Dragon Costume

Level: Advanced. Requires ability to measure, safely cut patterns,
sew seams, glue and iron on webbing and fasteners

Completion Time: About 8 hours

An awesome headpiece and tail make this dragon costume a masterful show piece.
For those with the time and skill to take their costume-making to the
next level of pageantry, this advanced project delivers an attention-getting Halloween memory.

Materials:
1 Childs Green sweatshirt and pants size 6-8
1 Adult 3XL green sweatshirt or
2 yards of green sweat or knit fabric
1 yard of green fabric for lining
3/4 yards of purple felt
2/3 yards magenta felt
1/4 yard of orange felt
1/4 yard of white felt
3 yards of floral wire, or
18 gauge millenary wire (will need to double floral wire)
1 white sock (or cotton knit T-shirt material)
Scrap of black felt for the eyes
1 yard of craft bond
Shaped scissors
1 package of VELCRO® Brand Fabric Fusion fasteners white
2/3 yards of fusible web
Permanent fabric glue
Thread to match
Fiber fill stuffing (handful)
4 sets of VELCRO® Brand Sticky Back™ coin fasteners, white

Patterns: (Download pdf patterns)
Dragon Cape
Dragon Head
Dragon Tail
Dragon Bib
Body Dragon
Shoe Covers
Dragon Gloves and Nail Shapes
Dragon Teeth

Dragon Large Point
Dragon Small Point

Instructions:
CUTTING

1. Out of the green adult sweatshirt fabric, cut out cape, lining, gloves, shoe covers and tail patterns.
2. Spinal plates, i.e., "points": (Note: two points are cut and sewn together to make one finished point.) Cut out 6 purple felt point patterns, 4 orange felt points, and 6 magenta points for the cape.

DRAGON TAIL & CAPE:

1. Sew all the points, right sides together, leaving an opening at the bottom. Turn to the right side out and press with an iron.
2. Pin 2 purple, 2 magenta and 1 orange point to one side of the right side of the tail. Baste on the other side of the tail with right sides together making a sandwich with the two sides of the tail on each side, and the points in the middle. Sew and turn right side out.
3. To keep the tail stiff, place 3 pieces of twisted floral wire or millinery wire to each side of the tail back and bottom. Tack wire to the seams with a few stitches to keep wire from moving.
4. Pin finished tail with right sides together, between two pieces of cape, at center back cape seam. Stitch the center back seam.
5. Pin and baste 3 more finished points to the right side of the top half of the cape's center back.
6. Sew two parts of the lining at center back with right sides together, leaving 5 inches at the center for an opening to turn, after completing the next step (#9).
7. Sew lining and cape with right sides together, stitching around the outside edges. Turn to right side from center lining opening. Slip stitch or glue opening closed.
8. Press and topstitch along top edge of cape.
9. Place two 3 inch pieces of loop side of VELCRO® Fabric Fusion to each side of lining at the top. Place two 6 inch pieces of loop tape to the center. Iron VELCRO® fastener to fuse to fabric.
10. Using VELCRO® Fabric Fusion, iron on corresponding VELCRO® hook tape to upper shoulders under hood on back of hooded sweatshirt.

BIB/CHEST PIECE:

1. Cut out bib pattern from purple felt. Trace wavy shapes onto fusible web, iron onto magenta felt piece and cut. Iron/fuse wavy shaped felt cutouts onto purple background.
2. Iron on 5 pieces of VELCRO® Fabric Fusion hook tape to wrong side of bib top, along top edges. Iron corresponding VELCRO® loop tape to the front of the sweatshirt, just below the hood.

DRAGON GLOVES:

1. Cut out pattern from green sweatshirt material. With shaped scissors, cut six strips of felt that are 3/4 inch x 18 inches—2 orange 2 purple, 2 magenta. Sew gloves with right sides together, leaving a 2 inch opening on one side of each glove. Turn right side out through opening on side. Insert strips and glue opening closed. Cut out nail shape patterns and glue in place on glove fronts.

DRAGON FOOT COVERS:

1. Add 2 3/8 inch strips of VELCRO® Fabric Fusion hook to one end of a shoe cover, and the other loop strip to the other end of a shoe cover for closure. Repeat for the second shoe cover. Glue 3 claws onto each shoe cover.

DRAGON HEAD:

1. Cut out three small points of felt (orange, magenta and purple—cut two point shapes for each finished point). Cut out two more orange point shapes to make a second finished orange point for the hood. Sew with right sides together, leaving the lower edge open for turning, and turn all four point shapes right side out. Slip stitch the openings on all four shapes closed.
2. Glue four points starting from the back neck along the center seam onto the sweatshirt hood.

DRAGON HEAD/FACE PIECE:

1. Cut two pattern head pieces from the green felt. Cut out two pieces of craft bond, and iron onto the wrong side of each head felt piece.
2. Sew dart as indicated on the pattern on each piece.
3. Sew two head/face pieces, with right sides together, leaving an opening at the top. Turn right side out. Slip-stitch opening closed.
4. Cut out teeth from the white felt and glue them to the head/face, along the lower curved edge of the head/face piece.
5. Iron on two nostrils in black felt, using fusible web.
6. Iron on two 8 ½ inch pieces of VELCRO® Fabric Fusion hook tape to the top of the sweatshirt hood edge below the large point. Iron 2 pieces of corresponding VELCRO® loop tape to the underside of the head/face piece. (The VELCRO® fastener is used to attach the head/face piece to the sweatshirt hood.)
7. To make the eyeballs, cut about a 4-1/2 inch diameter circle from the sock fabric or white knit material. Sew gathering stitch around the outside edge and pull in the gathers. Stuff with fiber fill.
8. Cut two pieces from the extra green fabric, measuring 5 1/2 inches X 2 1/2 inches. Fold 1/4 inch of the raw edge on the 5 1/2 inches side of the fabric and glue to the eyeball, leaving half showing. Secure excess fabric down with hand stitching.
9. Add a black 1/2 inch circle to each eyeball circle, glue or use fusible web to attach.
10. Attach eyeballs to the head/face piece with two VELCRO® Sticky Back™ coins each.
11. Attach the head/face piece to the sweatshirt hood.

Designed by Robin Tarnoff for Velcro USA Inc.