My sister & I had wanted to do riding animal costumes over the years after seeing the knight in the movie Labyrinth.  We saw a Chocobo (bird that is ridden like a horse) in the video game Final Fantasy at the same time the Las Vegas tourism commercials were being aired.  We put it all together along with one of our girlfriends, spun it all together and out came a masquerade piece for a local Sci Fi convention.  The body of each bird is built over a hoop skirt made out of copper tubing, padded and then covered in fabric which was hand sewn to accommodate the curves.  The list of materials for each bird is quite large & a little unusual, so I’ve listed them below.

Swan Materials:  Furry fleece, foam rubber, pipe insulation, copper tubing, panne velour, embroidered taffeta, feathers, grosgrain ribbon, curtain tieback, metal belt, rhinestones, craft foam, hoop wire, upholstery trim, children’s flippers, repurposed dress shoes, braid, sequins, taxidermy eyes, beaded trim, tassels and buttons.

Peacock Materials:  Furry fleece, faux fur, foam rubber, pipe insulation, copper tubing, panne velour, large Easter egg, chenille yarn, large beads, florist wire, embroidered taffeta, grosgrain ribbon,  feathers, curtain tieback, metal belt, rhinestones, craft foam, hoop wire, upholstery trim, serving forks, repurposed dress shoes, braid, taxidermy eyes, beaded trim, sequins, tassels and buttons.

Flamingo Materials:  Black Leggings, pipe insulation, children’s flippers, tights, embroidered linen, children’s shoes, foam rubber, craft foam, rhinestones, taxidermy eyes, false eyelashes, copper tubing rhinestones, beaded trim, upholstery trim, rhinestones, plastic wine bottle stopper, rhinestones, lace appliqués, marabou, more rhinestones,  bird mask, large Easter egg, feathers, hologram dot netting, taffeta and did I mention rhinestones?

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