Skip to main content

Unicorn Costume: Fin...but needs tweaks

I have complete construction of the Unicorn Costume so it's time for some post-mortem style stuff. 

 Surcoat/Gwahzee Coat 

So for a long time my measurements haven't changed. I cut out the pattern pieces about a year ago. But it turns out that I have grown and the size I cut out was one size too small. Again, because my measurements hadn't changed for a long time, I just went with the assumption that things would work out. Cutting and constructing was straight forward. Love that it had no sleeves! But when I tried it on I suddenly realized that oh no...it wasn't quite fitting all the way around! I took out the darts to give myself more fabric but it still didn't help. I ended up installing some "extensions" made from stretch velvet. It closes now at least.

I really liked the clasps but they were expensive. 

Pants

The pattern I used was clearly for much stretchier fabric than my choice. I had to re-draft the pattern to make it fit but now it does! It's very comfy but I did notice that the fabric is a bit more see-through than expected. Oops! So I bought some modesty shorts/shapewear to help. But the leg ruffles are amazing! 

Armlets 

Last week, I was so done with sewing I just wanted to purchase pre-made armlets. But they were too expensive. Once I rested and got back into the sewing mood, I was able to slap some of these together with chiffon and stretch velvet. I may need to make them a bit smaller but they work!

Crop Top 

The opening of the coat is usually meant for a bra top. But since I went with a halter top to cover myself more, I run into an interesting problem. Skin gaps. The crochet top kind of makes a triangle shape that's narrow at top but wide at the bottom. But the coat opening is rectanglar. So I have some odd areas of uncovered skin between the should strap of the halter top and the shoulder of the surcoat. 

I may actually just wear a lace bra or modify a crop top. 

Belt

I had gotten some silver lace pieces and sewed them to scrap stretch velvet and chiffon. It's a bit untidy but that means I can manipulate it a bit more. 

All the pieces
I still need to iron the coat but it's done, it currently fits and I can dance in it. The vision didn't quite come together as I had hoped but I learned a lot and its finished for now so I should be good for my dance performance. 

However! I did just start going to the weight loss clinic again which may result in some rapid weight loss and maybe a loss of inches. This is where the belt may have to do some work. But tailoring should be doable before the show. 

I'll get a pic of me in the costume soon. My place is a mess and setting up the camera is a chore. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Costume Design: Guiding Principles

Part of designing costumes is finding a way to pick from many solutions. Limiting these choices can be the art of design.  I have some of my own "Guiding Principles" or Design Principles when it comes to costume design. Some of these constraints are based on non-mutable factors. (Or currently difficult to change.) The fun ones are a bit on the arbitrary side. These are self-imposed limitations for the costume that as a designer I decide to apply to any given costume.  The point of these principles is to help you make a final decision if you are paralyzed by many choices. I may get hung up on some pretty silly things, so at the very least, this helps me move forward and kind of imply that I had a plan all along.  Immutable Design Principles We might run into some touchy subjects here but whatever, here we go! Immutable principles are either constraints your life situation has you in at any given time or core beliefs about what you wear. This can mean things like religious beli

Costume Fabric Cheat Sheet: How to Pick Fabric for your Costume

 In the previous post , I laid out how to describe different aspects of fabric when trying to find a good fabric for your costume. This post will go over ways to apply those terms and actually pick out a fabric for your costume. I will attempt to teach by examples.  4 Avenues of Research Cheat! I mean...look at other cosplays. You can often find images of photoshoots which make for better references than illustrations. If you are lucky, the costume maker may have posted a journal about how they made their costume or at least list the materials they used.  Check for Suggestions in Sewing Patterns Sewing patterns will list suggested fabrics to use for the costume. Pop those terms into a search engine and see the results.  Historical, Cultural, or Real Life Examples With a search engine or books, you can find out about how clothes were made back in the day or what materials are used around the world. You can also check the tags on your clothes to see what it's made of.  Narrow down to

Hakama Series - Hibakama (Scarlet Hakama)

The bright red hakama with a white kimono is a common sight in both anime and video game characters. Shrine maidens or Miko also wear this combination of colors when they work at Shinto shrines. Honestly, there is a LOT of history and cultural significance wrapped up in this one.  Anime/Games: Inuyasha, Genshin Impact, Sailor Moon,  So let's talk Design. Design Considerations Cultural Significance This is one I'd pay attention to if I was creating a character of my own. I assume that already created characters have had this research done and have taken their artistic license.  Some of the research taught me a few things: The color is technically scarlet or vermillion, not "red". 🤷 Miko are not part of the Shinto clergy. Sometimes they are just seasonal workers.  Generally, Miko are young women in their teens or early 20s. After a certain age, they wear different colors.  This was based on Heian nobility colors and fashions.  Color Like I said earlier, the color is ve