Halloween Project, Doggie Dino

The classy dino pup waiting for trick-or-treaters at the door

Ok, I saw this idea in Martha Stewart living and couldn't resist trying it myself. Though I don't have a dog, one of my friends said I could dress her dog up for Halloween. Wooohooo! My cat never lets me dress her up any more, so this is a great new avenue for me.

Here is the link as well as some instructions for how Martha did her tank: http://www.marthastewart.com/852544/doggie-dino-tank?czone=holiday/halloween-center/halloween-center-costumes 



However, I did things a bit differently based on what I had available. So....

Supplies:

Inside, with all spines inserted

• tank (my friend's dog is medium size and turns out she fit about a child's small t-shirt)
• foam sheets (mine was green, but I think black might have looked even better)
• sewing machine (optional)

How To:

1. Find the right size tank for your dog (or cat)- measure the widest part and go from there
2. Print out the Martha Stewart instruction sheets (available through the link)
3. Make alterations to the instruction sheets as needed (if you are using a dog bigger than a chihuahua, you will probably want to add bigger spikes in the middle and cut off the tiny ones at either end)
4. Line up your slits on the shirt that you are using
5. Cut through the material with an exacto knife or fabric scissors
6. Either trace your scale/spine pattern onto the foam or line it up; cut out all lines (here I had to match up new lines with all the new bigger spines I had added to the middle of the pattern- it might be easier just to see what size dog you have and make a new template from scratch once you see what it looks like)
7. Put the spines through the slits- tada, you are done! 
8. (actually, I ran a stitch down the middle, but hey, you could also glue it or leave it alone)

P.S. once I was "done," I went over and had a fitting with Shadow, the doggie. Turns out my ability to judge her size was way off from the child's large I had chosen, so I had to augment the outfit a little. I ended up running a line down the middle seam and leaving a bit more room at the top to fit her barrel chest (she is a mix of black lab, corky, and pit bull...)  This necessary alteration was a good thing because it let me tailor it to how her body actually fit the garment instead of having loose ends for her to kick up with her hind feet.

*Just make sure your dog is actually comfortable with the outfit BEFORE halloween so she or he doesn't get freaked out with the costume as well as the addition of extra people and stress.