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COSPLAY: Human Elementalist (Country light armor set), Guild Wars 2 We caught the edge of the huge snowstorm last weekend, so afterward I thought it would be a perfect time to take some cosplay photos. I call this the Wayfarer Foothills photoshoot! (Here is a screenshot of the in-game armor, if you want a reference.) I made this costume for PAX Prime 2012. Everything is quilting cotton and faux leather (the same faux leather I used for Merrill, actually—I had a lot left over). I drafted the pattern for the blouse, vest, and skirt using my dress form. The blouse and vest both have side zippers and the skirt has a back zipper that is hidden by the flap. Both skirt flaps have embroidery on them, as do the boot cuffs. The boot cuffs are trimmed faux leather that I stuck into the tops of boots I already had (I’ve used them for Gwen, Nausicaa, and White Mage Yuna, they are great cosplay boots!) and folded over. I did SO MANY RUFFLES for this costume. I cut strips of white fabric and ran them through the ruffler attachment, then cut to size and sewed them on. It was a lot of fun, and I’m proud of the details I achieved. The blouse has curved seams along the bust like in-game as well as slightly puffy sleeves. The little pouches are stuffed with scrap fabric to keep their shape. I realized too late that white is a really rare die for someone in lowbie armor to have, but oh well, I love this color scheme! I have a ton more photos on my cosplay.com profile.
Zoom Info
COSPLAY: Human Elementalist (Country light armor set), Guild Wars 2 We caught the edge of the huge snowstorm last weekend, so afterward I thought it would be a perfect time to take some cosplay photos. I call this the Wayfarer Foothills photoshoot! (Here is a screenshot of the in-game armor, if you want a reference.) I made this costume for PAX Prime 2012. Everything is quilting cotton and faux leather (the same faux leather I used for Merrill, actually—I had a lot left over). I drafted the pattern for the blouse, vest, and skirt using my dress form. The blouse and vest both have side zippers and the skirt has a back zipper that is hidden by the flap. Both skirt flaps have embroidery on them, as do the boot cuffs. The boot cuffs are trimmed faux leather that I stuck into the tops of boots I already had (I’ve used them for Gwen, Nausicaa, and White Mage Yuna, they are great cosplay boots!) and folded over. I did SO MANY RUFFLES for this costume. I cut strips of white fabric and ran them through the ruffler attachment, then cut to size and sewed them on. It was a lot of fun, and I’m proud of the details I achieved. The blouse has curved seams along the bust like in-game as well as slightly puffy sleeves. The little pouches are stuffed with scrap fabric to keep their shape. I realized too late that white is a really rare die for someone in lowbie armor to have, but oh well, I love this color scheme! I have a ton more photos on my cosplay.com profile.
Zoom Info
COSPLAY: Human Elementalist (Country light armor set), Guild Wars 2 We caught the edge of the huge snowstorm last weekend, so afterward I thought it would be a perfect time to take some cosplay photos. I call this the Wayfarer Foothills photoshoot! (Here is a screenshot of the in-game armor, if you want a reference.) I made this costume for PAX Prime 2012. Everything is quilting cotton and faux leather (the same faux leather I used for Merrill, actually—I had a lot left over). I drafted the pattern for the blouse, vest, and skirt using my dress form. The blouse and vest both have side zippers and the skirt has a back zipper that is hidden by the flap. Both skirt flaps have embroidery on them, as do the boot cuffs. The boot cuffs are trimmed faux leather that I stuck into the tops of boots I already had (I’ve used them for Gwen, Nausicaa, and White Mage Yuna, they are great cosplay boots!) and folded over. I did SO MANY RUFFLES for this costume. I cut strips of white fabric and ran them through the ruffler attachment, then cut to size and sewed them on. It was a lot of fun, and I’m proud of the details I achieved. The blouse has curved seams along the bust like in-game as well as slightly puffy sleeves. The little pouches are stuffed with scrap fabric to keep their shape. I realized too late that white is a really rare die for someone in lowbie armor to have, but oh well, I love this color scheme! I have a ton more photos on my cosplay.com profile.
Zoom Info
COSPLAY: Human Elementalist (Country light armor set), Guild Wars 2 We caught the edge of the huge snowstorm last weekend, so afterward I thought it would be a perfect time to take some cosplay photos. I call this the Wayfarer Foothills photoshoot! (Here is a screenshot of the in-game armor, if you want a reference.) I made this costume for PAX Prime 2012. Everything is quilting cotton and faux leather (the same faux leather I used for Merrill, actually—I had a lot left over). I drafted the pattern for the blouse, vest, and skirt using my dress form. The blouse and vest both have side zippers and the skirt has a back zipper that is hidden by the flap. Both skirt flaps have embroidery on them, as do the boot cuffs. The boot cuffs are trimmed faux leather that I stuck into the tops of boots I already had (I’ve used them for Gwen, Nausicaa, and White Mage Yuna, they are great cosplay boots!) and folded over. I did SO MANY RUFFLES for this costume. I cut strips of white fabric and ran them through the ruffler attachment, then cut to size and sewed them on. It was a lot of fun, and I’m proud of the details I achieved. The blouse has curved seams along the bust like in-game as well as slightly puffy sleeves. The little pouches are stuffed with scrap fabric to keep their shape. I realized too late that white is a really rare die for someone in lowbie armor to have, but oh well, I love this color scheme! I have a ton more photos on my cosplay.com profile.
Zoom Info
COSPLAY: Human Elementalist (Country light armor set), Guild Wars 2 We caught the edge of the huge snowstorm last weekend, so afterward I thought it would be a perfect time to take some cosplay photos. I call this the Wayfarer Foothills photoshoot! (Here is a screenshot of the in-game armor, if you want a reference.) I made this costume for PAX Prime 2012. Everything is quilting cotton and faux leather (the same faux leather I used for Merrill, actually—I had a lot left over). I drafted the pattern for the blouse, vest, and skirt using my dress form. The blouse and vest both have side zippers and the skirt has a back zipper that is hidden by the flap. Both skirt flaps have embroidery on them, as do the boot cuffs. The boot cuffs are trimmed faux leather that I stuck into the tops of boots I already had (I’ve used them for Gwen, Nausicaa, and White Mage Yuna, they are great cosplay boots!) and folded over. I did SO MANY RUFFLES for this costume. I cut strips of white fabric and ran them through the ruffler attachment, then cut to size and sewed them on. It was a lot of fun, and I’m proud of the details I achieved. The blouse has curved seams along the bust like in-game as well as slightly puffy sleeves. The little pouches are stuffed with scrap fabric to keep their shape. I realized too late that white is a really rare die for someone in lowbie armor to have, but oh well, I love this color scheme! I have a ton more photos on my cosplay.com profile.
Zoom Info
COSPLAY: Human Elementalist (Country light armor set), Guild Wars 2 We caught the edge of the huge snowstorm last weekend, so afterward I thought it would be a perfect time to take some cosplay photos. I call this the Wayfarer Foothills photoshoot! (Here is a screenshot of the in-game armor, if you want a reference.) I made this costume for PAX Prime 2012. Everything is quilting cotton and faux leather (the same faux leather I used for Merrill, actually—I had a lot left over). I drafted the pattern for the blouse, vest, and skirt using my dress form. The blouse and vest both have side zippers and the skirt has a back zipper that is hidden by the flap. Both skirt flaps have embroidery on them, as do the boot cuffs. The boot cuffs are trimmed faux leather that I stuck into the tops of boots I already had (I’ve used them for Gwen, Nausicaa, and White Mage Yuna, they are great cosplay boots!) and folded over. I did SO MANY RUFFLES for this costume. I cut strips of white fabric and ran them through the ruffler attachment, then cut to size and sewed them on. It was a lot of fun, and I’m proud of the details I achieved. The blouse has curved seams along the bust like in-game as well as slightly puffy sleeves. The little pouches are stuffed with scrap fabric to keep their shape. I realized too late that white is a really rare die for someone in lowbie armor to have, but oh well, I love this color scheme! I have a ton more photos on my cosplay.com profile.
Zoom Info
COSPLAY: Human Elementalist (Country light armor set), Guild Wars 2 We caught the edge of the huge snowstorm last weekend, so afterward I thought it would be a perfect time to take some cosplay photos. I call this the Wayfarer Foothills photoshoot! (Here is a screenshot of the in-game armor, if you want a reference.) I made this costume for PAX Prime 2012. Everything is quilting cotton and faux leather (the same faux leather I used for Merrill, actually—I had a lot left over). I drafted the pattern for the blouse, vest, and skirt using my dress form. The blouse and vest both have side zippers and the skirt has a back zipper that is hidden by the flap. Both skirt flaps have embroidery on them, as do the boot cuffs. The boot cuffs are trimmed faux leather that I stuck into the tops of boots I already had (I’ve used them for Gwen, Nausicaa, and White Mage Yuna, they are great cosplay boots!) and folded over. I did SO MANY RUFFLES for this costume. I cut strips of white fabric and ran them through the ruffler attachment, then cut to size and sewed them on. It was a lot of fun, and I’m proud of the details I achieved. The blouse has curved seams along the bust like in-game as well as slightly puffy sleeves. The little pouches are stuffed with scrap fabric to keep their shape. I realized too late that white is a really rare die for someone in lowbie armor to have, but oh well, I love this color scheme! I have a ton more photos on my cosplay.com profile.
Zoom Info

COSPLAY: Human Elementalist (Country light armor set), Guild Wars 2

We caught the edge of the huge snowstorm last weekend, so afterward I thought it would be a perfect time to take some cosplay photos. I call this the Wayfarer Foothills photoshoot! (Here is a screenshot of the in-game armor, if you want a reference.)

I made this costume for PAX Prime 2012. Everything is quilting cotton and faux leather (the same faux leather I used for Merrill, actually—I had a lot left over). I drafted the pattern for the blouse, vest, and skirt using my dress form. The blouse and vest both have side zippers and the skirt has a back zipper that is hidden by the flap. Both skirt flaps have embroidery on them, as do the boot cuffs. The boot cuffs are trimmed faux leather that I stuck into the tops of boots I already had (I’ve used them for Gwen, Nausicaa, and White Mage Yuna, they are great cosplay boots!) and folded over.

I did SO MANY RUFFLES for this costume. I cut strips of white fabric and ran them through the ruffler attachment, then cut to size and sewed them on. It was a lot of fun, and I’m proud of the details I achieved. The blouse has curved seams along the bust like in-game as well as slightly puffy sleeves. The little pouches are stuffed with scrap fabric to keep their shape. I realized too late that white is a really rare die for someone in lowbie armor to have, but oh well, I love this color scheme!

I have a ton more photos on my cosplay.com profile.

Cosplay Goals for 2013!

Here are the cosplay-related things I’d like to accomplish in 2013:

Costumes:

BLACK MAGE YUNA. This is one I have wanted to do for a very long time. I am going to make it happen for Otakon this year! Not knowing how to make the hat is what has been holding me back, but I have a few ideas I can try. The key will be to start early. Since I’m not really cosplaying for PAX East (I’m just making some funky outfits for PAX Pokemon League), I can get started RIGHT AWAY.

CABALIST ARMOR FROM GUILD WARS 2 (not in these colors though—yuck). I love this armor set. The details are amazing and I am a total sucker for anything with enormous sleeves (and bloomers!). I had a blast with my first GW2 cosplay (which reminds me, I haven’t posted pictures?) and I’d love to do another one. This probably wouldn’t be for a con, just something challenging to make, and then take a whole ton of pictures. 

I still don’t know which other costume to do for Otakon. I kind of want to do Mami from Madoka Magica (which has become my very favorite anime series), but I’m not sure about it. Maybe an Assassin’s Creed cosplay? Those are quite challenging! Regardless, I need to decide on something soon.

SKILLS:

MAKEUP. I stepped up my makeup game this year a little bit with my Merrill costume and I learned a lot. I need to get over my self-consciousness and just practice at home, maybe even wear makeup out sometimes. Practice practice practice.

DETAILS. Both of my cosplays this year were iconic but simple. I need to step it up in the details department. Never say “eh, that will do.” GO FOR PERFECTION. Use appropriate trims and look harder for just the right fabric. Starting earlier on costumes will help so I don’t feel rushed. But I also need to choose costumes that will challenge me.

PROPS. I made a couple props this year and learned new techniques. I will continue to do that this year! Yuna’s black mage staff should be a great challenge, not just for making the prop itself but painting it, another skill I need to improve.

TUTORIAL: Fit an oversize shirt. Despite the efforts of outlets like Her Universe, most of the cool geeky tees only come in “unisex,” aka men’s, sizes. But there’s a pretty easy way to resize a too-large tee to fit you. This is the method I used for my Zelda tee. You will need: pins, scissors, thread, sewing machine. You may also need scrap knit fabric and another t-shirt that fits you well. Method 1: Turn the shirt inside out and put it on. Pin the shirt to fit along the red lines in the diagram above. Be sure to keep the pins parallel to the line so that the fit is accurate. You may want someone else to help you with this step, but if you’re on your own you can alternate sides each pin. Take the shirt off (carefully!) and baste stitch (this is a long, loose stitch that is pulled out easily) along the pin lines. The seam may be lumpy and/or the shirt may not lay perfectly flat because you are a 3D object—just do your best to keep it as smooth as possible so that it looks nice. Turn the shirt right side out and try it on. At this point, you can adjust the fit some more, or if you are happy with the fit, use a zig-zag stitch or stretch stitch to make the seams permanent. Trim the excess fabric outside the seams. Method 2: If you have a t-shirt with a fit you really like, you can use it as a pattern. Make sure the fabric is of a similar stretch as the shirt you are adjusting. For example, don’t use a ribbed tank top to adjust a regular t-shirt, since ribbed fabric is much more stretchy than regular knit fabric and your new shirt will end up too small. Turn the shirt inside out and lay it flat. Lay your shirt on top of it, lining up the collar and shoulders as closely as possible. Pin just the larger shirt along the lines of the smaller shirt. Then follow along as above, basting along the pins and adjusting fit until you are satisfied. Now that the shirt fits better, you can customize it as you like. You can cut the sleeves along the green lines in the diagram above to make cap sleeves, or cut the bottom to a shorter length. You can also use this tutorial to make a v-neck collar or this one to make a scoop neck (I like to do this because most crew neck tees feel like they are choking me!). I hope this helps! Have fun reconstructing!
Zoom

TUTORIAL: Fit an oversize shirt.

Despite the efforts of outlets like Her Universe, most of the cool geeky tees only come in “unisex,” aka men’s, sizes. But there’s a pretty easy way to resize a too-large tee to fit you. This is the method I used for my Zelda tee.

You will need: pins, scissors, thread, sewing machine. You may also need scrap knit fabric and another t-shirt that fits you well.

Method 1: Turn the shirt inside out and put it on. Pin the shirt to fit along the red lines in the diagram above. Be sure to keep the pins parallel to the line so that the fit is accurate. You may want someone else to help you with this step, but if you’re on your own you can alternate sides each pin. Take the shirt off (carefully!) and baste stitch (this is a long, loose stitch that is pulled out easily) along the pin lines. The seam may be lumpy and/or the shirt may not lay perfectly flat because you are a 3D object—just do your best to keep it as smooth as possible so that it looks nice. Turn the shirt right side out and try it on. At this point, you can adjust the fit some more, or if you are happy with the fit, use a zig-zag stitch or stretch stitch to make the seams permanent. Trim the excess fabric outside the seams.

Method 2: If you have a t-shirt with a fit you really like, you can use it as a pattern. Make sure the fabric is of a similar stretch as the shirt you are adjusting. For example, don’t use a ribbed tank top to adjust a regular t-shirt, since ribbed fabric is much more stretchy than regular knit fabric and your new shirt will end up too small. Turn the shirt inside out and lay it flat. Lay your shirt on top of it, lining up the collar and shoulders as closely as possible. Pin just the larger shirt along the lines of the smaller shirt. Then follow along as above, basting along the pins and adjusting fit until you are satisfied.

Now that the shirt fits better, you can customize it as you like. You can cut the sleeves along the green lines in the diagram above to make cap sleeves, or cut the bottom to a shorter length. You can also use this tutorial to make a v-neck collar or this one to make a scoop neck (I like to do this because most crew neck tees feel like they are choking me!).

I hope this helps! Have fun reconstructing!

Cosplay Dos and Don’ts for Character Design

My pet peeves when it comes to video game character designs and trying to cosplay them mostly have to do with how fabric works. In a game, anything goes, and you don’t have to deal with the actual properties of fabric or even gravity. It can be great to have that kind of freedom, but it definitely makes life harder for cosplayers! So here are some things that I’ve noticed about video game character designs, as a sewist and cosplayer.

First of all, cosplayers are pretty ingenious and will figure out a way to make almost anything you throw at them. But there are some things that are just flatly impossible. For example, Merrill’s chainmail bodysuit. For my Merrill cosplay, I tried very hard to find some stretchy netting to make the chainmail look, but I wasn’t able to. So I just made a plain black bodysuit instead (many Merrill cosplayers do this). Chainmail just doesn’t work that way! Similarly, metal plate armor will not conform exactly to the body, either. This is especially a problem for women as many fantasy artists just love putting form-fitting “boob plate” on the ladies. But that’s both not possible, painful-looking, and counter productive (I remember reading a post about how boob plate would actually help guide an enemy’s weapon directly to the wearer’s heart, but I can’t find it right now).

Regular fabric doesn’t conform exactly to the body, either. Check out this GW2 armor set. The layer under the bodice conforms exactly to her chest, making it look like bodypaint rather than fabric (it’s totally possible that that area of the armor was originally supposed to be bare skin). Look at any lady in a t-shirt and you’ll see that’s not how fabric works. (That armor set also has the boob plate problem described above). Fabric is 2-dimensional and requires seams in order to create curves. Check out different kinds of patterns for form-fitting dresses or tops to see how it works.

Another thing to pay attention to is closures. For fantasy, every piece of clothing needs to have some kind of closure (lacing, buttons, corset busk, etc) since they didn’t have stretchy fabric in medieval times. If you don’t have a closure (or if the garment isn’t VERY loose), you won’t be able to get the garment off or on. (Many novice sewists make this mistake, hilariously. I did, on the very first dress I ever made!) For cosplay, I usually compensate for a lack of closures by using velcro, which can be hidden, or invisible zippers. But sometimes it is not possible to use either of those things.

Also, closures should allow the smallest part of the garment to be loosened. This is usually the waist. Take Shepard’s dress in ME3, for example. It has a zipper that goes over the butt but stops at the waist seam, the smallest part of the dress! Since this is the future it’s possible that the dress is made out of a stretchy fabric that allows the waist seam to stretch (making the zipper simply nonsensically decorative instead of flatly impossible). But it’s a good example of a garment design that was made for someone who gets dressed using a menu option rather than by taking clothes on and off.

All right, that’s all I can think of for now. I hope this is helpful to someone out there!

COSPLAY: Yukari Takeba, Persona 3. My other Otakon cosplay was Yukari! I already wrote about the leg pouch, the heart choker, and the Evoker. For the bow, I used one of the many bow tutorials out there and added a strip of red fabric with velcro on each end that went under my shirt collar. The sweater I made out of pink ribbed fabric and drafted my own pattern from some of my other clothes. Everything else—shirt, skirt, the shorts I’m wearing underneath the skirt, socks, and shoes—is store-bought, making this an easy but fun costume. (Although the shirt was tricky to find now that puff-sleeved shirts are out…) More photos here!
Zoom Info
COSPLAY: Yukari Takeba, Persona 3. My other Otakon cosplay was Yukari! I already wrote about the leg pouch, the heart choker, and the Evoker. For the bow, I used one of the many bow tutorials out there and added a strip of red fabric with velcro on each end that went under my shirt collar. The sweater I made out of pink ribbed fabric and drafted my own pattern from some of my other clothes. Everything else—shirt, skirt, the shorts I’m wearing underneath the skirt, socks, and shoes—is store-bought, making this an easy but fun costume. (Although the shirt was tricky to find now that puff-sleeved shirts are out…) More photos here!
Zoom Info
COSPLAY: Yukari Takeba, Persona 3. My other Otakon cosplay was Yukari! I already wrote about the leg pouch, the heart choker, and the Evoker. For the bow, I used one of the many bow tutorials out there and added a strip of red fabric with velcro on each end that went under my shirt collar. The sweater I made out of pink ribbed fabric and drafted my own pattern from some of my other clothes. Everything else—shirt, skirt, the shorts I’m wearing underneath the skirt, socks, and shoes—is store-bought, making this an easy but fun costume. (Although the shirt was tricky to find now that puff-sleeved shirts are out…) More photos here!
Zoom Info

COSPLAY: Yukari Takeba, Persona 3.

My other Otakon cosplay was Yukari! I already wrote about the leg pouch, the heart choker, and the Evoker. For the bow, I used one of the many bow tutorials out there and added a strip of red fabric with velcro on each end that went under my shirt collar. The sweater I made out of pink ribbed fabric and drafted my own pattern from some of my other clothes. Everything else—shirt, skirt, the shorts I’m wearing underneath the skirt, socks, and shoes—is store-bought, making this an easy but fun costume. (Although the shirt was tricky to find now that puff-sleeved shirts are out…)

More photos here!

COSPLAY: Sam Tarly, Game of Thrones (TV Show) That’s my awesome partner in the costume, but I made it, so I’m writing about it! This was kind of a last-minute costume, and I’m really happy with how it came out. The tunic is made from black cotton bought already quilted from fabric.com. I used Burda pattern 7976, with a couple adjustments. I finished the hems with black bias tape and there’s a zipper in the back. My partner bought the pants, gloves, and shoes. The gloves are just plain black leather gloves from ebay. The pants are black trousers from Old Navy. The shoes are plain, dark brown ankle boots that were on clearance at DSW. The belt I made from faux leather, since it had to be longer than most belts are in order to be tied and hang down. The buckle is from Joann’s. The boot covers are just very long, 12”-wide strips of faux suede wrapped around the ankles a few times and then tied securely with some leather cording. The only other thing I did was add a short piece of elastic between the end of the piece and about 12” in from the end that went under the heel of the boot in order to keep the cover from sliding up the leg. The truly impressive part of this costume, however, is that glorious cloak. I developed the pattern myself. The cloak goes over the shoulders, crosses over the front, and wraps around the back. Here is a crappy mouse drawing of what the pattern looks like: I used four yards of faux fur total (and that was barely enough). The large piece is half of the back of the cloak. I cut out four pieces and sewed two of each together at the long straight edge, then sewed the two giant pieces together at the sides to create the back of the cloak. I left the bottom open so that the fur would hang down, and I left the top open in order to sew the front to the back at the shoulders (the red seam in the drawing). I then sewed long strips of faux leather to the ends of the front pieces that would tie in the back, underneath the cloak, holding the whole thing on. It looked GOOD, dangit! And that’s the costume. It was really fun to make, but I’m glad I wasn’t wearing it because it must have been… cozy. (PS - I only watch the TV show so no GOT spoilers please ;D)
Zoom Info
COSPLAY: Sam Tarly, Game of Thrones (TV Show) That’s my awesome partner in the costume, but I made it, so I’m writing about it! This was kind of a last-minute costume, and I’m really happy with how it came out. The tunic is made from black cotton bought already quilted from fabric.com. I used Burda pattern 7976, with a couple adjustments. I finished the hems with black bias tape and there’s a zipper in the back. My partner bought the pants, gloves, and shoes. The gloves are just plain black leather gloves from ebay. The pants are black trousers from Old Navy. The shoes are plain, dark brown ankle boots that were on clearance at DSW. The belt I made from faux leather, since it had to be longer than most belts are in order to be tied and hang down. The buckle is from Joann’s. The boot covers are just very long, 12”-wide strips of faux suede wrapped around the ankles a few times and then tied securely with some leather cording. The only other thing I did was add a short piece of elastic between the end of the piece and about 12” in from the end that went under the heel of the boot in order to keep the cover from sliding up the leg. The truly impressive part of this costume, however, is that glorious cloak. I developed the pattern myself. The cloak goes over the shoulders, crosses over the front, and wraps around the back. Here is a crappy mouse drawing of what the pattern looks like: I used four yards of faux fur total (and that was barely enough). The large piece is half of the back of the cloak. I cut out four pieces and sewed two of each together at the long straight edge, then sewed the two giant pieces together at the sides to create the back of the cloak. I left the bottom open so that the fur would hang down, and I left the top open in order to sew the front to the back at the shoulders (the red seam in the drawing). I then sewed long strips of faux leather to the ends of the front pieces that would tie in the back, underneath the cloak, holding the whole thing on. It looked GOOD, dangit! And that’s the costume. It was really fun to make, but I’m glad I wasn’t wearing it because it must have been… cozy. (PS - I only watch the TV show so no GOT spoilers please ;D)
Zoom Info
COSPLAY: Sam Tarly, Game of Thrones (TV Show) That’s my awesome partner in the costume, but I made it, so I’m writing about it! This was kind of a last-minute costume, and I’m really happy with how it came out. The tunic is made from black cotton bought already quilted from fabric.com. I used Burda pattern 7976, with a couple adjustments. I finished the hems with black bias tape and there’s a zipper in the back. My partner bought the pants, gloves, and shoes. The gloves are just plain black leather gloves from ebay. The pants are black trousers from Old Navy. The shoes are plain, dark brown ankle boots that were on clearance at DSW. The belt I made from faux leather, since it had to be longer than most belts are in order to be tied and hang down. The buckle is from Joann’s. The boot covers are just very long, 12”-wide strips of faux suede wrapped around the ankles a few times and then tied securely with some leather cording. The only other thing I did was add a short piece of elastic between the end of the piece and about 12” in from the end that went under the heel of the boot in order to keep the cover from sliding up the leg. The truly impressive part of this costume, however, is that glorious cloak. I developed the pattern myself. The cloak goes over the shoulders, crosses over the front, and wraps around the back. Here is a crappy mouse drawing of what the pattern looks like: I used four yards of faux fur total (and that was barely enough). The large piece is half of the back of the cloak. I cut out four pieces and sewed two of each together at the long straight edge, then sewed the two giant pieces together at the sides to create the back of the cloak. I left the bottom open so that the fur would hang down, and I left the top open in order to sew the front to the back at the shoulders (the red seam in the drawing). I then sewed long strips of faux leather to the ends of the front pieces that would tie in the back, underneath the cloak, holding the whole thing on. It looked GOOD, dangit! And that’s the costume. It was really fun to make, but I’m glad I wasn’t wearing it because it must have been… cozy. (PS - I only watch the TV show so no GOT spoilers please ;D)
Zoom Info

COSPLAY: Sam Tarly, Game of Thrones (TV Show)

That’s my awesome partner in the costume, but I made it, so I’m writing about it! This was kind of a last-minute costume, and I’m really happy with how it came out.

The tunic is made from black cotton bought already quilted from fabric.com. I used Burda pattern 7976, with a couple adjustments. I finished the hems with black bias tape and there’s a zipper in the back.

My partner bought the pants, gloves, and shoes. The gloves are just plain black leather gloves from ebay. The pants are black trousers from Old Navy. The shoes are plain, dark brown ankle boots that were on clearance at DSW.

The belt I made from faux leather, since it had to be longer than most belts are in order to be tied and hang down. The buckle is from Joann’s. The boot covers are just very long, 12”-wide strips of faux suede wrapped around the ankles a few times and then tied securely with some leather cording. The only other thing I did was add a short piece of elastic between the end of the piece and about 12” in from the end that went under the heel of the boot in order to keep the cover from sliding up the leg.

The truly impressive part of this costume, however, is that glorious cloak. I developed the pattern myself. The cloak goes over the shoulders, crosses over the front, and wraps around the back. Here is a crappy mouse drawing of what the pattern looks like:

I used four yards of faux fur total (and that was barely enough). The large piece is half of the back of the cloak. I cut out four pieces and sewed two of each together at the long straight edge, then sewed the two giant pieces together at the sides to create the back of the cloak. I left the bottom open so that the fur would hang down, and I left the top open in order to sew the front to the back at the shoulders (the red seam in the drawing). I then sewed long strips of faux leather to the ends of the front pieces that would tie in the back, underneath the cloak, holding the whole thing on. It looked GOOD, dangit!

And that’s the costume. It was really fun to make, but I’m glad I wasn’t wearing it because it must have been… cozy. (PS - I only watch the TV show so no GOT spoilers please ;D)

COSPLAY — Merrill (Dragon Age 2) More photos All right. So, Merrill! I originally created this costume for PAX East 2012. The tunic is made from faux suede and I developed the pattern myself. The faux-fur shoulder pieces are attached and the whole thing stays on with two velcro pairs on each side, where the ties are on the actual model. I have a black ribbon sewn to the fur pieces that goes behind my neck, under the scarf, so that I don’t have to worry about the straps coming off. The gold rings are white plastic upholstery rings that I colored gold with a Sharpie paint pen. The scarf is just a trapezoid of green jersey sewn together at the angled edges. This created a shape that was wider at the bottom so it would look layered instead of just a straight tube. The arm guards and leg guards are both made of faux-leather from fabric.com. The arm guards have two loops of brown elastic and one loop of faux-leather, the last of which is around the palm. The leg guards have brown elastic linked to the gold rings, as well as a hidden black elastic strap below the calf so that the middle of the shin would conform to my leg and now bow out. The foot flap is held in place with velcro and I put safety pins at the top of each leg guard to help them stay up. The body suit… oh boy. I used a site that shows you how to make pattern blocks for dance costumes and swimwear but I can’t find it now. I made the whole suit myself, with a zipper in the center front (so it would be hidden from view), then I cut out the joint and thumb holes. I tried to finish one of the knee holes with a band but it didn’t work out, so I had to cut it. They are the worst part of the costume, but I don’t really know how I would fix it =/ I had tried FOREVER to find an adequate silver or gray stretch netting in order to make the proper “chainmail” look, but I never found it. I think most people got the idea anyway. Damn you, character designers! The elf ears I ordered online. My original wig was a long witch wig from Party city that I cut really badly, put rubber bands in, and hairsprayed the crap out of. I didn’t like it but I forgot to order a proper wig before Otakon, so I just bought a short brown wig from the local wig store and used that instead. I think it looks fine. I actually did makeup for this costume: basic powder foundation, eyeliner, and dark red + black eyeshadow. I actually painted my nails blood red for PAX, but my nails were so messed up (I pick them when I’m stressed… aka always) I didn’t do it for Otakon. My boyfriend did the tattoos for me =) The belt I made out of the same faux-leather. It’s a bit too wide. My boyfriend made the buckle and belt end out of clay (and wire, for the buckle tongue). They are both very heavy, so I had to hold the end of the belt when I walked so the heavy clay thing wouldn’t break my knees. The staff is the Torch of Falon’Din, which you get from Marethari at the end of Merrill’s last companion quest. I made it the week before Otakon and I’m very proud of it, though it just barely made it back from the con alive. The blade is upholstery foam + cardboard + paper mache + spackle. The sticks are willow branches from Michael’s held on with a combination of hot glue and gorrilla glue. The handle is a 7/8” dowel from Michael’s wrapped in faux leather left over from my Gwen costume. My boyfriend painted the blade for me. I didn’t completely glue down the handle wrapping so it started to come unraveled halfway through Friday, which was very frustrating and upsetting for me. Overall I am extremely proud of this costume even if it is a pain in the ass to wear. I’m not sure if I’ll wear it again, but I love Merrill and I’m so, so happy with how this costume came out. I’m glad I finally have a ton of pictures to share. There are more at my Cosplay.com profile.
Zoom Info
COSPLAY — Merrill (Dragon Age 2) More photos All right. So, Merrill! I originally created this costume for PAX East 2012. The tunic is made from faux suede and I developed the pattern myself. The faux-fur shoulder pieces are attached and the whole thing stays on with two velcro pairs on each side, where the ties are on the actual model. I have a black ribbon sewn to the fur pieces that goes behind my neck, under the scarf, so that I don’t have to worry about the straps coming off. The gold rings are white plastic upholstery rings that I colored gold with a Sharpie paint pen. The scarf is just a trapezoid of green jersey sewn together at the angled edges. This created a shape that was wider at the bottom so it would look layered instead of just a straight tube. The arm guards and leg guards are both made of faux-leather from fabric.com. The arm guards have two loops of brown elastic and one loop of faux-leather, the last of which is around the palm. The leg guards have brown elastic linked to the gold rings, as well as a hidden black elastic strap below the calf so that the middle of the shin would conform to my leg and now bow out. The foot flap is held in place with velcro and I put safety pins at the top of each leg guard to help them stay up. The body suit… oh boy. I used a site that shows you how to make pattern blocks for dance costumes and swimwear but I can’t find it now. I made the whole suit myself, with a zipper in the center front (so it would be hidden from view), then I cut out the joint and thumb holes. I tried to finish one of the knee holes with a band but it didn’t work out, so I had to cut it. They are the worst part of the costume, but I don’t really know how I would fix it =/ I had tried FOREVER to find an adequate silver or gray stretch netting in order to make the proper “chainmail” look, but I never found it. I think most people got the idea anyway. Damn you, character designers! The elf ears I ordered online. My original wig was a long witch wig from Party city that I cut really badly, put rubber bands in, and hairsprayed the crap out of. I didn’t like it but I forgot to order a proper wig before Otakon, so I just bought a short brown wig from the local wig store and used that instead. I think it looks fine. I actually did makeup for this costume: basic powder foundation, eyeliner, and dark red + black eyeshadow. I actually painted my nails blood red for PAX, but my nails were so messed up (I pick them when I’m stressed… aka always) I didn’t do it for Otakon. My boyfriend did the tattoos for me =) The belt I made out of the same faux-leather. It’s a bit too wide. My boyfriend made the buckle and belt end out of clay (and wire, for the buckle tongue). They are both very heavy, so I had to hold the end of the belt when I walked so the heavy clay thing wouldn’t break my knees. The staff is the Torch of Falon’Din, which you get from Marethari at the end of Merrill’s last companion quest. I made it the week before Otakon and I’m very proud of it, though it just barely made it back from the con alive. The blade is upholstery foam + cardboard + paper mache + spackle. The sticks are willow branches from Michael’s held on with a combination of hot glue and gorrilla glue. The handle is a 7/8” dowel from Michael’s wrapped in faux leather left over from my Gwen costume. My boyfriend painted the blade for me. I didn’t completely glue down the handle wrapping so it started to come unraveled halfway through Friday, which was very frustrating and upsetting for me. Overall I am extremely proud of this costume even if it is a pain in the ass to wear. I’m not sure if I’ll wear it again, but I love Merrill and I’m so, so happy with how this costume came out. I’m glad I finally have a ton of pictures to share. There are more at my Cosplay.com profile.
Zoom Info
COSPLAY — Merrill (Dragon Age 2) More photos All right. So, Merrill! I originally created this costume for PAX East 2012. The tunic is made from faux suede and I developed the pattern myself. The faux-fur shoulder pieces are attached and the whole thing stays on with two velcro pairs on each side, where the ties are on the actual model. I have a black ribbon sewn to the fur pieces that goes behind my neck, under the scarf, so that I don’t have to worry about the straps coming off. The gold rings are white plastic upholstery rings that I colored gold with a Sharpie paint pen. The scarf is just a trapezoid of green jersey sewn together at the angled edges. This created a shape that was wider at the bottom so it would look layered instead of just a straight tube. The arm guards and leg guards are both made of faux-leather from fabric.com. The arm guards have two loops of brown elastic and one loop of faux-leather, the last of which is around the palm. The leg guards have brown elastic linked to the gold rings, as well as a hidden black elastic strap below the calf so that the middle of the shin would conform to my leg and now bow out. The foot flap is held in place with velcro and I put safety pins at the top of each leg guard to help them stay up. The body suit… oh boy. I used a site that shows you how to make pattern blocks for dance costumes and swimwear but I can’t find it now. I made the whole suit myself, with a zipper in the center front (so it would be hidden from view), then I cut out the joint and thumb holes. I tried to finish one of the knee holes with a band but it didn’t work out, so I had to cut it. They are the worst part of the costume, but I don’t really know how I would fix it =/ I had tried FOREVER to find an adequate silver or gray stretch netting in order to make the proper “chainmail” look, but I never found it. I think most people got the idea anyway. Damn you, character designers! The elf ears I ordered online. My original wig was a long witch wig from Party city that I cut really badly, put rubber bands in, and hairsprayed the crap out of. I didn’t like it but I forgot to order a proper wig before Otakon, so I just bought a short brown wig from the local wig store and used that instead. I think it looks fine. I actually did makeup for this costume: basic powder foundation, eyeliner, and dark red + black eyeshadow. I actually painted my nails blood red for PAX, but my nails were so messed up (I pick them when I’m stressed… aka always) I didn’t do it for Otakon. My boyfriend did the tattoos for me =) The belt I made out of the same faux-leather. It’s a bit too wide. My boyfriend made the buckle and belt end out of clay (and wire, for the buckle tongue). They are both very heavy, so I had to hold the end of the belt when I walked so the heavy clay thing wouldn’t break my knees. The staff is the Torch of Falon’Din, which you get from Marethari at the end of Merrill’s last companion quest. I made it the week before Otakon and I’m very proud of it, though it just barely made it back from the con alive. The blade is upholstery foam + cardboard + paper mache + spackle. The sticks are willow branches from Michael’s held on with a combination of hot glue and gorrilla glue. The handle is a 7/8” dowel from Michael’s wrapped in faux leather left over from my Gwen costume. My boyfriend painted the blade for me. I didn’t completely glue down the handle wrapping so it started to come unraveled halfway through Friday, which was very frustrating and upsetting for me. Overall I am extremely proud of this costume even if it is a pain in the ass to wear. I’m not sure if I’ll wear it again, but I love Merrill and I’m so, so happy with how this costume came out. I’m glad I finally have a ton of pictures to share. There are more at my Cosplay.com profile.
Zoom Info
COSPLAY — Merrill (Dragon Age 2) More photos All right. So, Merrill! I originally created this costume for PAX East 2012. The tunic is made from faux suede and I developed the pattern myself. The faux-fur shoulder pieces are attached and the whole thing stays on with two velcro pairs on each side, where the ties are on the actual model. I have a black ribbon sewn to the fur pieces that goes behind my neck, under the scarf, so that I don’t have to worry about the straps coming off. The gold rings are white plastic upholstery rings that I colored gold with a Sharpie paint pen. The scarf is just a trapezoid of green jersey sewn together at the angled edges. This created a shape that was wider at the bottom so it would look layered instead of just a straight tube. The arm guards and leg guards are both made of faux-leather from fabric.com. The arm guards have two loops of brown elastic and one loop of faux-leather, the last of which is around the palm. The leg guards have brown elastic linked to the gold rings, as well as a hidden black elastic strap below the calf so that the middle of the shin would conform to my leg and now bow out. The foot flap is held in place with velcro and I put safety pins at the top of each leg guard to help them stay up. The body suit… oh boy. I used a site that shows you how to make pattern blocks for dance costumes and swimwear but I can’t find it now. I made the whole suit myself, with a zipper in the center front (so it would be hidden from view), then I cut out the joint and thumb holes. I tried to finish one of the knee holes with a band but it didn’t work out, so I had to cut it. They are the worst part of the costume, but I don’t really know how I would fix it =/ I had tried FOREVER to find an adequate silver or gray stretch netting in order to make the proper “chainmail” look, but I never found it. I think most people got the idea anyway. Damn you, character designers! The elf ears I ordered online. My original wig was a long witch wig from Party city that I cut really badly, put rubber bands in, and hairsprayed the crap out of. I didn’t like it but I forgot to order a proper wig before Otakon, so I just bought a short brown wig from the local wig store and used that instead. I think it looks fine. I actually did makeup for this costume: basic powder foundation, eyeliner, and dark red + black eyeshadow. I actually painted my nails blood red for PAX, but my nails were so messed up (I pick them when I’m stressed… aka always) I didn’t do it for Otakon. My boyfriend did the tattoos for me =) The belt I made out of the same faux-leather. It’s a bit too wide. My boyfriend made the buckle and belt end out of clay (and wire, for the buckle tongue). They are both very heavy, so I had to hold the end of the belt when I walked so the heavy clay thing wouldn’t break my knees. The staff is the Torch of Falon’Din, which you get from Marethari at the end of Merrill’s last companion quest. I made it the week before Otakon and I’m very proud of it, though it just barely made it back from the con alive. The blade is upholstery foam + cardboard + paper mache + spackle. The sticks are willow branches from Michael’s held on with a combination of hot glue and gorrilla glue. The handle is a 7/8” dowel from Michael’s wrapped in faux leather left over from my Gwen costume. My boyfriend painted the blade for me. I didn’t completely glue down the handle wrapping so it started to come unraveled halfway through Friday, which was very frustrating and upsetting for me. Overall I am extremely proud of this costume even if it is a pain in the ass to wear. I’m not sure if I’ll wear it again, but I love Merrill and I’m so, so happy with how this costume came out. I’m glad I finally have a ton of pictures to share. There are more at my Cosplay.com profile.
Zoom Info

COSPLAY — Merrill (Dragon Age 2) More photos

All right. So, Merrill! I originally created this costume for PAX East 2012. The tunic is made from faux suede and I developed the pattern myself. The faux-fur shoulder pieces are attached and the whole thing stays on with two velcro pairs on each side, where the ties are on the actual model. I have a black ribbon sewn to the fur pieces that goes behind my neck, under the scarf, so that I don’t have to worry about the straps coming off. The gold rings are white plastic upholstery rings that I colored gold with a Sharpie paint pen.

The scarf is just a trapezoid of green jersey sewn together at the angled edges. This created a shape that was wider at the bottom so it would look layered instead of just a straight tube.

The arm guards and leg guards are both made of faux-leather from fabric.com. The arm guards have two loops of brown elastic and one loop of faux-leather, the last of which is around the palm. The leg guards have brown elastic linked to the gold rings, as well as a hidden black elastic strap below the calf so that the middle of the shin would conform to my leg and now bow out. The foot flap is held in place with velcro and I put safety pins at the top of each leg guard to help them stay up.

The body suit… oh boy. I used a site that shows you how to make pattern blocks for dance costumes and swimwear but I can’t find it now. I made the whole suit myself, with a zipper in the center front (so it would be hidden from view), then I cut out the joint and thumb holes. I tried to finish one of the knee holes with a band but it didn’t work out, so I had to cut it. They are the worst part of the costume, but I don’t really know how I would fix it =/ I had tried FOREVER to find an adequate silver or gray stretch netting in order to make the proper “chainmail” look, but I never found it. I think most people got the idea anyway. Damn you, character designers!

The elf ears I ordered online. My original wig was a long witch wig from Party city that I cut really badly, put rubber bands in, and hairsprayed the crap out of. I didn’t like it but I forgot to order a proper wig before Otakon, so I just bought a short brown wig from the local wig store and used that instead. I think it looks fine. I actually did makeup for this costume: basic powder foundation, eyeliner, and dark red + black eyeshadow. I actually painted my nails blood red for PAX, but my nails were so messed up (I pick them when I’m stressed… aka always) I didn’t do it for Otakon. My boyfriend did the tattoos for me =)

The belt I made out of the same faux-leather. It’s a bit too wide. My boyfriend made the buckle and belt end out of clay (and wire, for the buckle tongue). They are both very heavy, so I had to hold the end of the belt when I walked so the heavy clay thing wouldn’t break my knees.

The staff is the Torch of Falon’Din, which you get from Marethari at the end of Merrill’s last companion quest. I made it the week before Otakon and I’m very proud of it, though it just barely made it back from the con alive. The blade is upholstery foam + cardboard + paper mache + spackle. The sticks are willow branches from Michael’s held on with a combination of hot glue and gorrilla glue. The handle is a 7/8” dowel from Michael’s wrapped in faux leather left over from my Gwen costume. My boyfriend painted the blade for me. I didn’t completely glue down the handle wrapping so it started to come unraveled halfway through Friday, which was very frustrating and upsetting for me.

Overall I am extremely proud of this costume even if it is a pain in the ass to wear. I’m not sure if I’ll wear it again, but I love Merrill and I’m so, so happy with how this costume came out. I’m glad I finally have a ton of pictures to share. There are more at my Cosplay.com profile.

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