You know how every year you promise yourself that you’ll start working on your Halloween costume reeeeeaaaal early, and then the next thing you know October 30th rolls around and you’re scrounging around in your closet looking for a wig, or a tutu or a cowboy hat OR something!!?? You’re so desperate you’d even settle for a white sheet and some scissors but all you can come up with is a plaid pillowcase and some nail clippers; so you stay home a miserable cranky wreck while everyone else goes to the best party of the year. Well guess what? Now’s the time to start planning your next years costume, and I’m going to give you a hell of an idea.
Behold The Dude Cow:
Sure it’s cute, it’s a cow. BUT it’s so much more. The genius part of this costume is that it has working udders! You heard right. You can milk this cow. We like to fill the udders with White Russians, but you can always opt for plain or chocolate milk to keep this kid friendly. Throw on a pair of hip shades and you have The Dude Cow. I made this costume for my boyfriend a few years ago, and it is such a hit that he will never need a new costume for the rest of his life.
Lets get started. Here’s what you’re going to need:
#1) You are going to need a pattern. I used McCalls pattern #8953. It comes with 5 different patterns. I used the ‘C’ pattern because I thought the ears looked more cow like, however I added a little fur on the tip of the tail so it wouldn’t look so much like a cat. Locate your size in the chart on the back of the pattern to determine how much fabric and trim you will need. It’s a good idea to go larger than you think. We’re not going for Sexy Cow here, plus you’ll need a little extra room in the back to carry the booze and/or milk.
#2) Compile your fabrics and trim. I used a cow printed fur for the body, with pink sateen for the hood lining and inner ears. For the tip of the tail I used a small scrap of black fur. Once you have all your fabric you can start sewing. Follow the instructions inside the pattern. The only thing I did differently was to use a long strip of Velcro on the center back seam instead of a zipper. I also used Velcro for the hood closure instead of a hook and eye.
#3) The most important ingredient to this recipe is the rubber cow udder. I used this one.
#4) You’re going to need a few other accessories. A cowbell to dangle around your neck is a no-brainer, and there’s no need to enter the costume contest when you’re already a blue ribboned award winning heifer. 4-H FOR LIFE!!
#5) Now, HERE’S the secret. In order to be able to milk your cow you’re going to need something to carry the ‘milk’ in. That’s where the Camelbak and bladder come in. In case you don’t know, a Camelbak is a backpack that hikers, bikers and athletes use. They are lightweight and enable you to carry your water hands free, all the while keeping it cool end eliminating plastic bottle waste. Inside it has a cooling chamber that holds a blue plastic ‘bladder’. Bladders can hold any type of beverage, have a long attached tube/straw, and are reusable. For this I used a Camelback on the smallish side since it has to fit inside the costume and you don’t want to look too much like a hunch back.
Now lets put it all together:
a) Once you’ve completed sewing the pattern determine where you want the udders to be. Keep in mind that the bladder straw has to reach from your Camelbak to the tip of the udder, so try not to place the udders too low. b) Now you want to trace the udders on to the position you’ve selected. DO NOT trace the outer edge of the udders. Lift up the edge and trace around the point where the udders begin to protrude. Make sure you trace this in chalk in case your mark shows through later. c) Once you’ve done that, remove the udder and make another mark around the entire inside of the circle 1/4″. You will be cutting out the inner circle. d) I have an overlock, so I stitched around the cut but a zig zag stitch would work just as well. Place your udder inside the hole, pushing the zig-zagged edges toward the inside of the costume and sew the udders into place.
Now you’ll want to cut a very small hole in the tip of whichever teat you’d like to ‘milk’, and you’re pretty much done.
When you’re ready to go just fill up your [Camelbak] bladder with your beverage of choice. Like I said, we always make White Russians but you can be boring traditional and fill it with milk. Place the filled bladder into your Camelbak and strap it on. Pull up your costume halfway and insert the tip of the bladder straw into the teat with the hole cut out, stretching it a bit to ensure a tight fit. Seriously, this isn’t rocket science. Have a glass in place and squeeze on the tip. You may need to suck on it once or twice to get things moooo-ving, or have your calf do it for you. Now pull the rest of the costume on, and shake it on over to the dance floor. In the spirit of Trick-or-Treat we like to pass out my world famous chocolate chip cookies with the milk shakes, but I can’t be giving up all my secrets so soon, seeing as we’ve only just met.
I know you might be thinking I’m a week too late with this DIY, but in reality I’m a year early. You dont want to have to be a last minute Cowboy Troll Ballerina Ghost do you? If so I’ll have that DIY for you on October 29th, 2012. Stay tuned.
SO-You’re welcome, and you better not wear this to any of the same parties we’re going to next year. Promise?
XO-Misty
*Misty is a full time fashion designer and part time crafter. You can find more of her work on her blog http://wearmena.blogspot.com/
