Hello everyone! I've been meaning to blog the process of how I go into and finish making a cosplay. So since it's a new year and we're planning some pretty big stuff, I think I'll be finally blogging each step that goes into my method of planning and making a cosplay. My first cosplay of the year will be Sieglinde Sullivan from Black Butler. She'll be the featured character for my planning blog posts.
Sieglinde Sullivan: The Green Witch
Please remember this is how I plan out my husband and I's cosplays. If you ask a thousand people how they plan out a cosplay, I'm sure you'll get just as many different answers. Do what you feel works for you! Also these blog posts will be covering making your cosplay. There is nothing wrong with buying your cosplay.
Step one: What are we working with?
Gather pictures of your character. What are the small details you might have missed while excitedly reading that new chapter? This, honestly is one of the most important steps if you are trying to make the cosplay as accurate to the original as you can.
Note: It's also important to find different views. Example: Side, back (usually the hardest to find.), ect.
With these pictures take some time to look them through. Whether that means you're rewatching your favorite scenes with this character or flipping through a manga to find pictures of their outfit. I'm a huge fan of little details (beads, ruffles, lace.) so those are the type of details I often look for. Did you know she has little beads/pearls on her hair nets? I think that will make those tricky hair nets fun for me to make just due to that little detail. (check out the last pic, first row.)
Step Two: Figure out if you'll need props.
You don't need props in order to cosplay. But if you do decide to make some props look back through all those pictures you've collected for something the character might hold or use often enough that it would be something that would help people at a con recognize your character.
Sieglinde has a wand that is pictured a few times in the manga. I'd say this is really her only prop, but it isn't something many people would recognize. But that is okay! Not every character has a big blade that is easily noticed. In the second picture you'll notice she also has a small bottle that hangs off her belt. This could be a very fun prop to make. Just be careful how much it weighs as it might make the belt a big heavy.
Step Three: Accessories
Accessories can be seriously fun to make or buy, which ever you chose, one thing is for sure; accessories are important. They add the finishing touch to a costume.
Sieglinde's choker appears to made out of delicate black lace. I'll most likely be piecing this together using venice lace.Or by using lace fabric. If I have enough time I might even make it by tatting.
This is by far the most important accessory Sieglinde has as it crowns her head and gives her a unique look. Her headdress is very similar to that of a lolita headdress (pictured below.) The beaded hair nets cover Sieglinde's long hair and forms it into horns. It does not seem to have any type of strap or ribbon tying the headdress on. Which means it is either clipped on or stays on by the hairnets going over the horns.
The headdress features...
- Ruffles
- Beads (pearls?)
- Two bows under each "horn"
- Small lace trim (in front of ruffles.)
Next accessory is Sieglinde's mesh gloves/sleeves.
These are attached by her middle finger. Similar details like her choker (little knotted loops.) Not sure how far they go up, but I'm guessing to her elbows. I'll have to search for more pictures.
Step Four: Shoes
Most characters wear shoes. Not all do but when at a convention, it is most likely a rule that your feet must be covered. I usually buy our shoes as I'm no shoe-maker. However, I'm not sure if I'll be able to buy already made shoes for Sieglinde.
Sieglinde had her feet broken and bound (It's a ancient Chinese tradition.) limiting her walking to a few steps. There are two ways I'm thinking of making her shoes.
1. Wedges or heeled flats.
Wedges are very similar to the shape of her shoes but a bit blocky and might be too tall. However, heeled flats might be the perfect shoe for sieglinde. I've seen a few cosplayers use heeled flats already and I love how they look.
2. Rocking horse shoes
This could be the most expensive route. I would have to carve the back of the rocking horse shoes into the correct shape but I'm not sure if this would work properly.
(Optional) : Underclothes
Underclothes aren't always important. You don't even need to make them if you don't want to. You especially don't need to make them pretty as no one is really going to see them. They only are used to give shape to the outfit (mostly dresses/skirts)
For Sieglinde I've sketched out this simple petticoat and corset. Obviously there aren't any pictures of what her underclothes may look like so I'm basing it a bit off of Elizabeth's corset.
I haven't decided if I want to add a hoopskirt but I am most likely going to be making a very fully tulle petticoat instead in order to give the dress less strict shape.
The petticoat will be shorter. I drew it long. Oops.
Step Five: Parts of the outfit
Some outfits are in pieces. Others are one piece. Some include coats. By looking over a full body picture of the character you can figure out what makes up your character's outfit. You may not be able to make certain parts so this is when you can decide what you can skip and what you should make last.
- Dirndl style corset
- Green overskirt with large bow and train
- Layered skirt with lace
- Long sleeves with ruffles
- Green stockings
- Puff sleeves
The corset will not be boned as I'll be wearing a boned corset underneath. The ruffles on the bottom of the Dirndl style corset will have horsehair in the ruffles at the bottom. This stiffness should help keep the corset weighed down and in place.
My plan is to make the second layer of the skirt a under-dress which the bodice is attached to. This should help keep the skirt less bulky. I had that problem with NoFlutter's Pluto.
The tails of the bow on the back of the dress will be long and drag behind me. The bow will most likely be sewn onto the skirt in order to keep it from being torn off if stepped on.
The first thing I'll be sewing is the underthings (petticoat and corset.) then I'll be sewing the skirts. This will be to gauge how the corset will fit over it. The corset also has more details which I'll want to take my time on. The last part will be the bow and while I start on all the larger pieces I'll be working on the shoes, wig and accessories.
I hope this was (sort of ) helpful. Obviously every character will be different. This is just how I go about the early steps of planning out how I'm going to make a cosplay. Things may change during the process but that's to be expected with any project. After deciding how to make your cosplay and what is apart of the cosplay, the next step would be to start thinking about patterns, fabric and trim which is what the second part of this series will be about.
If you are interested in seeing a tutorial done for a certain part of this cosplay, comment below or on our FB page Equus Cosplay to tell us what you would like to see when I begin making Sieglinde Sullivan. I'd also love to hear what you think of this blog post and what you like to see int he next one!
-Jessica.
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