Amber's Beginner's Guide to Sewing Cosplay
One of the best feelings in cosplay is the feeling of accomplishment when you finish making a costume from scratch. It is also one of most frustrating things to accomplish in cosplay. Our local sewing specialist will give a rundown of the process of sewing.
Unless you are going for absolute accuracy, go with a fabric that you know you can work with rather than ridiculous fabric you think matches the character better but will be difficult to work with. Fabrics such as satin are a pain, try to avoid using these fabrics. At the same time, if you are planning to enter a competition, keep in mind that most judges care more about the work you’ve put into a costume rather than how accurate it looks.
Patterns are incredibly helpful when it comes to making costumes. Simplicity has a wide range of patterns to choose from, including Halloween costume patterns, in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Even if you are making a costume that doesn’t match a pattern completely, there is enough freedom to change a pattern to match your costume design. Make sure you have the right size pattern for you body, as I have had to alter a top quite a bit because I realized too late that I bought the wrong size pattern. Patterns can get expensive, so unless you have no idea how to go about starting your costume or are brand new to sewing, it is better to draft your own pattern.
Making your own patterns can be very easy. Make use of your current wardrobe to trace out patterns on paper (keeping in mind stretch and seam allowance). Always have a paper handy for patterns before cutting into your fabric. It would be terrible to have the wrong size, shape, etc. and have to toss the fabric you bought because of it.
Once you have your pattern, it’s time to cut the fabric. If you drafted your own, make sure you have seam allowance either included in your pattern or leave some extra space as you cut around the pattern. You don’t want your costume too tight. Pinning a pattern to the fabric works well, but sometimes this can rip it. I use chalk to outline my patterns so that I can save the pattern for another time (or if I screw up the first time ^^;). I use a similar color to the fabric, just enough difference that I can see the lines. Use fabric scissors on fabric. And ONLY fabric! Paper will dull the scissors and make cutting your fabric a nightmare, so spend a little extra money on a pair of fabric scissors if you do not already have one. If you buy a pattern, there will be little triangles in the pattern. Cut a mirror image of it on the fabric (so that you are not cutting into your seam allowance) as these triangles are in the pattern to help you line up the pieces of your costume when you go to sew.
Your first step when it comes to sewing machines is to read the manuel. Most of your questions and concerns can be answered in this little booklet. If you are still having issues with simple sewing machine usage, places such as JoAnn’s offer lessons on how to use your sewing machine. If all else fails, youtube is actually a good place to find help. Some learn better by example rather than reading, so videos on processes like winding your bobbin are a great help. Make sure you know what kind of bobbins your machine can use (my Brother can only use plastic bobbins).
There are some items that just require hand sewing. Hand sewing may also be necessary if you don’t have a sewing machine but want to make your costume (duh ^^). It’s a long process and requires a few breaks for your poor fingers, but there is a greater sense of accomplishment when you finish hand sewing an entire costume. My red bag for Lightning Farron is completely hand sewn as well as my entire Miki Hoshii cosplay. Thimbles are your best friend when it comes to hand sewing, especially if you have thicker fabric. Check out this lovely person’s example of the following stitches (thanks taeliac!).
Running stitches are the most commonly used stitches when making a seam. The easiest way to do a running stitch is to run the needle through the fabric up and down
Back stitches are important for running stitches as they anchor the running stitches in place so your fabric doesn’t pucker. Every few running stitches, insert the needle a little back behind the last stitch you made and continue doing a running stitch. Once again, this works as an anchor.
Whip stitches are used on the edges of your fabric to help with fraying. Just make sure the thread goes around the edge of the fabric. Use this same stitch when doing applique.
Make sure you know what the right and wrong sides of your fabric are. The right side is what you want everyone to see when you put on the cosplay. The wrong side is what will be on the inside. When sewing, your wrong sides should always be out so you have a nice, clean seam when you turn it inside-out to show the right side. Pins should go perpendicular to the seam you are sewing so that they can be easily removed as you sew. And if you are using a sewing machine for the first time, TAKE IT SLOW! Your thread might tangle, your fabric may stick into the feed, you could run over a pin, or even run over your finger if you are not careful. As you become more confident in using your machine, then start to speed up. I learned this the hard way. Also, you may have to rethread your machine a few times while working on a project.
Hems finish off your piece to give a nice clean look and also prevent fraying, so please hem your costumes. Fraying can be a pain, but there are ways to fight fraying. Keimi turns in the ends once before actually hemming her ends, almost like hemming twice. This way, the already fraying ends are not exposed to anything that could snag and cause more fraying. Fray Check (I believe it’s called) is supposed to help stop fraying, I’ve never used it as I have either opted for Keimi’s technique or clear fingernail polish (plus I haven’t looked long enough to find it apparently ^^;). You just need a little bit on the ends.
Some cosplays require applique of some sort, designs that are sewn to the surface of the costume after you have constructed it. My Gun Mage Lenne is a wonderful example of this. I used felt for the designs and used both a running stitch and a whip stitch (see above for an explanation of these) to secure them to the top. Smaller applique will require hand-sewing (as Lenne did), but larger applique can be attached using your sewing machine. My Brother has some settings specifically for applique, so check your user manual for these settings. Biased tape is great as well! Buy some to attach to your cosplay (as I did with Lenne), or make your own to add some detail (as I did with Lightning).
Some designs require painting rather than fabric. Slathering on a bunch of acrylic paint will not get the job done, instead it will peel. Using a wet-brush technique, take a little bit of acrylic paint and a whole lot of water. It will take a long time, but it is worth the wait. I used this on my sister’s Yuna skirt and VDR Cosplay’s Maokai vine arm. Sometimes a dry-brush technique is required too. Dry-brushing requires just a little bit of paint. Brush excess paint off onto a paper towel or plate before applying to your fabric. Use this for small portions you want to be more vibrant. This was also used on the Maokai vine arm. Always practice on a scrap piece before applying to your costume!! I would hate for you to dislike the paint job you did on a fantastically constructed cosplay!!
One of the most important parts of the costume. Otherwise, how are you going to get into that thing??? There are all kinds of fasteners, some more appropriate for a particular cosplay than others. My Lightning jacket fasteners are far more appropriate than a snap or hook-and-eye, harder to find but much more appropriate. Try to find ways to hide your fasteners if they are not seen according to the reference. Zippers are fantasic things, especially invisible zippers. Sewing machines come with a specific foot for these, and I highly recommend using this foot. Otherwise, you can certainly hand-sew your zippers, but be sure to secure it tightly. This goes for all fasteners. If these fall off, you might have an embarrassing convention experience. Some cosplays seem impossible to take on or off. Find a creative way to get in and out of your cosplay. This will earn you points with judges as well. VDR’s Maokai has a panel in the front that was removable and stayed in place using velcro and the belt that wraps around the torso. My Lenne cosplay wraps around my body and snaps at the sides, the collar staying at my neck using a hook-and-eye. Never underestimate grommets and male-female screws. My Lightning pauldron attaches to the jacket using these, and it looks fantastic! I also used these to secure the belts to my boots. Sometimes super glue just doesn’t cut it.
As this is a sewing tutorial, I won’t go into prop making here. But sometimes it’s the props that makes or breaks a cosplay. Props are iconic, they give you something to work with when posing, and if done well, can earn you major points in competitions. Beginning cosplayers, don’t be afraid to make a prop, but also don’t be afraid to forgo making one. My Liz Thompson cosplay went over very well without a jacket or hat… or even a Patty or Death the Kid.
And that’s it, you’re all done! Revel in your cosplaying ability and rock those competition stages! Enjoy all the photos and awards, you deserve them! And above all, have fun, dang it. Otherwise all this work was for nothing. Amber out~!
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