Dog costume, DIY handmade

Welcome October! One can only hope we get a break from the intense heat that stayed all summer long. The trees here are just starting to show signs of fall foliage. Pumpkins are showing up on doorsteps as decoration. And a few people have already begun to put out their Halloween decorations.

Well I have been working on a dog costume for our pup, Choji. He loves to wear 'coats' in chilly or wet weather. He has short fur himself so he prefers to be warm & dry. I decided that this year he would be Chewbacca from Star Wars. I started with some faux fur for the body.

Now this faux fur came like a square shape, so I rounded the top edges. The gray squares are the pieces you see on Chewbacca's utility belt. I made them with felt and rolled up some plastic bags to fill the square and shape it.

Now I have done this by hand, since it's easier. Faux fur can get stuck in a machine sewing needle, so you can use a machine (but go slow!). I added the gray squares on top of some brown ribbon I laid out. I just hand stitched them on and had my buttons to help gauge where to place the gray squares. You will want some space between each square. 

As you can see, it's not fitted on him yet. I plan to add some ribbon with snaps around his collar and under his belly. But the size is good and the finished utility belt came out how I had hoped it would! Today is very warm so he didn't wear it long, just for a quick photo. Past costumes I've made include K9 from Doctor Who and a cute thrift store cape with bat wings. 

My Etsy shop is on vacation for the time being. I am moving my craft supplies to a new room in the next month or so. I will have my shop open in November again, just in time for winter holiday shopping. So never fear, you will be able to shop for handmade goods in a few weeks!