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POTA Chimp Costume Update
« Part 1 - Making the Tunic Pattern
Here is my chimp tunic.
When I first got my sewing machine, I had visions of making my own custom shirts. But buying shirts was so easy, I just never did make the time to start sewing my own. However, when I decided that I needed a Planet Of The Apes male chimpanzee uniform, I was faced with either taking out a second mortgage to buy one, or getting down to sewing in earnest.
I started working on the costume shortly after last Halloween, by making a paper pattern, but I set the project aside for the following 9 months or so. But with Halloween creeping up, I thought that I’d better haul it out and work on it again.
I got some fabric on sale at Wall-Mart Wal*Mart for $1/yard and dyed it green. Then I cut out and stitched together the front and back panels to form the torso. I sliced the sleeve pattern into 3 strips in order to form the 3 panel sleeves that are customary for chimpanzees. I spaced out the 3 pattern pieces to account for seam allowances before I traced and cut out the 3 sleeve pieces.
I picked up some brown and green leather upholstery scraps on ebay and fashioned the “bib” and sleeve patches and attached those before assembling and attaching the sleeves. The glyphs on the chest panel and sleeves are cast latex rubber, and were made by Matt Sotis, who is also the creator of my chimp mask.
Yeah, I am making this for Halloween, but in the meantime, I’m really tempted to just start wearing it around (without the mask) and see what kind of reaction I get on the street. I feel like I could probably peddle quite a few Dianetics books wearing this garment.
Next, I will try to learn how to knit in order to make the sleeve cuffs/extensions.
So wait. The photo at the top. Is that one you have in hand?
Yep. All 3 pictures are the one that I am making. Sorry, hastily written post.
learned to knit? What? You didn’t raise the sheep first?
Did you have to mix the color for the latex?
There are easy ways to knit a tube. You can start with a large wooden donut and place small nails all around the edge. You loop the yarn around each nail and for the second row you pull a loop through the old one, pull the old one off of the nail and put the new loop on each nail. Sounds complicated, but once you get started it goes really fast and a knitted tube emerges almost like magic in the middle of the donut. A standard knitted tube requires four needles, three to make a triangle instead of using a ring, and the fourth to manipulate the yarn. Or you can knit it flat and sew it into a tube. I like the ring method the best myself, but you will have to experiment with what size works the best.
AWESOME tunic BTY. Is the fabric glued into the crevices of the glyphs? If so, what kind of glue?
Lironess@aol.com
Nice, thanks Brianna.
I will look into the nails-in-the-hoop tube knitting rig.
The glyphs are molded in color latex and then applied right to the leather with superglue and a few securing stitches.
-steve
Your tunic is divine and delicious!!
whaddya going to do fer pants and shoes ?
you must have missed the boots post, a little while back
Arch -
I am going to make pants out of the same material as the tunic. I think that I will just make the shoes from scratch to look as close to this as possible.
-s
Pota Matt is an incredible dude!
I need to contact him.
IM
37721150
Suh-weet. You have talent. And now you have a kick butt shirt!
does the neck of the tunic go high up the collar ? i was just reviewing photos from the film and the creases around the neck actually form somewhat of a cone to the top of ye olde ape neck
I like your costume and was thinking of doing the same thing this year. I don’t have time to make one though. Do you know who sells them? I’ve been on Apemania but too expensive.
Thanks,
Hugh Sherrod
Hughbnc@yahoo.com
Hugh.
Apemania is your best bet if you want to buy one. You have the choice of spending either time, or money.
-s
The Authority’s here in portland oregon are protecting two Serial Killers named joan wagar and eric carlson, the Authority’s gave eric carlson a new identity so joan and eric can get away with murder, eric now goes by the name Gashel and was working at Clackamas Walmart with joan wagar.
since I discovered this Eric carlson left Clackamas Walmart.
Why are they hideing a bodydouble and poisoning people.
Why did the authority’s in portland oregon give joan and eric permission to poison a plasma donor?