For October’s porch goose outfit, I made a jack-o-lantern Halloween costume out of polyester felt using both hand sewing and machine sewing techniques.
This past May, I received a concrete porch goose. I had been yearning for one since I’ve seen their popularity increase in both my Midwestern neighborhood and online. My Midwestern Grandma had one in the 1990s and it seemed like a fun thing that was important to her, even if it did seem corny back then. Finally, I got one of my own!
Now, I’ve seen some fancy, clever, and funny costumes and outfits on porch geese. But, for my goose? Well, her aesthetic is “understated seasonal.” That is, she’ll put on a different dress each month made (by me) from fabric that has a connection to the season.
Understated for October is a jack-o-lantern costume. I veered from the dress pattern that I have been using and drafted my own pattern.
To get the curved collar and hem to lay flat, I snipped little triangles along the curve. I used clips instead of pins to hold the hem down while I stitched it with my sewing machine.
After sewing the dress, I drew a jack-o-lantern face on paper and made templates that I used to cut out perfect pieces of black and yellow felt.
I snagged some coordinating embroidery floss from my stash and used a simple blanket stitch to appliqué on the face. It was after spending a couple of hours hand-stitching the face that I realized I could have used my sewing machine with a blanket stitch. But, I love hand-stitching!
The stem hat is really just a bonnet from the dress pattern I’ve been using. I sewed it (with my machine) out of a green fabric I had in my stash and then added a self-drafted, hand-sewn stem and leaves I made out of green felt. I stuffed the stem with scraps of felt leftover from all the other pieces I had cut out.
I’m pleased with how it turned out. And, that’s all I really need. If my neighbors get a kick out of it, well that’s just a bonus! This was a fun project that was a good mix of machine and hand sewing. I hope you’re inspired to make your porch goose a felt costume this Halloween.
