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.
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.
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
