Generations
of seamstresses have depended on store-bought patterns to make clothes at
home. Those stores usually don't have patterns for anime costumes, so fans
have to make their own. Before costumers such as Kathryn make their outfits,
they make patterns so they can tell how the costumes can be made. So, the
first trip to the fabric store is for a few yards of ordinary white muslin,
cheap to buy but invaluable in making the test versions of a costume. Get
the preliminary costume right and then it's time for another trip to the
store (which usually is JoAnn's) to get the fabric for the real costume.
"You do not have to make every costume out of satin," Kathryn said. "Some
Sailor Moon costumes look good in satin, but I would not like to make a (Card
Captor) Sakura costume out of satin."
Instead, Kathryn made her Sakura outfit from the sort of fabric used for T-shirts.
"Don't think you have to buy the most expensive fabric in the store to look
good," she said. To get the right fabric, Kathryn grabs a length at the store
and waves it around to find how it flows. Cosplayers always search for colorful
fabric, but the most risky color can be white - because it can allow too
much to show and often needs to be lined for modesty's sake. Then there are
the trips to thrift shops to locate parts and pieces: Kathryn cites Yuffie
from Final Fantasy 7 as a character that can be created from thift shop parts.
We've heard from some costumers who can't sew, but that skill is going to
remain a major part of costuming. While there are expensive, microprocessor-controlled
dewing machines, older hardware isn't bad. An machine in good order can be
avaluable cosplay tool, and Kathryn has one of those old machines, brought
down from her grandmother's attic. She admits she's still learning how to
sew, and recommends that anyone wanting to improve that skill look for a
community college sewing class.
Generations
of seamstresses have depended on store-bought patterns to make clothes at
home. Those stores usually don't have patterns for anime costumes, so fans
have to make their own. Before costumers such as Kathryn make their outfits,
they make patterns so they can tell how the costumes can be made. So, the
first trip to the fabric store is for a few yards of ordinary white muslin,
cheap to buy but invaluable in making the test versions of a costume. Get
the preliminary costume right and then it's time for another trip to the
store (which usually is JoAnn's) to get the fabric for the real costume.
"You do not have to make every costume out of satin," Kathryn said. "Some
Sailor Moon costumes look good in satin, but I would not like to make a (Card
Captor) Sakura costume out of satin."
Instead, Kathryn made her Sakura outfit from the sort of fabric used for T-shirts.
"Don't think you have to buy the most expensive fabric in the store to look
good," she said. To get the right fabric, Kathryn grabs a length at the store
and waves it around to find how it flows. Cosplayers always search for colorful
fabric, but the most risky color can be white - because it can allow too
much to show and often needs to be lined for modesty's sake. Then there are
the trips to thrift shops to locate parts and pieces: Kathryn cites Yuffie
from Final Fantasy 7 as a character that can be created from thift shop parts.
We've heard from some costumers who can't sew, but that skill is going to
remain a major part of costuming. While there are expensive, microprocessor-controlled
dewing machines, older hardware isn't bad. An machine in good order can be
avaluable cosplay tool, and Kathryn has one of those old machines, brought
down from her grandmother's attic. She admits she's still learning how to
sew, and recommends that anyone wanting to improve that skill look for a
community college sewing class.
