Step 4: Marking and cutting

We’ve split the template pieces in two in order to create the body in two parts, a left and a right side. You can see the outlines that we’ve drawn around the templates, leaving about an inch border all the way around to accommodate the seams. The narrow insert that you can see at the top of these pictures is where the arm goes through when the costume is folded back on itself and the large section at the bottom of the right image is the leg – looks massive doesn’t it!

What we’re doing in these pictures is attaching the liner to the fur, it’ll also keep things in position as we start sewing. You need to dip the pin through both layers, it’s a bit arduous going, don’t forget a thimble!

Step 3: Creating the patterns

At this stage you’ve got metres and metres of fabric of different sorts lying around plus some now useless decorators overalls. You’re wondering how you’re ever going to make a costume for a character from Where The Wild Things Are. It’s time to get cracking.

In the photo you can see the armless overalls lying splayed on top of the cotton and then the fur below it. We decided to use cotton because the fur backing is rather rough and I’m such a delicate flower that I wanted it to be more comfy to wear. At this stage we are trying to decide whether to do both legs and the back in one piece or if it would make more sense to do two halves.

The next step, either way, is to draw an outline of the overalls template onto the cotton liner.

Step 2: Deconstruction begins

The best idea I had when making this costume was to buy these disposable decorator’s overalls from Amazon.

My plan was to use it as a pattern to base the rest of the Max costume on as I knew it would help me get the sizing right for everything from the legs to the hood.

By carefully cutting along its seams we’d be able to cut the various panels to size before sewing them together. Clever.

In the second picture you can see Carina carefully starting the surgery, it almost brings tears to the eyes.

Step 1: What you’ll need to make your Max costume

Because I was making my costume to be worn at a festival in England’s unpredictable Summer I thought that I’d make an outfit closer to the one seen in the Where The Wild Things Are film than the book. It’s more furry than that seen in Maurice Sendak’s original illustrations but I guessed that I’d appreciate that extra warmth in a field in the early hours of the morning.

I bought:

• 1 x Disposable decorator’s overalls
• 4m Grey fur from a fabric shop in Brighton, the thickest I could find
• 4m of cotton to use as lining material
• 1m of wadding to use as stuffing
• 5 large buttons
• Grey cotton thread
• Large, new, sharp scissors
• 2m of thick long black fur for the tail

What’s this site all about then?

For years and years Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are has had a special place in my heart. I read it as a kid and over the years a couple of people have said that I remind them of the little boy at the centre of the story, Max. (Comparisons have also been made with Mr Tumnus from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, my friends are stupid). It’s always the first book I think to buy when a friend has a child and Spike Jonze obviously liked it enough to make it into the film that comes out later this year.

I was trying to work out what costume to make for the Secret Garden Party festival earlier this year when it occurred to me that a big furry romper suit for me to live in for a few days would be an amazing idea so I set to work making the costume with the very skilled help of my girlfriend Carina. I would go as Max from Where The Wild Things Are.

After the pretty surprising success of my Make a Sackboy site last year I figured that documenting the costume build process for others to follow would be a good idea and that’s exactly what I’ll be doing on this site. It was a great costume to make, lots of fun to wear as you’ll see from my pictures and a great idea for parties later in 2009, closer to the films release.

Enjoy!