Skip to main content

Thorny Devil Costume

Thorny Devil Lizard


modelled here by my friend Susan

Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Amateur theatre production September 2021. 
Murray Bridge Players and Singers

On June 16th 2021 Tim, the actor playing a lizard in the finale scene came to see me during rehearsal and asked where he might find his lizard costume. It was then I realised I had only made one lizard costume, a frill neck lizard and had totally forgotten to make another. 
As a result Tim is the only actor in the production to get to choose what I would make for his Australian themed costume. He asked for a Thorny Devil. 
So I had a very little time to make another costume from scratch in the schedule of things still to complete. This costume became a whirlwind up cycled feat I made in 7 days!

I went to the Opp shop the next day looking for something I could use for this costume. I had looked at pictures of thorny devil lizards, they are so cute! I found the perfect snake skin leather look jacket for under $10. 


Tim in his Devil costume -  rehearsal photo by Jaybirdy Photography









I went home and ripped the lining out then unpicked the sleeves and front seams. I cut into the body of the jacket to allow me to add spines. 


Seams deconstructed inside 

Right side of jacket

In my stash of fabrics I have bought because they look interesting but have no idea what or when I will use them I had some bronze and gold pleather. This is an upholstery fabric with a felt backing and a crosshatch textured look. It is great to work with as it does not fray.


Scallops backed with a metallic snakeskin lycra 


scallop drawn freehand onto felt side and then cut out

I made scales by cutting strips of the pleather and drawing scallops on them then cutting the line. This gave me a positive scallop side and the negative spiny side. 
I inserted the spines and scallops into the seam lines. After some trial and error I found the best way to make the spines stick up once stitched into the seam was to snip into the seam allowance on the straight edge and top stitch down the resulting flaps alternating left and right.


close up of sleeve spines



topstitching the flaps down on the seam allowance


I cut circles squares and curved diamond shapes from glitter pleather, the lycra and the gold pleather. I used these as embellishments between the rows of spines.
This was all a very organic process and I tend to just let it happen and not do much planning. I listen to an audio book and enjoy the process.

I wanted to have some shoulder spikes for the lizard. I cut these from stiff buckram and black pleather and covered them with some metallic spot knit I found. I decorated them with more glitter pleather. I added spines to the curved seam and I had shoulder spikes. 






Because I slashed extra seams into the front and back of the body the overall size of the jacket reduced. Instead of using the original button closure I added an open end zip to the front edges to give Tim a bit more room in the costume. This also made the mandarin collar sit further apart. 





The finished jacket...but wait it need a tail


Tail made with 3 curved pattern pieces


Spines sewn in the 3 seams and decorations stitched on top

The tail is mounted on a piece of pleather that is sewn to the back hemline of the jacket. The tail is long and heavy so Tim has to be aware of how he moves so he doesn't poke anybody with it!
Will post more pictures of the finished jacket and hood after the production. 




looking from the inside of the jacket at how the tail is attached to the jacket hem. 


I designed these pyramid spikes for the hood but they didn't work so I ended up adding them to the back of the jacket like the two spikes at the back of the devils head used as a false head defence. Peta sewed them onto the jacket for me.


The spine is stuffed with wadding to maintain its shape













I also made a headpiece hood with spines and embellishments.







photo by Heather Richards

Here is Tim trying on his costume with the hood headpiece I made.
 The tail was not attached yet.

He is wearing metallic bronze ruched leggings I got at the Fringe in Adelaide in 2021 from a second hand clothing seller, they are Sass and Bide bronze rat leggings!




Tim - Abbey - Alex - photo by Jason McCullough






 

Popular posts from this blog

Gothic Queen of Hearts “Alice in Wonderland” Youth Theatre Murray Bridge Players and Singers 2018 Concept drawing created on Prêt-à-template I volunteer my sewing skills for an amateur Theatre group. They have stage a production once or twice a year. For the second half of 2018 the Youth Theatre staged an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic story of "Alice in Wonderland". The Director of the play oversees the set design and costumes as well as directing the play. This director was also part of the youth theatre herself at only 16. She requested a Queen of Hearts costume with a pants suit and a high low jacket with large collar instead of a more tradition dress.  The above drawing is my submission for the costume. Some changes were made during the construction process to suit the actors proportions and the need to walk up stairs and sit. Pattern For this project I used McCall’s 7641 as the base for my jacket.  Kwik Sew stirrup pants patter...
Read more

Sophie Mamma Mia

Sophie Mamma Mia I made this costume for a friends daughter who wore it to their Mamma Mia themed 21st birthday part. The design is based on the costume the character of Sophie wore during the credits of Mamma Mia where the cast sang Waterloo.  The original costume was designed by Ann Roth for the 2008 movie Mamma Mia. image from Pinterest  Fabric used Pink Rainbow dot shimmer lycra from Tricia's Discount Fabrics Hot Pink Glitter tulle from D K Fabrics Stretch Silver sequin off-cuts, hot pink foil spot fabric, pink acetate lining and light weight white buckram and blush stretch fabric for lining all from my stash. Sophie provided me with a padded bra with removable straps to build the dress onto. We decided this would give her the most support and best fit on the bust line. I divided the costume into 3 sections first test run in Trace'n'toile second version I used a photo of the costume from Pinterest and some notes I took after watching the movie. Bra Bodice: The origin...
Read more

Frill Neck Lizard Costume

Frill Neck Lizard Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Amateur theatre production September 2021.  Murray Bridge Players and Singers I started this costume on November 7th 2020 Alex as the Frill Neck lizard rehearsal photo by Jaybirdy Photography Classic Australian icon the frill neck lizard appears in the original stage production.  design by Charades-theatrical.com While I love this design it has many elements, pants, top, shin covers, cod piece, girdle and sail. Way too many things for my actor to put on so I narrowed it down to a top that zips up the front, some stretchy pants and a headpiece you need a pilots licence to drive. My initial design done with Pret-a-template app This is probably the most labour intensive costume I made, purely because I went back to my skills in a freehand machine embroidery and machine sewed all the decorative embroidery into the fabric making it unique. Unlike the professional above costume where printed st...
Read more