
That dress is fucking phenomenal girl!!! What a genius way to use that fabric, I bow down to you.
December 4th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Wow. This totally looks like a Pushing Daisies dress (a great ABC tv show). I love it…
December 5th, 2007 at 6:59 am
I thought you were going to tell us where to buy such a smokin’ hot dress, but then I scrolled down farther to read that… HOLY HELL - you MADE this. (When you were wearing it did you catch your reflection in a window and think to yourself… I freaking made this dress?! I rock.) I totally would have.
Wow - it’s fantastic and you’re as cute as a button in it!
December 5th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Wow you are so talented. I love that dress and it suits you so well too.
December 7th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Looks better on the floor!
December 14th, 2007 at 12:50 am
That is the sweetest dress I’ve ever seen! You’re genius!
December 17th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
That dress=amazing awesomeness!!!
You are one talented lady!!
January 16th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Great dress. Love the color!!
March 30th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
[…] wee Yoda costume […]
October 20th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
oh man, would you want to sell the maude costume?
October 24th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Hey, I found this after googling golden viking and waala, you’re masterpiece. Thanks for the step by step. you seem pretty neat
October 27th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Wow — great job on the maude costume! And thanks for the step-by-step. I’m going to Lebowski fest in NY and want to make the bowling pin girl costume for myself as a halloween/lf costume. Did vanessa make a step-by-step as well?
Thanks!
October 16th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
hopefully the author of this blog can pass along this message (and my hidden email address) - vanessa! it’s your old friend amber butas (now hunt) from MSU! i happened upon this looking for maude costume inspiration - how are you? hope you are well!!
October 21st, 2012 at 1:31 pm
I too am looking for a step-by-step how-to for the bowling pin headdress, but I love all the costumes on this page! Great work!